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Vol. 26 No. 450 December 2007 viewing the world Reaching agreement on a treaty in place of a constitution for the European Union (EU) is a significant milestone in the development of the EU. Approval by the European Council this month appears to be a formality although too many states have reserved exceptions which are allowed but are detractions from effective integration. A new government in Poland by a coalition which is more open to Europe is an encouraging sign. So is the resolution of the dispute with Italy over the revised allocation of seats in the European Parliament. (Rather than raising the number of deputies every time a new member state is admitted, parliament intends to stay with a ceiling of 750 seats and a minimum of six members for each member state.) The election of a new central committee to lead the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is probably more significant to China—the current leader’s position is strengthened, a few rivals are sidelined, and more supporters placed in positions to advance the leading faction’s policies. In Germany, the coalition between conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and progressive Social Democrats (SPD) survived the resignation of the vice chancellor, the number one SPD man in the cabinet. Both parties, however, are not doing their best governing the nation. For some time it has been obvious that more effort is spent on staking out positions for the next elections. As happens not only in Berlin, the image of the chancellor is better abroad than at home where she is criticized not only for not showing strength in leading but also for emphasizing image over substance and displaying insensitivity. Several elections which are bringing new politicians to the fore were held in Argentina, Australia—here Labor ended a 10-year conservative regime--, Pakistan (more below), Poland, and Slovenia. In Lebanon, parliament keeps postponing the election of the next president but it now appears that the next head of state will again be a general, albeit a properly elected one.
China’s communist congress boosts Hu Jintao Elevates possible heir, removes potential rivals Hu Jintao, 64, remains at the head of state and party, the makeup of the leading party organs are changed, and policies on economic growth, fighting corruption, and striving for social and party harmony approved. These are the results of three meetings of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held in October: 9-12 October: 7th Plenum of the outgoing 16th Central Committee; 15-21 October: 17th National Congress of the CCP in Beijing; and 22 October: 1st Plenum of the new 17th Central Committee. While the 7th Plenum approved the General Secretary’s work report and the draft amendments to the party constitution, some 2,200 delegates from regional and municipal CCP branches held the 17th National Congress to elect a new Central Committee and Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, approve amendments, and accept Hu’s report and roadmap for “party building.” The election of members of the new party organs was by secret ballot but the list of candidates was prepared by a 237-member presidium selected by the delegates. The new 17th Central Committee is composed of 204 full and 167 alternate members (16th CC: 198 full and 158 alternate members). Full membership is made up of 95 reelected members, 44 promoted from alternate membership, and 65 new members. Alternate membership is composed of 43 reelected and 124 new members. A total of 44 were promoted to full membership and 72 replaced. The 17th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) includes 127 members (16th CCDI: 121 members). The national congress which normally meets every five years [IO 2002, p. 2084] did not reelect 102 members of the Central Committee, incl. 9 members of the Politburo, three of whom were close allies of former General Secretary Jiang Zemin who also is not longer a member: Chen Liangyu, formerly Secretary Shanghai Municipal Committee CCP and Mayor, expelled by the Politburo on 25 September 2006; *Huang Ju, Vice Premier, died on 2 June 2007; Luo Gan, State Councilor; Wu Guanzheng, Secretary Shandong Provincial Committee CCP; Wu Yi Ms., State Councilor; *Zeng Peiyan, Vice Premier; *Zeng Qinghong, Vice President; and Zhang Lichang, Secretary Tianjin Municipal Committee CCP. *Jiang ally
Leadership changes: Hu strengthening his position The session of the 1st Plenum on 22 October was the place where significant changes of the party leadership were completed. Among the significant changes were the addition of Xi Jinping (born June 1953), Secretary Shanghai Municipal Committee CPC, and Li Keqiang (born July 1955), Secretary Liaoning Provincial Committee CPC and Chairman, Standing Committee Liaoning Provincial People’s Congress, to the Standing Committee of the Politburo, and the removal of Vice President Zeng Qinghong (born July 1939). The first two are believed to be groomed to succeed Hu, while the vice president is a potential rival. He will remain in his state position until March when the government will be changed. CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY: 17TH CENTRAL COMMITTEE (CC)--MEMBERS OF THE POLITBURO For complete report, please see printed issue.
Pakistan’s coup leader turns civilian president Stability and tranquility evade country The reelection of Pervez Musharraf, 64, on 6 October without serious opposing candidates cannot gloss over the fact that the army commander seized the elected civilian government by force on 26 June 2001 and in its wake left political forces stymied and weakened and the constitutional foundation wanting. After having made several promises earlier, the general finally resigned as Army Chief of Staff on 28 November, one day before he was installed for a new five-year term as President. Musharraf’s lopsided and undemocratic election which was supported abroad by the US president will continue to saddle the country with the unhealthy effects of the military’s deep entrenchment in politics. The situation is not helped by the divided leadership of the main political parties whose two former prime ministers both have records of corruption and lack of accomplishments. Meanwhile insurgency, social unrest and tribal conflict in Baluchistan, the North West Frontier Province, in Swat and Waziristan, the spillover from Taliban in Afghanistan, and the dispute with the Indian neighbor over Kashmir accompany Musharraf’s rule as they have for the past six years. On 2 October, Musharraf appointed his ally Army Lieutenant General Ashfaq Pervez Kiani to succeed him as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) if he is elected and resigns. Kiani headed Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2004 until September 2007. Government, on 2 October, agreed to drop corruption charges against Ms. Benazir Bhutto (PPP). Musharraf signed the decree on 5 October but on 12 October the Supreme Court announced that it would hear five petitions challenging the amnesty. Bhutto returned on 18 October but her frenetic reception by supporters was overshadowed by a massive bombing attack in which at least 136 people were killed. The former prime minister vowed to end military dictatorship and then became the subject of renewed acts of retaliation by the government, incl. a travel ban and temporary house arrest. One day before the election, on 5 October, the Supreme Court decided against postponing the presidential election but ruled that no official winner could be announced before the court could rule whether Musharraf’s candidacy while holding the position of Chief of Army Staff is legal and that the court would continue deliberations 11 days after the election. The election On 6 October, an electoral college made up of 1,170 members of the federal parliament and deputies from the legislatures of the four provinces and two territories were to chose one of the following candidates to become the next president: Wajihuddin Ahmad, former Supreme Court judge Makhdoom Amin Fahim (PPP) General Pervez Musharraf (PML) Muhammad Mian Soomro, Chairman of the Senate Ms. Faryal Talpur, Deputy Mayor of Nawabshah Only about 58 percent of the electors cast their votes. The election was boycotted by the All Parties Democratic Movement, 86 federal deputies resigned, and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) abstained. Overall result: Pervez Musharraf (PML) 671 votes Wajihuddin Ahmad 8 Void 6 Total 685 Results in the federal parliament with 442 members: Pervez Musharraf (PML) 252 votes Wajihuddin Ahmad 2 Others 3 Total 257 Two candidates, former Supreme Court judge Wajihuddin Ahmad and Makhdoom Amin Fahim (PPP), filed appeals in Supreme Court to declare Musharraf’s nomination ineligible while he heads the army. Some 86 opposition members of the National Assembly resigned on 2 October in protest against Musharraf’s candidacy. After the election After continuing protests and street demonstrations against the election of the general and days before the Supreme Court was to announce its ruling, Musharraf imposed a state of emergency on 3 November. The constitution was suspended, Parliament was dissolved, access to the Supreme Court blocked, a new chief judge appointed, and telecommunications with the capital cut. During the following days over 1,000 people were arrested, not street demonstrators who caused turmoil, but political opponents. The chief judge who was fired was placed under house arrest, an action that did not keep him from denouncing the “soft coup” and called on the people to “rise up” and restore the constitution. An ultimatum issued by Bhutto and outside admonitions, especially from the US government, were ignored but on 20 November some 3,400 critics of the regime were released, incl. human rights observers and journalists. Nevertheless, on 23 November the Commonwealth suspended Pakistan until it returns to constitutional rule and democracy is restored. On 19 and 22 November, the newly appointed judges of the Supreme Court cleared the way for Musharraf to assume the presidency, by ruling that candidacy and reelection were valid. Two days later, the government also allowed the other political rival, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), to return from seven years in exile. He immediately filed his nomination papers for the general elections in February. UK prime minister holds firm first to US special ties then Europe Britain’s prime minister outlined the government’s foreign policy in a speech on 12 November and the number one and key plank is the close relationship with the United States of America. Not surprisingly, Euro-skeptic United Kingdom places Europe and the European Union (EU) second when it should be at the top of every European country—even if a Channel separates it physically. French President General Charles de Gaulle was right in his instinct when he sensed that London would not be a steadfast pillar of the EU. The idea of keeping the EU in motion with an Anglo-French-German engine lacks especially British support and the fact that the new union treaty is not universally applicable to the UK is another indication. True, others, especially France and its agricultural subsidy obsession and now Poland, also, claim that certain national interests are not subject to EU regulations. Regrettably, when member nations should be placing integration at the top, national parochial thinking continues to hamper the union and may even restrain it from realizing its full potential. Today, the less than close ties between France and Germany and the continuing move toward admitting states that want to join for selfish reasons or for the prestige but are little prepared to yield sovereignty to advance integration should be warning signs. British suggestions to think about expanding into North Africa and French and Spanish flirting with Mediterranean members are destined to retard if not make it impossible to achieve a working union, whether in the shape of a political confederation or a cohesive market. British other objectives are to set in place the first internationally agreed procedures to prevent breakdowns of states and societies, a nuclear fuel bank for non-nuclear states, and reform of the UN Security Council.
updates significant events October United Nations: Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia, Libya, and Vietnam were elected to two-year membership in Security Council (16). European Union: Member heads of state and government agreed on reform treaty (18). China: Authorities ordered 100,00 Tibetan nomads into villages “to protect the environment.” (2) Costa Rica: Voters approved free trade agreement with the USA (7). Koreas: North Korean leader and South Korean president held first meeting in Pyongyang. (2) Montenegro: New constitution was adopted. (22) New Zealand-Tokelau: Referendum on adopting self-government failed. (24) Saudi Arabia: King decreed rules for royal succession. (9) Turkey: Government prepared to change penalizing insults to “Turkishness” in Penal Code article 301. (3) USA: Senate committee approved ratification of UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. (31) Zimbabwe: Government decided to introduce new currency by year’s end. (1) November Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Leaders signed charter. (20) Commonwealth: Pakistan’s membership was suspended. (23) European Union: Expansion commissioner reported that Turkey was not ready for membership. (6) Near East: Israel and Palestine agreed to resume peace talks. (27) Belgium: A proposal to divide the country into Flemish- and French-speaking regions is defeated in parliament. (22) Egypt: President declared opposition to any interference in the country’s affairs from abroad. (6) India: Karnataka State was placed under presidential rule. (20) Nigeria: Senate canceled agreement with Cameroon on the transfer of the Bakassi peninsula. (22) Spain: King visited Ceuta and Melilla dependencies in North Africa provoking protests from Morocco. (7) United Kingdom: Regional government of Scotland announced plan for obtaining independence during the next 10 years. (14)
elections Argentina-Presidency: Senator Ms. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (born 19 February 1953) (FPV-PJ), wife of the incumbent, obtains 44.9 percent of votes cast and is elected President on 28 October. Australia—House of Representatives: Australian Labor Party (ALP), 85 of 150 seats, on 24 November. Croatia—Parliament: Governing Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) wins 66 of 153 seats, followed by the Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDPH) 56 seats, on 25 November. Denmark—Parliament: Liberal Party (V) of the governing coalition obtains 46 of 175 seats, followed by the Social Democratic Party (SD) 45 seats, on 13 November. Jordan—House of Representatives: Independents, mainly supporters of the king, obtain 104 of 110 seats, on 20 November. Oman—Consultative Council: Non-partisans (no parties allowed) obtain all 84 seats, on 27 October. Poland—Diet: Opposition Civic Platform (PO) obtains 209 of 460 seats, on 21 October. Serbia-Kosovo –Assembly: Democratic Party of Kosovo obtains 37 of 100 seats, on 17 November. Switzerland—National Council: Swiss People’s Party (SVP) obtains 62 of 200 seats, followed by the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SPS) 43 seats, on 21 October. Togo—National Assembly: Governing Rally for the Togolese People (RPT) obtains 50 of 81 seats, on 14 October. Trinidad—House of Representatives: People’s National Movement (PNM), 26 of 41 seats, on 6 November. new government leaders Bosnia and Herzegovina: Igor Radojicic (SNSD), interim President, as of 1 October. Burma: Lieutenant General Thein Sein, Prime Minister, as of 24 October.
Georgia: Lado Gurgenidze, Prime Minister, as of 22 November. Nino Burjanadze, interim President, as of 25 November. Jordan: (Air Marshal) Nader Dahabi, Prime Minister, as of 25 November. Kyrgyzstan: Iskenderbek Sharshenovich Aidaraliyev, acting Prime Minister, as of 28 November. Mongolia: Sanj Bayar (MPRP). Prime Minister, as of 22 November. Pakistan: Mohammadmian Soomro, interim Prime Minister, as of 16 November. Poland: Donald Franciszek Tusk (PO), Prime Minister, as of 24 November. San Marino: Mirko Tomassoni (PDS) and Alberto Selva (AP), Captains Regent, as of 1 October. Somalia: Prof. Salim Aliyow Ibrow, acting Prime Minister, as of 29 October. Nur Hassan Hussein, Prime Minister, as of 24 November. Thailand: Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pukbhasuk, Chairman of the Council for National Security, as of 1 October. info European think tank formed: The independent, private European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) was launched on 2 October with the purpose of analyzing the foreign policy performance of the European Union (EU) and promoting an integrated EU foreign policy. It is co-chaired by Martti Ahtisaari, former Finnish president, Joschka Fischer, former German foreign minister, and Princess Mabel van Oranje-Nassau. The ECFR has offices in seven EU capitals and since its debut has conducted a power audit of relations between EU members and Russia and a survey on soft power. Website: www.ecfr.eu bio briefs info/literature
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government & leader changes Country Notes (42 pages) (Issue contains 62 pages.) |