July 2008 Vol. 27  No. 457

After the derailing of the draft constitution of the European Union (EU) by Dutch and French voters in 2005 and a new attempt to streamline the union under the Treaty of Lisbon, Irish voters dealt the process a severe setback. In a referendum on the treaty, some 54 percent of voters rejected the treaty on 12 June. Although the treaty has been ratified by 19 of 27 countries and was to have become effective on 1 January 2009, the process is now stymied by the action of less than one percent of Europe’s population.  Among consequences from the rejection is the deepening of the division between countries favoring greater integration and those being content with having a common market and the strengthening of the Franco-German engine of the EU. Immediate reaction of the European Council meeting of 20 June was obvious disappointment and a decision not to push Ireland for a second referendum but to continue with the ratification by member legislatures.

After the Irish disapproval of the Treaty of Lisbon of the European Union (EU), one of Austria’s governing parties, the Socialist Party of Austria (SPÖ) now wants to submit the treaty to a public referendum. This switch was confirmed by Federal Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer (SPÖ) and the next party leader, Werner Faymann on 24 June. They justify the move by the current low view of the EU in the country. Opponents, incl. some prominent SPÖ members, say the party is playing politics with an eye on the next elections.

After bringing its constitution in line with laws of the European Union (EU), the French government is preparing to tackle a reform of administrative divisions of the country and its overseas dependencies.  The need for such a reform was acknowledged by President Nicolas Sarkozy when he visited Limoges, Limousin Department, on 26 June. Since then critics are talking about the abolition of the departments, a notion that the state secretary in charge of territorial reform, rejected on the following day. The idea to concentrate on regions and do away with departments first arose in a report by the commission of Jacques Attali in January.

A study by the US Air Force about poor security of its nuclear storage facilities in Europe has resurrected calls by German politicians for the removal of nuclear weapons from German soil. A number of leading members of the Socialdemocratic Party of Germany (SPD) as well parliamentary leaders of The Left and Alliance 90/The Greens demanded that Germany give up its nuclear role.  The leader of the opposition Free Democratic Party (FDP) told a newspaper on 23 June that nuclear weapons are a leftover from the Cold War and must be removed from Germany.

The Diet on 27 June approved a resolution recognizing Japan’s aboriginal minority, the Ainu, as indigenous people who have their own language, religion, and culture. The Ainu are native to Hokkaido Prefecture and were forced to assimilate, beginning in 1869.

King Gyanendra of Nepal before leaving his palace in Kathmandu on 11 June told his countrymen that he has no intention of leaving the country and promised to “contribute to the independence and prosperity of the Nepali nation.” He said that all his properties are in Nepal and have all been nationalized.

Inhabitants of the 5-island Carteret Atoll in the South Pacific Ocean are the first to leave home and island because of rising sea levels and flooding attributed to climate change, authorities announced on 8 June. The islands are located 86 km northeast of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea and are inhabitant by about 1,500 people. The danger of disappearing into the sea was recognized in 2003 and evacuation of families began. Since then food gardens and coconut groves have been destroyed and the remaining residents are supplied with food from Bougainville.

viewing the world

At the beginning of the month, the high cost of food and its shortage became a worldwide concern, especially in developing countries. An international high-level conference met in Rome to discuss world food security but the crisis persists.

The importance of three political events rose above others although their effect remains regional. China and Taiwan resumed formal talks for the first time in 10 years on 10 June displacing for the time Beijing’s military threats against the island republic.  In Europe, a majority of voters stopped final ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon on 12 June in a public referendum. Although 18 nations have ratified the measure which defines powers of the European Union (EU) and streamlines procedures, the negative effect from Dublin is touching Austria and may encourage anti-Europeans in the Czech Republic. Partly because it did not know any better right now, the European leaders in the European Council decided on 19 June not to press Ireland at this time and postpone final adoption of the treaty. Even in Germany, one of the strongest supporters of European integration, the federal president on 30 June refused to sign the measure which was ratified by both houses of parliament. He is withholding his signature while several complaints against the treaty are pending at the Federal Constitutional Court.

The new constitution of Kosovo became effective on 15 June but on the next day Russia said it violated UN resolutions. Serbs in Kosovo organized an assembly, declared illegal by the UN and the government, which held its opening session in Mitrovica on 28 June.

The second round of presidential elections in Zimbabwe on 29 June resulted in the reelection of the incumbent. The vote was roundly condemned and rejected by international organizations and observers who found the election neither free nor fair. The only opponent had withdrawn from the round one week earlier following months of harassment, intimidation, and threats against him and his supporters.

Repression is high in 17 countries

An examination of civil and political in 17 countries and three disputed territories by Freedom House* of Washington DC placed eight countries at the bottom of the list with the worst human rights record: Burma, Cuba, Libya, Korea (DPRK), Somalia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Two territories, Chechnya and Tibet, fall into the same category. Not much better is the record of the following repressive regimes: Belarus, Chad, China, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Laos, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Zimbabwe and Western Sahara.

*Worst of the Worst: The World’s Most Repressive Societies 2008, released on 6 May 2008.

Bio Briefs [see printed issue] 

new government leaders

Algeria: Ahmed Ouyahia, Prime Minister, on 23 June 2008.

Iceland: Dr. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, President, declared reelected on 24 May 2008.

São Tomé and Prίncipe: Joaquim Rafael Branco, Prime Minister, on 22 June.

elections

Macedonia--Assembly of the Republic: For a Better Macedonia (ZpM), led by the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (VMRO-DPMNE), 63 of 120 seats, on 1 June 2008. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) stated that the elections “did not meet international standards” and the “election day was marred by violent incidents, intimidation, and ballot box stuffing in predominantly ethnic Albanian areas.” Voting was repeated in 186 polling stations on 15 June and in 15 stations on 29 June.

Mongolia--Great State Hural: Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP), 45 of seats, on 29 June 2008. There were two days of post election violence and the opposition Mongolian Democratic Party (MDP) refused to accept the results and its elected parliamentarians are boycotting Hural sessions.

deaths [see printed issue]

Kazakhstan celebrates Capital Day: On the occasion of the 10^th anniversary of making Astana the nation’s capital, the legislature on 23 June approved 6 July as Day of the Capital. It is also the birthday of the state’s president.

literature

Surveys and Documentation:

17th edition of Annual Survey of Independent Countries--Political Data

(Issue contains 41 pages.)