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Disaffected members of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat State of India formed the Mahaguharat Janata Party (MJP) on 10 September, reports the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS). Gordhan Zadafia, former Home Minister who was suspended from the BJP, is President and Sunil Oza is General Secretary. The new party is aiming to promote stronger Hindu ways and is currently represented by one deputy in the Lok Sabha. (No. 460 October 2008)
Indian UPA government wins vote of confidence India’s United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition government received the confidence of the majority of Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament on 22 July. The vote was sought by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) which had parted company with the UPA over the issue of the civil nuclear agreement with the United States of America: 275 against 256 and 10 abstentions. In the twelve days before the voting, both sides made extraordinary efforts to prevail, later leading to charges of bribery and buying votes. Minor parties were courted, ailing parliamentarians were driven or flown to the capital to cast their votes, and individual loyalties changed. There was considerable political fallout from fateful session: · The Speaker set up a seven-member committee to look into claims by three BJP members that they were bribed to stay away. · Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, a Communist member for 40 years, was expelled from the CPI-M on 23 July for failing to give up his post before the vote. · The CPI-M formed an opposition alliance on 23 July of ten former allies of the UPA, six regional parties and four left wing parties, incl. the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). · Eight BJP members of parliament who had switched sides in the vote were expelled from the party on 23 July. (No. 458 August 2008)
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. (No. 457 July 2008) Nepal became a federal democratic republic on 28 May, ending 238 years of royal rule. The newly elected Constituent Assembly opened on 27 May with 575 of 601 members present. The king was given 15 days to vacate the royal palace but later was provided with a smaller residence. The assembly, an interim body, is charged with drafting a constitution during the next two years. (No. 456 June 2008) While the main opposition and national Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is sensing victory at India’s polls next year, the political future of the son of Sonia Gandhi, leader of the governing Indian National Congress (INC), briefly reappeared in April. Rahul Gandhi (born 19 June 1970) is being talked about by some Congress leaders as future prime minister but on 26 April he made it clear that Manmohan Singh is his leader. Not surprisingly, while respecting her son’s stand, Ms. Gandhi has taken strong issue with the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), who started a campaign to become the next prime minister. Although she was elected with the help of Congress, the UP government is now being blamed for not providing enough aid to poor people in her state. Before the cabinet reshuffle in April, Rahul Gandhi was offered a ministerial position—his mother would have liked him to be in government—but he turned it down since he is already serving as General Secretary of the party with responsibility for the Youth Congress and the National Student Union (NSU). The BJP which calls him “yuvraj” or prince, a term he finds insulting, says the self-denial of the son to turn down a ministerial position is nothing but an attempt to build up his image. (No. 455 May 2008) The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) gained the greatest number of the 601 seats in the Constitutional Assembly on 10 April but not a majority. The Assembly is to draft the kingdom’s next constitution but nevertheless the leader of CPN-M is saying that he would lead the next government. Since the constitutional body does not elect the president, Prachanda (born 11 December 1954) is premature in his announcement. But he is on track to fulfill his goal to make the country a republic next month. The king who has been asked by the CPN-M to step down voluntarily and go into exile, rejected such demands on 21 April although the Maoists have threatened him with a trial and severe sentence. (No. 455 May 2008) India is faced with demands for new states. When three new states were formed in 2000 it was clear that various regions and ethnic groups would continue to press their demands for statehood. In Tamil Nadu, two Hindu groups, the Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam (MVMK) and the a-political Veera Vanniyar Pervai (VVP), are demanding that the state be split in northern and southern parts. Gurkhas, the majority population in Darjeeling, West Bengal, are in the process of obtaining autonomy. But now the Gurkha Liberation Forum (GLF) opposes the autonomy plan and demands a separate state, BBC reported on 19 February. (No. 453 March 2008)
WORK STARTS ON NEW INDIAN STATE CAPITAL By 2010, Chhattisgarh will move its state capital 20 km away from its current location at Raipur to Naya Raipur, at Rakhi Village. The foundation stone for the capital complex was laid on 21 January, reported the Indian Express. In addition to government facilities, the new capital will feature hospitals, shopping malls, space for commercial offices, a law university and various recreation areas, all to be built on an area occupied by some 20 villages. The development authority stresses the environment friendly nature of the new city which was inspired by the new Malaysian capital of Putrajaya. Chhattisgarh became the 26th Indian state in November 2000, composed of Chhattisgarh-speaking districts in southeastern Madhya Pradesh. (No. 452 February 2008) Lal Krishna Advani (born 8 November 1927) would become India’s prime minister if his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should regain the majority in the next parliamentary elections in 2009. The country’s main Hindu party selected its leader, the former deputy prime minister, as candidate for prime minister on 10 December. There is talk that the governing Indian Congress Party (INC) might call for earlier elections. (No. 451 January 2008)
Pakistan’s elections delayed Bhutto assassination deepens instability The political situation In Pakistan has gone from bad to worse with the assassination of a major opposition party leader, Ms. Benazir Bhutto, 54, on 27 December in Rawalpindi. Amidst demonstrations and unrest it had become clear that legislative elections could not be held on 8 January as planned but had to be delayed until 18 February. Even before and following the undemocratic presidential election [IO 2007, p. 3433], the nomination of Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) for a seat in the 342-seat National Assembly was rejected by the Election Commission because of conviction in two cases. His appeal also was rejected on 19 December. Thus the two major opposition leaders and critics of the president will not be part of the new legislature. Judges, including 13 members of the Supreme Court, who also refused to approve the president’s suspension of the constitution on 3 November, were forced into retirement on 5 December. Not unusual, at the time of death, politicians, press, and public vie with each other in highlighting the positive. So it was no wonder that mention of widespread corruption and encouragement of fundamentalists, especially in Kashmir, under Bhutto’s two terms, was crowded out by laudatory comments. The same applies to her rival Sharif but it should be pointed out that she succeeded, at least in the UK and in the United States, to portray herself as a fighter for democracy and convinced the present US administration, undeservedly, that she should head Pakistan’s next government. (No. 451 January 2008)
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. (No. 450 December 2007)
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