| |
Indian
to take over as Commonwealth SG
|
| |
|
India's
former High Commissioner in London
Kamalesh Sharma will formally take
over as the new Secretary General
of the 53-member Commonwealth Nations,
the first Indian to assume that august
office. 66-year-old Sharma, a veteran
diplomat, succeeds Don McKinnon, former
Foreign Minister of New Zealand. On
his election to the high office, Sharma
said: "It is an honour and privilege
to serve this great institution. I
do so with confidence and enthusiasm
and would like to express my gratitude
to all the leaders for the responsibility
and trust they have given me to carry
forward the work of the Commonwealth."
Since 2004, as a member of the Board
of Governors of the Commonwealth Secretariat
and the Commonwealth Foundation, Sharma
has taken very keen interest in the
activities and advocacy of the Commonwealth,
significantly enhancing India's active
engagement with it. He represented
India at the meetings of the Commonwealth
Ministerial Action Group in February
and November 2005 and led India's
delegation at the pre-Commonwealth
Heads of Government Foreign Ministers'
meeting in Malta in 2005. Sharma was
the first Special Representative of
UN Secretary General to Independent
East Timor between 2002-2004 with
the rank of Under-Secretary General.
Sharma was educated in Delhi University
and King's College, Cambridge. He
holds an Hon Doctor of Laws from De
Montfort University, UK and has been
a Director of the Peace Academy, New
York. He is the recipient of the medal
of the Foreign Policy Association
of the US and a Fellow of Harvard
University.
Courtesy:
www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, March
31, 2008
Back
to Index
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Bhutan's
voters went to the polls this week
and completed the country's decade-long
transition to democracy. In a neighborhood
beset by autocracies and violence
-- Tibet, Nepal, Bangladesh and Burma
are all nearby -- this Himalayan nation
is a beacon for liberty. Some 79%
of the electorate turned out Monday
to elect the National Assembly, equivalent
to the lower house of Parliament.
Though pre-election polls showed the
two major parties in a tight race,
the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa won a landslide
majority of 44 of 47 seats over its
rival, the People's Democratic Party.
The vote followed January's ballot
for the upper house. The elections
went off without a hitch, despite
several small bomb blasts by Maoist
rebels last week. European Union observers
said the process "generally met international
standards," with clean electoral rolls
and professionally run polling stations.
The high turnout was remarkable given
that citizens had to vote in their
hometowns, requiring some to trek
for days. The poll is a testament
to the foresight of former King Jigme
Singye Wangchuk and his son, current
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk
-- both of whom traversed the country
to make the case for the vote. "Now,
whenever we talk about democracy,
the things that come to our minds
are politics, elections and political
parties," the current king said in
a speech last year. "But democracy
is not about politics alone. Democracy
is inherently about values and principles."
Palden Tsering, spokesman for the
Druk Phuensum Tshogpa, said that his
party's priorities for the next five
years are to follow "His Majesty's
vision" and make sure "the foundations
of a good democratic process have
been established." That includes,
he says, promoting good governance,
equitable and sustainable economic
development, and environmental and
cultural preservation. No democracy
is perfect, and the Election Commission
banned candidates from speaking about
issues of national security or citizenship
while on the campaign trail -- a nod
to historic tensions between ethnic
Nepalis and Bhutanese. But Bhutan
is still a shining example for how
enlighted leadership can promote greater
freedoms.
Courtesy:
http://online.wsj.com, March 27, 2008
Back
to Index
|
| |
Foolproof
security for Olympic torch
|
| |
|
India
has promised foolproof security for
the passage of the Olympic torch through
the country. "We will provide all
possible arrangements to ensure that
the Olympic torch travels through
India peacefully," National Security
Adviser (NSA) M.K. Narayanan told
journalists here on Wednesday. The
torch will arrive here on April 17
from Pakistan. The NSA's assertion
comes in the wake of China's apprehensions
that the torch may be disrupted by
Tibetan protesters. It has said nations
on the relay route have the obligation
to ensure the smooth progress of the
torch. Delivering the Air Chief Marshal
P.C. Lal memorial lecture, the NSA
said India faced many challenges rather
than threats in its ties with China
while the situation was the reverse
with Pakistan. Calling upon the security
planners not to view China through
"a single prism of aggregate military
capability," he said the peaceful
rise of both countries was a "unique
phenomenon," marked by intensive interaction
and frequent summit meetings. However,
a broader national consensus was required
on viewing China as a threat or a
neighbour "we can go along with."
On the other hand, there was a significant
anti-India sentiment in Pakistan,
especially among the intelligence
agencies, and its military strategy
was India-centric. It was also "frenetically"
acquiring weapon systems and missiles
to achieve parity and confront India.
Courtesy:
www.hindu.com, March 27, 2008
Back
to Index
|
| |
Pakistan
hails Indian stand
|
| |
|
Pakistan
on Wednesday said it welcomed India's
"reiteration" that it wanted the "best
ever" relations between the countries.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed
Sadiq said Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh's remarks were "noted." "We
are happy that India has reiterated
its position on bilateral relations,"
the spokesman said at a weekly Foreign
Office media briefing. Mr. Sadiq said
Islamabad and New Delhi were "already
in the process of fixing dates for
the next meetings" between the two
countries. However, there is no clarity
yet on who might get the Foreign portfolio
in Yousuf Raza Gillani's Cabinet.
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) spokesman
Ahsan Iqbal told The Hindu recently
that his party was not staking claim
to the Finance, Foreign, Interior,
Information ministries, but there
are reports that Cabinet formation
is stuck because it now wants some
of these crucial portfolios, while
the Pakistan People's Party believes
that it should keep them. The Cabinet
is expected to be finalised and announced
on Friday and sworn in on Saturday,
after Mr. Gillani fulfils a constitutional
requirement of getting a vote of confidence
from the National Assembly. The presence
of Shah Mahmood Qureishi at PPP co-chairman
Asif Ali Zardari's meeting on Tuesday
with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
John D. Negroponte and Assistant Secretary
of State Richard Boucher could be
a sign that the party has lined him
up for the Foreign Ministry. The Boston-based
academic and writer, Hussain Haqqani,
who was close to Benazir Bhutto and
is adviser to Mr. Zardari, was also
present at the meeting, setting off
speculation that he may be posted
as Ambassador to Washington.
Courtesy:
www.hindu.com, March 27, 2008
Back
to Index
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
The
government will depute a high-level
task force with Rural Affairs Editor
of The Hindu P. Sainath, Aruna Roy
(both Magsaysay Award winners), and
developmental economist Jean Dreze
as members to evaluate the implementation
of the National Rural Employment Guarantee
Programme (NREGP) in the State and
submit comprehensive recommendations.
This was decided at a meeting of the
State council for the scheme chaired
by Minister for Local Self-Government
Paloli Mohammed Kutty here on Wednesday.
Courtesy:
www.hindu.com, March 27, 2008
Back
to Index
|
| |
Royalist
Party Wins Election in Bhutan
|
| |
|
A
political party seen as the more royalist
of two groups seeking power swept
the first parliamentary elections
ever held in this secluded Himalayan
kingdom, Bhutan's election commissioner
said Monday. The Bhutan Peace and
Prosperity Party took 44 of the 47
seats in the new parliament, Election
Commissioner Kunzang Wangdi said.
The People's Democratic Party won
the remaining three seats. Turnout
was slightly more than 79 percent
of the 320,000 registered voters,
Wangdi said. Even in remote corners
of the largely rural country - in
tiny hamlets where voting machines
were delivered by yak - the election
went smoothly, officials said. The
results will not be official until
Tuesday morning. The vote ended more
than a century of absolute monarchy
in the mountainous land long known
as a quirky holdout from modernity,
allowing television and the Internet
only in 1999. The election came with
a twist: It was the king, not the
people, who pressed for democracy.
"His Majesty is like our father. We
all prefer our father," said Karma
Tsheweng, a 35-year-old mechanic.
But Tsheweng and hundreds of thousands
of others nonetheless lined up at
polling stations across the Land of
the Thunder Dragon to vote Monday,
excited at getting to try something
new but nervous about what may happen
after they've traded their Precious
Ruler for politicians. The country
of about 600,000 people has prospered
under royal rule. Its fast-growing
economy is slowly lifting many people
out of poverty and nearly everyone
has access to schools and hospitals.
The success contrasts with other South
Asian countries such as Nepal and
Bangladesh, which can seem like case
studies in democracy gone wrong. Even
in neighboring India, democracy is
a chaotic and corrupt affair that
has done little to provide decent
education or medical care for many
of its 1.1 billion people.
The
democracy process in Bhutan was started
by King Jigme Singhye Wangchuck, who
abdicated in favor of his son in December
2006. Bhutanese regularly refer to
both as "His Majesty." "There was
much resistance when His Majesty told
us that we must decide our future
if Bhutan was to prosper," said Karma
Dorji, a 55-year-old civil servant
who was waiting to vote. Since then,
Dorji said, "we have come to see that
this is an opportunity he has given
us because he is farsighted and wise."
Still, he said: "We prefer our king."
Apart from trepidation about the future,
the campaign for the 47-seat National
Assembly has also been baffling for
many in a society that frowns on self
promotion and open criticism. "Why
do we need these people and their
arguments?" asked 48-year-old Kinzang
Tshering after listening to one candidate
make his spiel days before the vote.
"They tell us they are better than
the other ones. How should I know
which one is better?" It is hard to
tell. The two political parties both
hew closely to the king's vision.
Both feature leaders who served twice
as prime minister under royal rule.
Both say they will follow the government's
latest five-year plan - they call
it "His Majesty's vision." And both
say they'll promote Gross National
Happiness, an all-encompassing political
philosophy that seeks to balance material
progress with spiritual well-being.
After the election, the king, 28-year-old
Jigme Keshar Namgyal Wangchuck, will
remain head of state and likely retain
much influence. Monday's vote is the
latest step in Bhutan's slow engagement
with the world, which began in the
early 1960s. Back then Bhutan was
a medieval society with no paved roads,
no electricity and no hospitals. Goods
were bartered rather than bought and
almost no foreigners were let in.
But across the Himalayas, other isolated
Buddhist kingdoms such as Tibet and
Sikkim were coming under the sway
of foreign powers. Bhutan - sandwiched
between Asian giants India and China
- decided it needed to change to survive.
The country now has a cash economy
and welcomes about 20,000 tourists
a year, albeit on heavily supervised
and expensive trips. It's even likely
to soon join the World Trade Organization.
Still, Bhutan retains many of its
peculiar ways. Mountain climbing is
banned to preserve the pristine forests
that laws dictate must cover 60 percent
of the country. Bhutanese must go
about in public in their national
dress: a colorfully striped knee-length
robe for men and an embroidered silk
jacket with a wraparound skirt for
women. The dedication to preserving
Bhutanese culture also has a darker
side. More than 100,000 ethnic Nepalis
- a Hindu minority concentrated in
southern Bhutan - were forced out
in the early 1990s and have been living
as refugees in eastern Nepal. Militant
groups that arose among the expelled
Nepalis set off at least nine small
bombs this year in an effort to disrupt
the election, killing one person.
Bhutan sealed its borders Sunday and
said it would not reopen them until
after the vote.
Courtesy:
www.google.com, March 25, 2008
Back
to Index
|
| |
Elections
in Bhutan March 24, 2008
|
| |
|
Bhutan
is the world's newest democracy, having
just finished its first democratic
elections. Turnout was heavy (as much
80% of the population!) and the Bhutan
Peace and Prosperity Party party,
a pro-royalist party, secured a landslide
victory, grabbing 44 of 47 parliamentary
seats. The other three seats went
to the rival People's Democratic Party.
What does it mean that the king's
party won? The king, 28-year-old Jigme
Keshar Namgyal Wangchuck, will remain
head of state, but parliament will
have broad powers, as opposed to the
former absolute monarchy. Some complain
that the people did not truly understand
the choice presented by the election,
and a left-wing group, the United
Revolutionary Front of Bhutan, has
set off a series of bombs and vows
to fight for "real democracy." Neighboring
Nepal has of course struggled with
a Maoist insurgency for many years.
Courtesy:
http://tricycleblog.wordpress.com,
March 24, 2008
Back
to Index
|
| |
Govt
mulls multi-purpose ID cards
|
| |
|
The
Union Government on Tuesday reiterated
its plans to issue Multi-Purpose National
Identity cards (MNIC) so as to provide
a unique identity to each citizen.
"The government proposes to issue
Multi-purpose National Identity (smart)
Cards (MNIC) to citizens in the country.
The project envisages providing unique
National Identity Number (NIN) to
each person in the National Population
Register (NPR)," Union Minister of
State for Home Affairs H Gavit informed
the Lok Sabha. Gavit said the central
government had sought the opinion
of state governments on the issue,
but not received any inputs for mandatory
issuing of Photo Identity Cards to
citizens of neighbouring countries
residing in the states. A pilot project
is being implemented covering a population
of three million in selected areas
in 12 states and one union territory.
The states are Andhra Pradesh, Assam,
Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir,
Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh,
Uttaranchal, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal
and Pudducherry. Under the pilot project,
identity (smart) cards are being issued
to the citizens of 18 years age and
above. The production and distribution
of identity cards has been undertaken
through central public sector undertakings.
An amount of Rs 443 million has been
sanctioned for the pilot project.
Based on the results, the project
would be extended to the whole country.
Courtesy:
www.headlinesindia.com, March 05,
2008
Back
to Index
|
| |
Kashmir
Singh returns to India after 35 years
in Pak jail
|
| |
|
After
having languished in Pakistani jails
for about 35 years, Kashmir Singh
today crossed over to India to an
emotional reunion with his wife at
the border post in wagah. The 67-year-old
Indian, who had been arrested in 1973
in Pakistan on charges of espionage
and was on the death row in a jail
in Lahore, crossed over this afternoon.
Singh, who was pardoned by President
Pervez Musharraf on February 28, was
given a lingering farewell on the
Pakistani side of the border before
he finally made his way into India.
Pakistan Human Rights Minister Ansar
Burney, who had traced Singh during
a visit to Lahore's Central Jail as
part of his work for prisoners' rights
and jail reforms, was among the Pakistani
delegation that accompanied him up
to the border. "I have no wishes left.
I have got everything now. I thank
President Pervez Musharraf and Human
Rights Minister Ansar Burney," Singh
said as he arrived at the Wagah border
where his wife Paramjit Kaur was waiting
for him. Singh, who was only 32 years
old when he was arrested in Rawalpindi,
said, "A new life has begun for me
and I am grateful to the people of
Pakistan and to the Pakistani government."
He also said the Indian government
should consider similar steps for
Pakistani prisoners. Singh said he
would want to go back to Pakistan,
this time on a valid Indian passport,
to lay a `chadar' at the shrine of
Baba Farid.
Courtesy:
www.headlinesindia.com, March 04,
2008
Back
to Index
|
| |
|
|
|
