Only Politics

Lisbon Treaty is due to come to force on 1st January 2009. This treaty needs signatures of all 27 member states according to EU ruling. 18 countries have already given approval to the Treaty. Only Irish Republic held a referendum and the treaty was given a veto. What next? Will there be re-thinking about Irish objections to the treaty? Or will there be another referendum? The next meeting in Luxembourg will decide the future action of EU.

The Lisbon Treaty was signed in December 2007. It replaced the earlier European draft constitution which was rejected by France and Netherlands in 2005. It aims to streamline European commission and bring all 27 member states under one umbrella and have one new President of European Council and a stronger foreign policy post. It also dissolves national veto powers in certain policy areas. EU wants to have a stronger united voice in the world.

Go through the story, if you have enough courage to bear it. Robert Mugabe is perhaps the modern version of the ancient dictator kings that we have read only in books. How can we expect for development of a nation, if its still under the strict monarchy of a single ruler? Common masses have no voice of their own, and if ever one tries to go against this rule, consequence can be anything beyond your imagination.

Movement of Democratic Change (MDC) was formed only in the late 90s to war against this one-man-rule. But the supporters have been continuously tortured to the extreme. Mrs Chigoro is a burning example of this. Gibb Chigoro, her son was the first MDC candidate to win a council seat in the ruling party stronghold of Mashonaland Central. This was followed by a tragic story of destroying the whole family, including the death of Gibb. The son of defeated ZANU-PF councilor, Robson Dhlamini entered Gibb’s house with a large mob and started beating all in the house. Gibb was beaten by iron bars breaking his legs and arms. At this condition, he was dragged outside for mass humiliation by the villagers. Before death, Gibb was forced to insult MDC and murdered in front of his old mother, sister and daughters.

As opposition MDC mulls over possible pull-out from presidential run-off, President Mugabe has said that ‘Only God’ can remove him from office. But given the measures ZanuPF, along with state militia and police is taking, even ‘hands of God’ and all international aid, agencies, world leaders and other countries can do little.

With presidential run-off scheduled on 27th June, Mugabe and his machinery is making all desperate attempts to break the back-bone of opposition MDC. Ever since March elections proved strength of MDC, which almost came close to ousting ZanuPF, MDC workers and supporters have been attacked, assaulted, violently abused and even killed. MDC leader Tsvangirai was wrongly arrested and released earlier this month. Next the general secretary, MDC‘s second in leadership, Tendai Biti, was arrested on June 12th and charged with serious subversion and vote-rigging and defamation charges. He has been refused bail by the court and may even have to face death sentence if charges are proved. According to MDC, nearly 70 supporters have been killed so far.

Hugo Chavez is a larger-than-life figure In Venezuela. He has used the country’s oil wealth to defy the US and EU. He has made friends with Iran and Cuba, two countries which are anti-US. His popularity at home is not due to these factors alone. He has introduced measures that have made life easier for the poor in the country, like free medical facilities (with Cuban doctors), subsidized food and cheap credit for the weaker sections of society.

International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has filed genocide charges against Sudan’s President Al-Bashir and has requested an arrest warrant. The opinion of human rights groups and UN aid agencies are divided as to whether this move will act as long needed action against Sudanese government and start a real peace process or will this lead to more chaos in Darfur? Many fear there will be a huge setback if Al-Bashir and Sudanese government decide to retaliate against any arrest moves by ICC.

The genocide charges against Al-Bashir are serious. The submitted evidence shows that Sudanese President tried to wipe out three ethnic tribes in Sudan’s western Darfur region. In 2003, members of Fur, Massalit and Zaghawa groups rebelled against the government. They defeated the state army. Al-Bashir then sent lawless militia called janjaweed after these groups. Since 2003 janjaweed has committed serious war crimes for which Al-Bashir and Sudanese government are totally responsible.

Russians are facing a massive dilemma regarding the recognition of their country’s leader. President Dmitry Medvedev may be the man entrusted with the powers to take Russia forward towards economic and political superiority, yet his predecessor and the current Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin is the person many consider to be having a formidable influence over the country’s administrative and political issues even after stepping down as the President. According to many political analysts, most Russians consider Vladimir Putin as the saviour of a nation which looked aimless and was heading towards complete anarchy during the turbulent years of the late Boris Yeltsin’s presidency.

The post-cold war expansion of NATO has brought many former east bloc nations into the fold of American military influence. The securities of these newly independent nations require to be beefed up, but the coming of the Americans to the very threshold of Russia’s sphere of influence has made the Russians openly object to the American military alliance with the east European countries on more than one occasion.

But the latest move by America to install a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe has prompted severe criticism by Russia, which has now made known its plan to station strategic bomber planes in Cuba, close to the heart of America.

Novelist McEvan has said that he hates militant Islam. He has also defended his friend Martin Amis who has also expressed his dislike for Islam. McEvan says anyone who says something against militant Islam is branded a racist. This is true. Governments the world over have become extra-sensitive in dealing with their Muslim populace. They want to avoid anything that hurts their sentiments. This is because Osama bin Laden’s brand of Islam has many takers.

Most Western powers have been skeptical about the way Russian elections are held and the new government was seen as a body that is under the shadow of Vladimir Putin. Not surprisingly, the Medvedev government, which revealed the future foreign policies of the Russian government, seems not to deviate from the earlier acrimonious policies set by Putin. Putin had clashed with the West on a number of issues such as installation of U.S missile defense system in Eastern Europe, skepticism about the American war of terror, closer ties with China, and opposition of eastwards expansion of the NATO alliance.

A new found confidence supported by oil revenue and the desire of other nations to see an alternate voice being heard, other than that of the U.S has allowed the Medvedev government to continue the previous foreign policies. Russia recently angered many countries by vetoing a U.N Security Council resolution to punish Mugabe on charges of violence and misuse of power. Medvedev shot back that it is against any resolution that seeks to punish a country due to the way elections are held. The U.S especially has been a vocal critic and Zalmay Khalizad, the U.S ambassador to the UN felt the Russian Veto raises questions about it’s reliability as a G-8 partner.

Turkey is bracing for biggest political upheavals in recent times. Turkey’s highest court, the Constitutional Court, will convene today to decide whether the ruling party, Justice and Development Party, popularly known as AKP is indulging in anti-secular activities. The government may be dissolved. The court ruling may even ban the senior party leaders which includes Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan from politics for next five years!