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.

Many countries within European Union are trying to push through the treaty to strengthen the EU and help its expansion into east Europe. But some members are skeptical that treaty will interfere with the very constitution of the individual countries and the crucial policies regarding abortion, taxation and neutrality. The treaty awaits legal signal in Czech Republic. The treaty has to be compatible with its constitution.

It remains to be seen if any magic formula emerges which will make Lisbon Treaty work for all its 27 members, and if at all Irish Republic and other skeptic countries are willing to rethink.

Image

source: BBC

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.

But the brutality didn’t end here. The rest were taken to the distant farm to be tortured further. They were beaten the whole night and finally, forced to drink the Paraquat- a highly poisonous herbicide. The irony is that, all these were supported by the police when a complaint was made. Even being disabled and injured, the family members are in police arrest, for being an opposition threat to the Mugabe Government.

Such is the case of this poor nation. It’s just like as if the country has not yet got freedom from its own dictators. Perhaps, the country has to witness more of bloodshed, struggle, death and torture before it achieves democracy.

Source: independent

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.

In the context of widespread violence and killings and attack on leaders it is natural that MDC is mulling all the options including pull-out from run-off. But if it does, people’s spirit will stand totally defeated and the faint hope of Robert Mugabe’s defeat will die too. Nearly 50% percent of Zimbabwean’s did after all show faith in MDC. MDC’s camp stands divided on the issue. Mugabe’s violent tactics may split MDC and even that will serve only Mugabe’s purpose. MDC leadership meets on Sunday to decide on the pull-out and future course of action. World over is watching and condemning Robert Mugabe and Amnesty international is appealing for peaceful run-off.

MDC’s defeat seems inevitable but splitting or pulling out after winning first round of election will certainly be a huge setback for Zimbabwe and rest of the world which is keenly watching the developments. MDC did almost win last round of election that too in spite of widespread rigging and in spite of all state machinery backing Mugabe. Violent tactics proves that Mugabe is scared and apprehensive about run-off. If he really had strong foothold in his land and his god with him he wouldn’t be so desperate and scared of opposition. Mugabe is exposed now and should be forced to face the run-off.

MDC must stand united. The world,Zimbabweans and even dead warriors of the land are with them. And they should have no fear of losing either; even if they lose the run-off they’ll gain much more international support, important for their next attempt to oust Robert Mugabe.

Image

Source: RawStory

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.

They form the backbone of his support base in the country. But there are emerging threats to him. Last year he tried to change the Constitution to enable him to be president for life, but the referendum on the matter went against him. The opposition has found a dynamic leader in Leopoldo Lopez, a pragmatic center-leftist politician, whose increasing popularity is giving Chavez cause for alarm.

He has tried to deal with the threat by framing most of the opposition leaders in some flimsy charges (which are not proved in the courts. But since Chavez has the Supreme Court in his pocket that would not be too difficult) and thus disqualifying them from the upcoming state elections.

It is quite possible that the opposition could sweep the elections. Resentment against Chavez is on the rise. Inflation is galloping at 35%. Venezuela has the highest murder-rate in the whole world. People are tired of the rising crime rate.

The opposition is determined to take the fight to the streets. They have tasted blood after the referendum that Chavez lost last year. Many of his former men have turned against him, like General Raul Salazar, Chavez’s former defence minister. He believes Chavez is showing signs of megalomania; that he is close to thinking that he is God.

But it must be said in Chavez’s defence that he has come to power through elections. The fact that he lost the referendum last year shows he has not started rigging polls. But the framing of opposition leaders is a sign of his growing insecurity. That increases more and he would go the ‘Robert Mugabe’ way.
Image
Source: Telegraph

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.

Rebels are happy and they want Al-Bashir to be arrested. But is it possible to arrest the Sudanese President and start peace talks with the government which is headed by Al-Bashir himself? Some feel ICC’s move itself will act as a deterrent and make Al-Bashir go soft and invite rebel groups for peace talks. The President will definitely be under international pressure but ICC cannot stop him from moving within Sudan and carrying out operations against rebels and aid workers.

Darfur has suffered for nearly five years. The conflicts have left nearly 300,000 killed, thousands of women and children raped and abused. UN is unable even to carry out the full-fledged aid operations in the region. Finally, this move by ICC might be seen as better late than never by many.

Everyone expected UN, West and other countries to act and bring peace back in Darfur. Now that ICC’s prosecutor has filed charges, there are many unanswered questions. Will ICC comply? Will this UN initiative revive the peace process in Darfur which is almost dead? Or will it spoil whatever little chance the peace had in the region? Will Al-Bashir,as head of the state use all the state machinery and retaliate not only against the rebels but UN peacekeepers and aid workers as well?

It is best to hope that things will change for better in Darfur. But if they don’t, things cannot be more worse in Darfur.

source: LosAngelesTimes

Dmitry Medvedev is Vladimir Putin’s protege and the latter had personally handpicked him to be his successor and herein lies a deep-rooted problem that could potentially divide the Kremlin into two political powerbases which could collide head on in the near future engulfing Russian politics into a deep and complicated crisis. It cannot be denied that President Medvedev has inherited a safer Russia, an economically sound Russia than what it was when Prime Minister Putin took over a seemingly shattered country almost a decade ago. Many believe that having single-handedly turned around Moscow’s economic and political fortunes, Vladimir Putin has developed a superiority complex towards his love for power and that is why he took over the post of Prime Minister in order to have a close eye on Dmitry Medvedev’s running of the country.

Vladimir Putin is the real leader according to most ordinary Russians and this has created a dilemma among many bureaucrats, political figures, students, etc. According to the Moscow Times, the dilemma is so complex that government offices and institutions are hanging potraits of Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin together on their walls instead of a single potrait of the current President. Well, this does not augur well for President Dmitry Medvedev. He is certainly not the only person that Russians would listen to and this could lead to a power struggle. Western diplomats feel that appointing Medvedev as the President is a well choreographed step taken by Vladimir Putin to maintain his strong grip on Russian politics. Mr.Putin will continue to have a strong decision making influence in Russia. Furthermore, the presidential administration is filled with Putin appointees and it is unlikely they will change their loyalties at this very moment.

While Medvedev is an academician, Putin is a strong figure with a KGB background. There is every chance that the two men could clash on their ways of running the country’s economy. According to the Russian constitution, the Prime Minister is in charge of the country’s economic affairs while the President looks after the foreign and defence matters. Many feel President Medvedev to be a liberal moderate who could try to bring in some reforms in the Russian economic and political scenario and which could be risky given that the reforms could affect too many powerful figures within the Kremlin unless the President in due course of time develops his own inner political circle to counter Vladimir Putin’s influence. As of now it remains to be seen how the two men work together in their quest to take Russia towards world domination by 2020.

Via: Moscow Times

Image credit: Xanthis

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.

The move is broadly seen as a step by Russia to counter the American move. But, to put it in practice would be a great task for the Russians. The infuriated Russian military officers want to make Cuba a base for their long-range bombers that carry nuclear weapons. The military wants Kremlin to act and send strategic bombers to Cuba as an answer to American missile defense shield over Eastern Europe.

Russia strongly opposes the installation of a radar station in the Czech Republic and the deployment of interceptor missiles in Poland. American explanations about the need for such actions in the face of missile threats from rogue states like Iran, and its assurances about posing no threat to Russia do not sound agreeable to the Russians.

When the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed an agreement with the Czech Republic this month, Russian President Medvedev spoke of “retaliatory steps with military-technical methods”.

The Russian newspaper Izvestia quoted Defense Ministry sources and said Russian crews of long-range bombers have recently visited Cuba to finalize a landing strip for the bombers’ refuelling center.

The paper also said facilities in Venezuela are also being considered with its president agreeing to step up military cooperation with Russia this week when he visited Moscow.

The Tu-95 Bear (Tupolev) bombers have been in the service of Soviet and later in Russian air force since the late 1940s. There are several variants and versions. The range of these strategic long-range bombers exceed 12,000 kilometers and their payload capacity is a staggering 11,000kg (24,250 lb).

The Russian move has met with severe criticism in the American military circles, with the US General Norton Schwartz, who has been nominated as the new air force chief, saying,

Placing Russian bombers in Cuba crosses a red line for the United States of America.

He continued,

I would certainly offer the best military advice that we engage the Russians not to pursue that approach.

The present crisis is in many ways reminiscent of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 when John F. Kennedy stood firm like a rock against the plan of Soviet Union to station missiles in the island country and prevented the Soviets from carrying out the plan. The threat of an imminent nuclear war was averted as Khrushchev agreed for talks, finally.

A prudent step is called for from the American side to preclude any chances of worsening of the situation as well as to establish trust between the two major powers of the world.

Via: Times Online

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.

Let us discuss what McEvan and Amis say about Islam. We deal with Amis first. He says the militants have won the war of dominance and the moderates amongst Muslims have lost. Though there are many takers for the militant brand of Islam, it would be too early to say that the moderates have lost. Though ‘Ladenism’ has appealed to many, most Muslims the world over subscribe to moderate Islam. It is only that the hardliners grab more headlines.

Amis said Muslims would suffer till they bring their house into order. This is true. Muslims the world over are looked upon with suspicion. The relations of Muslims with their neighbours of other religions have been gradually spoiled. But when Amis says things like, ’strip-searching people who look like they’re from the Middle East or from Pakistan’, it is going too far. This will only swell the ranks of Laden’s followers.

McEvan says he detests Islam because of the way women are not given freedom and its non-acceptance of homosexuality. McEvan should look at Turkey and Jordan. Both have Muslim populations but the status of women there is good. Iraqi women too enjoyed a free life till Saddma Hussain was deposed. As far as homosexuality is concerned, it is only recently gay marriages were legalized in ultra liberal California. Homosexuality remains taboo even today in most countries of the world.

Though McEvan has full rights to say he hates militant Islam, he offers no solutions. His friend Amis provides extreme measures that will prove counter-productive. It must be kept in mind that Ladenism is a freak strand of Islam, subscribed to by a minuscule minority of Muslims. Muslims are citizens of the world too and followers of other religions should show understanding. Just criticizing the weaknesses of Islam as followed by some will only alienate the entire community. Gandhi’s teachings are very relevant today. His principles of tolerance hold the key to today’s incipient clash between religions.

Source: Telegraph

Image

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.

However, what seems to have angered the Russian government is the American military presence in the neighborhood, especially the installment of a radar system in the Czech republic and Russia has suddenly cut down the oil supplies to the central European nation. This has raised fears among many countries about Russia’s ability to use energy as a leverage to establish its policies. Russians are worried about the NATO expansion and also the U.S military action in Iraq.

Russia has been a vocal of critic of the American foreign policies and the continuation of Putin’s policies may actually be good in many ways, especially in a situation where war looms over Iran. Russia has ruled out its support for military actions against Iran and stresses the importance of dialogue. The new foreign policy doctrine also stresses higher importance to relations with India and China. Calling the relationship between the two nations as being the most important vector in Asia, it calls for closer trilateral co-operation with India and China. Russia’s new foreign policy doctrine might have a more balancing effect though it may not sound sweet enough to the Western ears, specially in a scenario where the stability of Middle Eastern countries is at risk.

Image

Via: WashingtonPost

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!

Turkey, though dominated by muslims, is a secular state. For 85 years Turkey’s judiciary and military have been guardians of secular pillars of the state. Political parties have been banned nearly 20 times in the past in order to protect the secular credentials of Turkey’s constitution.

AKP won elections last summer for its economic development agendas and not religious motives. AKP’s biggest mistake was its attempt to lift ban on headscarves at public universities. AKP has been accused by prosecutors of hiding an Islamist agenda which runs against Turkey’s secular constitution. If not banned, AKP might be heavily penalised for non-secular activities. On the other hand they may be cleared of all charges or let off with simple warnings.

Prime Minister Erdogan armed with his party’s five year record has denied charges. He has said that the charges are politically motivated. He recently told Hurriyet,

The 1.5-billion-strong Muslim world is watching us to see how we accommodate religion and secularism.

Accomodating religion and secularism is indeed a tough challenge in the current polarised world. The court’s verdict may be out by mid August. Till then Turkey’s hope of joining European Union looks grim.

Meanwhile the prelude of bomb blasts at Istanbul by suspected ultras and strong polarised secular and religious camps has already divided the opinion of the people of Turkey. Everyone is braced for the national courtroom drama where the ruling government will be tried in a court of law.

Source: LosAngelesTimes