Author: Publisher

Tunisian Assembly Approves Electoral Law

{{Tunisia’s interim parliament has taken one of the last steps towards the country becoming a full democracy by approving a new electoral law.}}

The move allows officials to set dates for legislative and presidential polls.

It comes three years after the popular uprising that forced Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to step down as president.

Debate in the National Constituent Assembly was clouded by disagreement over whether officials who served under Ben Ali should be banned from office.

The exclusion measure was eventually rejected by a single vote, however, with the Islamist Ennahda party – which won the elections for the NCA in 2011 – opposing it.

Its main rival, Nidaa Tounes, is led by a former parliamentary speaker under Ben Ali.

“The rejection of political expulsion sends a strong message that our revolution continues, without revenge,” Khemais Kessila of Nidaa Tounes was quoted as saying. “It shows that we are avoiding any divisions.”

Ennahda formed the first post-Ben Ali government but handed over power to caretaker Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa at the start of the year after the new constitution was approved, under an agreement to end a political crisis triggered by the assassination of two opposition leaders.

Mr Jomaa has ruled himself out as a candidate in the forthcoming elections, for which officials have said they will need between six and eight months to prepare.

One clause of the electoral law imposes male-female parity in party lists.

{reuters}

May 2, 2014
Windows XP Users to Get Explorer Fix

{{Microsoft has said users of its Windows XP operating system will also get the security update it has issued to fix a flaw in the Internet Explorer browser.}}

It issued the update on Thursday to fix a bug that let hackers gain access and user rights to computers.

Microsoft ended support for Windows XP earlier this month, ceasing to issue bug fixes or security updates for it.

But the firm said it decided to make an exception as the flaw was discovered just days after the support ended.

“Even though Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft and is past the time we normally provide security updates, we’ve decided to provide an update for all versions of Windows XP,” Adrienne Hall, general manager of Trustworthy Computing at Microsoft, said in a blog post.

“We made this exception based on the proximity to the end of support for Windows XP.”

The flaw was reported earlier this week and there had been uncertainty over whether XP users would get the update when it was released.

May 2, 2014
Gakenke Residents Assured on Security

{{The Minister of Local Government, James Musoni has said that Rwanda is safe and secure and added that no one can destabilise it and appealed to local leaders to revamp their services to serve the public better.}}

The Minister was speaking on Wednesday in Gakenke district where he met local leaders, heads of security organs, clerics and the business community.

It marked the end of the three-day tour in the Northern Province with the Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel K. Gasana to enhance security and good governance.

“The country is secure and you also have a duty to lead the community towards the right direction while offering quality services,” Minister Musoni told local leaders.

He also disclosed that all village leaders in the country will be given mobile phones by July to enable them provide information in time and to give them medical insurance.

IGP Gasana also thanked Gakenke for building the District Police Unit (DPU) and a Police Station and pledged a cow to support the district’s poverty eradication strategies.

He urged them to fight drug abuse especially those involved in trafficking and selling cannabis and illegal brew and gin, to break the supply chain.

He explained that all those connected to recent subversive activities, who include local leaders, were arrested to face justice.

The Police Chief also challenged local leaders to be exemplary and not to involve in illegal and criminal activities and lay stringent measures to prevent crimes other than dealing with the consequences.

Present was also the Governor of the Northern Province, Aime Bosenibamwe, Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Ruvusha and other senior officers and local leaders.

RNP

May 2, 2014
ICC Rejects Request on Egypt

{{The International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected a move aimed at getting it to examine crimes committed in Egypt, saying it did not come from the Egyptian state.}}

The move came from a group of lawyers acting on behalf of, amongst others, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), according to an ICC press release on Friday.

They lodged a communication with the ICC Registrar on December 13, 2013, “seeking to accept the exercise of the ICC’s jurisdiction pursuant to article 12(3) of the Rome Statute with respect to alleged crimes committed on the territory of the State of Egypt since 1 June 2013”.

The Registrar subsequently verified with the Egyptian authorities whether the communication was transmitted on behalf of the State, but “did not receive a positive confirmation”, according to the press release.

Egypt is not a State Party to the Rome Statute, the ICC’s founding treaty. The Court’s jurisdiction with respect to non-States Parties can be triggered if the relevant State voluntarily accepts the jurisdiction of the ICC by lodging a declaration pursuant to article 12(3) of the Rome Statute, or if the United Nations Security Council refers a situation to the ICC Prosecutor. Neither of these conditions are so far met in the case of Egypt, says the release.

This latest decision “should in no way be construed as a determination on the nature of any alleged crime committed in Egypt or on the merits of any evidence presented”, according to the ICC press release.

May 2, 2014
CNLG Condemns Release of Dr. Ntakirutimana Jailed over Genocide

{{Dr Gérard Ntakirutimana a Rwandan that has has been serving a 25-year-prison sentence on Crimes against humanity, Genocide,extermination and murder was released on April 29.}}

The Inmate was serving his sentence at a prison in Benin and his released was announced by Theodor Meron the president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Presiding Judge of the Appeals Chambers of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the ICTY.

However, the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide CNLG condemened the release of Dr. Ntakirutimana at a time when Rwandans are marking 100 days of the Genocide against Tutsi.

Dr. Ntakirutimana during the genocide worked at Mugonero hospital in former Kibuye Prefecture and was responsible for the deaths of dozens of Tutsi at the hopsital and surrounding areas.He procured of police officers and ammunition for the attack on the Mugonero complex.

On 19 February 2003, Trial Chamber I of the ICTR had convicted a senior Pastor of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Mugonero, Elizaphan Ntakirutimana, and his son Dr. Gérard Ntakirutimana, a medical practitioner.

On 13 December 2004, the Appeals Chamber confirmed the sentences of 10 years and 25 years in prison, respectively, imposed by the Trial Chamber.

May 2, 2014
Kagame Expected at Northern Corridor Integration Projects Summit

{{President Paul Kagame and his counterparts of South Sudan, Uganda and Kenya are expected to attend a one-day Northern Corridor Integration summit to be held in Kenya.}}

At this 5th Northern Corridor Integration Projects summit, the leaders will discuss the railway projects and also tackle the operational, technical and administrative issues facing the land transport sector of the East and Central Africa regions.

Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda had launched a $13.8 billion flagship railway project that links Mombasa to Kigali and the railway line is expected to dramatically boost East African’s position as a regional economic hub.

The goal of the initiative is to uproot the poor infrastructure that dogs the trade and economic flow of goods and services within the East African community and neighboring countries.

Working on the transport system would have a significant impact on the regional trade.

May 2, 2014
President Uhuru Says No Absolute Media Freedom

{{President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged the media to be responsible in their work as there was no absolute freedom of press.}}

Speaking at a meeting ahead of this year’s World Press Freedom Day at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre on Friday, the President called on journalists to countercheck their facts before broadcasting or publishing their stories.

“It is your job as journalists to know what the law requires, and to observe its demands. It is your job always to keep by your side your own code of conduct and to refer to it before your story is written, “President Kenyatta said.

He urged journalists to always own up to their mistakes when they fail to adhere to their professional ethics.

The President said the Government will always protect those who may not be able to defend themselves when maligned by the Press.

He noted with concern that the media has not been acting responsibly but used its freedom to perpetuate falsehoods that could have been avoided.

President Kenyatta appreciated the fact that the work of journalists is not easy as they devote themselves to serve public interest, but practitioners need to always concede when they fail the standards.

“My Government expects that the Media Council and the Communication Authority will monitor and remedy your shortcomings in a spirit of fraternal correction. Just as we will accept fair criticism when we fall short of our standards, so you too should accept blame when you fail to hit your mark,” said the President.

Saying that Kenyan journalists cannot afford to practise their profession as though they lived elsewhere, President Kenyatta challenged them to tell the African story from the local point of view.

This means, the President added, “standing up for and defending African values, and the African experience, giving it expression, giving it a voice, and authenticating it”.

The Head of State said time had come for a robust media debate on how the Press can contribute to national development, and the evolution of our social values.

“Our experience in and with the media is still in a flux; we must continue to debate the kind of media we have,” President Kenyatta said.

He however said the Government would continue partnering with the media to improve the lives of Kenyans.

In pursuit to its role of educating the public, the President urged media houses to allocate time for free public service announcements.

He cited health and other matters articulated in Article 10 of the Constitution as some of the national development issues which could be aired free in the media.

“There is no reason whatsoever for any Kenyan to remain ignorant of basic public-service information when we have nearly 100 stations broadcasting right across the country,” he noted.

Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and Technology, Fred Matiang’i said the Government is committed to the growth and development of media freedom.

Media Council of Kenya Chief Executive Harun Mwangi thanked the Government for assenting to the Media Council Bill 2013 and called for the formulation of a media policy to guide the industry.

{capitalfm}

May 2, 2014
Deficit Pushes Morocco to Cut Subsidies

{{Three years ago, Morocco managed to avoid the revolutions that brought down dictators in Tunisia and Egypt. One way the Moroccan government bought social peace was by spending 20% of its budget to subsidise the cost of bread, fuel and electricity. }}

But that spending has since spiralled out of control – Morocco’s deficit ballooned to 7.1 % of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2012.

Now, in a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the country will have to bring its deficit down to three percent by 2017, largely by cutting subsidies.

In January, Morocco ended some fuel subsidies but stopped short of a full reform by keeping subsidies on sugar, butane and wheat.

Moroccans like Rabat shopkeeper Yezza El Mehini, 47, fear drastic repercussions if further cuts are put into place.

“Every business is going to stop, and we’re going to be in a crisis. I don’t want a crisis,” she said.

It has happened before. In response to IMF cost-cutting measures in 1981 and 1984, thousands protested and hundreds were killed in Morocco. More recently, violent protests swept Jordan in November 2012 after fuel prices increased, and deadly riots hit Khartoum in October 2013 when fuel subsidies were removed.

Eighty-year-old Mohammed Guerouani, a Rabat shopkeeper who sells traditional Moroccan clothes, remembers Morocco’s riots in the 1980s and fears impending price increases. “[Moroccans] can never accept this,” he said.

In September, when Morocco partially tied gas and diesel prices to the world market, triggering price increases, thousands protested around the country’s parliament building. Forty-five-year-old taxi driver Anass Goumi felt the pinch.

“I’m not happy because of this. Naturally, the price of the fares increase. It’s not a simple thing for me,” he said.

Morocco is not the only country facing these pressures. Countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) spend more government money subsidising fuel than any other region in the world, and they rely heavily on food subsidies.

MENA countries spent $212bn on subsidies in 2011 alone, or 7.2 percent of the region’s GDP, according to the IMF.

But high subsidy spending is not confined to this region: The US is the world’s largest subsidiser in absolute terms, spending $502bn to subsidise energy sources in 2011, according to the IMF.

Timur Kuran, a Duke University professor who studies Middle Eastern economic history, notes subsidies constrain a country’s ability to spend on social services that could actually reach the poor.

{additional reporting agencies}

May 2, 2014
Journalist Wins Press Freedom Award

{{Mohamed Fahmy, one of the four Al Jazeera journalists in prison in Egypt, has received a Press Freedom Award for his contribution to the industry, in advance of World Press Freedom Day on May 3.}}

The Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom has named him as its 16th recipient.

Fahmy and his two colleagues will have a trial hearing on Saturday.

Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed have now been in jail for 125 days.

They are falsely accused of providing a platform to Egypt’s outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, now declared a terrorist organisation.

Abdullah Elshamy, an Al Jazeera Arabic journalist, has been in jail without trial since last August and is on hunger strike in protest amidst growing concerns for his health.

Al Jazeera has obtained a hand-written letter from Fahmy that was smuggled out of the Tora prison. In it, he thanked all those who have campaigned for his release.

To mark World Press Freedom Day, the three journalists have sent open letters expressing their gratitude for the continuous support by all calling for their release.

“When the journalist becomes the story rather than reporting it, you ask yourself why this happened and who is responsible for detaining you in the terrorism wing of Egypt’s most notorious prison,” Fahmy said.

“To silence me and my colleagues on the pretext that we are a threat to national security and members of a terrorist organisation is a sheer insult to the intelligence of Egyptian people and the democracy promoted in the newly ratified constitution,” he added.

In his letter, Greste said the world should acknowledge the need to defend media freedoms.

“We must also acknowledge that on this day and for the past few months, press freedom is being vigorously defended, and in a way that would have been unimaginable before our arrest. We have seen countless protests around the world, an extraordinary online campaign, petitions, news conferences and appeals that together have been unprecedented in the struggle to protect press freedom.” Greste said.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN chief, raised his concerns about the detention of journalists during a meeting with Nabil Fahmy, the Egyptian foreign minister, on Thursday.

May 2, 2014
Gen. Kiir Agrees to Meet Rebel Leader Machar

{{South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has agreed to Ethiopian-mediated and direct talks with rebel leader Riek Machar aimed at implementing a ceasefire and setting up a transitional government, US Secretary of State John Kerry announced Friday.}}

Speaking to reporters in Juba, Kerry said President Kiir was “willing to travel to Addis Ababa in the near term, sometime early next week hopefully in order to engage in a discussion with the (Ethiopian) prime minister and hopefully with Riek Machar.”

Kerry said that Machar had already agreed to such a meeting, but that he would be holding further telephone talks with him later Friday to set up the face to face talks – which would be the first to be held since South Sudan’s civil war broke out four months ago.

“It is safe to say that President Kiir was very open to take forceful steps in order to end the violence and implement the cessation of hostilities agreement and to begin to engage with respect to a transitional government,” Kerry told reporters.

“This meeting between Riek Machar and President Kiir is critical to be able to really engage in a serious way on how the cessation of hostilities agreement will now once and for all really be implemented,” he added.

Kerry flew into Juba earlier Friday on an unannounced visit to push for peace, amid mounting international outrage over atrocities and war crimes, and with the UN and aid agencies warning that the country is on the brink of famine.

Thousands of people have already been killed – and possibly tens of thousands – and at least 1.2 million forced to flee their homes since rival troops loyal to President Kiir and his sacked vice president Machar started fighting on December 15.

May 2, 2014