IGIHE

Category: Rubrique

  • Tanzania’s CCM Party Wants Zanzibar Constitution Reviewed

    Tanzania’s CCM Party Wants Zanzibar Constitution Reviewed

    {{Tanzania’s ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) wants the 10th amendment of the Zanzibar Constitution reviewed, particularly those areas that have been criticised for reportedly undermining the supremacy of the Union Constitution. }}

    The current union system is perceived to be weak because the Constitution has been belittled, the party argues in its push for rejection of the proposed three-government system and retention of the status quo.

    A document purported to have been drawn at the end of a meeting of CCM’s top leadership earlier in the month notes also that the 10th amendment of the Zanzibar Constitution fuelled resentment of the current union system because the changes undermine the Union Constitution.

    The document, dubbed Circular Number 3 on the Draft Constitution from the Political and International Relations Department, notes that the Union Constitution should be respected by both parties in order to address the illegality.

    The document, disowned by CCM Ideology and Publicity Secretary Nape Nnauye despite other sources having confirmed that it was prepared by the party, says a three-government arrangement will not solve the problems.

    “We don’t believe that the number of governments will be a panacea for union problems in the absence of a sustainable system of respecting the Constitution,” the document says. “Failing to respect the Mother Law will definitely undermine a union of any kind, be it of two governments or three.”

    CCM wants the new Constitution to explicitly state that the Union Constitution will be supreme and prevail if a partner’s constitution is in conflict with the Union Constitution.

    CCM also wants the new constitution to categorically state that Union partners will amend their major laws to reflect the needs and requirements of the supreme Union law.

    In order to avoid controversies in future, CCM proposes that the new constitution create a special constitutional court that will be mandated to hear and determine all matters regarding the constitution.

    “The powers of such a court should be extended to enable it deal with all challenges bearing constitutional or legal conflicts,” says another section of the document. “For instance, a conflict resulting from Zanzibar’s move to form armed security forces could be solved through this court.”

    Meanwhile, the document insists on the number of proposals by the ruling party that were not included in the second Draft Constitution, one area being arrangement of the articles of the constitution in order to give it a good outline.

    “Articles 52, 53, 54 and 55, which in the former draft were numbered 50, 51, 52 and 53 respectively, refer to a lot of issues on human rights,” the document adds. “It was proposed that these articles be summarised and shifted to Part Four of the Draft Constitution, which deals with human rights.”

    thecitizen

  • ‘Hitler Moustache’ Casts Shadow Over Merkel-Netanyahu Meeting

    ‘Hitler Moustache’ Casts Shadow Over Merkel-Netanyahu Meeting

    {{An awkward image from a joint press conference by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commemorating 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries is making the rounds on the Internet.}}

    The picture shows a “Hitler moustache” inadvertently cast on the face of Merkel by the pointing finger of the Israeli Prime Minister.

    The image was captured by Marc Israel Sellem, a photographer for the Jerusalem Post, who immediately posted the picture on his Facebook page, leading to an avalanche of tweets, comments and Facebook likes and shares.

    The image was also posted on the Facebook page of The Post, the Hebrew site of the Jerusalem Post.

    The “Jerusalem Post” moved to distance itself from the image.

    “I just want to clarify that none of the higher-ups at JPost are pushing that picture. It’s not on our site and won’t be in the newspaper,” tweeted Lahav Harkov, a Jerusalem Post reporter.

    An official of the newspaper wondered if such a picture could really be worth a thousand tweets.

    It is not the first time that the visual imagery of Nazi Germany has cast a shadow over meetings between Merkel and Netanyahu.

    In 2012, a photograph from another joint press conference, this time taken as the German Chancellor pointed, seemed to show her making a “Sieg Heil” salute as Netanyahu looked on, smiling.

    {France24}

  • Algeria’s Bouteflika to Seek Fourth Presidential Term

    Algeria’s Bouteflika to Seek Fourth Presidential Term

    {{Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika will seek a fourth term in the April election, his office said in comments carried by national television Saturday.}}

    A screen caption said the presidency had confirmed that Bouteflika had informed the interior ministry of his intention to run in the April 17 poll and to collect the appropriate documents for signature.

    Bouteflika, 76, who suffered a stroke last year is now set to run for election mid-April in the North African oil producing country.

    Bouteflika, who has governed Algeria since 1999, will almost certainly win due to the ruling FLN nationalist party’s dominant role and his backing from the party’s machinery and its allies.

    One of the few remaining veterans of the war of independence against France, Bouteflika helped to end the country’s civil war in the 1990s.

    But in addition to health concerns in recent years, his rule has also been dogged by corruption scandals implicating members of his inner circle.

    However, opposition parties are still weak and most Algerians have little appetite for upheaval after the civil war with Islamist militants that killed around 200,000.

    wirestory

  • Malema: My Manifesto for South Africans

    Malema: My Manifesto for South Africans

    {{Populist South African leader Julius Malema presented a typically fiery manifesto for upcoming elections to a stadium packed with supporters on Saturday, calling for “real freedom” for the black majority.}}

    “Now it’s time to bring bread on the table,” the 31-year-old told a crowd of 30,000 supporters, reprising his demands for the seizure of farms from white owners and the nationalisation of mines.

    The leader of the Economic Freedom Front (EFF) is infamous for his controversial statements, and has used a spate of miners’ strikes to attack the ruling African National Congress, which booted him from its ranks two years ago.

    “Juju”, as he is known, called for better access to water, electricity and jobs in his speech Saturday at a stadium in Tembisa, a mainly black township outside Johannesburg, denouncing what he called the “slave wages” of ordinary blacks.

    Malema’s inflammatory statements have gained currency in a country with seven million unemployed. Twenty years on from the end of apartheid, South Africa’s “black people are still not free,” he said.

    “We have the responsibility to end the pain of our people, we are saying enough is enough, now it’s time for economic freedom… time to rescue South Africa from deep levels of inequality.”

    He promised to create more positions at universities, lower taxes, raise pensions and give priority to the hiring of blacks.

    “You must no longer be ashamed,” he told the crowd.

    Were kicked out

    He also reiterated his support for gold miners, who have been on strike over wages for the past month, and whom Malema visited on a recent tour to drum up opposition to the government.

    The EFF was created in 2012 after Malema and his allies were kicked out of the ANC for criticising the party leadership.

    The ANC, in power since the end of white-minority rule in 1994, is almost certain to win elections on May 7, giving President Jacob Zuma a new five-year term. But it faces growing frustration from voters and increased competition from opposition parties.

    Malema called on his supporters “not to fight with anyone” amid fears of clashes with the ANC Youth League, which he used to lead and which was holding a meeting nearby.

    He also called for special tribunals and sentences of 20 years’ imprisonment to deal with corruption cases.

    Malema was himself issued an arrest warrant on Friday in relation to allegations that he has funded a wealthy lifestyle through corruption.

    He denies the charges and says they are politically motivated.

    AFP

  • Coup leader Rajoelina Rules Out Seeking Madagascar PM role

    Coup leader Rajoelina Rules Out Seeking Madagascar PM role

    {{Andry Rajoelina, Madagascar’s former president and coup leader, announced on Friday that he would not seek to become prime minister, a decision that could ease political tensions in the country that have driven away investors and hurt the economy.}}

    Rajoelina is at the heart of a power struggle that has stoked five years of turmoil in the nickel-producing Indian Ocean island.

    In January, his ally Hery Rajaonarimampianina took over the presidency, promising to woo investors. Rajaonarimampianina was voted into office the month before in what were the country’s first presidential elections since a coup in early 2009.

    Rajoelina had said he might seek to lead the new government, a position backed by his political coalition MAPAR, which holds a majority in parliament and whose full name translates as “Together With Andry Rajoelina”.

    But he has now ruled himself out.

    “After analysis, I decided not to hold the position of prime minister… this is the wisest decision,” Rajoelina told a news conference.

    His withdrawal could help turn a page in Madagascar’s relations with investors, and end a political crisis that has sharply slowed economic growth.

    The World Bank has said the next step of forming a government is crucial and that resumption of normal lending hinges on the appointment of a new prime minister.

    Rajoelina, and the man he ousted in the coup, Marc Ravalomanana, were barred from standing in the presidential elections under the terms of a deal brokered by regional African states meant to end the political turmoil.

    The World Bank expects Madagascar’s economy to grow by 3.7 percent this year, accelerating to 4 percent in 2015.

    wirestory

  • Venezuela Lader Seeks Talks with Obama

    Venezuela Lader Seeks Talks with Obama

    {{Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has invited US President Barack Obama to join him in talks aimed at resolving the problems between the two countries.}}

    Mr Maduro said the meeting would help “put the truth out on the table”.

    He has accused US conservatives and media organisations of plotting to overthrow his government.

    Earlier on Friday Venezuela revoked the accreditations of CNN reporters covering the country’s crisis. Eight people have died in recent protests.

    In a news conference on Friday, Mr Maduro said: “I call for a dialogue between Venezuela and the United States and its government.

    “Let’s initiate a high-level dialogue and let’s put the truth out on the table.”

    The dialogue will be “difficult and complex”, Mr Maduro said, until the American government accepted “the full autonomy and independence of Latin America”.

    On Sunday Venezuela expelled three US diplomats accused of meeting violent groups linked to the opposition.

    ‘War propaganda’

    Earlier Venezuela had revoked the accreditation of CNN’s Caracas-based reporter, Osmary Hernandez, and those of two other CNN journalists sent to Venezuela to cover a wave of opposition marches.

    The government says the protests are part of a coup attempt.

    US Secretary of State, John Kerry, denounced the latest action on Friday, saying: “This is not how democracies behave.

    “I call on the Venezuelan government to step back from its efforts to stifle dissent through force and respect basic human rights.

    “The solution to Venezuela’s problems can only be found through dialogue with all Venezuelans, engaging in a free exchange of opinions in a climate of mutual respect.”

    On Thursday, Mr Maduro threatened to “take action” against CNN unless it ceased what he described as “hostile coverage”.

    “I won’t accept war propaganda against Venezuela. If they don’t rectify themselves, out of Venezuela,” he said.

    agencies

  • Ukraine Power Vacuum as Presidency Unguarded

    Ukraine Power Vacuum as Presidency Unguarded

    {{Ukraine’s parliament has voted to speed up the release of jailed opposition figure Yulia Tymoshenko, without needing presidential endorsement.}}

    Meanwhile, President Viktor Yanukovych’s whereabouts are unclear, a day after he agreed a pact with the opposition.

    Opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko tells parliament the president has left Kiev. He calls for elections by 25 May.

    The opposition protesters appear in full control of the government district in Ukraine’s capital Kiev.

    Worth noting that Arsen Avakov, just elected as acting interior minister, is also a close ally of jailed opposition figure Yulia Tymoshenko.

    Opposition Fatherland MP Arsen Avakov has been elected acting interior minister, official TV channel Rada has reported.

    Ukraine’s News 24 channel is showing footage from outside President Yanukovych’s residence just outside Kiev. There are shots of the extensive grounds and lakes with groups of people and camera crews outside the main house, which appears to be abandoned.

  • Ukraine Leader Agrees Early Election

    Ukraine Leader Agrees Early Election

    {{Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has agreed to hold a presidential election before the end of the year, as part of a deal to end the crisis.}}

    He said he had also agreed to a national unity government, and to make constitutional changes reducing the power of the president.

    The compromise came after hours of talks with the opposition leaders.

    The opposition has not spoken about the deal and it remains unclear whether protesters will back it.

    The German and Polish foreign ministers, who mediated the talks in Kiev, are now on their way to talk to protesters in Kiev’s Independence Square.

    “Delicate moment over agreement on the settlement of the crisis. All sides need to remember that compromise means getting less than 100%,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.

    Ukrainian broadcaster ICTV said it had seen a copy of the deal, and it had been signed by all parties.

    According to the report, the deal contains:

    The 2004 constitution will be restored within 48 hours, and a national unity government will be formed within 10 days

    Constitutional reform balancing the powers of president, government and parliament will be started immediately and completed by September

    A presidential election will be held after the new constitution is adopted but no later than December 2014

    {wirestory}

  • Venezuela Opposition Leader Surrenders Amid Fresh Protests

    Venezuela Opposition Leader Surrenders Amid Fresh Protests

    {{Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez (pictured) surrendered to authorities at a rally in Caracas Tuesday as his followers gathered for a fresh round of anti-government protests in a plaza surrounded by anti-riot troops.}}

    President Nicolas Maduro last week ordered Lopez’s arrest on charges of homicide and inciting violence after street clashes in the capital left three dead.

    The surrender was a dramatic move following two weeks of protests in the country, spearheaded by students who are angry over rampant crime, deteriorating living conditions and the arrests of demonstrators.

    The government banned Tuesday’s opposition march after Lopez said he would use it to surrender. Defying the ban, thousands of Lopez’s supporters turned out dressed in white at the Plaza Brion after he called for the march in a video message on Sunday.

    Lopez, also in white, suddenly emerged in the crowd, climbing a statue of Cuban independence hero Jose Marti with a Venezuelan flag. After delivering a brief message to his cheering supporters, he surrendered to the National Guard.

    “I present myself before an unjust justice, before a corrupt justice,” said the 42-year-old Harvard-educated economist.

    “If my incarceration serves to wake up a people … my infamous incarceration will have been worth it,” he said to an explosion of cheers from the crowd.

    He calmly walked under escort to a National Guard vehicle as his supporters pressed in around the vehicle, blocking its path.

    Shouts of “Freedom, Freedom!” and “It’s going to fall, it’s going to fall; this corrupt government is going to fall” rose from the crowd.

    Lopez himself got on the loudspeaker from within the vehicle to appeal for calm.

    Three rings of national police – backed by a second line of National Guard anti-riot troops with light armoured vehicles – were positioned around the plaza.

    The government summoned its followers to rallies of its own in an area of downtown Caracas where the opposition march was to end, raising the risk of a violent confrontation with rival protesters.

    {wirestory}

  • Zimbabwe Cost Mbeki His Presidency – Zanu-PF MP

    Zimbabwe Cost Mbeki His Presidency – Zanu-PF MP

    Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party legislators are reportedly pushing for a street to be named after former president Thabo Mbeki for “bringing stability to the country” following the disputed 2008 polls.

    Mbeki helped broker a now defunct power sharing agreement between the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and Zanu-PF following a disputed election in 2008 which left at least 200 people dead.

    According to the Daily News, a Zanu-PF legislator Reuben Marumahoko urged Zimbabweans to appreciate the work done by the “African icon” who “made Zimbabwe to be what it is today after the difficulties we went through during the 2008 elections where the regime change agenda was at play”.

    He said Mbeki was the “son of the soil” and “a principled man” who helped the country when “the enemies of Africa and Zimbabwe were ready to pounce on Zimbabwe”.

    MDC against the proposal

    Mbeki was criticised for his quiet diplomacy in dealing with the Zimbabwean issue and this, Marumahoko said was the reason why he (Mbeki) lost his presidency.

    Marumahoko said Mbeki was recalled “not [because] people of SA did not want him” but because “the enemies of Africa did not want him”.

    He said Mbeki lost his presidency for helping Zimbabweans.

    Marumahoko urged all MPs to support his motion to name one of “our roads after him like we did to Nelson Mandela and other African leaders”.

    MDC legislators were, however, opposed to the proposal, accusing Mbeki of having propped up Zanu-PF, the report said.

    – News24