The world needs ‘change’

A new era in world politics:

by Samangie Wettimuny

[email protected]

The newly elected parliament of Pakistan will meet for the first time on the 17th of March and the Pakistani People’s Party(PPP) of the late former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is expected to nominate a Prime Minister.

The coalition of Pakistani People’s party(PPP)(led by Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan’s Muslim League-Nawaz (led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif), the Awami National party (Pushtun) and Jamial Ulama-i Islam is now strong with over 66% of seats of the National Assembly.

They now have the required two thirds majority which may allow them to amend the constitution and to over-rule President Pervez Musharraf. In return for joining the PPP as a junior partner , the Muslim League- Nawaz has been granted its major wish, the promise to attempt to reinstate the High Court judges who were dismissed from power by Pervez Musharraf.

Hence it seems that Musharraf’s era is gone and at the recently held election, Khurshid Kasuri, the former foreign Minister under Musharraf’s government even lost his seat.

Pakistani People’s Party have always been in good terms with India and under the new government too it would be the same. In fact the PPP and India’s Congress Party have always been Leftist parties. Apart from political links, the two parties have personal links as well. The founder of the PPP, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s mother was an Indian.

Situation in India

India’s External Affairs minister, Pranab Mukherjee has ruled out early elections as the allies were not in favour of it. Since 61 out of 545 Lok Sabha seats are owned by the Left,the ruling Congress party finds it difficult to go ahead with the Indo-Us nulear deal. The Left Front threatened to withdraw its support unless government was willing to give up its nuclear deal with the U.S.A.

According to the Left Front the deal is a threat to the country’s security and dignity In fact the Left Front and the other members of the United Progressive Alliance were due to meet yesterday to hold talks on this matter. As the critics say ,more likely the dispute will leave India stuck with a lame-duck government.

As mentioned in India’s “The Economic Times” ( March 07, 2008): “The Left’s pull out threat may force the government to dump the Indo-US nuclear deal.” “A clear indication was available on Thursday (March 6) when External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said “a minority government cannot sign a major international agreement because of the risks involved.”

As mentioned in the newspaper the macho sections in the government is getting ready to go ahead with the next step of the agreement. But Mr.Mukherjee, the government’s chief negotiator in the pow-wows with the left had made it clear that it was not an easy option.” “A minority government cannot, need not and should not sign a major agreement like this” he said in an interview to a weekly.”

The minister has also said that the primary concern of the party is the survival of the government. Thus he had made it clear that the deal cannot be operationalised at the cost of power at the centre.

In “ The Indian Express” (March 7,2008), it is mentioned how the CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat has sought a meeting of the United Progressive Alliance- Left coordination committee before March 15 in a letter to its Chairman- the External Affairs Minister. There he mentions that the government is mistaken if it thinks that after arriving at an agreed text with the IAEA (Indo-US deal) on a safeguards agreement , they can proceed to take the next step for operationalising the agreement.

In that letter Karat has warned the government that it is for the Congress leadership to decide whether it wants to be seen as kowtowing to the pressure of the Bush administration or acting democratially and heeding the voice of parliament and people.

Both CPM and CPI are scheduled to hold their party conferences later this month- CPI in Hyderabad on March 23 and CPM in Coimbatore on March 29

.In the political resolutions of both parties, blocking the nuclear deal is listed as one of their successes during the UPA rule.

Anyway Pranab Mukherjee is expected to visit the US on March 23-24 possibly with the IAEA draft agreement.

Left leaders have also said that they do not want to discuss the merits or demerits of the IAEA agreement claiming it cannot alter the situation as far as the Hyde Act is concerned.

Russia and Medvedev

Dmitry Medvedev beat the voting record of Vladimir Putin which he set during the presidential election of 2004. Medvedev received the support of over 70 % of Russian voters and it has been viewed as a sign of political stability. In fact it was Vladimir Putin who could bring Russia back to her former prestige.

About fifteen years ago,International Monetary Fund refused to grant a loan of US$ 5 billion to Russia , but ironially today the country’s foreign reserves are at US $ 480 billion. Russia is the world’s second largest crude oil producer and the gas producer thanks to Vladimir Putin.

‘Dmitry Medvedev’s chief qualification for the presidency is his loyalty to his mentor, Vladimir Putin’ stated ‘Newsweek’ in its March 3,2008 issue. As “The Wall Street Journal” (March 4,2008) mentions; “Sunday’s electoral rubber-stamp of a new Russian president - the 42 year old lawyer Dmitry Medvedev marks the start of a period of some uncertainty.

According to the journal ,Putin made sure that power would stay in his hands. He handpicked a successor best known for his loyalty and political weaknesses.

However, “overtime, he may even be so bold as to have his own ideas and wish to build a power base independent of Putin. The young lawyer has given a few signs that his views of Russia’s role in the world would differ from those of his boss.

“As Russia becomes more powerful , many people get irritated.” The West would prefer Russia stay “a sort of upper volta with nuclear missiles” ...’ Now we have begun to show our teeth in moderate fashion”

As the journal observes in recent months those teeth were bared against Ukraine, Georgia, Nato expansion , the US missile shield in central Europe , Kosovo independence and efforts to stop Iran from gaining the power of the nuclear bomb.

Anyway how far will Russia’s new president Medvedev emerge from the shadow of Putin, the man who will be his Prime Minister?The whole world is anxiously waiting to see.

In fact the world ‘audience’ is now watching Russia’s “ Subha saha Yasa ”!

“Wine track” and “beer track”

While the two main US Democratic presidential canditates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama go on accusing each other of negative campaigning , the famous “Eonomist”magazine (March 8th-14th)in its article “Obamaworld and Hillaryland” talks about “A famous politial distinction “- a queer one.

“ A famous political distinction exists between “Wine track” and “ Beer track” democrats.Wine track Democrats have traditionally supported reform- minded liberals such as Gary Hart and Paul Tsongas. Beer-trak Democrats have preferred more practical minded polls.”

While Hillary belongs to the Upper Class Democrats, Obama comes from the lower class Democrats.