UN Pledges Support as Bhutan Vote Ends Century of Royal Rule
Monday, March 24, 2008, 08:24 PM - South Asia
The United Nations said it will help Bhutan's transition to democracy after the Himalayan kingdom bordering India and China ended more than a century of absolute monarchy by completing its first parliamentary election.
The world body is ``committed to helping the Election Commission of Bhutan fulfill its mandate beyond the current elections for a National Assembly,'' the UN Development Program said in a statement.
Druk Phuensum Tshogpa, led by U.S.-educated, two-time former Premier Jigmi Thinley, won 44 of the 47 seats in the lower house of parliament, the official Kuensel Online newspaper reported. Almost 80 percent of the 318,000 registered voters in the Buddhist kingdom turned out to cast their ballot, it said.
The vote is the culmination of initiatives by the Royal Family to transform the nation of 635,000 people into a constitutional monarchy. Both parties running in yesterday's ballot support the king and are committed to maintaining Bhutan's ``Gross National Happiness,'' based on the notion that economic growth should be balanced by respect for traditions and the environment, according to the newspaper's Web site.
The Buddhist nation neighbors Tibet, where monks this month led protests against Chinese rule of the territory and suppression of their religion. - See UN Pledges Support as Bhutan Vote Ends Century of Royal Rule for the full report.
add comment Sri Lanka Bomb Attack Kills 16, Injures More Than 37
Wednesday, November 28, 2007, 01:17 PM - South Asia
A bomb attack outside a department store killed at least 16 people and wounded 37 in a suburb of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, the Ministry of Defense said.
``The bomb was inside an unattended parcel which was found at the counter of the shopping complex,'' the ministry said, blaming the attack on Tamil Tiger rebels, in a statement on its Web site. The blast hit a crowded area in Nugegoda in the evening rush hour. Vehicles and buildings were set ablaze.
Earlier, a female suicide bomber with explosives hidden in her bra blew herself up in the office of Sri Lankan Social Services Minister Douglas Devananda, killing his public relations officer and injuring two guards. Devananda wasn't harmed. The polio-afflicted woman was allowed into the building as the minister was due to meet patients today, said Udaya Nanayakkara, a military spokesman. - See Sri Lanka Bomb Attack Kills 16, Injures More Than 37 for the full report.
Pakistan Withdraws Arrest Order Against Former PM Bhutto
Friday, November 9, 2007, 02:11 PM - South Asia
The government of Pakistan freed former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto from house arrest late Friday, after earlier blocking her from leading a rally against emergency rule.
Government officials say the detention order has been withdrawn.
Earlier, Ms. Bhutto tried twice to leave her residence in the capital, Islamabad, to attend a rally she organized against President Pervez Musharraf in nearby Rawalpindi. But she was unable to break through the barricades, barbed wires and riot police surrounding her home. - See Pakistan Withdraws Arrest Order Against Former PM Bhutto for the full article.
Musharraf Says He Will Quit Army, Polls by Feb. 15
Thursday, November 8, 2007, 03:49 PM - South Asia
Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said parliamentary elections will be held by Feb. 15 and promised to relinquish his post as head of the army, after pressure from President George W. Bush.
``I must remove my uniform and there should be a civilian government,'' Musharraf told state-run Pakistan Television today. ``Elections must be held as soon as possible, by Feb. 15 at the latest.''
The announcement came a day after Bush said he pressed Musharraf, a key U.S. ally, to hold elections and give up the army post. Musharraf, facing the stiffest opposition to his rule since he took power in a 1999 military coup, suspended Pakistan's constitution Nov. 3 as the Supreme Court was nearing a decision on the legality of his re-election last month while still serving as army chief. - See Musharraf Says He Will Quit Army, Polls by Feb. 15 for the complete article.
Pakistan May Delay Elections, Extend Parliament Term
Sunday, November 4, 2007, 01:13 PM - South Asia
President Pervez Musharraf's regime may delay elections for a year, after imposing emergency rule in Pakistan yesterday, extending the military's nine-year control of the world's second-most populous Muslim nation.
``The government is deliberating on the election schedule,'' Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told a news conference in Islamabad today, while refusing to say how long emergency rule will last. ``Now that we have emergency rule, parliament's term can be extended by one year.''
The present parliament is due to complete its term on Nov. 15 and national polls were meant to be held by Jan. 15, 2008. Musharraf won a majority vote in a presidential election on Oct. 6. - See Pakistan May Delay Elections, Extend Parliament Term for the full article.
Several lawyers opposed to Musharraf arrested-judge
Saturday, November 3, 2007, 02:28 PM - South Asia
Pakistani police arrested several lawyers opposed to President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday, a former judge said.
Earlier, Musharraf imposed emergency rule citing rising militancy and interference by the judiciary.
"We have confirmed reports of several lawyers' arrests in Quetta and Karachi and we have asked many others to go underground because police are conducting raids," Tariq Mehmud, a former judge who stood up to Musharraf when he took power in a bloodless coup in 1999, told Reuters.
Mehmud was part of the legal team led by Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan, who was detained earlier in Islamabad, that opposed Musharraf's bid for re-election last month while he was still army chief. - See Several lawyers opposed to Musharraf arrested-judge for the complete article.
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