At a meeting in Jordan, Mediterranean countries urged Israel and Palestine to work through differences over issues such as the expansion of Israeli settlements and the restrictions of movement of Palestinians. The Euro-Med Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA) ended a two-day session Monday, Oct. 13, at the Dead Sea resort in Amman by urging continuation of peace talks between Israel and Palestine. President of the European Union Hans-Gert Pottering, who also serves as president-in-office of EMPA, called for speedy solutions to two issues that hinder the peace negotiations: "the expansion of settlements, which is undermining the Palestinians' confidence" in the peace process, and "the extremely restricted freedom of movement of Palestinians," which has hindered investment in the Palestinian economy and prevented economic recovery.
The Euro-Med Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA) ended a two-day session Monday, Oct. 13, at the Dead Sea resort in Amman by urging continuation of peace talks between Israel and Palestine.
President of the European Union Hans-Gert Pottering, who also serves as president-in-office of EMPA, called for speedy solutions to two issues that hinder the peace negotiations: "the expansion of settlements, which is undermining the Palestinians' confidence" in the peace process, and "the extremely restricted freedom of movement of Palestinians," which has hindered investment in the Palestinian economy and prevented economic recovery.
NEW YORK: If the U.S. government moves ahead with a plan to take ownership stakes in American banks, as seems likely, it would be an exceptional step - but not an unprecedented one. The United States has a culture that celebrates laissez-faire capitalism as the economic ideal, but the practice is sometimes different. Over the past century, the U.S. government has nationalized railways, coal mines and steel mills, and it has even taken a controlling interest in banks when that was deemed to be in the national interest. The corporate wards of the state typically have been returned to private hands after short, sometimes fleeting, stretches under government stewardship. Finance experts say that having Washington take stakes in U.S. banks now - like government interventions in the past - would be a promising step in addressing an economic emergency. The plan being weighed by the Treasury Department, they say, could supply banks with sorely needed capital and help restore confidence in financial markets. Across Europe, governments rolled out similar initiatives Monday.
NEW YORK: If the U.S. government moves ahead with a plan to take ownership stakes in American banks, as seems likely, it would be an exceptional step - but not an unprecedented one.
The United States has a culture that celebrates laissez-faire capitalism as the economic ideal, but the practice is sometimes different. Over the past century, the U.S. government has nationalized railways, coal mines and steel mills, and it has even taken a controlling interest in banks when that was deemed to be in the national interest.
The corporate wards of the state typically have been returned to private hands after short, sometimes fleeting, stretches under government stewardship.
Finance experts say that having Washington take stakes in U.S. banks now - like government interventions in the past - would be a promising step in addressing an economic emergency. The plan being weighed by the Treasury Department, they say, could supply banks with sorely needed capital and help restore confidence in financial markets. Across Europe, governments rolled out similar initiatives Monday.
China will transform itself into a working democracy in just over a decade, according to one of the country's most influential reformersZhou Tianyong, an adviser to the Communist Party's Central Committee and one of its most liberal voices, told the Daily Telegraph that "by 2020, China will basically finish its political and institutional reforms". He added: "We have a 12-year plan to establish a democratic platform. There will be public democratic involvement at all government levels." Mr Zhou also predicted "extensive public participation in policy-making, such as drawing up new legislation". Mr Zhou is deputy head of research at the Central Party School, the most important institution for training senior leaders. President Hu Jintao is among its former directors.
Zhou Tianyong, an adviser to the Communist Party's Central Committee and one of its most liberal voices, told the Daily Telegraph that "by 2020, China will basically finish its political and institutional reforms".
He added: "We have a 12-year plan to establish a democratic platform. There will be public democratic involvement at all government levels."
Mr Zhou also predicted "extensive public participation in policy-making, such as drawing up new legislation".
Mr Zhou is deputy head of research at the Central Party School, the most important institution for training senior leaders. President Hu Jintao is among its former directors.
How was it called? »Conservative democracy«, I believe.
Funny, isn't it?
Peruvian President Alan Garcia has sworn in a new, leftist-led government days after the previous cabinet resigned over corruption allegations. The biggest change is the choice of Yehude Simon, a leftist regional governor from outside the ruling party, as prime minister. Most of the other 16 posts have gone to members of the previous cabinet. Analysts say the choice of Mr Simon is an attempt by President Garcia to boost his own popularity after the scandal.
Peruvian President Alan Garcia has sworn in a new, leftist-led government days after the previous cabinet resigned over corruption allegations.
The biggest change is the choice of Yehude Simon, a leftist regional governor from outside the ruling party, as prime minister.
Most of the other 16 posts have gone to members of the previous cabinet.
Analysts say the choice of Mr Simon is an attempt by President Garcia to boost his own popularity after the scandal.
JOHANNESBURG -- Zimbabwe's military commanders have pressed President Robert Mugabe to shield them from prosecution for the violent crackdown on his political foes this year, senior government officials say, and his response is threatening to derail a power-sharing deal that was supposed to halt the country's dizzying downward economic spiral. (October 14, 2008) Times Topics: Zimbabwe Mr. Mugabe's efforts to placate his generals, as well as senior politicians in his party who are disgruntled about their loss of clout, culminated in his decision last week to unilaterally claim control of ministries that have been pivotal to his 28 years of unbroken political dominance and are seen as critical to protecting his senior generals from the risk of being charged with crimes. Mr. Mugabe, 84, signed an agreement on Sept. 15 to share power with the political opposition, after an election season in which more than 100 opposition supporters were killed and thousands were beaten -- a campaign of violence that senior officials in Mr. Mugabe's party said was organized by the military. A collapse of the deal would probably intensify Zimbabwe's status as an international pariah, deepen hunger and poverty, and set off a fresh exodus of refugees to neighboring countries. Yet since the agreement was signed, the country's three senior military commanders have worried about their fate under a unity government that includes the main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, as prime minister -- a man they deeply distrust, who was himself viciously beaten by the police last year -- three officials close to Mr. Mugabe said in recent interviews.
JOHANNESBURG -- Zimbabwe's military commanders have pressed President Robert Mugabe to shield them from prosecution for the violent crackdown on his political foes this year, senior government officials say, and his response is threatening to derail a power-sharing deal that was supposed to halt the country's dizzying downward economic spiral. (October 14, 2008) Times Topics: Zimbabwe
Mr. Mugabe's efforts to placate his generals, as well as senior politicians in his party who are disgruntled about their loss of clout, culminated in his decision last week to unilaterally claim control of ministries that have been pivotal to his 28 years of unbroken political dominance and are seen as critical to protecting his senior generals from the risk of being charged with crimes.
Mr. Mugabe, 84, signed an agreement on Sept. 15 to share power with the political opposition, after an election season in which more than 100 opposition supporters were killed and thousands were beaten -- a campaign of violence that senior officials in Mr. Mugabe's party said was organized by the military.
A collapse of the deal would probably intensify Zimbabwe's status as an international pariah, deepen hunger and poverty, and set off a fresh exodus of refugees to neighboring countries. Yet since the agreement was signed, the country's three senior military commanders have worried about their fate under a unity government that includes the main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, as prime minister -- a man they deeply distrust, who was himself viciously beaten by the police last year -- three officials close to Mr. Mugabe said in recent interviews.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the first Western leader to contest an election since the financial meltdown, won a second minority government mandate Tuesday, two television networks projected. The Conservatives convinced voters they were the best choice to steer Canada through the economic turmoil, but projections by Global Television and CTV put them short of winning a majority. That means they would still need opposition party support to govern. The official opposition Liberals, who have historically governed Canada for longer than any other party, trailed far behind in second place and looked set for their worst showing in at least 20 years.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the first Western leader to contest an election since the financial meltdown, won a second minority government mandate Tuesday, two television networks projected.
The Conservatives convinced voters they were the best choice to steer Canada through the economic turmoil, but projections by Global Television and CTV put them short of winning a majority. That means they would still need opposition party support to govern.
The official opposition Liberals, who have historically governed Canada for longer than any other party, trailed far behind in second place and looked set for their worst showing in at least 20 years.
Matthew Yglesias » Home Page
The big winner from the Canadian electoral system is the Bloc Québécois. But the main problem with the system isn't even that it's unfair -- the US Senate is horribly unfair -- but that the system is incredibly unresponsive to shifts in voter sentiment or behavior.
All other things equal, the system isn't just unresponsive, it's perverse. If certain moves towards the right by the conservative party (say, building nuclear power stations to extract oil from the Alberta tar sands) radicalise the left, the resulting splits benefit the right as long as it hangs onto its own base (it doesn't need more than 40%).
It might still be cured by better leadership among the liberals.
The Conservatives convinced voters they were the best choice... but projections ... put them short of winning a majority
How can someone write down such a total contradiction. Cognitive dissonance at its best. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
For the record, I should have included that the piece is by reuters, not by JMM or TPM staff.
The reason why Canadian elections have perverse results is that the first past the post system rewards concentrated support and penalises parties with votes spread more thinly.
Given that most Quebec seats are won by the Bloc Quebecois (likely to return about 40-50 seats for the forseeable future) and the New Democratic Party (with more than twice the Bloc's overall vote) is likely to elect 20-40 members, the results will be highly disproportional and neither of the two major parties is likely to obtain an overall majority.
First past the post is incompatible with meaningful democracy.
