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| March 27, 2008 | Thursday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 18, 1429 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Oil prices above $107 a barrel VIENNA, March 27 (AP): Oil prices rose by more than a dollar Thursday, as the bombing of a key Iraqi pipeline extended a buying spree spurred by an anemic dollar and lower U.S. fuel inventories. Light, sweet crude for May delivery added $1.11 to fetch $107.01 a barrel by noon in Europe in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. (Posted @ 23:34 PST)
Afghanistan needs 700 more police, army trainers: minister BERLIN, March 27 (AFP): Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta called on the international community to send another 600 to 700 police and military trainers to his country, in an interview broadcast here on Thursday. “We must receive more police instructors, as well as equipment and military trainers. This is more important than sending foreign soldiers,” Spanta told Germany's regional SWR radio. (Posted @ 22:34 PST)
One killed, 14 wounded in Baghdad Green Zone attack BAGHDAD, March 27 (AFP): Insurgents fired five rockets into the heavily fortified Baghdad Green Zone on Thursday, killing one civilian and wounding 14 others, the US military said. The rockets hit the zone, the seat of the Iraqi government and the US embassy, around 0915 GMT, causing a major blaze, Iraqi and US officials said. The Green Zone has been repeatedly hit by rocket and mortar fire in recent days. (Posted @ 22:08 PST)
Oil depot on fire in Dagestan, blast heard MAKHACHKALA, Russia, March 27 (Reuters): An oil depot in the capital of Russia's Dagestan region was on fire on Thursday after residents reported hearing an explosion. Residents reported hearing a powerful explosion before the fire engulfed the oil depot near the Caspian Sea. A freelance journalist working for Reuters saw huge, thick plumes of black smoke covering almost half of Makhachkala. (Posted @ 21:38 PST)
Russia sacks its North Korea envoy MOSCOW, March 27 (AFP): Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday sacked Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov, Moscow's envoy to talks with North Korea, replacing him with a diplomat specialising in European affairs. The Kremlin did not say whether Losyukov would be given another posting. (Posted @ 21:16 PST)
Pakistan Attorney General Malik Qayyum tenders resignation ISLAMABAD, March 27: The Attorney-General of Pakistan, Malik Qayyum tendered his resignation from the post, a local TV channel reported. The Attorney General, who is a retired chief justice of the Punjab High Court, tendered his resignation to President Mushasrraf on Thursday. The private channel reported that President Musharraf had accepted Malik Qayyum’s resignation. (Posted @ 20:48 PST)
Saudi Arabia: 7 killed, 33 injured in highway accident RIYADH, March 27 (AP): The official Saudi Press Agency said 7 people have been killed and 33 injured in an accident between a bus and a fuel tanker. SPA reported that four of the injured in Thursday's crash are in critical condition. The agency said the accident occurred on the Qassim highway in central Saudi Arabia. (Posted @ 20:44 PST)
Pakistan: Deposed chief justice visits Asif Zardari in first trip since being freed ISLAMABAD, March 27 (AP): Pakistan's deposed chief justice is visiting Asif Zardari, the widower of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in his first excursion since being freed from house arrest. Nazir Dhoki, a spokesman for Bhutto's party, said Chaudhry arrived Thursday evening at Asif Zardari’s home to “express condolences.” (Posted @ 20:14 PST)
Pakistan economy expected to remain strong, grow at 6.5% ISLAMABAD, March 27 (PPI): Pakistan's economy is expected to remain strong, growing at 6.5 percent supported by all sectors during the current financial year 2007-08 despite many challenges. This was stated by United Nations Economic & Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP) in its economic and social survey launched Thursday in Islamabad. The record inflow of foreign direct investment amounting to $8.4 billion during last year also boosted performance of the economy, the survey noted. (Posted @ 20:12 PST)
12 killed in Ukrainian helicopter crash KIEV, March 27 (AP): A Ukrainian border guards helicopter crashed into the Black Sea Thursday, killing 12 people and leaving one person critically injured, officials said. The Mi-8 helicopter was carrying a crew of three and 10 passengers from the southern city of Odessa when it crashed into shallow waters near Zmeinyi Island just before noon, said an Emergency Situations Ministry spokesman. (First Posted @ 19:28 PST Updated @ 19:52 PST)
7 dead, 5 missing in Ukraine helicopter crash KIEV, March 27 (AFP): Seven people died and five were missing after a Ukrainian border guard helicopter crashed in the Black Sea region on Thursday, news agencies reported, citing the border guard service. “Seven bodies have been found,” border guard service spokesman Sergiy Astakhov told the Interfax news agency. “One person was found alive, although he is in a serious condition,” he was quoted as saying. The Mi-8 helicopter was carrying three crew members, 10 passengers and two tonnes of equipment to build a border post on Snake Island near the border between Ukraine and Romania. (Posted@ 19:28 PST)
Cricket: Pakistan's Asif barred from Surrey LAHORE, March 27 (AFP): Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif Thursday said he has been barred from playing for English county Surrey this season as he recovers from an elbow injury. Asif signed for Surrey in October but has been denied clearance by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which believes the English season is putting extra strain on its players. (Posted @ 19:26 PST)
10 die after coach collides with overcrowded van in China BEIJING, March 27 (AP): The state media said 10 people died after a coach hit a van crowded with migrant workers in southwest China. The official Xinhua News Agency said the accident occurred happened early Thursday in Guangxi region, when the coach hit the van head-on. The van was carrying 12 people, and ten died. No one was hurt on the coach. (Posted @ 19:24 PST)
Virginia highway closed after 4 cars hit by gunfire CHARLOTTESVILLE, March 27 (AP): A 32 kilometer stretch of the Interstate 64 highway in Virginia was closed for about six hours overnight because at least four cars were struck by bullets, injuring two people. The highway reopened Thursday morning. The four cars were hit along a 17-kilometer stretch of highway starting around midnight Wednesday. Virginia State Police were trying to find the gunman. (Posted @ 19:22 PST)
Puerto Rican governor charged with election fraud MIAMI, March 27 (Reuters): Puerto Rican Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila and 12 associates in Washington and Pennsylvania were charged with election fraud in an indictment unsealed on Thursday. Charges in the 27-count indictment include conspiracy, making false statements, wire fraud, federal program fraud and tax crimes, U.S. prosecutors said in a news release. (Posted @ 19:20 PST)
Negroponte says 'no hidden agenda' in Pakistan KARACHI, March 27 (AP): Senior U.S. envoy Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said Thursday there was “no hidden agenda” in the timing of his visit to Pakistan. Negroponte said that he has “no desire to interfere or intervene in any way in political arrangements which are developing” in Pakistan. Local newspaper editorials decried his visit as American “meddling” and said it was ill-timed. Protesters in at least three cities burned U.S. flags and waved banners demanding the envoy go home. Earlier in Islamabad, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte says Washington will respect “whatever is decided” about President Pervez Musharraf's status through the Pakistani political process. Asked at a news conference if he was in Pakistan to “rescue” Musharraf, Negroponte said the president's future status depended on the country's political process and the United States will “certainly respect whatever is decided in that regard.” (Posted @ 19:18 PST)
Ukrainian helicopter crashes on island, 12 missing KIEV, March 27 (Reuters): A helicopter belonging to Ukraine's border guards crashed off an island in the Black Sea on Thursday and the fate of 12 of its 13 passengers was unknown, the Emergencies Ministry said. A ministry spokesman said one passenger aboard the Mi-8 helicopter had been rescued off Poludenniy Island near the port city of Odessa. Almost all on board were military officers. (Posted @ 18:44 PST)
37 bodies found in Iraq mass grave BAGHDAD, March 27 (AFP): Iraqi and US forces found 37 bodies in a mass grave uncovered in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, on Thursday, a US military statement said. The grave was found near Muqdadiyah town which is a stronghold of Al-Qaeda in Iraq militants. (Posted @ 18:40 PST)
Police arrest two militant suspects in Lahore suicide attacks LAHORE, March 27 (AP) Police arrested two militant suspects in connection with two recent suicide bombings in Lahore and seized sacks of explosives. City police chief Malik Mohammad Iqbal told a news conference Thursday that the suspects from the outlawed militant group Jihad-i-Islami were picked up in separate raids in Lahore in the past 24 hours. The two are accused of facilitating and sheltering bombers who attacked police guarding the Lahore High Court on January 10 and then struck at a naval college on March 4. (Posted @ 17:35 PST)
Cricket: India 82-0 v South Africa’s 540 in first test CHENNAI. March 27 (Reuters): India were 82 without loss in reply to South Africa's first innings 540 all out at the close on the second day of the first test in Chennai on Thursday. Scores: South Africa 540 all out (G.Smith 73, N.McKenzie 94, H.Amla 159, M.Boucher 70, H.Singh 5-164); India 82-0 (V.Sehwag 52 not out). (First Posted @ 15:15:10 PST, Updated @ 17:00 PST)
Three German soldiers injured in attack on convoy in Afghanistan BERLIN, March 27 (AP) Three German soldiers were injured in a bomb attack on their convoy near Kunduz in northern Afghanistan early Thursday, a spokesman for the German military said. (Posted @ 16:20 PST)
Police storm house in troubled Russian region, kill three suspected militants MAKHACHKALA, Russia, March 27 (AP) Police killed three suspected militants in Russia's Dagestan province Thursday, a law-enforcement official said. The three were killed after authorities surrounded an apartment building in the town of Dagestanskie Ogni, where four suspected militants had holed up, said Mark Tolchinsky, a regional Interior Ministry spokesman. The remaining suspect continued firing at police, he said. (Posted @ 16:10 PST)
Two students injured in early morning shooting in parking lot outside Texas College dorm TYLER, Texas, March 27 (AP) Two students were injured in an early morning shooting in a parking lot outside a Texas College dorm in Tyler, Texas, police said. Tyler Police Lt. Derreck Wagoner told Tyler television station KLTV Thursday that one person was shot in the abdomen and the other was shot in the hand. (Posted @ 16:05 PST)
Pipeline blast cuts Iraq's southern oil exports BAGHDAD, March 27 (Reuters) Saboteurs blew up one of Iraq's two main oil export pipelines in southern Iraq Thursday, cutting about half a million barrels a day of oil exports, a Southern Oil Company official told Reuters. The pipeline was attacked 7 km south of Basra. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. “This morning saboteurs blew up the pipeline transporting crude from Zubair 1 by placing bombs beneath it. The pipeline was severely damaged,” the official said, requesting anonymity. “Crude exports will be greatly affected because this is one of two main pipelines transporting crude to the southern terminals. We will lose about a third of crude exported through Basra,” he said. (First Posted @ 13:20 PST, Updated @ 16:00 PST)
World Bank says Pakistan must take urgent action to avert economic crisis ISLAMABAD, March 27 (AP) Pakistan's new government must take urgent action to prevent the country's strong economic expansion from tipping into crisis, the World Bank warned Thursday. Praful Patel, a vice president at the bank, said the South Asian country needed to make painful adjustments to higher global prices for oil, commodities and foodstuffs or risk a slowdown. ''There is not yet a crisis, but the economic picture for Pakistan is not good,'' Patel said. ''There is a good economic foundation, but the growth can only continue if Pakistan adjusts to the new global reality.'' Patel issued a statement after a three-day visit to Pakistan, which included talks with leaders of the new government. Patel noted that foreign investment and remittances have kept pace and that the stock market has posted gains. However, he forecast that the government would miss its targets for the budget and current account deficits as well as for foreign exchange reserves. (Posted @ 15:45 PST)
Rockets hit Baghdad Green Zone BAGHDAD, March 27 (AFP) Insurgents fired rockets into the heavily fortified Baghdad Green Zone Thursday, causing a major blaze, Iraqi and US embassy officials said. The rockets hit the zone, the seat of the Iraqi government and the US embassy, around 12:15 pm, W. Johann Schmonsees said. (First Posted @ 14:50 PST, Updated @ 15:25 PST)
Fighter jets bomb rebel camp as infantry clashes kill 29 in northern Sri Lanka COLOMBO, March 27 (AP) Sri Lankan fighter jets bombed a Tamil rebel camp Thursday while scattered battles across the country's north killed 23 rebels and six soldiers, the military said. Air force jets pounded a camp in the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi early Thursday, said Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara, the military spokesman. About 10 minutes later, the air force bombed a radar post operated by the rebels' naval wing, also in Kilinochchi, he said. The air force said that attacks Tuesday and Wednesday destroyed a Tamil Tiger camp and a rebel boat-manufacturing facility. Meanwhile, infantry clashes continued along the trenches of the front lines, the military said. In the Welioya region south of rebel-held territory, troops killed 11 rebels Wednesday, while one soldier was killed and seven others were wounded, Nanayakkara said. Other fighting in the northern districts of Mannar, Jaffna and Vavuniya killed 12 rebels and five soldiers. (Posted @ 15:20 PST)
Cricket- South Africa 540 all out v India - innings CHENNAI, India, March 27 (Reuters) South Africa were 540 all out after tea on the second day of their first test against India Thursday. Brief scores: South Africa 540 all out (G.Smith 73, N.McKenzie 94, H.Amla 159, H.Singh 5-164) v India. (Posted @ 15:10 PST)
At least five killed in social housing fire in Finland HELSINKI, March 27 (Reuters) At least five people were killed and five others were injured when a fire tore through a two-storey building used as social housing near Helsinki Thursday, authorities said. (Posted @ 15:10 PST)
Black smoke near US embassy after Baghdad blast BAGHDAD, March 27 (Reuters) A giant column of black smoke was visible near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone Thursday after an apparent mortar strike, a Reuters reporter said. The blast struck near a former palace of Saddam Hussein that has been used as the headquarters for hundreds of U.S. civilian and military personnel in Iraq. Embassy officials were not immediately available for comment. (Posted @ 14:50 PST)
44 killed in clashes in Iraqi city of Kut KUT, Iraq, March 27 (AFP) At least 44 people were killed in clashes Thursday between Iraqi and US forces, and militiamen in the central Iraqi city of Kut, police chief Abdul Hanin al-Amara told AFP. “The security forces launched an operation at around midnight to take back areas under the control of gunmen,” Amara said. “At least 40 gunmen and four policemen were killed. Around 75 people were wounded. Police have now imposed full control on these neighbourhoods.” (Posted @ 14:40 PST)
Seven killed in attack on Pakistani ambulance PARACHINAR, Pakistan, March 27 (Reuters) Suspected militants attacked an ambulance with rocket-propelled grenades in northwest Pakistan’s Kurram tribal region Thursday, killing seven people including two nurses, a doctor and local residents said. The ambulance was taking people to a health meeting when it was attacked, said a doctor, named Mohibullah, based in the town of Parachinar. (Posted @ 14:35 PST)
Fireworks blast in China kills 25 BEIJING, March 27 (AFP) Twenty-five people killed in a fireworks explosion in a remote part of northwestern China late Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported. The explosion occurred as authorities were trying to destroy eight truckloads of fireworks in the Gobi desert near Turpan city in Xinjiang, Xinhua said. (First Posted @ 10:15 PST, Updated @ 14:25 PST)
Nine killed in India temple stampede BHOPAL, India, March 27 (AFP) At least nine people were killed and several others injured at a religious gathering in a Hindu temple in central India, police said Thursday. The stampede occurred late Wednesday in a village in central Madhya Pradesh state when a railing broke at the premises, where more than 100,000 devotees had gathered for an annual religious festival. (First Posted @ 11:30 PST, Updated @ 14:05 PST)
Gunmen blow up another oil pipeline in southern Iraq BAGHDAD, March 27 (AP) A bomb struck an oil pipeline in southern Iraq Thursday, an oil official in Basra said. The official said a fire was raging after the bomb exploded underneath the Zubair-1 pipeline, which is used to transport crude oil to tanks at Iraq's two exporting terminals on the Gulf. (Posted @ 13:20 PST)
Talks in Najaf to resolve Basra crisis NAJAF, Iraq, March 27 (AFP) The Iraqi government was holding talks with aides of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr Thursday to end the crisis in Basra where Iraqi troops are battling militiamen, a Sadr aide said. Liqa ali-Yassin, a member of Sadr's 32-member parliamentary bloc, said talks were under way in Najaf. Yassin said the government was represented by MP Ali al-Adib from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Dawa party, while the Sadr group was represented by Liwa Sumaysim, head of its political bureau. (Posted @ 13:20 PST)
Heavy fighting rocks Basra city BASRA, Iraq, March 27 (AFP) - Heavy fighting erupted in a bastion of Moqtada al-Sadr's militia in Basra on Thursday, witnesses said, as military operations against gunmen in the southern city entered a third day. Rocket propelled grenades and mortar, machine gun and small arms fire rocked the central Jumhuriyah neighbourhood from early morning. Fighting has spread to Sadr's stronghold in Baghdad and other cities, with at least 50 people killed in the clashes countrywide since Tuesday, according to Iraqi officials. Police meanwhile said the convoy of Basra police chief Major General Abdul Jalil Khalaf was hit by a suicide car bomber around 1:00 am on Thursday as it passed through the streets of the city. “Three policemen were killed in the attack,” but Khalaf was unharmed. Residents said city streets were deserted on Thursday and that shops and businesses were shut. Maliki on Wednesday gave militiamen in Basra 72 hours to lay down their arms. Sadr's powerful movement called protest rallies for Thursday “to express no confidence in the Maliki government” in the wake of the Basra assault. (Posted @ 12:15 PST)
Indonesia court acquits Suharto, finds charity guilty of graft JAKARTA, March 27 (AFP) - An Indonesian court on Thursday acquitted the late former president Suharto in a civil corruption case, but ordered his charitable foundation to repay more than 100 million dollars in state funds. The judges said that both Suharto and his Supersemar Foundation had engaged in “actions that ran against the law,” but acquitted the former leader saying he did so in his capacity as an executive of the charity. Indonesia's government had sought 1.4 billion dollars in damages in the case, alleging that Suharto skimmed off millions of dollars of state money intended for student scholarships from the foundation. (Posted @ 12:10 PST)
India minister's China visit cancelled over Tibet row: report NEW DELHI, March 27 (AFP) - New Delhi has cancelled a proposed visit to Beijing by Trade Minister Kamal Nath after China summoned the Indian envoy over Tibetan protests in India, a report said Thursday. Nath was due to travel to Beijing on April 1 to take part in discussions on a trade agreement between the two Asian giants, The Times of India reported. A foreign ministry official in New Delhi declined to confirm the report. (Posted @ 11:55 PST)
Eight killed in Indian temple stampede BHOPAL, India, March 27 (Reuters) - At least eight people were trampled to death and 10 seriously injured in a stampede at a Hindu temple in remote Karila village, about 260 km from Bhopal, officials said. The stampede happened late Wednesday, when thousands of villagers were making their way to the temple during an annual fair. “It was simply an accident as people who attempted to enter the temple by climbing over a railing fell,” a senior official said. (Posted @ 11:30 PST)
Qazi, Zardari discuss political situation LAHORE, March 27 (PPI): PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari Wednesday rang up Jamaat-i-Islami Ameer and MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmad, says a JI press release. The two leaders discussed prevailing political situation. Qazi Hussain assured Asif Zardari full cooperation if the new government gave priority to national security and sovereignty, and chose new directions for the national policies. He said if merit was restored in the country, deposed judges including Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhri were restored, and the people were provided with justice, then country would march towards progress. (Posted @ 10:50 PST)
Danish soldier killed in Afghanistan COPENHAGEN, March 27 (Reuters) - A Danish soldier was killed in Helmand province on Wednesday and another was wounded, Danish Army Central Command said. It said a patrol had come under attack from small arms and mortar fire from Taliban insurgents north. Denmark has about 550 soldiers in Afghanistan. (Posted @ 10:35 PST)
Cricket-Sri Lanka beat West Indies by 121 runs Georgetown, March 27 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka beat West Indies by 121 runs in the first test in Georgetown, Guyana on Wednesday. Scores: West Indies 315 ( Bravo 83, Sarwan 72, Gayle 51 not out, C. Vaas 5-61) and 280 ( Sarwan 80) v Sri Lanka 240-7 dec (Warnapura 62) and 476-8 dec ( Warnapura 120, Jayawardene 136) (Posted @ 10:30 PST)
Firecracker blast in northwest China kills 22 BEIJING, March 27 (Reuters) - Twenty-two people were killed and 10 injured in an explosion in northwest China, apparently caused by local authorities trying to destroy firecrackers, Xinhua news agency said Thursday. The accident happened on Wednesday night when “city authorities” in Turpan, in China's northwestern Xinjiang region, were “destroying firecrackers on a desert seven to eight kilometres from the Turpan tollgate”, Xinhua said but did not say whether any of the officials were among those killed. (Posted @ 10:15 PST)
U.S. steps up missile strikes in Pakistan - WPost WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - The United States has escalated air strikes against al-Qaeda fighters operating in Pakistan's tribal areas fearing that support from Islamabad may slip away, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. U.S. officials, who were not identified, said Washington wants to inflict as much damage as it can to al Qaeda's network now because Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf may not be able to offer much help in the months ahead. Over the past two months, U.S.-controlled Predator aircraft have struck at least three sites used by al-Qaeda operatives, the Post reported. About 45 Arab, Afghan and other foreign fighters have been killed in the attacks, all near the Afghan border, U.S. and Pakistani officials were cited as saying. Neither U.S. nor Pakistani authorities officially confirm U.S. missile attacks on Pakistani territory, which would be an infringement of Pakistani sovereignty. Many al Qaeda members, including Uzbeks and Arabs, and Taliban militants took refuge in North and South Waziristan, as well as in other areas on the Pakistani side of the border after U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. According to the Post, the goal was partly to try to get information on senior al-Qaeda leaders, including Osama bin Laden, by forcing them to move in ways that U.S. intelligence analysts can detect. Citing an administration official, the report said the campaign was not specifically designed to capture bin Laden before U.S. President George W. Bush leaves office in January. “It's not a blitz to close this chapter,” a senior official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the newspaper. “If we find the leadership, then we'll go after it. But nothing can be done to put al-Qaeda away in the next nine or 10 months. In the long haul, it's an issue that extends beyond this administration.” (Posted @ 10:10 PST)
Shuttle Endeavour returns after record-setting mission to ISS CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida, March 27 (AFP) - The space shuttle Endeavour landed at Kennedy Space Center Wednesday, after a record-setting mission to the International Space Station to install a Japanese laboratory and a Canadian repair robot, NASA said. Endeavour landed at 8:39 pm (0039 GMT, Thursday) after a 16-day mission that included a record 12-day docking at the ISS and five spacewalks -- the most ever embarked upon in a single mission. (Posted @ 09:50 PST)
Bush tells Hu shipment of warhead fuse to Taiwan a 'mistake' WASHINGTON, March 27 (AFP) - President George W. Bush told his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao Wednesday that the Pentagon made a “mistake” by sending Taiwan four nuclear warhead fuses in 2006, a top White House official said. The issue “came up very briefly” in the telephone conversation between Bush and Hu, national security advisor Stephen Hadley told reporters. “And, basically, the president (Bush) indicated that a mistake had been made. There was very little discussion about it,” Hadley said. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered an investigation into the incident and a comprehensive review of the US inventory of all nuclear-related components as well as of policies and procedures, officials said. “We'll do a thorough investigation, and those who are responsible will be held accountable. The secretary is quite forceful on this,” said Ryan Henry, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy. (Posted @ 09:50 PST)
UN raises alarm on AIDS epidemic in Asia UNITED NATIONS, March 27 (AFP) - Asian governments must devote more funds to preventing AIDS or face the risk the disease could kill nearly 500,000 people each year across the continent by 2020, a United Nations report says. The study released Wednesday also said the overall number of infected people would likely double to 10 million by 2020 if prevention efforts are not implemented. (Posted @ 09:40 PST)
Myanmar junta chief says civilians will lead government after polls in 2010 NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar, March 27 (AFP) - Myanmar's junta chief Than Shwe said Thursday that civilians would take the reins of government after elections in 2010, once a constitution is approved giving broad powers to the military. He reaffirmed that the military would hold a referendum in May on the constitution, but did not announce a date for the balloting. Than Shwe did not say when the public would be allowed to see the final version of the charter, which was drafted over 14 years of fitful meetings by delegates largely selected by the regime. “As the new constitution has already been drafted, it will be put to a national referendum in forthcoming May, and subsequently the multiparty general elections will follow in 2010 in line with the provisions of the constitution,” he said to 13,000 soldiers at a military parade. (Posted @ 09:35 PST)
It’s the leadership, stupid By Samia Altaf
THERE is a fascinating article by Andrew Roth ‘Jinnah’s new republic’ in an American weekly (The Nation) datelined Dec 13, 1947 (http://www.thenation.com/ doc/19471213/pakistan) that puts its finger on Pakistan’s most critical weakness — the quality of its leadership.
Reporting from Karachi, the author comments on the country’s first cabinet: “With enormous problems, Pakistan has only a very ordinary set of leaders to cope with them”, barring a few “the other members of the cabinet are all mediocrities.” The exceptions identified by the author were the “brilliant” Mr Jinnah, the prime minister and the finance minister.
In 2008, the problems have become much more enormous and the leadership has become much more mediocre. Even the exceptions at the very top are conspicuous by their absence.
The quality of political leadership went into a steep decline after Mr Jinnah. This was exacerbated by the military’s interruption of the political process that serves as the training ground for new leaders. Instead, military leaders found it in their interest to pick pliable political faces to front for them. And political leaders, in turn, promoted military leaders whom they deemed safe. A process in which incumbents picked others less clever than themselves assured a rapid race to the bottom.
Insecure political leaders, civil or military, are also prone to choosing their key bureaucrats on the basis of loyalty. Mr Ziaul Haq added to a secular decline in critical thinking by making the social sciences subservient to an ideological education in Pakistan Studies. It was no surprise to read Strobe Talbott’s comparison of South Asian bureaucrats in his book Engaging India: “In general, our sessions with the Pakistanis, while occasionally more exciting than those with the Indians, lacked a comparable degree of intellectual engagement…. While Jaswant [Singh’s] team was highly disciplined in every respect, some of Shamshad Ahmad’s colleagues tended to be querulous, surly, and sometimes abusive.”
By way of contrast, Ramachandra Guha’s new book India after Gandhi includes a description of India’s first cabinet in 1947. The 13-member cabinet included three who were not from the Congress party and three who had been lifelong adversaries of the Congress and had collaborated with the British, including the virulently anti-upper-caste Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Gandhi reminded his supporters that freedom had come to India, not to Congress, and urged “the formation of a cabinet that included the ablest men regardless of party affiliation.”
Since then, Indian educational institutions including the globally competitive IITs and IIMs have produced many generations of very competent personnel. The calibre of the key Indian political and technical leaders can be gauged by a review of the CVs of the prime minister, the finance minister and the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, all made available to the public on the web.
The gap with their Pakistani counterparts is revealing and a pointer to Pakistan’s problems of governance and management at every level.
In an increasingly complex, globally linked knowledge economy and with the magnitude of social issues facing the country, it is no longer enough to be very clever and street-smart. Competence and training matter. Granted it is not possible to manufacture a new political leadership overnight but it is possible for the leadership to recognise its handicap.
It should search for the most competent Pakistanis available to head all key institutions and agencies that have a bearing on national development including universities, public enterprises and advisory boards. And this selection should be assigned to a professional recruitment agency subject to the approval of an independent Citizens Commission.
It is time for the political leadership to be humble and it is time to repair the decline of competence that has condemned the majority of Pakistanis to a life of unspeakable misery and degradation.
The writer is the 2007-2008 Pakistan Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Centre for International Scholars in Washington, DC. She writes for:
www.thesouthasianidea.wordpress.com
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