Translate

Search This Blog

Monday, January 3, 2011

Political crisis in Pakistan

The second largest party in Pakistan's ruling coalition Sunday quit the government to join the opposition, destabilising the US ally in the war on Al-Qaeda and threatening to paralyse business of state. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) made the announcement days after its two federal cabinet ministers resigned, abandoning crisis talks with the main ruling Pakistan People's Party that had scrambled to keep them on board. An administration that took power less than three years ago following elections has now lost its majority in parliament and faces possible collapse if the opposition unites to pass a vote of no-confidence. "We have decided to sit on opposition benches because the government has not done anything to address the issues we have been protesting about," MQM stalwart Faisal Sabzwari told AFP. MQM has long been at odds with unpopular President Asif Ali Zardari's PPP over political violence in Karachi, tax reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund, corruption and crippling inflation. Without MQM's 25 seats, the PPP's coalition numbers 160 seats in the 342-member national assembly, 12 short of the 172 required for a majority. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani tried to appear calm on live television, telling journalists: "The government is not going to fall." Pakistan is grappling with a depressed economy, the after-effects of devastating floods that hit 21 million people last summer and Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked sanctuaries in its northwest on the Afghan border.

New President of Brazil

Brazil's new President Dilma Rousseff began a busy first full day in office Sunday meeting with foreign dignitaries after pledging to build on the policies of her hugely popular predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The 63-year-old Rousseff, who was Lula's former cabinet chief, assumed the presidency Saturday in a carefully staged ceremony in Brazil's starkly modernist federal capital. Sunday, she met with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-Sik, Spain's crown Prince Felipe, Uruguayan President Jose Mujica, Cuban Vice President Jose Ramon Machado and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. Later, she was to confer with her Finance Minister Guido Mantega and new Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota. Rousseff has pledged a strong emphasis on emerging countries like Brazil, one of the so-called BRICS emerging powers (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). And she also wants to improve ties with the United States, and most likely will take a more critical stand with Iran, analysts say. Lula irked the United States with his friendly embrace of Tehran. During Saturday's inauguration ceremony, Rousseff received from Lula the green-and-gold official sash and gave her first speech to the nation. "I will look after the most vulnerable. I will govern for all Brazilians," she said in the televised address from the palace's balcony.