Former General Sarath Fonseka, who played a major role in decimating the LTTE, has formally announced his presidential candidature for the elections to be held in January 2010. He is all set to take on the current presidential incumbent and his former mentor Mahinda Rajapaksa as a common opposition candidate.
Sri Lanka
< class="heading12boldGeorgia"> General Fonseka formally announces his presidential bid
Former General Sarath Fonseka, who played a major role in decimating the LTTE, has formally announced his presidential candidature for the elections to be held in January 2010. He is all set to take on the current presidential incumbent and his former mentor Mahinda Rajapaksa as a common opposition candidate. He has also announced his intention to form a separate political party to accelerate his campaigning process. He began his political innings by alleging that a politician connected with the government has hatched a plot to assassinate him. The General also charged the government with deliberately decreasing his security cover from 600 defence personnel to a "mere" 50 at present. Eyebrows have also been raised at the recent visit of General Fonseka to India apparently for a pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya at Bihar.
Bangladesh
< class="heading12boldGeorgia"> Bangladesh denies arrest of ULFA chief
Bangladesh?s Home Minister Sahara Khatun denied newspaper report that her government had arrested Arobindo Rajkhowa, the self-proclaimed Chairman of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). Khatun also dismissed the reports of pushing back the ULFA chief into Tripura. Indian authorities arrested the ULFA chief, who was residing in Bangladesh for a long time, this week. Top leaders of the ULFA were believed to be in the country for a long period. The Indian government had been urging Bangladesh to take action against them. In a separate development, India and Bangladesh are all set to sign three important agreements. These are treaties on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, transfer of prisoners and bilateral agreement on combating international terrorism. These treaties will be signed during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India. The decision to sign these treaties was finalised during the three-day meeting of Home Secretaries of both countries that took place in Delhi this week.
Maldives
< class="heading12boldGeorgia"> IMF approves US$ 92.5 million aid to boost Maldivian economy
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the "financial arrangement" of US $92.5 million for putting the Maldivian economy back on track. The objective is to help Maldives adjust to the aftermath of the global recession and support the government's economic policy. However, the statement issued by the IMF termed the current government's financial policy as "strong, comprehensive and well-focused" and "deserves strong support of the international community." The government's policy to restore macroeconomic stability and fiscal sustainability involves reducing expenditure and increasing revenue to lower the large budget deficit and introducing targeted subsidies to the poor for food and electricity.
Pakistan
< class="heading12boldGeorgia"> Pakistan readies for Afghanistan 'surge'
United States President Barrack Obama on Tuesday (December 1) revealed his new policy on Afghanistan. Endorsing Gen. Stanley McCrystal's strategy to mount a more comprehensive counterinsurgency aimed at winning the hearts and minds of aggrieved Afghans, Obama announced his decision to send 30,000 troops for a minimum period of 18 months. NATO allies are expected to pitch in with 10,000 troops as well. The new strategy relies on three pillars ? accelerating the training of the Afghan security forces, securing major population centres to gain traction among the people, and pressuring Pakistan to target tribal militias based in the North West Frontier Province and Balochistan that, unlike the Pakistan Taliban, have been active exclusively in Afghanistan. By declaring the exit strategy, however, President Obama has run the serious risk of causing key actors to make serious strategic miscalculations. Pakistan may continue to remain unconvinced that attacking the Afghan Taliban is in its best interests. Moreover, the various players in Afghanistan, anticipating a civil war once the US withdraws, may remain unmoved to reconcile with the other warring factions.
< class="heading12boldGeorgia">Contributors
Anjali Sharma - Sri Lanka, Maldives
Joyeeta Bhattacharjee - Bangladesh
Kaustav Dhar Chakraborti - Pakistan
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