Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has called for early Presidential elections, which would be held on January 23, 2010. Under the Sri Lankan Constitution, the President can call for an early election after the completion of four years out of his six-year term.
Bangladesh’s anti militancy drive got a major boost following arrests of two dreaded Laskhar-e-Taiba militants this week. The arrested militants, interestingly, hail from Kerala. They are suspected of being involved in various acts of terror in India. The LeT militants are believed to have sneaked into the country with the intention of launching a major attack targeting Indian and US interests in the country. Some of the reports claimed that the LeT militants were working in close proximity with the Harkat-ul Jihad al Islami (HuJI).
Maldives
< class="heading12boldGeorgia" >Majlis formulates bill to curb violence against women
Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of International Anniversary of the Elimination of the Violence against Women, Maldivian People’s Majlis has passed a declaration to eliminate violence against women. All the members present voted in favour of the bill. In the declaration, the Majlis affirmed its policy to fight for women’s rights and stop violence against women and young girls. Members unanimously accepted that violence against women is against Islam and, therefore, should be shunned. They also called for equal opportunities for both men and women. In addition to this, Maldivian Majlis also signed a “Say No” petition to outlaw violence against women. The ceremony was attended by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) officials.
Pakistan
< class="heading12boldGeorgia" >Political uncertainty increases as NRO ceases to exist
Political stability in Pakistan became even more fragile as the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), an amnesty bill passed by former President Pervez Musharraf in 2007, ceased to exist on Saturday (November 28). The bill, which was passed to aid the return of the late Benazir Bhutto, provided immunity against corruption charges for several key members of the current administration, including President Asif Ali Zardari. In July this year, the Supreme Court had directed the government to seek the National Assembly’s endorsement of the bill. However, after all major allies refused to support the legislation, the Pakistan People’s Party was forced to have the matter decided by the Supreme Court. With the 120-day grace period over, the coming weeks may witness corruption cases against prominent members of the current dispensation reopened. Asif Ali Zardari is clearly in a vulnerable position. On Friday, in order to appease his opponents, Zardari ceded power of the crucial National Command Authority, the key body which controls the country’s nuclear infrastructure, to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. Further, he also announced that the 17th Amendment, which grants special powers to the President at the expense of the parliament, will be abolished within a month.
< class="heading12boldGeorgia" >Contributors
Anjali Sharma - Sri Lanka, Maldives
Joyeeta Bhattacharjee - Bangladesh
Kaustav Dhar Chakraborti - Pakistan
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