Politics

Republican U.S. presidential contenders attacked Donald Trump's views on Syria and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as simplistic and unrealistic, and rival Jeb Bush said the real estate mogul did not grasp "how the real world works." Trump, who has led opinion polls in the 2016 Republican race for months, praised Putin's efforts to fight Islamic State militants and said he would back the Russian leader "100 percent" in that effort. “If Putin wants to go and knock the hell out of ISIS, I am all for it, 100 percent, and I can’t understand how anybody would be against it,” Trump said during the fourth Republican presidential debate. "We have to get smart. We can’t continue to be the policemen of the world," Trump said, adding that the possible bombing of a Russian plane by militants meant "he cannot be in love with these people. He's going in and we can go in."

But Bush, a former Florida governor, leaped to question Trump's understanding of the conflict, saying the billionaire was "wrong on this." "We’re not going to be the world’s policemen, but we sure as heck better be the world’s leader," Bush said, saying Trump's views of Putin and his policies in Syria were "like a board game. That’s like playing Monopoly or something. That’s not how the real world works." Other Republican contenders had few kind things to say about Putin. "Mr. Trump ought to know that we should not speak to people from a position of weakness," said former business executive Carly Fiorina. "I've never met Vladimir Putin, but I know enough about him to know that he's a gangster," U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida said.

Trump also came under fire for his immigration plan, which would build a wall on the border with Mexico and round up and deport undocumented immigrants. Ohio Governor John Kasich and Bush both criticized Trump's plan, which many Republicans fear will alienate Hispanic voters who are vital to winning the November 2016 election. "That's the problem with this. We need to win the presidency, and the way you win the presidency is to have practical plans," Bush said, adding Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's staff was "high-fiving" over the proposal. A Clinton campaign spokesman, Brian Fallon, tweeted during the debate that "we actually are doing high-fives right now." Trump and Kasich also clashed after Kasich told the flamboyant billionaire that "False little things, sir, they really don't work when it comes to the truth." Trump replied that he had built a company worth billions of dollars. “I don’t have to hear from this man, believe me," he said of Kasich, drawing boos from the crowd.

The debate comes at a critical time in the race for the Republican nomination, with retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Trump fighting to hold their spot atop polls and Rubio trying to build on the momentum of his last strong debate performance. Carson has faced a rough week of scrutiny about whether he embellished key aspects of his biography, while Rubio, 44, is under pressure to show he can fight off recent criticism of his inexperience as he tries to unseat fellow Floridian Bush as a favorite of the party's mainstream. Carson lashed out at his critics and said he did not like being "lied about." Carson has faced a series of reports in the past week casting doubt on his stories about his violent outbursts as a youth and a scholarship he said he was offered to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. "I have no problem with being vetted," Carson said. "What I do have a problem with is being lied about and having that put out there as true." Carson, questioned why Clinton had not been subjected to a similar level of media scrutiny. "We have to start treating people the same and finding out what they really think," he said. "People who know me know I’m an honest person."

In an earlier debate on Tuesday involving four lower-polling Republican candidates, several accused the Federal Reserve of keeping U.S. interest rates low for political reasons and one called for replacing Fed chair Janet Yellen. "The Fed should be audited, and the Fed should stop playing politics with our money supply," New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal tried to distinguish himself by repeatedly attacking Christie and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee for failing to cut government spending during their tenures as governors. Christie declined to take the bait, turning the debate back again and again to the need for Republicans to rally around a nominee who can defeat Clinton, who leads in polls.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

11.Nov.2015

Hits: 2167

Recent resignations and movements to other parties by politicians confirm a trend that has become recurrent since the advent of multi-party politics in the 1990s. It has become normal in Cameroon to hear of top political party officials and members resigning to join other parties. A recent case was in the Mfoundi II Section of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) following the arrival of over 80 former members of the Cameroon Democratic Union, CDU, of Dr. Adamou Ndam Njoya.

The militants were welcomed by members of the CPDM Mfoundi II Section in pomp and fanfare on Thursday, October 29, 2015. The new arrivals recalled that they decamped from the CPDM to the CDU several years ago and were now coming back. They said they were encouraged by the inclusive approach to development by CPDM Mfoundi II Section President and Yaounde II Mayor, Luc Assamba. While accepting CPDM party uniforms and gadgets, the carpet-crossers pledged commitment to the ideals of the CPDM party.

Four days earlier on October 25, 2015 in Bamenda, North West Region, SDF’s key activist, Dr Fomambu Lawrence announced that he was returning to the National Union for Democracy and Progress, NUDP, from which he decamped in 2003 to join the Alliance of Progressive Forces, AFP, of Bernard Muna; before ending up in the SDF. In the same vein, Maidadi Saïdou who left the SDF for AFP is now in the NUDP. Tayong Jacob and Mudoh Walters also crossed from AFP to NUDP.

Another resignation that made headlines recently was that of former Member of Parliament of the Social Democratic Front, SDF, party, Dr. Aka Amuam, who joined the CPDM party. Reasons given by political carpet-crossers do not seem to convince a critic like Dr. Eric Mathias Owona Nguini. He says the phenomenon in Cameroon is motivated by opportunism and the hope for political gains. “It shows that our political scene is not strongly structured around one of the fundamental principles which are the ideology, moral and technical orientation that political parties must uphold in running public affairs and ensuring political governance.

It also indicates that there exists a certain level of precariousness which obliges people to change parties,” he argued. However, the risks are obvious because resigning militants might be treated with suspicion in their new political parties, Dr. Owona Nguini warns. “So, they have to show proof of their loyalty and fidelity,” he advised, adding that this exigency could be very difficult because their new comrades will also have in their heads that “he who once betrayed will always betray.”

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

11.Nov.2015

Hits: 1279

Neither Russia nor Egypt has responded to help allegedly offered by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in search for the reason why the Russian jet crashed in the Sinai Peninsula on October 31, a US official says. Joshua Campbell, an FBI spokesman, said Monday that the Feds had offered "forensic assistance" in what brought down the jet over Egypt. “The FBI has offered forensic assistance and other services to our partners in Egypt and Russia, and stands ready to assist,” Campbell stated.

Meanwhile, US officials claimed that they had intercepted Russian communications, which provides evidence that Russian officials believe the plane was brought down by a bomb. US State Department spokesman John Kirby said earlier, however, that Washington, Moscow and Cairo have been in daily contact over the matter. “There has been the sharing of information related specifically to this crash between the United States and Russia, between the United States and Egypt,” Kirby said at a press conference. Earlier media reports by US media alleged that the Russians had sought help from the American federal police.

An affiliate of the Daesh terrorist Takfiris in Egypt has claimed to have been behind the crash in retaliation for Moscow’s military campaign against Daesh in Syria. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said earlier on Monday that "The possibility of an act of terror is of course there as the reason for what happened." The A321 passenger plane dropped off radar screens 23 minutes after takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh on its way to St. Petersburg. All the 224 passengers and crew were killed with plane debris scattered in the desert.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

10.Nov.2015

Hits: 2056

Spain’s pro-independence region of Catalonia is expected to launch a secession process in the regional parliament aimed at securing complete independence by 2017. The Catalan pro-Independence parties are expected to discuss and vote on Monday on a resolution that calls on the parliament to start working on legislation within 30 days to create a separate social security system and treasury. Catalonia’s Together for Yes coalition – led by the region’s President Artur Mas – and the far-left separatist CUP Party, which together have 72 seats from the total of 135, support the resolution.

The Spanish government in Madrid has pledged to ask the Constitutional Court to declare the resolution void if it is passed. The court had on Thursday ruled that the vote could go ahead. The resolution would be suspended if the court accepted the government’s appeal until judges rule on it. However, the Together for Yes coalition says it will go ahead with enforcing the resolution. “The content of the resolution will be applied regardless of what the Constitutional Court says. We have strength and legitimacy, even if the Spanish state resists,” Together for Yes lawmaker Pere Aragones said. Catalonia’s pro-independence parties won a majority in the regional assembly for the first time in elections in September.

The region is home to 7.5 million people and accounts for a fifth of Spain’s economic output. Many Catalans believe their economy would be more prosperous on its own, complaining that a high portion of their taxes go to the central government in Madrid. Catalonia held an official though symbolic referendum on independence in 2014. It was deemed unconstitutional. The turnout was reported at 37%, of which more than 80% voted in favor of independence.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

09.Nov.2015

Hits: 2015

Special prayers for a nation battling insecurity were prominent at Bamenda anniversary celebrations. The Mezam I CPDM Section President, Minister Atanga Nji Paul, set the pace with a message that urged the population to stand by President Biya whose 33 years at the helm of the State inspires hope. Special prayers for the nation’s defense and security forces battling the Boko Haram in the Far North region and threats of insecurity in the East set the tone for anniversary activities. 

It was against this backdrop that Minister Atanga Nji Paul said in 33 years, President Biya has emerged as a tolerant, available and steadfast leader with a listening ear. He said it is proper for the North West to stand by him because it was his love for the region that caused Bamenda to host the 5oth anniversary celebrations of the Armed Forces in 2010. Minister Atanga Nji Paul revisited President Biya’s ascension to power on November 6, 1982 and said it is a day of joy for Cameroonians.

He challenged the population to remember and appreciate President Biya’s good work as they celebrate. He also took time off during the event to reveal that some 17.000 CPDM faithfuls have enrolled towards the reorganization of basic organs in Mezam I section and advised them to stay united and avoid conflicts that could jeopardise peace.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

09.Nov.2015

Hits: 2068

The International Criminal Court is holding a two-day hearing on the health of former Ivorian leader Laurent Gbagbo, whose trial in The Hague has been postponed until January. 

Gbagbo and Ivorian militia leader Charles Ble Goude were both supposed to stand trial at the International Criminal Court on Tuesday.  Instead, the court is holding a closed hearing, as experts testify about Gbagbo’s health.

“The defense of Mr. Gbagbo asked the ICC judges to allow the defense and other parties to put questions to the experts so that is basically what will be happening during the two-day hearing,” explains ICC spokesman Fadi El Abdallah.

Both Gbagbo and Ble Goude face crimes against humanity charges linked to Ivory Coast’s post-election violence in 2010 and 2011.  About 3,000 people were killed after Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to election winner Alassane Ouattara.  

In the past, Gbagbo’s lawyers have questioned his fitness to stand trial, but spokesman El Abdallah says the possibility of canceling the proceedings - which are now set to open January 28 - is not under discussion.

That will make Gbagbo the first former president to face justice at the ICC. The court also tried unsuccessfully to bring his wife Simone to trial.

“The fact that Gbagbo is in The Hague speaks volumes about the potential for international justice,” said Singh.

Param-Preet Singh is senior counsel for Human Rights Watch’s international justice program.  While Gbagbo’s trial is a coup for the court, she says, there is a lingering sense in Ivory Coast that the ICC’s justice has been one-sided.

“There were forces loyal to President Ouattara who also committed crimes and they haven’t yet been pursued by the ICC,” said Singh.
                                        
Ouattara, who was reelected last month, has promised to bring perpetrators of the election violence to justice.

ICC spokesman El Abdallah says the court’s prosecutors are continuing to probe allegations against both sides.  The court will take action, he said, once there’s sufficient evidence to merit doing so.

Source(VOA)

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

09.Nov.2015

Hits: 1817