Politics

9, June 2017

UK Votes: Theresa May under pressure ⁰

Britain wakes up Friday morning more divided and uncertain about its future than anyone thought possible. A general election that was supposed to settle political and constitutional questions thrown up by Britain’s exit from the European Union failed — answering none, raising more and leaving no party with a majority in parliament.

From a position of relative strength, dominating a compliant parliament which had accepted Brexit, Theresa May is now struggling to cling on to her job, unsure whether she will even be able to form a minority government. After a night of political drama which saw Labour’s vote share surge by 10 points, halving the 2010 deficit, three things now seem certain: May is mortally wounded; Jeremy Corbyn is safe as Labour party leader for as long as he wants; and Britain is in for a prolonged period of political instability which may only be solved by a second general election.

If Brussels had come round to the prospect of an unyielding two-year Brexit negotiation under May — grating in its parochialism maybe, but at least grown up — they now face the nightmare prospect of a new partner across the table or a weakened May beholden to her backbenchers and a small retinue of Northern Irish MPs.

A hung parliament — in which no single party commands a majority — is certain. Her future as prime minister hangs by a thread. She could be gone by the end of the day. A second general election could be called within months — taking place as early as August. Brexit is also now up in the air — as even David Davis admitted.

The Brexit Secretary told Sky News at 2.30am that the election was, in part, about getting a mandate for “the sort of Brexit we want.” It was also designed to give the government more time to complete the process by ensuring that the incoming administration would have a clear five years before having to call an election.

He suggested the U.K. government may have lost a mandate to exit customs union and single market. “[Our manifesto] said we wanted to leave the customs union and the single market, but get access to them. That’s what it was about, that’s what we put in front of the British people, we’ll see by tomorrow whether they’ve accepted that or not,” he said.

Nigel Farage was quick to warn that he would re-enter the political fray if Brexit was softened. “We may well be looking down the barrel of a second referendum.” The Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland — potential king-makers if the Tories are to remain in power — will look to soften Brexit around the edges, particularly in order to ensure there is no threat to the soft border with the Republic of Ireland, so crucial for the region’s economic security.

Boris Johnson is the most obvious Tory winner from the fallout. When a steady but uninspiring leader has been found wanting, they may turn to a tried and tested winner with the charisma to take on Corbyn. Boris Johnson was already “sharpening the knives for Theresa May,” Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson said.

Source: Politico

8, June 2017

UK: Uncertainty looms as British voters prepare for historic vote ⁰

Millions of British people are preparing to cast their votes in Thursday’s general election, which has defied all initial projections and seems to be much closer than many, including Prime Minister Theresa May, had predicted.

In a time when Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU) is a certainty and a round of tough negotiations with the bloc is around the corner, the ruling Conservatives are set to go head to head with a Labour Party that has slowly but steadily become a worthy opponent under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

The Vote

In mid-April, May called for a general election and overstepped earlier pledges of not doing so before 2020. Back then, the move was largely viewed as part of a cheap opportunistic strategy to win a more decisive majority in Parliament given Labour’s state of disarray.

However, Corbyn was able to turn the tide and reduce a 20-point gap with the Tories to well within the margin of error.

British Prime Minister Theresa May (Photo by AFP)

The vote owes its significance largely to Brexit. A historic EU referendum in June last year showed that some 52 percent of people in England were in favor of cutting the UK’s decades-long membership in the bloc

Both Corbyn and May, who was then Home Secretary, opposed the divorce but failed to sway voters.

Today, May is leading the country out of the EU and wants a stronger negotiating position after the vote while Corbyn leads a formidable opposition and, much to May’s annoyance, seeks a more active Brexit involvement for the Parliament.

The Campaign

May was off to a bad start by announcing that she would not be participating in any live debates with Corbyn or other party leaders, insisting that direct interaction with voters is more beneficial.

The decision prompted backlash among Tory and other voters alike, who wanted to see if May can handle the popular Labour leader.

The decision helped Corbyn, who took part in a much-anticipated BBC debate and bagged an easy win in a night that May had sent Home Secretary Amber Rudd to represent her.

UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (Photo by AFP)

Besides Corbyn, leaders of other parties have also deemed May’s decision as a sign of weakness and fear. The string of bad luck continued for May and her party as she was forced to reverse many of the unpopular pledges the Tories had made in their election manifesto, “Forward Together.”

Corbyn, on the other hand, scored big with voters by making popular pledges in his “For the Many not the Few” in terms of both domestic and foreign policy. The issue of security was a key debate point in the wake of the recent wave of terror attacks that rocked the UK.

The Outcome

This is arguably one of the most unpredictable UK elections in a long time. It has seen many traditional Tory and Labour supporters jump ship, with former Labour leader Toby Blair openly campaigning against his own party and in favor of the Liberal Democrats.

The fierce campaign has also drawn a clear line between the wealthy and the average class, with the former leaning towards May and her team.

Meanwhile, a surge in young voter registrations has tipped the scale in favor of Corbyn, who has attracted the most supporters in the 18-24 age bracket. The June 8 vote is certainly a milestone that sets the UK’s economic and political paths for the years coming.

Source: Presstv

5, June 2017

After London terror, time for ‘difficult conversations’ with Saudi, Corbyn says ⁰

British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn says it is time for the UK to hold “difficult conversations” with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states of the Persian Gulf in the wake of the London terror attack.

Terror on and near the London Bridge left at least seven people dead and wounded almost 50 others on Saturday.

“Yes, we do need to have some difficult conversations starting with Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states that have funded and fueled extremist ideology,” Corbyn said in Carlisle, north England, on Sunday.

People hold up signs in solidarity with victims of the London terror attack outside the County Hotel in Carlisle, Cumbria, on June 4, 2017.

Daesh claims responsibility

Saudi Arabia and some of its regional allies have already been implicated in support for Takfiri terrorism, currently wreaking havoc in Iraq and Syria.

On Saturday, three knife-wielding assailants drove a hired van into pedestrians on London Bridge and stabbed others nearby in an attack initially praised and subsequently claimed by the Daesh Takfiri group.

“A detachment of Daesh fighters executed yesterday’s London attack,” said a statement posted on Amaq’s media page, monitored in Cairo.

Stationary buses and a large white van operated by the police to remove the van used in the attack on London Bridge are seen on London Bridge on June 4, 2017, with Tower Bridge in the background as police continue their investigations following the terror attack on the bridge and at the nearby Borough Market on June 3.

The opposition leader, who will face Prime Minister Theresa May in a June 8 snap election, also censured Islamophobia in the wake of the attack.

“We must resist Islamophobia and division and turn out on June 8 united in our determination to show our democracy is strong,” asserted the Labour leader.

Culled from Presstv

1, June 2017

Labour more likely to win UK vote ⁰

British voters are more likely to vote for the Labour Party in the June 8 general election, says a scholar in London, arguing that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is the only candidate who represents a real change. Dr. Rodney Shakespeare, a university professor and political analyst, made the remarks when asked about Labour’s recent rise in polls.

The latest YouGov survey showed on Tuesday that British Prime Minister Theresa May’s ruling Conservative Party was likely to lose 20 parliamentary seats and Labour could gain almost 30 in the upcoming vote. That means Tories could ultimately win 310 seats at the election, falling short of an absolute majority of 326 seats needed to form a government.

Such a result on June 9 would be catastrophic for May, who called for the snap election back in April, arguing the UK needed certainty, stability and strong leadership in Brexit negotiations with the European Union.

“I don’t usually bet or gamble, but I have placed two bets on the UK general election: one is that there would be no overall majority and two that Labour will win,” Shakespeare told Press TV on Wednesday. “The reason is actually the same reason that led people to vote for Brexit,” he argued. “Brexit was motivated by lots of people suffering economic hardship that has increased rich-poor division.”

The “anger over economic insecurity” was what Shakespeare said would come into play in favor of the Labour Party this time. Aside from this, the issue of terrorism was another factor that was going to help Labour, according to Shakespeare.

He argued that concerns for more terror attack like the one that took place in Manchester recently won’t go away unless a “fundamental change” takes place in the UK’s current foreign policy. “The only way that we can stop that is strike at the philosophical of that [terrorist] belief which is in fact the Wahhabism of Saudi Arabia,” he said. “There is a chance that Jeremy Corbyn at least would stand up to be counted.”

The scholar argued that Corbyn would certainly bring about change in Britain’s Bahrain policy, but it remains to be seen if he can do the same with regards to Saudi Arabia. “Very urgent is to vote in somebody, that means in practice Jeremy Corbyn and Labour Party, who is going to at least start what should be a huge change in foreign policy,” he added. “Saudi Arabia, the USA, the UK and Israel… they are all in together… we have to stand up to be counted,” Shakespeare concluded.

Culled from Presstv

30, May 2017

Biya holds talks with French ambassador ⁰

The 84 year old dictator, Paul BIYA has held talks with the French Ambassador to Cameroon, Gilles Thibault. Both men met at the Unity Palace today Tuesday 30 May 2017. Etoudi reported that they discussed the outcome of the French Presidential elections that brought Emmanuel MACRON to power; the upcoming French legislative elections; the NATO summit in Brussels; the G7 summit in Sicily; the fight against terrorism and the inquiry report of the CAMRAIL derailment at Eseka.

Speaking to reporters after the audience, Ambassador Gilles Thibault hinted at a possible meeting between the French and Cameroonian Heads of State after the June parliamentary elections. Gilles Thibault also stated that he submitted a report to President Paul BIYA about his recent journey to the Far North Region, which has been affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. The French Diplomat also applauded the logical significance of the inquiry report following the CAMRAIL train accident at Eseka.

Source: PRC

30, May 2017

SDF to participate in French Cameroun presidential elections ⁰

The long awaited congress of the so-called main opposition party in Cameroon has been announced for October 2017. It is at the end of the October meeting of the Social Democratic Front that French Cameroonians would know the name of the candidate invested to challenge the 84 year Biya during the elections of 2018 that has been banned in Southern Cameroon territory.

The National Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Front met last Saturday in Bamenda under the direct supervision of its chairman, John Fru Ndi. Among the resolutions that stem from this meeting was the announcement of the party congress for the month of October 2017. A congress scheduled for last April was postponed.

Many other resolutions were taken during the Bamenda session, including the setting up of a special commission to report exhaustively on the killings and human rights violations in Southern Cameroons since the beginning of the Anglophone uprising.

In this regard, the SDF stated that Mr. Biya’s regime was waging an undeclared war against the Anglophones in Southern Cameroons. The SDF condemned with the strongest terms, the proceedings brought by the forces of darkness fully controlled by Mr. Biya’s regime against the Christian religious leaders in Southern Cameroon.

The SDF think tank also pointed out that the ruling CPDM crime syndicate regularly negotiates with known terrorists of the Boko haram sect, disbursing large sums of money for the release of hostages while arresting the members of the Cameron Anglophone Civil Society Consortium with which it was negotiating.

By Rita Akana

Cameroon Concord News

29, May 2017

German FM says Trump has ‘weakened the West’, hurt EU interests ⁰

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has harshly criticized Donald Trump, saying the US president’s actions have “weakened the West” and his “short-sighted” policies have hurt European Union interests.

Gabriel made the scathing remarks on the sidelines of the third round-table discussion on refugees in Berlin on Monday, after Trump concluded his first official tour abroad, which took him to Saudi Arabia, Israeli-occupied territories, Belgium and then Italy for a G7 summit.

The highlight of his multi-faceted trip was a 110-billion-dollar arms deal between Washington and Riyadh, which included the sale of ships, tanks and anti-missile systems to the kingdom.

“Anyone who accelerates climate change by weakening environmental protection, who sells more weapons in conflict zones and who does not want to politically resolve religious conflicts is putting peace in Europe at risk,” the German foreign minister said.

“The short-sighted policies of the American government stand against the interests of the European Union,” he said, adding that, “The West has become smaller; at least it has become weaker.”

US President Donald Trump (L) and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud pose for a group photo during the Arabic Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh on May 21, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Gabriel also called on Europe to stand up to the new US administration and not shy away from making criticism. “The Trump administration wants to terminate climate agreements, wants to enforce military action in crisis regions and won’t allow people from certain religious circles to enter the US,” he said.

“If the Europeans are not resolutely opposing to this right now, the migration flow to Europe will continue to grow. Those who do not oppose this US policy are guilty,” Gabriel noted. Days earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed frustration at the way Trump handled a debate on climate change in the G7 summit by refusing to sign up to upholding the 2015 Paris climate accord.

During his presidential campaign, Trump had vowed to revise US commitments under the Paris Agreement, saying the deal, which he had branded as a Chinese hoax, would seriously harm jobs inside the United States while it hugely benefits countries like China. Trump and European governments have clashed on other issues, including Trump’s criticism that NATO allies have repeatedly failed to meet the alliance’s military spending commitment of 2.0 percent of GDP.

Source: Presstv

28, May 2017

US: Trump considers major staff shakeup over Russia controversy ⁰

US President Donald Trump and his advisers are considering a major shakeup of senior White House staff in an attempt to contain the growing political and legal threat from the escalating Russia controversy.

Trump returned home on Saturday from a nine-day foreign trip that provided a respite from the crisis in Washington. As the president met with leaders and diplomats in the Middle East and Europe, senior aides met in the White House to discuss damage control.

The White House now plans to more aggressively combat the revelations about contacts between people involved in the Trump presidential campaign and Russia, including his senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, The Washington Post reported.

Kushner has recently become the focus of federal investigations into possible collusion between Moscow and Trump’s campaign and transition teams.

The 36-year-old has reportedly played an active role in the effort to reshape the president’s communications team and develop an internal group to respond to the flurry of negative stories over the Russia inquiry.

Led by New York attorney, Marc E. Kasowitz, the president’s private legal team is preparing to meet in Washington to discuss new revelations about contacts between Kushner and representatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Washington Post reported separately that Kushner tried to establish secret and secure communications with the Kremlin during Trump’s transition.

According to The New York Times, the channel was meant to allow then-national security adviser Michael Flynn to communicate with Moscow directly about Syria and other security issues.

This file photo taken on February 13, 2017 shows Michael Flynn (L) and Jared Kushner before a joint press conference.

Trump might personally meet with Kasowitz as early as Sunday, and his aides have recruited a number of prominent lawyers for the president to interview in hopes that they could join the legal team.

White House ‘war room’

Aides are also considering creating a White House “war room” to more aggressively push back against the Russia controversy as well as the fallout of Trump’s abrupt firing of FBI director James Comey earlier this month. Comey has authored a memo that suggested Trump asked him to drop an inquiry about Flynn’s ties to Moscow.

The damage-control plan also includes the return of some of Trump’s more combative campaign advisers, including Corey Lewandowski, who was fired as campaign manager nearly a year ago, and David N. Bossie, a former deputy campaign manager.

Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, has contacted people from Trump’s campaign team, asking them to be more involved in supporting the president.

The US intelligence community concluded in January that Russia tried to influence the presidential election in favor of Trump, including through an aggressive hacking campaign against senior Democrats.

The Kremlin has categorically denied the allegation. Trump has also rejected the accusation as “baseless” and has called the FBI probe a “witch hunt.”

Culled from Presstv

26, May 2017

Trump’s son-in-law under FBI scrutiny over alleged Russia ties ⁰

US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and his senior adviser Jared Kushner is under scrutiny as part of the FBI’s investigation of alleged Russian meddling in the US presidential election. Kushner is being probed for his interactions with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and a banker from Moscow, US media reported Friday.

Federal investigators believe Kushner has significant information relevant to their inquiry into alleged links between Trump’s campaign team and the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential elections. Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion between his campaign and Russia and has described the investigation as the “greatest witch hunt” in the US history.

Despite Russia’s alleged cyber attacks of Democratic officials during last year’s presidential race to help Trump defeat Hillary Clinton, American intelligence officials have acknowledged there is no evidence that hackers altered the election result.

The White House is currently engulfed in crisis over allegations that Trump asked the sacked FBI chief James Comey to drop the inquiry into links between his ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn and Moscow.

Trump has admitted that Comey’s firing had to do with “the Russian thing,” raising the possibility that his son-in-law might have pushed him to dismiss the FBI chief. “I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job,” the Times quoted Trump.

Kushner had also reportedly persuaded Trump to remove Chief White House Strategist Steve Bannon from the National Security Council‘s principals committee in early April. Trump has seemingly assigned Kushner with taking care of Washington’s affairs in the Middle East. Trump has also tasked Kushner, who lacks political experience, with brokering a peace deal between Palestine and Israel. Kushner also traveled to Iraq in April, reportedly trying to get a better picture of the overall situation in that country and show his support for the Iraqi government.

Source: Presstv

25, May 2017

Trump and Pence’s approval ratings fall to all-time lows ⁰

US President Donald Trump’s approval rating has sunk to a record low, standing at 40 percent, a new poll shows. According to a Fox new poll released on Thursday, 53 percent of voters disapprove of the job Trump is doing. Vice President Mike Pence is also facing the lowest approval rating, 42 percent, and 43 percent disapprove of him.

A similar Fox News poll last month found that only 45 percent of voters approved of Trump’s job performance, and 50 percent approved of Pence’s. The current numbers show a significant drop compared to those from April. The poll numbers also mirror how voters feel about the House Republicans’ latest effort to repeal Obamacare.

Forty percent of Americans approve of the Republican effort to replace the Affordable Care Act, while 53 percent are opposed. Businessman-turned-politician Trump, within hours of taking the oath of office on January 20, fulfilled one of his most impassioned promises he had made during his presidential campaign and signed an executive order to “ease the burden of Obamacare,” which covers some 20 million Americans.

Republicans criticized Obamacare as an excessive government intrusion into the health care market and contended that it was harming economic growth by burdening businesses. Other top issues of the poll included the investigation into possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, infrastructure repair, North Korea, and the war against Daesh (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria.

Pollsters also found that voters are most strongly concerned about government spending, with 80 percent saying they were very concerned. The results of the poll, which has a three percent margin of error, are based on interviews with about 1,011 adults.

Source:Presstv