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India To Step Up Trade And Investment In Africa

India has announced measures to increase trade and investment in Africa, at the start of a two-day summit with African leaders. As Anjana Pasricha reports, the summit being hosted by New Delhi aims at deepening political and trade links with the continent.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged to increase financial aid and encourage exports from African nations.

“The 21st Century is often described as the Asian Century,” Mr. Singh said. “India wishes to see the 21st Century as the century of Asia and Africa, with the people of the two continent working together to promote inclusive globalization.” The Indian leader says New Delhi will allow duty-free imports and give preferential market access to a number of products, such as cotton and cocoa from lesser developed countries in the region. India will invest $500 million in development projects in Africa, in the next five years.

It will also double financial credit to African countries from about two-billion dollars during the past five years to $5.4 billion.

Kashmir Rights Groups Launches People’s Tribunal

The Public Commission on Human Rights, a constituent of the Srinagar based civil rights group Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society has announced the launch of International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Indian-administered Kashmir. The Tribunal is the first of its kind in Indian administered Kashmir. It was formed by the Public Commission on Human Rights with the support of other rights groups and individuals from India and other countries. The tribunal will investigate charges of institutionalized violence and human rights abuses in the region.

Human rights activists say the tribunal will also examine the impact of militarization on the social, economic and political development of Indian-administered Kashmir.

Doctor Angana Chatterjee, an Indian professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies, is one of the contributors to the formation of the tribunal.

“Today in announcing this tribunal, we call upon the international community to join us in investigating India’s record in Kashmir, as India, an emergent superpower, argues for a seat on the United Nations Security Council,” said Angana Chatterjee.“We seek accountability under provisions of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, Constitution of India, and International Law and Conventions, to insist upon reparations, justice, and self-determination.”

Nepal Election Seen As Referendum For Monarchy, Maoists

Seventeen-and-a-half million people are eligible to go to the polls in Nepal, Thursday. They will elect members of a constituent assembly that will draft a constitution to complete the transfer from a feudal Himalayan state into a modern democracy. From Kathmandu, VOA Correspondent Steve Herman reports the twicedelayed election is seen as a referendum on the country’s monarchy, as well as on Nepal’s Maoists who fought a decade-long civil war to
topple the royals.

More than 50 parties are vying for the favor of Nepal’s voters. But it is the two extremes of the Himalayan country’s political spectrum on which much of the campaign has focused.

More than 50 parties are vying for the favor of Nepal’s voters. But it is the two extremes of the Himalayan country’s political spectrum on which much of the campaign has focused. referendum for the monarchy,” Yami said.“Because it’s the Maoists who had given an ultimate challenge to monarchy. And, it is also a test for Maoists.”

On the far right, former Information and Communications Minister Tanka Dhakal rejects the notion that the monarchy, which he supports, is facing a referendum in this election. Dhakal, a proportional representation candidate of the pro-monarchist RPP-Nepal party, says the balloting instead will gauge whether the public trusts the Maoists to participate in a democratic election.

“We want to establish democracy in Nepal or we want to establish the communist dictatorship in Nepal? This is the

Musharraf and Gilani Condemn Rowdyism In Karachi and Lahore

Islamabad April 9: President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani have strongly condemned the recent acts of rowdyism in Karachi and Lahore, where former Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Former Federal Minister Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi were
assaulted and inhumanely treated, stated the press release issued by the Press Information Department, of the Government of Pakistan.

On Tuesday April 8 lawyers beat up the former minister for law and parliamentary affairs, Dr Sher Afgan Niazi at the Fane Road, Lahore; and on Monday April 7, former Sindh Chief Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Quami (PML-Q) leader Arbab Ghulam Rahim was hit on the face with a shoe by a PPP supporter when leaving the provincial assembly in Karachi.

The two leaders made these observations during a call by the Prime Minister on the President at the Aiwan-e- Sadr, Islamabad this afternoon. They termed the incidents as totally unacceptable and directed the concerned authorities to carry out an immediate investigation in order to identify and ascertain those responsible so that they may be brought to justice.

The President and Prime Minister were of the view that such acts of hooliganism were designed to vitiate the unprecedented cooperation and spirit of accommodation by political parties on all sides of the spectrum. They stressed upon the need for developing an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding of differing points of view.

All Eyes in Nepal’s CA Election

It took over half a century for Nepal and the Nepalese people to work on the Constituent Assembly (CA) election starting with the voting on Thursday April 10 and then forming then working to form a new constitution. Primarily three major parties contending the election- the Nepali Congress (NC), centrist; Nepal Communists Party (NCP) – United Marxists and Leninist (UML) and the NCP Maoists. There are other regional groups with some influence in their region. However, the NC and the UML have always been the major players in the Nepalese politics.

The recently formed political groups in the south, the Madhesh as it is called in Nepal, are mostly those who defected from the NC and other political groups in the south.

Considering the progressing days towards the CA election, analysts in Nepal are little reluctant to make any prediction about the party emerging with majority. The continued violence and the killings of the election candidates and the activist have discouraged voters to come out to the polling stations. Most of the violence have been carried out by the
Maoists and they have been reportedly issued ultimatum in several districts for the general public to not to come out and vote. In a challenging situation like this, it is very difficult to predict the completion of such an important election in a free and fair manner.

Afghanistan: Vocal ‘Warlord’ Critic Seeks To Reverse Her Expulsion From Legislature

She’s been called “the bravest woman in Afghanistan” for her criticism of warlords, and even compared to Aung Sun Suu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar’s democracy movement. Now, Malalai Joya’s courage is again being put to the test. After being expelled from parliament in May for allegedly insulting her fellow deputies, Joya has launched a bid to regain her seat. Joya told reporters on April 5 that she has always been determined to get the expulsion overturned, and that she is finally ready to take her battle all the way to Afghanistan’s highest legal body, the Supreme Court.

She says her suspension from parliament violated her freedom of speech, democratic values as well as the Afghan Constitution. “The reason it took me so long to appeal against my expulsion was mostly due to security issues,” the 29-year-old says.“There was also a financial reason. Defense lawyers asked for an amount of money that I couldn’t afford.”

Joya became a lightning rod for controversy through her harsh criticism of former warlords, whom she says hold key positions in the government and parliament.“Instead of getting influential positions in the government and dominating the parliament, the former warlords should be tried and punished for their actions,” Joya has said.

Afghanistan’s parliament passed an amnesty law in March 2007 that prevents the state from independently prosecuting people for war crimes committed during conflicts in recent decades. Supporters say the law will help bring national reconciliation, but critics say alleged war criminals in the parliament were simply shielding themselves from prosecution. Following a television interview she gave two months after passage of the amnesty, Afghan lawmakers voted to suspend Joya for three years — although their authority to take such a step was immediately questioned. But the move effectively expelled Joya from the current parliament, whose five-year mandate is scheduled to end in 2010, although it could end sooner.