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December 4, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Time running out for Gore JERUSALEM, Dec 3 — A former adviser to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat will stand for the post of Prime Minister in Israel’s general election next year, an Israeli Arab political party said today. Pak alliance for
democracy Case against Nawaz Sharif |
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PML convener Haq quits Pinochet under house arrest, faces trial LTTE chief’s extradition not pressed: Lanka AG Aung Suu Kyi faces more curbs ‘USS Cole’ repair to
cost $ 240 million
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Time running out for Gore TALLAHASSEE, Dec 3 (AFP) — Expert witnesses for Al Gore and George W. Bush came under furious grilling with lawyers on both sides attacking their testimony as the Vice-President’s challenge to Florida’s election results opened here. Under rigorous questioning and cross-examination peppered by strident objections, witnesses for both sides were forced to concede points during a nine-hour hearing at Leon County Circuit Court in which Gore is asking for thousands of disputed ballots to be counted. The Gore team says that if only 3,300 disputed ballots from Palm Beach and 10,000 from Miami-Dade are hand counted, Bush will end up losing the election in which he is now the victor with a 537-vote margin. Neither side claimed to have landed a knock-out punch, but with the presidency on the line, the lawyers launched persistent, sometimes sarcastic, salvos at each others’ witnesses under the watchful eye of Judge Sanders Sauls. Two Gore witnesses — an election consultant who testified that hand recounts of the disputed ballots are needed because of problems with voting machines and a statistics professor who said the number of rejected ballots would decrease significantly with a manual tally — were subjected to a hail of hostile questions from the Bush team. Bush lawyer Phil Beck pounded the consultant, Mr Kimball Brace, with dozens of pointed questions about his ability to determine that punch-card ballots used by many Florida counties were prone to being misread. Mr Brace believes some voters may have been unable to fully dislodge the paper tab in the ballot that indicates the selection of a candidate because polling machines were not properly maintained or due to successfully displaced chads piling up underneath the ballots prevented them from fully punching through the paper. Meanwhile, all nine US Supreme Court justices were at work, a day after hearing arguments in the case. There was no indication when the high court would rule. Despite the legal challenges, Republicans continued to prod the vice-president to abandon his challenge. “George W. Bush is rightfully our President-elect,” Ohio Governor Bob Taft said in the Republican’s weekly radio address. “We should not prolong a constitutional impasse that could prevent the timely transition of presidential power.” Meanwhile, the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature will hold a special session on Wednesday to try to enforce Bush’s certified victory in the state by naming the state’s 25 electors. Senate President John McKay and House Speaker Tom Feeney, both Republicans, will issue a proclamation to begin the historic session, House Majority leader Mike Fasano said yesterday. The Republican-controlled legislature is considering appointing the 25 electors through a resolution that would spare Governor Jeb Bush from having to sign legislation helping his brother. The legislature’s lawyers have recommended naming elector through the resolution, rather than passing a law that would require the Governor’s signature and could be reviewed by the courts. Republican lawmakers argued the US constitution makes the legislature responsible for naming electors, and requires them to do so if there’s a chance the state’s vote might not be counted because of a controversy. Democrats disagree. Mr Jeb Bush was in New York on personal business and unavailable for comment yesterday, but he previously has said he would sign legislation to help his brother become President. Despite legislative contortions to spare him from signing over the state’s 25 electoral votes to his brother, Jeb Bush’s signature is required on the official certificate sending the slate of electors to the National Archives, constitutional experts said yesterday. The Florida Governor has already signed a certified slate of Republican electors. If the courts invalidate that slate, the Republican-controlled legislature is prepared to override with a Bush slate. If Congress gets competing slates and the two chambers disagree on which to accept — a real possibility — the slate signed by Florida’s Governor then will prevail, said Florida State University law professor Nat Stern. University of Denver law professor Robert Hardaway, who has written a book entitled ‘‘The Electoral College and the Constitution: the case for preserving federalism,’’ concurred. ‘‘The endgame scenario would seem to favour the bush campaign,’’ Prof Hardaway said. Florida’s Governor and Legislature would be key players in such a scenario that would arise only if a court-ordered recount erases Bush’s 537-vote lead in Florida and puts Gore ahead. If the election decision fell to Congress, the tiebreaker would be the slate signed by the Governor, Profs Hardaway and Stern said. In the meantime, Bush retreated to his ranch, meeting House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott to discuss Republican legislative priorities for the new Congress. The meeting appeared intended to project an aura of inevitability of a Bush presidency, court cases not- withstanding. Lott said that he hoped to be able to move on Bush appointments quickly. Lott noted, however, that “in the Senate, we’ve got a very delicate situation” with a 50-50 split between Republicans and Democrats. Lott joked that Cheney, who could cast the tie breaking vote as vice-president, might be needed a lot. |
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Arafat ex-aide to run for Israel PM’s post JERUSALEM, Dec 3 (Reuters) — A former adviser to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat will stand for the post of Prime Minister in Israel’s general election next year, an Israeli Arab political party said today. ‘‘The secretariat of the movement has decided to nominate an Arab for Prime Minister and that will be Ahmed Tibi,’’ a statement issued by the Arab Movement for Change said. Mr Tibi, a 41-year-old physician, is the party’s sole representative in the 120-seat Knesset. He had been Arafat’s adviser since a landmark 1991 peace conference in Madrid and introduced the Palestinian leader to many Israeli officials. He quit his post last year when he was elected to Parliament. The statement appealed to the Arab Follow-Up Committee, representing Arabs in Israel, to agree on a list of candidates for Parliament and Prime Minister, a post contested by the Labour incumbent, Mr Ehud Barak and Rightist leader Ariel Sharon. Mr Barak bowed to pressure in the Knesset on Tuesday and agreed to an early election, widely expected to be held in May. Israeli Arabs, who make up over 18 per cent of Israel’s six million population, helped Barak to power last year, but they have been angered by the killing of 13 Israeli Arabs in recent clashes with police and upset by Palestinian-Israeli violence that has claimed nearly 300 lives, mostly Palestinians. ‘‘It is necessary to have an Arab candidate running for Prime Minister to act as an alternative to those Arabs who cannot and don’t want to vote for Barak or Netanyahu,’’ Mr Tibi said. Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been tipped to replace Mr Sharon as Likud head and lead the party into the elections. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Barak said that the USA did not have a plan to end the wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence and revive peace talks, dismissing speculation he had rejected US efforts to resolve the crisis. ‘‘There is no American plan for resolving the current crisis with the
Palestinians and, thus, there is no rejection of such a plan on our part,’’ Mr Barak told a cabinet meeting, according to a statement from his office. The statement was referring to media reports here following a telephone conversation between Barak and US President Bill Clinton on Friday that Barak was against any new mission by US Middle East troubleshooter Dennis Ross. Israeli troops shot and killed two Palestinians yesterday, as Israel came under pressure to clear the way for a US-led probe into nine weeks of unrest. The Islamic militant group Hamas, meanwhile, called in a statement for ‘‘more painful blows’’ against the Israeli army and Jewish settlers ‘‘until the occupation is defeated’’. In the West Bank town of Ramallah, an Israeli sniper shot dead Shehadeh Ja’Afri while the 27-year-old electrician who worked with a drill at a building site near a military roadblock, Voice of Palestine Radio said. In the Gaza Strip, soldiers shot dead a 21-year-old Palestinian man at a crossing point to Israel, hospital officials said. They identified him as Shadi Abu Harbid from the village of Beit Hanoun and said he was shot in the chest. The deaths raised to 293 the number of people killed in a nine-week-old Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation. Most of the dead are Palestinians. Pak alliance for democracy ISLAMABAD, Dec 3 (Reuters) — Pakistan’s bitter political rivals formally joined today in a new alliance that vowed a peaceful struggle against military rule. The 18-party Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) brings together the country’s two main political parties — the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of self-exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) of jailed ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The ARD, which replaces the PPP-led Grand Democratic Alliance after admitting the PML, demanded immediate elections and pledged to deny any political role to the military, which has ruled for about half of Pakistan’s 53-year life.
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Case
against Nawaz Sharif ISLAMABAD, Dec 3 (PTI) — Former Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has turned approver against deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members in a money-laundering case pending before an accountability court, media reports said here today. Dar’s name has been deleted from the list of the accused in the Hudaiba Paper Mills case as he has been granted “pardon” by the National Accountability Board chairman, official news agency APP reported. The NAB has subsequently re-submitted a supplementary challan spanning over thousands of pages in the court at Attock. The accused in the modified challan are Nawaz Sharif, his father Mian Sharif, mother Shamim Begum, brothers Shahbaz Sharif, former Punjab Chief Minister Abbas Sharif, Nawaz’s daughter, Mariam Safdar, Hamza Sharif, son of Shahbaz Sharif and his wife. Dar allegedly played a main role in the money-laundering case by using fake accounts opened in the name of Qazi family, his family friends with whom he had stayed when he was studying in England. According to the prosecution, the former Finance Minister used passports of the Qazi family to open false accounts in a number of international banks in Pakistan where Rs 4 million was deposited. He then raised Rs 100 million in loans against two Sharif family companies — Hudabia Papers Mills and Hudabia Engineering. |
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PML convener Haq quits ISLAMABAD, Dec 3 (PTI) — Pakistan Muslim League (PML) leader Raja Zafarul Haq has stepped down as convener of the partys central coordination committee in protest against leadership’s decision to expel some of its key leaders. Mr Haq has decided not to play a leading role in the party affairs any more, Dawn newspaper quoted him, today. “The central coordination committee has ceased to exist,” Mr Haq said. The PML has formally expelled four dissident leaders for their failure to respond to the show-cause notices served to them. Those expelled include former ministers Shujaat Hussain, and Muhammad Ejazul Haq, former Governor Mian Muhammad Azhar and president of the labour wing of the party Faqir Hussain Bukhari. They had been served with show-cause notices on the charge of forcible takeover of the PML house in Islamabad, ahead of the CCC meeting on November 20 to settle the contentious issue of joining the Grand Democratic Alliance. Political observers believe that Mr Haq’s decision has cleared the way for Mr Sharif’s wife, Ms Kulsoom Nawaz, to take over the leadership of the PML in the event of Mr Sharif relinquishing the post of party chairman in future. |
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Pinochet under house arrest, faces trial FORMER President of Chile, Augusto Pinochet, was on Friday placed under house arrest after he was indicted in Chile for his role in a series of crimes, including kidnapping, murder, torture, illegal burial and illicit association. General Pinochet will be tried for his role in a series of crimes committed under his dictatorship, in a case that could last several years. General Pinochet will now be required to submit to medical examinations to determine whether he is fit to stand trial. However, under Chilean law, he will only escape prosecution only if he is mentally incapable of understanding the process or of defending himself. The decision to indict General Pinochet comes nine months after home secretary Jack Straw allowed Gen Pinochet to return from Britain to Chile on humanitarian grounds after a team of doctors ruled he was too ill to face trial. General Pinochet’s opponents rejoiced at the news. Mr Carlos Reyes, of London-based human rights group Chile Democratico, who was tortured under the Pinochet regime, said many of his countrymen would be dancing in the streets. “I am really deeply touched. He should be tried and judged for the crimes he committed during so many years.” General Pinochet’s indictment was moved by Mr Juan Guzman Tapia, a senior Chilean appeal court judge who has been leading the investigation. His decision was precipitated on Monday when a Chilean lawyer, Mr Jose Galiano, submitted a formal request on behalf of a number of plaintiffs to indict General Pinochet, accusing him of crimes against more than 500 victims. Among the cases that Judge Guzman has investigated are the disappearance of 19 prisoners in the first months of his 17-year dictatorship. The judge also looked into the death of more than 70 persons in the so-called Caravan of Death — a special mission led by the then General Sergio Arellano Starck in October, 1973. Travelling by helicopter, General Arellano toured several towns, mostly in the mining areas of northern Chile. At all points on his route, several men were taken out and executed. Many were union leaders or functionaries of the government of Salvador Allende which Gen Pinochet overthrew in 1973. There were several legal obstacles to the prosecution of General Pinochet in Chile, but these have been progressively removed. General Pinochet’s parliamentary immunity, which he held by virtue of his position as a senator for life in the Chilean parliament, was removed by the Chilean supreme court in August. General Pinochet supporters last night denounced the forthcoming trial as a travesty of justice. “This is an aberration of jurisprudence,” said Fernando Barros, a Chilean lawyer, who argued the indictment was an attempt by “certain persons intent on changing historical truths”. The investigation of General Pinochet was stimulated by his arrest in London in October 1998. — The Guardian , London. |
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LTTE chief’s extradition not pressed: Lanka AG COLOMBO, Dec 3 (PTI) — Sri Lanka’s Attorney -General has denied that an Indian team, which visited Lanka last month, had pressed for the extradition of LTTE Chief V. Prabhakaran. Quoting K.C. Kamalasabyason, local daily “Sunday Leader” today said that the three-member Indian team has not made any formal or informal request about Prabhakaran’s extradition during its meeting with him. But yet another Sri Lankan newspaper, “Sunday Times” said Lankan officials have “reviewed” an earlier Indian request for Prabhakaran’s extradition. “This was formal procedural exercise and was not a specific request made during the team’s visit. There were many other important issues discussed,” it quoted officials as saying. Home Minister L.K. Advani told the Parliament on November 30 that a team of officials from Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency, (MDMA), has visited Sri Lanka between November 13 and 23 and met Sri Lanka’s Attorney-General and Solicitor-General to press for Prabhakaran’s extradition. During the course of his reply to a debate in the Rajya Sabha, he said that the Indian Government was keen on the extradition of LTTE leader. On the Indian government’s request for Prabhakaran’s extradition. Sunday Leader said the Sri Lankan Government had already informed India on previous
occasions that its writ does not run in northern Vanni region where the LTTE leader presumably lives. Reacting to the newspaper’s comment, Indian officials here said the visit of the MDMA delegation has nothing to do with the on-going peace efforts. |
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Aung Suu Kyi
faces more curbs YANGON, Dec 3 (AFP) — Tight security ringed Ms Aung San Suu Kyi’s house today following the release of several of her lieutenants and ahead of a key hearing of a property suit the opposition leader faces. A police cordon surrounded her residence and there were no signs that she would be allowed freedom, despite the junta’s decision on Friday to release six members of her National League for Democracy from house arrest, observers said. A Myanmar government spokesman said on Friday that “the temporary restrictions on the six NLD CEC (central executive members) has been lifted... and they are resuming their normal activities...” Ms Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since September 22 when she and other NLD leaders attempted to board a train in Mandalay in the country’s north. |
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‘USS Cole’ repair to
cost $ 240 million WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (PTI) — The repair and refitting of “USS Cole”, the American warship damaged in a terrorist attack in Yemen in October will incur an estimated cost of $ 240 million. US Navy officials said on Friday that they had informed the Congress that $ 150 to $ 170 million will be spent on repairs and the rest for replacing weapons and equipment. The guided missile warship was built at a cost of about a billion dollars in 1995. The repair work is expected to take nearly a year. |
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