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Friday,
November 1, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Labour Party quits Sharon govt
Pervez unfazed at hardliners’ win |
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Bappi files lawsuit over US hit track |
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Labour Party quits Sharon govt
Jerusalem, October 31 Labour leader Binyamin Ben-Eliezer handed in his resignation as Defence Minister last night, followed by other Labour ministers, after Mr Sharon rejected his request to reduce funding for Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Gaza. The walkout raised the prospect of early elections. In his statement after his resignation, Ben-Eliezer laid out his platform for opposing Mr Sharon, saying that the government had no plans for peace with the Palestinians and had abandoned Israeli’s poor. “We have reached a situation where we have done everything possible militarily and we have reached the moment where the government must present its political vision,” Ben-Eliezer told lawmakers. Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat termed the upset “an internal Israeli matter”. But he also warned that “if there is a new coalition between the Likud and the Right wing in Israel it will also be at the expense of the Palestinian people and against the peace process.’’ Sharon aides have said he is likely to move forward elections scheduled for November, 2003, but the Prime Minister suggested otherwise in his speech to Parliament yesterday. “We will continue to lead the country in a responsible and clear-headed way,” he said. Under Israeli law, the resignations only take effect after 48 hours, leaving room for last-ditch manoeuvres, but politicians from both sides assessed that Mr Sharon’s 20-month “unity government” was at an end. After Labour’s pullout, Mr Sharon was left commanding 55 seats in Israel’s 120-seat Parliament. However, he was expected to add around 10 more by co-opting new coalition partners such as the ultranationalist Israel Beitenu party. Mr Sharon’s challenge would be to stay afloat with the support of the extreme-Right and religious parties, meaning more political instability and constant pressures for even tougher, internationally unpopular policies towards the Palestinians. Meanwhile, Mr Sharon has appointed former Army Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz, who had led large-scale offensive against Palestinians, as the new Defence Minister.
AP, AFP |
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Pervez unfazed at hardliners’ win Islamabad, October 31 “Not at all. The people of Pakistan have voted for whomever they wanted,” General Musharraf told Saudi daily ‘Okaz’, when asked if he was afraid of the emergence of the Islamic parties in the October 10 poll. General Musharraf, who returned home yesterday after his two-day tour of Saudi Arabia, told the newspaper that people of Pakistan voted “in a fair and transparent manner” in the elections. “This is something that every one in Pakistan has appreciated”, he claimed. General Musharraf assured full support to the future elected government as the President “in realising the objectives of good governance and socio-economic development.” Referring to the stalemate in the formation of the new government due to the fractured verdict leading to hung Parliament, he said it was for the newly elected representatives of the people to form a government. He said the government should ensure continuity of the process of reforms and should grapple with the problems afflicting the common man such as unemployment, poverty, malnutrition, disease and illiteracy. General Musharraf claimed that his government has laid the foundation for “political, economic and social restructuring of the society.” Reforms had been introduced in practically every sphere of national life, he claimed.
PTI |
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Lanka, LTTE to seek foreign aid Nakhon Pathom (Thailand), October 31 The joint task force will be present in the next round at Oslo on November 25 where around 20 countries will participate. On a rough estimate, Sri Lanka needed $1b for the rehabilitation and reconstruction. According to the delegates, they have already arrived at a decision on the composition of the task force — three from the government and three from the LTTE side. The Norwegian-brokered peace talks, being held in Rose Garden Resort, about 60 km from Bangkok, is expected to finalise all formalities before the Oslo meeting. Sri Lankan Minister for Constitutional Affairs G L Peiris is leading the government delegation, while Mr Anton Balasingham is heading the rebels’ side. Interestingly, two hardcore Tiger leaders — Mr S P Thamilchelvam and Mr Karuna — are also attending the talks as delegates. While Mr Thamilchelvam is the political wing leader, Mr Karuna is the eastern military commander of the LTTE. The Oslo meeting in November is to mobilise development funds for resettlement and rehabilitation programmes in the island’s north and east areas.
UNI |
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Bappi files
lawsuit over US hit track Los Angeles, October 31 Song writer Bappi Lahiri filed the suit in the US District Court in Los Angeles on October 29, seeking a halt to the further sale of the album “Truthfully Speaking” on Aftermath Records, his lawyer said yesterday. Aside from Dre, whose real name is Andre Ramelle Young, the defendants named in the lawsuit include Interscope Records, the parent company of Aftermath, which is headed by Dre. Also named is Universal Music and Vivendi Universal.
Reuters |
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One held in parcel blasts case Karachi, October 31 |
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Islamabad, October 31
