Suchergebnisse

In Parliament, the majority identifies with the leader of its group. He personifies the group, he represents it as well as leads it. That is why the 23 July 2008 constitutional revision could have brought about a new conception for the role of the majority leader, the renovation of the role of the majority being embodied in its president. But this reform transformed neither the role of the majority leader nor the function of the parliamentary majority itself. As the guarantor of the unity and discipline of his group, the majority leader is above all else a figure of authority and command. Adapted from the source document.

Following the war between Georgia and Russia in the summer of 2008, Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili seemed to be in a very delicate situation. Moscow officially proclaimed the Georgian head of state a "political corpse" and refused to hold any discussions with him. His Western allies kept their distance. The two separatist regions of Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, had officially declared their independence. And to top it off, domestic protests were on the rise. Despite all that, two years later Mr. Saakashvili is still the President of Georgia. What's his secret? In this exclusive interview with Politique Internationale, he explains his strategy and defends his past and future policies with his usual fire. According to Saakashvili, his country was the victim of outrageous aggression by its neighbor Russia, and has right on its side. Despite the bellicose attitude of Moscow, Tbilisi is still in favor of discussions to settle their many bilateral issues. And the country is more than ever committed to its heavily Euro-Atlantic flavored policy. Adapted from the source document.

Joseph Kabila became president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2001, following the assassination of his father Laurent-Desire Kabila, who had been in power since 1997. Only 30 years old at the time, this level-headed and unassuming young man seemed a bit "wet behind the ears" for the enormous responsibilities that awaited him as leader of this vast country, rich in natural resources but torn apart by war and corruption. But he has managed to complete a delicate peace process, resulting in a democratic presidential election in 2006 which he won easily. With another election due shortly, Joseph Kabila agreed to talk to Politique Internationale about his ten years at the helm of his country. Not all of DRC's problems have been resolved, he readily admits. But significant progress has been made, particularly in social affairs. In fifteen years' time, the president promises, his country will be one of the leading lights of sub-Saharan Africa. Adapted from the source document.

Since 1994 Alexander Lukashenko has been the uncontested ruler of Belarus. His long reign is far from over, since he was "reelected" in March 2006 (after an election under his absolute control, of course) for another five-year term -- and he also carefully removed the article in the Constitution that limits the number of consecutive presidential terms. This was far from the first time he had taken liberties with democratic standards. According to all international observers, his administration gags the press & crushes all opposition, earning him the sobriquet of "the last dictator in Europe." In this interview the "strong man of Minsk" casually defends himself against all of these accusations. According to Lukashenko, his country is a model of virtue -- and any Western leaders that have doubts are cordially invited to visit & see for themselves! This is an indirect appeal to the international community, undoubtedly arising from Belarus' recent conflicts with its Russian protector. Adapted from the source document.

The horrific tidal wave that swept across South Asia on December 26, 2004, tragically focused the world spotlight on Indonesia, the country hit hardest by the tsunami. Unfortunately, this natural disaster is far from the only problem plaguing the country: since the fall of Suharto's nepotistic regime in 1998, democracy has had a very hard time taking root. One wonders whether the election of General Yudhoyono -- a longtime member of the former regime -- augurs better days ahead. Indonesia has been weakened by both ethnic & religious conflicts & the army continues to play an excessively important role, while corruption undermines the state. Then there are the Moluk Islands, Papua & above all Aceh, where separatist movements oppose the national armed forces, while radical Islam gains strength throughout the country. The new president will need to address all these issues to convince his fellow citizens & the rest of the world that he is indeed the right person for the job. Adapted from the source document.