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Government in Southern Asia

  • India’s parliament is paralysed by 19th century rules

    INDIA, 2015/12/16 India is not only the biggest democracy in the world—815 million of its 1.29 billion people are eligible to vote—but as well the majority diverse. It has 36 states and union territories, a lot of of them the size and people of large European nations. Its people speak 22 major languages, and perhaps a hundred additional, which are not officially recognised, inclunding hundreds of dialects. Despite this apparent unwieldiness, India has defied naysayers who doubted the country could hold together at all, let alone as a democracy. Today no one seriously questions that the modern Indian republic has grown deep democratic roots and traditions. Its citizens hold the independent Election Commission in high esteem for conducting free and equitable polls, and setting benchmarks in using technology and managing massive logistics.

  • Why Modi And BJP Became ‘Bahari’ (Outsiders) In Bihar

    INDIA, 2015/11/17 The results of the Bihar Assembly elections 2015 have stunned the country’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The party feels that at the heart of its poor performance is its failure to bring about a “vote transfer” away from its rivals, economists are convinced India’s increase story is intact while political analysts are sure BJP will live to fight an extra day. How does an apolitical observer see these elections? Initial, is the curse of the large mandate BJP received in the 2014 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) elections. Some of the opposition parties post the parliamentary elections are teetering on the verge of insignificance (Communist Party of India, Bahujan Samaj Party), while some other such as the Congress, DMK are staring down the barrel of a gun. These opposition parties, struggling for political survival, have remained in an extended national of campaigning aggressiveness.

  • The country's former External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Syed Akbaruddin

    INDIA, 2015/09/30 India has appointed new envoys to China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan, Britain and the United Nations, in a major rejig at the External Affairs Ministry. Vijay Gokhale, India's envoy in Germany, has been named as the new ambassador to China. He will take over from incumbent Ashok Kantha in Beijing, sources said Friday.

  • Sri Lanka’s Elections: Rajapaksa Tries a Comeback

    SRI LANKA, 2015/08/30

  • Maldives: A Return to Religious Conservatism

    MALDIVES, 2015/08/30 As Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen completed three months in office on February 17, one could not help but notice the Indian Ocean archipelago’s return to religious conservatism and its growing engagement with China. The Maldives, a string of 1,192 islands, has made several moves to cement the supremacy of Sunni Islam since Yameen was sworn in as president in November 2013.

  • Pakistan in the right direction in 2013

    PAKISTAN, 2014/01/05 While 2013 was marred by natural disaster, violence, increasing conservatism and poor economic trends, it should be remembered as the year that democracy was consolidated in Pakistan. Historically, Pakistan has swung between democracy and military policy. Since independence in 1947, Pakistan has been ruled by the military on three occasions and for a period totalling over half of the country’s existence. General Ayub Khan seized power in a bloodless coup in 1958, changing the course of democracy in Pakistan forever. Elections held on 11 May 2013 heralded a new era for democracy. For the initial time in history one democratically elected government was restored by an extra democratically elected government next President Asif Ali Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) completed its full term in office.

  • Pakistani chief justice on the Supreme Court of Pakistan

    PAKISTAN, 2013/12/13 Next serving almost eight and a half years as Pakistani chief justice on the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry retired December 11. Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani took over the position, media reported. Gen. Prevez Musharaf sacked Chaudhry in November 2007, but he was reinstated by the Pakistan Peoples Party government in March 2009 next lawyers and mainstream political parties, inclunding Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, protested.

  • Chinese Premier Begins First Official Foreign Visit

    CHINA, 2013/05/20 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang left Beijing on Sunday to India, marking his prime official foreign visit as premier of the world's second major economy. He will visit Pakistan, Switzerland and Germany as well. Li received invitation from the heads of states of these four nations.

  • Why the RCEP matters for Asia and the world

    WESTERN ASIA, 2013/05/16 Negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) are grabbing headlines around the world. Meanwhile, Asia’s own mega-regional trade transaction — the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) — is quietly being negotiated. But it deserves additional press: the RCEP could create the world’s major trading bloc and have significant implications for the world economy. So what would the RCEP cover and who will it benefit? What are the barriers to success?

  • Abdul Hamid elected 20th President of Bangladesh

    BANGLADESH, 2013/04/26 Abdul Hamid was on Monday elected unopposed the president of Bangladesh which has been reeling under a violent political stand-off between the ruling and the major opposition parties. "Abdul Hamid, speaker of the National Assembly, is elected president of Bangladesh as per section 7 of the Presidential Election Law 1991," said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakib Uddin Ahmed in a formal announcement Monday.
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