constitution – Frontline Club

ForesightNews world briefing: upcoming events 22- 28 August

Julie Tomlin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:50:08 +0000

A weekly round up of world events from Monday, 22 August to Sunday, 28 August from ForesightNews

By Jasper Smith

As eurozone leaders continue efforts to counter turmoil in the financial markets, a team of inspectors from the IMF and EU are due to arrive in Athens on Monday to assess Greek efforts to sort out their public finances.

Across the Atlantic, Tuesday sees Dominique Strauss-Kahn back in court in New York on rape charges stemming from an incident back in May at the Sofitel Hotel. Prosecutors are said to be considering dropping charges due to supposed weaknesses of his accuser’s testimony.

Also Tuesday, Liberians vote in a referendum on proposed changes to the West African nation’s constitution.

Back in Europe, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is due to finalise plans on Wednesday to reduce his country’s deficit. Sarkozy was forced to return suddenly from holiday amid (apparently unfounded) rumours that France would be the next major economy to lose its triple A credit rating.

In Jerusalem, outspoken Republican commentator Glenn Beck is scheduled to hold his ‘Restoring Courage’ rally.

Meanwhile, at its headquarters in Ethiopia, on Thursday the African Union is holding a pledging conference to raise funds for the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa.

At the International Criminal Court in The Hague, closing arguments are due to wrap up on Friday in the case against Thomas Lubanga, alleged leader the Union of Congolese Patriots. He faces war crimes charges over allegedly conscripting child soldiers in the DRC.

Saturday sees the ‘Tea Party Express’ bus tour kick off with a rally in Napa, California.

Finally, on Sunday, captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit turns 25. Hamas has held him since 25 June, 2006 when he was just 19.

Azerbaijan passing through referendum

Ali Novruzov — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:31:59 +0000

On 18th March in a nationwide referendum aimed at amending country’s constitution Azerbaijan went to ballot box to decide whether to remove two-term limit imposed for holders of the Presidential office. The referendum, especially changes proposed for lifting presidential term limits from constitution stirred much controversy from the very beginning. In January, in my Frontline blog I wrote in particular:

With three international radios silenced on national frequencies, the country heads for a nationwide referendum to decide whether to lift constitutional obstacles to re-election of someone for the office of the President more than two times. With the parliamentary proposal made on the 19th of December, Constitutional Court’s approval five days later, and the decision of the Parliament made on 26th of December, the whole procedure took only seven days, and the referendum is set for March 18, 2009.

Erkin Gadirli, a prominent jurist in Azerbaijan wrote in his personal blog in February:

Making laws is a very complex issue. In parliament it goes through three steps. Sometimes discussions about bills take years. But in referendum people is asked to decide on complex judicial matters and during a short time. How can people make a serious decision on issues which even jurists can’t have common opinion about? […]

These initiative of "YAP’s" [New Azerbaijan Party] for amending the constitution corresponds to a period when anxious with falling oil prices Russia and Venezuela hold a similar constitutional amendments about presidential term limits. This is what we actually witness. And it creates not a favorable background. Can a process with an unfavorable background lead to favorable results?

Read how Azeri and foreign bloggers reacted to the referendum in my Global Voices Online post.