General Pervez Musharraf faces Pakistani public mood and music.

Stuck between Iraq and a hard place.

Elements of Pakistani politics to the untrained eye have always appeared well camouflaged, with reasons for corrupt mismanagement of the economy having a partial basis within other people’s seditious outlook towards the state.

Broadcast under a blanket of speculative public interest, a browbeaten and beleaguered Pervez Musharraf (Ex-President) gave a resignation speech which was wriggled with some personally repugnant omissions.

As impressions go, on television he clearly looked troubled, visibly demonstrating that what was written in front of him was difficult to articulate.

Mr Musharraf obtained the reigns of power in a military takeover, appointing himself first Chief Executive and later President. Coming with initial promises to redress an ailing economy and fight corruption.

Allocating Musharraf three years to reform judicial processes and restore democracy, the military takeover evidently led to the international community isolating the country, disrupting most previous political negotiations upheld by Pakistani ministries.

In April 2002, a referendum was staged enabling Pervez Musharraf to extend his presidency until 2007, with his position as Chief as Army Staff intact.  Parliamentary elections in October 2002 were regarded as “flawed”  by the EU Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) as opposition parties ultimately felt that they were sidelined under conditions few had control over.

After long delays the newly established National Assembly granted constitutional amendments stupendously strengthening the role of the President.  Two-thirds majority was achieved only with the added support of religious parties.

For further reading see:

• http://www.theage.com.au/world/will-musharraf-stay-or-go-pakistan-waits-20080815-3wf3.html
• http://www.nation.com.pk/
• http://www.dawn.com/2008/08/20/index.htm
• http://www.xiber.com/xiber/pakistanpage.htm
• http://www.ft.com/world/asiapacific/pakistan
• http://www.osce.org/odihr-elections/item_12_21269.html

Development Milestones for Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan has proved to be something of a preliminary endurance test for the present group of coalition countries who are aiming to bring democracy to the region.

Although some formidable challenges do lay ahead for huge swathes of the world to solve, the outlook is not entirely negative.  Right now in 2008 GDP growths are likely to exceed 9%, although this itself remains unevenly distributed given that the south of the country is faring with much worse due to what persistent physical engagements still carry on.

In helping to stabilize the country again, Afghanistan’s prospects depend largely on security situations showing marked improvement. Exports satisfactorily grew by 31.45 in 2005, whilst putting bad forecasts aside the strength of the nation’s fiscal and monetary policies are holding out against all the adversity its experienced.

Working through this cataclysmic montage, strategies countering economic mismanagement along with efforts to reduce political instability are operating in tandem and reversing trends whereby Afghanistan has’nt benefited from global economic growth. 

Reconstruction, after a war is as important to the maintenance of public morale as any reason is for entering into conflicts in the first place.  No matter how frustrating problems are over the next few years, the international community do accept that some firm committments have to be met with action.

For futher reading see:

www.imf.org/external/np/ms/2007/111507.htm

http://www.undp.org.af/WhoWeAre/UNDPinAfghanistan/Projects/sbgs/prj_lotfa.htm

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/SODA-7FJ8JR?OpenDocument

Ascending Nations: The rise of State-owned Investment Funds.

Everyone might quite simply wish a few worthy emerging economies all the very best fortune, throughout a time when huge shifts in their fiscal cycles are occuring.  

China is one such country on the road to succeeding in this respect since having the government decide to steadily relax its control over capital outflows.

With due regard for stabilising global financial markets, the Chinese Government have provided indications that the result of this action would ease strains on the Chinese renminbi’s appreciation and help to stem what inflationary pressures currency is experiencing.

Back-dated levels of overseas investment secured by China have at least 25 year history.  Yet, outward investment from the Mainland in terms of what structual reforms the country is making, continues to rise satisfactorily amid broader reports of US dollar weakness.

China’s sucess in securing as great a maneuverable growth rate as many are so familiar with now, is due to a two-pronged governmental approach.

The creation of something called the Qualified Domestic Institutional Investors (QDII) scheme in 2006, put together with the establishment of a China Investment Corporation in 2007.

This has lead to the building up of a superbly coordinated legal framework which allows for both domestic fund management firms and securities companies to invest in overseas equity markets.   

Officially, these separate companies are permitted to make two types or classes of investment. These are:

• Foreign Direct Investments (FDI): An investment that involves a long-term relationship and reflects a lasting interest of an investor in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor.
• A Portfolio Investment: An investment whereby an investor will only usually own less than 10% of equity related to an enterprise or has no effective control over the management of the target company.

In fact, the use of portfolio investmests are proving to be more popular.  Representing 14.1% of the Mainland’s international investment position in 2006, leveled against two comparative for 9.9% in 2004 and 9.6% in 2005. Indeed, these trends are progressing as there were at least six major acquisitions made in foreign financial institutions in 2007.

For further information about State-owned Investment Funds and other economic news:

• www.dbresearch.com
• http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk/pdf/document/Investment.pdf
• www.uaebusinessdirectory.com
• www.chinacsr.com
• www.cadwalader.com
• http://blogs.reuters.com/reuters-dealzone/2008/07/23/a-yen-for-us-insurers/
• http://www.quamnet.com/newscontent.action?listSectionCode=NEW_CHN&articleId=898986

Good African Development

Although political change in most countries occurs steadily and under consultation with other registered parties, in Africa any form of instrumental change has to happen in periodical stages; successfully converting what hopes and ambitions people have for the future of their country into a series of democratic mechanisms and processes. 

Just recently I bought a brand of coffee called “Good African Coffee” a company label which was established  by a Mr Andrew Rugasira.  Unlike the fairtrade titles which are supported by charitable organisations such as Oxfam and Christian Aid.

Good African began from Uganda and  dedicates a distribution of 50% of profit to community projects, growers, and initiatives designed to help vunerable and disadvantaged groups. (Women, Children, HIV/AIDS sufferers).

For more information about the Good African Coffee and any further work they’re involved in see:

URL: www.goodafrican.com/coffee

Email: info@goodafrican.com

Other relevant weblinks:

• http://www.eafca.org/index.asp
• http://www.4c-coffeeassociation.org/index.html
• http://www.croptocup.com/index-member.php
• http://fifthestate.co.uk/2006/11/beyond-fair-trade/

Access to information in the SADC region.

When digesting news about affairs in Zimbabwe at present, the BBC has repeatedly mentioned that it is banned from reporting within Zimbabwean borders, and therefore correspondents have mostly given reports from the Capital city of Johannesberg, in South Africa. 

Relays of international news which in the immediate sense call for action by the international community, to be taken are designed to keep leading stories within the public sphere for longer periods of time. 

Yet there is no deeper analysis given on the situation in the country and put across more firmly from a political perspective; as to why media agencies, (the BBC among them) are being prohibited from covering stories in such a way.  

     The socio-economic influence of technology and the flourishing of an assertive media in Zimbabwe in the 1990’s conversely and out of no deliberate action of media agencies within the territory, have seen a reaction come from their government which implements stinging journalistic prohibitations upon a wide cross-section of people’s broader and no less immediate, right to political reply or show consternation.

A statute named the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act 2007 (AIPPA) sharply curtails the functionality of both domestic and international media agencies within Zimbabwe itself.  

The Act  brings into existence through the legislation, an authorative arbitration body called the Media and Information Commission, possessing powers to give broadcasting agencies certain media accreditations and direct “media worker’s registration available through an application process.  

Specifically pointed by an organisation called Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), a Section 9(4) of the Act has become problematic:

ZIMCODD has stated about Section 9(4) of the AIPPA:

“It refuses access to information if it is in the public interest to do so. The Act is not clear on what public interest means or would entail. As a result a wide variety of circumstances may be described as being in the public interest in a bid to prevent access to information.”

(Quote taken from a downloadable report by a Mr Mzi Memeza entitled: An Analysis of Weakness in Access to Information Laws in SADC and in Developing Countries.  The report was prepared by him for the “Access to Information Programme, Freedom of Expression Institute) (FXI).

As a primary weapon of the government and the ruling ZANU-PF, their dictatorial stance and ongoing campaign against every independent media company does certainly hinder most diplomatic efforts remaining open for foreign embassy negotiators to use with success. 

For further reading on Zimbabwean politics,  ZIMCODD or the AIPPA visit:

URL: www.zimcodd.org

URL: http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/legisl/030611aippaamd.asp

URL: www.swradioafrica.com

 

 

A List to Regional Parliamentary Assemblies in Africa

Here are a range of intergovernmental web addresses with interconnexions to Member States within Africa. These main page sites provide a wider extent of detail on key political matters in relation to Africa and has accessible Adobe Reader material to download.  

• Communaut’e Economique des Etate d’Afrique Centrale (ECCAS):

        www.ceeac-eccas.org

• Union Economique et Monetaire Quest Africane: www.uemoa.int/

                                                  

•   African Union:  www.africa-union.org
•  East African Community: www.eac.int/
•   Economic Community of West Africa States:  www.ecowas.int/
•    Economic Community of Western States Parliament: www.parl.ecowas.int/
• East African Legislative Assembly: www.eac.int/eala/index.htm

• Intergovernmental Authority on Development:  www.igad.org
• Pan-African Parliament: www.africa-union.org/organs/Pan-African_Parliament.htm
• Southern African Development Community: www.sadc.int
• Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum: www.sadcpf.org/
• Conflict Early Warning Response Mechanism: www.cewarn.org

 

Equatorial Guinea Punishes Simon Mann

News about prosecutory trials carried out in Africa are scarcely reported at all within Europe without something being relevant and beneficial to the prestige of state institutions, and reminiscent of a country’s sovereign rule over other territories.

The existence of expatriates abroad does provoke controversy to some degree in countries whereby the acceptance of them is already fairly tenuous more generally. 

 In the case of Simon Mann, a businessman and former commando, he I believe awkardly stands out as someone with many distainful colonial trappings clinging to him.

Extradited to Equatorial Guinea in February 2008 on charges embroilling him in a plot, the story has obtained a leverage worthy of greater attention since allegations surfaced of a certain Mark Thatcher’s involvement (son of former British Prime Minister, Margarot Thatcher).   

Very little is known about how the maintenance of this supposed coup does incriminate Mark Thatcher, other than having rumours circulate concerning how the operation was fiananced.

President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has spoken quite vociferously against the actions of Mr Simon Mann and his co-conspirators, suggesting that Mann could easily be regarded a pawn in this circumstance, and evidentially is expected to be granted clemency as an overall result of proceedings.

For information about Equatorial Guinea and related sites about African affairs:

 http://www.africa-union.org/

 http://www.ecowas.int/

http://www.europarl.eu.int/intcooo/acp/10_01/default_en.htm

 

South African Apartheid

No country’s sovereign identity is so uneventful and socially cohesivem, as to have it claim on an international stage that plans for its creation were additionally the better of all outcomes in terms of  guranteeing its later political reconciliation.   In this breathe I am speaking about the modern standing of South Africa after apartheid and post Mandela’s time as president. 

The 27th of April 1994 marks the day, when strong protectionist policies established under a Nationalist Afrikaaner Mandate from a resolute electorate, were frankly allowed to flounder and disolve due the bolstering movements of a Liberal activists, who refused to settle for implementation of laws and initiatives which brought to people much more of a sense of peace in their time than has ever been achieved since.

 

 

 

Fibre Optic Calibre

So much of what is written by bloggers on a daily basis can either be categorised as appealing to several “niche markets” out there in the wider world, or alteratively as simple content which is banded about through the fibre optic cables most of us have running along our continential ocean floors. 

Great swathes of material is published and shared for readers to digest, and to have tweak at their consciousness in so much of a tumultuous way. 

It proves dificult to decipher at most times, what levels of people’s creativity and qualitative contribution feed through to the rest of us in a critically constructive fashion.   

My guess is that generally we are all pretty much well aware of how fickle human sensibilities really can be and yet despite this, people actually pick up upon grand amounts of public and commercial minutiae through advertising mediums, ulteriorly designed to tap into the most basic features of our personal identities.

 Strategists of this ilke who work primarily with economic forecasts must come to realise that the cultural face of modern consumerism with its attention to “individuation” from a succinct business perspective, does not provide the strongest of safeguards against the threat of economic down turns. 

This would entail that a tax-paying and property-owning population might view the private possession of their homes in some kind of cross-evaluation to their cultural identities.   

Alien-Abductee Romanticism

However times this subject is touched upon in conversation, it is often treated as something fanciful and hilariously funny in the extreme.   

Witness accounts are provided by people who often are left exasperated and enthralled by what they have seen, or what possibly they can recall from a random paranormal experience.  

Quasi-psychological theorists hypothesize fairly diligently, when it comes down to explaining the reasons for people’s personal reactions to events.  

Infantile psychodynamics are all to often cited as contributing to the manifestation of emotional states in the heat of a traumatic incident, with flight of fight theories being put forward first of all.

 Albeit, explainable or not in some context; I view it as quite plausible that an individual’s sense-perceptions can become distorted and hallucinatory when under heightened times of stress.

Any misinterpretation of a feeling or evaluation must leave in its wake a similar effect to knowing unreservedly what usual groups of sensations signal to any possible number of recipients.

Understanding what the physical precursors to experiences are is difficult to ascertain, but as so much contextual information is gathered ordinarily from all manner of environments, this can only suggest that the occurence of a trauma does lead to our sense-perceptions becoming effected in the most terminable of ways.