(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) – that the wage and pension law approved by Ukraine’s parliament, which is at odds with the objectives of the authorities’ program, will be vetoed,” the fund said in an e- mailed statement yesterday. Ukraine is relying on the loan, approved in November, to stay afloat after the global global recession and credit crisis undermined demand for exports such as steel and hammered its banking industry. The IMF program was suspended for three months this year because of government disputes over state spending. “Ukraine is interested in getting the IMF money as soon as possible as part of it is likely to be used to cover the state budget gap,” said Olena Bilan, an analyst at Kiev-based investment bank Dragon Capital. “I think it may take between two to three weeks for Ukraine to solve the issue.” The loan program was renewed in May after Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko pledged to narrow the state budget deficit. The country has received $10.6 billion in loan payments to date. Failure to Comply Since then, Ukraine has Failed to comply with the loan’s terms, including raising natural gas prices for households and adopting laws needed to stabilize the financial system. At the same time, Ukraine’s parliament approved a law on Oct. 20 increasing social payments, including the minimum wage, in an effort to win voter support ahead of Jan. 17 general elections. The IMF said in July that reducing the budget deficit would be key to releasing the next tranche. The government will run a budget gap equivalent to 8.6 percent of gross domestic product this year, the IMF estimates. That figure excludes the cost of rebuilding the financial industry. “The mission found that the economic and financial situation in Ukraine is stabilizing as a result of policies under this program,” the IMF said yesterday. “Preserving these gains will require policy discipline and corrective actions in some areas.” Wage, pension law Timoshenko said on Oct. 21 she would ask President Viktor Yushchenko to veto the wage and pension law adopted by the parliament as it “undermines the budget and fuels inflation.” Larysa Mudrak, the spokeswoman for Yushchenko, declined to comment when Bloomberg news called her yesterday. The economy contracted an annual 17.8 percent in the second quarter, after shrinking 20.3 percent in the three months through March. Yushchenko and Timoshenko have clashed over fiscal policy. The president has criticized the government running a “huge” budget gap, while the opposition has blocked the passage of legislation through parliament until its demands for higher social spending are met. To contact the reporters on this story: Daryna Krasnolutska in Kiev at dkrasnolutsk@bloomberg.net ; Mike Harrison at mharrison5@bloomberg.net Last Updated: October 25, 2009 18:00 EDT Ukraine’s Bailout Loan Depends on Policy Endorsements, IMF Says – Bloomberg.com

Source: By Daryna Krasnolutska Oct. 26 (Bloomberg) — Ukraine’s government must endorse a package of policy steps

Editorial – Bangkok Post

After many years of what seemed an intractable situation in Burma, the events of recent weeks have given some reason for hope, thanks mostly to the United State’s new policy of engagement with the isolated regime.

Yesterday it was reported that US President Barack Obama ”expects” the leaders of all Asean nations _including Burma _ to attend the Asean-US Enhanced Partnership meeting next Sunday, Nov 15, a meeting Mr Obama is also expected to attend. Speculation is rampant that there will be a face-to-face meeting between the US president and senior Burmese general(s), something that would have seemed the stuff of fiction not long ago.

This comes on the heels of a visit to Burma by two high-level US officials last week; US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Scot Marciel.

In what was called an ”exploratory mission”, the two met with Burmese Prime Minister Gen Thein Sein in the capital of Naypyidaw, and also leader of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) Aung San Suu Kyi, who was allowed a brief respite from house arrest.

It is also hopeful that the US officials were able to meet with representatives of ethnic minority groups in Rangoon.

No one expects an easy or clear resolution to the troubles in Burma, they have fermented too long. One of the trickiest issues will be to determine how past grievances and human rights abuses can be addressed to everyone’s satisfaction. But that is far down the road and can be dealt with if and when the reconciliation ever comes to such a point.

More immediately there is the issue of the general election scheduled for some time in 2010. A semblance of transparency is an absolute necessity in order for most of the rest of the world to seriously pursue normalisation of relations with Burma.

In this regard there are some important parallels between Burma and Iran, a country which during the US presidential elections Barack Obama said he would conduct talks with. After winning the election he did begin a policy of engagement with Iran. It seems clear that this was the correct policy, as his predecessor George Bush’s policy of hostile non-engagement had done nothing to dissuade Iran from giving up its nuclear programme and caused unnecessary global tensions. The new policy did help to create a better atmosphere; a military conflict began to look less likely and a negotiated agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme was also looking more hopeful.

Rapprochement between the US and Iran was dealt a hard blow with the highly disputed election in June this year, however, with the widespread charges of electoral fraud in incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory. It became even more difficult when very harsh measures were used to break up the large protests in support of opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi, although Mr Obama has said he is still willing to engage in negotiations.

So again, the election in Burma is the key to the country’s future and its emergence from isolation. As things stand now the junta has given little assurance that the election process will be transparent, or that it will allow the participation of the NLD.

”I think an election without Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD, it would be very hard to see that as credible,” said Mr Marciel on Thursday during a meeting with diplomats, academics and journalists at Chulalongkorn University.

He also said that the representatives from ethnic groups the officials met with ”expressed their concerns about [the] elections and how the government will treat them militarily”.

Clearly it is up to the leaders of the US and other concerned countries to use whatever leverage and powers of persuasion at their disposal to influence the election. An obvious possibility would be a promise to overturn sanctions in return for reasonably free and fair elections. The removal of sanctions by the US Congress is a long shot, but it has become more plausible after reports that Ms Suu Kyi has concluded they are adversely affecting the lives of ordinary Burmese.

Unfortunately, the possibility of free and fair elections still seems more of a long shot.

Published: 8/11/2009

Original source -
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/27046/election-is-the-key-to-reconciliation-in-burma

Nov. 23 – Northern Mariana Islands Gubernatorial Race

Well this is a race you will not read much about. In one of the most stunningly beautiful corners of the world, a small possession of the United States will vote in a run-off election to choose their governor. Here, the choice is between the Covenant party and incumbent governor Benigno Fitial and the Republican Party and Heinz Hofschneider, currently a representative in the Northern Mariana Legislature.

To request an absentee ballot, contact the The Commonwealth Election Commission as soon as possible at (670)664-VOTE

The Northern Mariana Islands are a group of 15 islands with over 80,000 residents and lie just north of Guam, another territory of the United States. This position is for 4 years, as with US states and governors oversee the semi-autonomous government of the islands.

Current Governor Benigno Fitial is looking to be reelected for a second term under the party line he created, the Covenant Party, in 2001. To find out more about this candidate, click here.

However, much of the election has been overshadowed by the resignation of Fitial‘s Lieutenant Governor after being indicted on charges of corruption. Republican candidate Heinz Hofschneider is trying to unseat the incumbent. To visit his website, click here.

There have been two interesting developments in this race. This year is the first where NMI have had a runoff election and in the first round when joined by two independent candidates, Hofschneider won 8 more votes than Fitial. The election has been so close and so intense, more intense perhaps than any in the Islands’ history, that the two candidates traveled to the mainland of the United States to drum up support amongst potential absentee voters.

To read more about this fascinating race, click here for a news story from the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan. I bet you all wish you were on that beach below after voting. Looking out my window on the dark and cold streets of DC, I know I do.

After an election cycle, have you ever wondered what to do with those campaign lawn signs that you agreed to place on your property? Do you call the candidates and offer them back? Take them apart to recycle them? Re-use them for lawn sales?

I decided to take a look on-line to see if New York State had any lawn sign recycling program in place.

Nope. At least not so far as I could see. There are, however, several municipalities who have created such a thing (in Florida for example and of course California).

I wonder if those running for office would agree to do away with lawn signs. Not plausible? Then how about holding onto them to re-use in the case that they run again in the future. Most everyone has an attic, right?

Here is a good link to ‘Planet Green’ where you can read more about the recycling possibilities.

- Rebecca Martin

Today is a big day for the city of Atlanta, along with other counties across Georgia. Below I have posted links to help facilitate any information you may be looking for when voting, from “How do I vote?” to “Who are the candidates running?”. Take the time to cast your vote!

VOTING INFORMATION

Am I registered to vote?

Ways to vote.

Where do I vote?

What do I need to bring when voting?

How do I use the electronic voting machines?

Resources for Voters with Disabilities.

CANDIDATE INFORMATION

Atlanta’s Mayoral Candidates

Statewide and Federal Offices

If you’re like me, you have children and a strict routine to follow on any given night. No general election parties for you!

Here are a few sites and tips to get up to the minute results so you too don’t have to wait for the Wednesday morning paper:

1. Board of Elections – Election results page (there will be a link to today’s election results sometime this evening. Check in periodically today).

2. Adam Bosch will probably do an up-to-the minute report on the Times Herald Record web page

3. Check out Public Access Channel 23. They are back on the air and in the past have reported accurate results.

If you have any further tips, please note them here in the comment section of this blog post.

Thanks.

- Rebecca Martin

Here is a great link offered by the Board of Elections to help any registered voter find their polling place.

Visit: POLLING PLACE LOOK-UP

Don’t forget to vote next Tuesday, November 3rd from 6:00am – 9:00pm.

More to come.

- RM

In the November general election, there are two proposals on the ballot that most citizens and public officials know little about. Taken from the League of Women Voters 2009 Voter’s Guide, here is what we know will be helpful this election cycle (special thanks to all who helped us in our search, particularly District 6 Legislator Jeanette Provenzano).

- Rebecca Martin

What will be on the ballot on Election Day, November 3rd, 2009?

Voters in New York State will elect local officials (e.g. your mayor, town supervisor, town council members, etc.). You will also be voting on two statewide ballot proposals, and may be voting on local ballot proposals.

BALLOT PROPOSALS

This Voter’s Guide will help you to evaluate the two ballot proposals that will be on the November 2009 ballot. Both are amendments to the New York State Constitution. Read about the amendments and decide whether you wish to vote for or against each one. Look carefully for them on the ballot; sometimes they are easy to miss.

PROPOSAL NUMBER ONE: AN AMENDMENT

FORM OF SUBMISSION (how the proposal will be presented to you on the ballot):

Amendment to section 1 of article 14 of the Constitution, in relation to the use of certain forest preserve lands by National Grid to construct a 46 kV power line along State Route 56 in St. Lawrence County. The proposed amendment would authorize the Legislature to convey up to six acres of forest preserve land along State Route 56 in St. Lawrence County to National Grid for construction of a power line. In exchange, National Grid would convey to the State at least 10 acres of forest land in St. Lawrence County, to be incorporated into the forest preserve. The land to be conveyed by National Grid to the State must be at least equal in value to the land conveyed to National Grid by the State. Should the amendment be approved?

What will this amendment do if approved by the voters?

The “Forever Wild” clause of the NYS Constitution prohibits any development in the Adirondack Forest Preserve, including the building of power lines, unless the constitution is specifically amended to allow it. A constitutional amendment requires passage by two separately elected state Legislatures and then approval by the voters. This amendment has been passed unanimously by the Legislatures that took office in 2007 and 2009, and is now being presented to the voters on the November, 2009 ballot.

This amendment will make constitutional an action that has, in fact, already taken place. The NYS Power Authority, with the involvement and agreement of the interested environmental and municipal groups, approved the building of a back-up power line through forest preserve land to protect the health and safety of the residents of the village of Tupper Lake. The line was built and activated in May of 2009.

What is the background on this proposal?

Before this new power line was built, the village of Tupper Lake had frequent power outages caused by damage to its single electrical supply line, principally from falling tree limbs in forested land along its route. There was no back-up line in the event of power failure, and during the winter alternative shelter had to be provided to village residents. This was considered an urgent situation that could not wait for the completion of the constitutional amendment process for relief, since it affected the health and safety of the villagers. The most environmentally friendly route for the new line traverses about two miles of Adirondack Forest Preserve land, affecting a small number of physical acres. While the new line couldhave been detoured to avoid forest preserve land, the detour would have involved a six mile cut through old-growth undeveloped forest and wetlands, endangering the habitat of wildlife. The chosen route along an existing road through previously cleared preserve land was judged to be more ecologically friendly.

National Grid, the builder of the line, will compensate for the loss of existing preserve land by conveying new forest preserve land to the State. This new land must be of equal or greater value than the land that was lost. Environmental and civic organizations are supportive of this remedy to what was a serious and persistent public health and safety issue. Since the amendment is specific to this situation, it does not give broader constitutional permission to other such solutions; each would require another constitutional amendment.

The League of Women Voters could not identify any organizations or opinions in opposition to this amendment.

PROPOSAL NUMBER TWO: AN AMENDMENT

FORM OF SUBMISSION (how the proposal will be presented to you on the ballot):

Amendment to article 3 of the Constitution, in relation to authorizing the Legislature to allow prisoners to voluntarily perform work for nonprofit organizations. The proposed amendment would authorize the Legislature to pass legislation to permit inmates in state and local correctional facilities to perform work for nonprofit organizations. Shall the proposed amendment be approved?

What will this amendment do if approved by the voters?

The NYS Constitution currently prohibits labor performed by prisoners in state or local correctional facilities to be “be farmed out, contracted, given or sold to any person, firm, association or corporation”, except the state or any political division of the state and its public institutions. This means that prisoners cannot perform work, even voluntarily, for nonprofit organizations, such as churches, charities, social service agencies or educational institutions. If passed by the voters, this amendment will remove this constitutional impediment, and will authorize the Legislature to allow these inmates to voluntarily perform work for nonprofit organizations.

What is the background on this proposal?

The sponsors for the legislation proposing this constitutional amendment argue that prohibiting prisoners from voluntarily performing work for nonprofit organizations denies these often under-funded organizations access to a willing labor force for tasks such as grounds-keeping. They say that many localities have requested that the prohibition be removed. They also say that allowing inmate work crews to provide labor to these organizations will help fill the gaps in funding them, and will give the inmates a sense of “giving back” to the community.

The sponsors also make the point that passing this amendment would only give the Legislature authority to pass a law allowing inmates to do such work. This “enacting legislation” could include restrictions, in the interest of public safety, on which inmates would be eligible to perform this work. Two separately elected Legislatures passed this constitutional amendment with near unanimous votes in favor.

The League of Women Voters could not identify any organizations or opinions in opposition to this amendment.

What do I need to be aware of for this election?

Some local polling places will be piloting the new optical scanning equipment; the lever machines will no longer be in use at those polling places. You can consult the State Board of Elections web site for information on which polling places are involved in the pilot and how the process will work. The League’s Voter’s Guide Part I, cited above, also has good information about the new machines and voting process. As in prior elections, each polling place will have a Ballot Marking Device (BMD) for use by voters who are disabled and cannot use a lever machine, or by voters who want to vote on the BMD.

You should also be aware of what to do if you registered and your name is not on the rolls when you go to your polling place. The League’s Voter’s Guide Part I explains what to do in that situation; you should ask the poll worker for advice, and you either will be directed to a different polling place or assisted in voting by affidavit ballot. You should also plan to bring identification – a driver’s license, valid photo ID, current utility bill, bank statement, government check or some other government documentation that shows your name and address – especially if you are voting for the first time.

Section 500 . Conduct Of Elections .

Except as otherwise provided by ordinance, all municipal elections hereafter conducted by or on behalf of the city shall be held and processed in accordance with the provisions of the constitution and the Elections and Government Codes.

Section 501 . Elective Officers .

The elective officers of this city shall be five (5) members of the city council, each of whom shall hold the office of councilman.

Elective officers of the city shall be elected for four year terms by the registered qualified voters of the city, on an at large basis, at general or special municipal elections, held for that purpose. General municipal elections shall be conducted on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of odd-numbered years, commencing in March of 1997 and as more fully set forth in Elections Code section 2601. (4/12/94)

Section 502 . Qualification For Elective Office .

The qualifications for any person to hold an elective office of the city shall be as follows:

A. Any such person shall be an elector, within the meaning of the constitution of the state; and

B. Any such person shall have been a bona fide resident of the city for at least one year next preceding the date of the election at which he desires to be a candidate for such elective office; and

C. A councilman who has been elected for two consecutive four-year terms, excluding part or all of any unexpired term, shall not be eligible to be a candidate for election to the office of councilman again until two years after expiration of the second consecutive term. This section shall apply to councilmen elected to office on and after the effective date of this section. (4/14/92)

Section 503 . Incumbent Elective Officers .

All of the incumbent elective officers of the former city, shall continue in such offices until the expiration of their respective terms for which they were elected, and until their successors are appointed or elected, and qualified.

Section 504 . Rights Reserved To The Electorate .

The electorate of the city, notwithstanding the adoption of this charter, reserve unto themselves the following processes:

A. The right of referendum as to any legislative act taken by the city council; and

B. The right of initiative, as to any legislative act the city council could legally effectuate; and

C. The right of recall as to any elective officer of the city.

Such reserved rights shall be exercisable only in accordance with, and subject to the limitations of, the provisions of the constitution of the state of California and applicable laws.

Section 505 . Vacancies .

Vacancies in elective offices shall be deemed to occur under any of the following circumstances:

A. If, during the term of his office, an elective officer of the city dies; or

B. If, during the term of his office, he ceases, for any reason, to be a registered qualified voter and resident of the city; or

C. If, during the term of his office, an elective officer of the city files a written letter of resignation with the city clerk, his office shall be deemed vacant as of the date stated in such letter, or if not date is so stated in such letter, upon the date of its filing;

D. If a city councilman absents himself, without the consent of the city council, from all regular city council meetings for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days from the last regular meeting of the council he attended, his office shall be deemed vacant; provided that the consent of the city council shall be given only for good cause, but shall not be unreasonably withheld; or

E. If an elective officer of the city is convicted of any crime which involves moral turpitude, such office shall be deemed vacant as of the date the judgement of conviction becomes final.

Section 506 . Other Offices .

No elective officer of the city, during his tenure as such, or for a period one year thereafter, shall hold any other city office or employment.

In just under 10 days, Batswana will be going to the polls for the 10th time since the first elections in 1965 that paved a way forward for an independent Botswana. Over the last 9 general elections, a lot of youth haven’t been voting. They have been citing reasons as there is really no reason to put someone into power who is not going to deliver on their election manifestos. Some where saying that the elected party will enjoy all that comes with the post and not care about their electorates, which has been true in some instances. So far this year, 2009 promises to be different with most young people saying they are going to be voting this year.

The big questions I asked to get an insight why a lot of young people wanted to vote this year where; Are you going to be voting in the coming general elections? If yes, why? Does it have anything to do with the Ian Khama Presidency? Is this the first time you are voting? I ran a little survey on Facebook to get some of my friends talking.

Jackson got the ball rolling by saying its high time his voice is heard, he hasn’t voted before but its high time he voted because in the last general elections he didnt vote although he was eligible. He said he was happy with the way things where back then but not anymore. Mosimanegape said he is going to be voting this year for the first time too but it doesn’t have anything to do with the president mostly it has to do with a lot of infighting that has been going on in the ruling party – Botswana Democratic Party(BDP). He says he has lost all trust in the ruling party because he is not sure what kind of stringent bills they might pass in parliament when they have been put back in power. One who just goes by the name of Kb said he is voting because its his right to do so and he is not gonna violate it. “I have voted before and voted again this year on the 3rd of October(because all foreign based Batswana voted on that day)….Its not about the presidency, I feel as a motswana is something I have to do….For record’s sake i have voted against BDP but I do hope other MP’s in the BDP fraternity like Rre Botsalo Ntuane(currently a specially elected MP) make it back 2 parley….in fact he must be the only one.” says Steve. This is what Nelson had to say in reply to the above questions, “I have for the second time voted. because i am one person who believe that it is best to guard our democracy than to sit and chew my nails complaining that our democracy is dead and we are a one party state. I have voted for a man who inspires me to speak logic and sense at all times. Our opposition is not dead, just that its still the BDP’s time. They want you to believe there is no alternative.. and mark my words brethrens, Khama will be the last BDP president.”

Lebo jumped in saying she just doesn’t trust the current government to do the right thing if voted into power, so she wants to exercise their democratic right and make sure they can keep a good eye on it. Amo she will vote for someone who she feels is really competent enough to represent her so that when she complains about the poor service delivery then she will remember that she put that person there in the first place. Some youngsters say they want to rectify their past mistakes because they are unhappy about their current representatives. Some of the people have been saying they wish they will be a change of government for the first time since 1965. Kago jumps in saying,”I mean I am a BDP supporter by birth and what the President is doing is known to him and his boot lickers….The fast that he fails to understand one thing about boot lickers… if he looses his stand they just switch and lick another boot…not his of course…he is surroundin himself with a lot of yes men and that cant be health for his administration.” having said that he said he is not going to be voting but he will be observing the elections with a lot of interest to see what is going to happen.

Although there are a lot of young people looking forward to vote they are also some who said that they are not going to be voting. Neo quoted it very well saying,”The last elections were my first to be eligible to vote and i voted…. This time i’m NOT going to vote. Yep it has a lot to do with the current president. i don’t appreciate his ruling and at the same time i cant vote for any other party but BDP. I love this party and i’m even a member. “ Lebogang summed it up nicely why she decided not to vote, “ I ain’t voting… i really dont see the point. Botswana is a one party state and no one has freedom for anything… be warned all of you who are saying negative things about the current administration, you might find yourselves in jail. You cant sue the president and you are not allowed to say anything nasty about him either…Carefull guys, Big Brother is always watching and listening… Opposition parties are all a very big fat joke… no need to waste my time on them.” Jane said as long as old people vote, she is not going to because they are scared of change hence the BDP has managed to hold onto power for so long and we don’t know what other leaders can bring to the table.

What are the factors that have led to this outcome? Does the Ian Khama presidency have something to do with it? The opposition has also not really done much to push the ruling party despite its internal squabbles, it is still expected to walk away with all the spoils. IF it was up to you, who would you rather have as the president of Botswana in the upcoming general elections?

*All names have been changed

Greece will vote in a general election this Sunday. The socialist opposition is ahead of the current conservative government in opinion polls.
According to opinion polls, the Papandreou Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) appears to hold a lead over the conservative New Democracy (ND), which has been in power for five and a half years.
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis called in September for polls to be held early, due in part to a faltering economy and numerous scandals. The move was approved of by most Greeks, who say that a change of government could help boost the economy.
In the latest polls held in the run-up to the elections, the PASOK party has a lead of 6-7%, allowing them to possibly obtain a majority in the parliament, consisting of three hundred seats. Greece’s election rules say that the winner of the elections needs at least 42.5% of the ballot to take an absolute majority. If neither side attains this percentage, another election will be held.
Polling stations are to be opened at 04.00 UTC, and close at 16.00. 9.8 million people are eligible to vote in the polls.

The Labor party is holding its annual party conference in Brighton this week, but party members do not seem to be enthused. There is an air of gloom and despair hanging around Labor headquarters and 10 Downing Street in London these days. Party workers are mourning the imminent and certain defeat of the party at the next general elections. Ministers like rats are abandoning the sinking ship. Alistair Darling in an interview with the Observer Newspaper has said that Labor had lost the will to live .Mandelson is hawking his wares to the opposition Conservative party. The Labor party’s problem is Brown. Nobody seems to want to have anything to do with him nowadays. When he visited the American President, Obama after his accession to office, he was snubbed by him. Brown had taken great care in choosing presents for Obama, a set of pens lovingly carved from the hulk of the slave ships that had been docked in the ports of Bristol, Liverpool and Portsmouth. The pens were priceless. In return, Brown got a set of DVD’s of Hollywood blockbusters. They could not even run on British DVD players. During the recent General Assembly meeting of UN members,Obama gave Brown the silent treatment and refused to have a sideline meeting with him(despite sharing photo ops with minor personalities like the Presidents of the Palestinian Authority and Chad).

Does History repeat itself? John Major got a similar rebuff from Bill Clinton who had accused him of leaking vital information about his personal affairs whilst the latter had been a Rhodes Scholar in Oxford. Major had given photographs of a young Clinton protesting against the Vietnam War to the Republican Party. The Home Office had also passed applications made by Clinton for British citizenship in order to avoid the draft and the war raging in Asia. This was political dynamite. If these spicy facts had been leaked to the right wing press in America, Clinton would certainly have lost to Bush(41) in the 1992 presidential elections.Obama has recently described Brown as a lightweight and someone not fit for high office.Moreover,the American has not forgiven him for the fiasco of the release of the Lockerbie bomber,Al-Megrahi.

Brown has been his own worst enemy. He is prone to Mood swings and Tantrums and has been known to reduce his staff to tears. A colleague once described him as being psychologically flawed and unfit to be Premier. Brown collects enemies the way a miser collects coins. His adversaries are a collection of who is who in British politics. He is not on talking terms with Charles Clarke (former Home Secretary), Charles Falconer (former Lord Chancellor), Robin Cook (when he was alive) and the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair (both men rarely talk on the phone).He quarreled bitterly with the Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson whom he accused of handing the leadership of the Labor party to Blair after the demise of the much admired John Smith. He recently brought him back to London and invested him with a peerage because he needed someone to extricate the party from the quagmire it was mired in. Brown is unpopular with his cabinet. This is because of the autocratic manner in which he runs his government and party and because of his character. Brown lacks the charm of Blair and the charisma of Cameron. Aptly put, Brown is a dour Scotsman. He broods all the time (this may be attributed to the period he spent in hospital wondering whether he might lose both eyes to an accident he suffered whilst playing Rugby) and finds it difficult to make or maintain friendships. A colleague recently accused him of adopting a Heathcliffian attitude towards people and ideas.

Brown is not without political abilities. He had distinguished himself at the Treasury (the only man to have occupied the hot seat continuously for more than 10 years).He is credited with catch phrases which have become mantras or anthems of the labor party .When Blair was Shadow Home Secretary, he gave him the phrase “Labor will be tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime”. Blair hijacked it and made it his own. Brown gave the Bank of England independence and the right to make monetary policies. He also helped Blair reform the Labor party and bring it into the 21st century. He played a part in the creation of the new Supreme Court of Britain, an innovation, considering the fact that Britain has an unwritten Constitution.

All these reforms come a tad too late. There is a growing perception and feeling that that it is time for change. People are coming to the conclusion, albeit reluctantly that Labor has run out of ideas and reforms. Cabinet and party infighting have not helped matters. Now there are claims that Labor may be planning to raise taxes by as much as 3p in the pound. The Budget of next year will certainly be Brown’s last throw of the dice before the voters deliver their verdict on him. William Hill and Ladbrokes are putting odds on him remaining Prime Minister at about 10-1 .Long odds, if I may say so.

Prezza and Darling

UPDATE: Darling: Labour lost “the will to live”!!!!

The Chancellor,Alistair Darling, isn’t anymore positive than Prezza. Mr. Darling told the Observer newspaper:

“We don’t look as if we have got fire in our bellies (…) It is rather like a football team. Sometimes you see them playing and their heads go down and they start making mistakes and they lose the will to live (…) It is the responsibility of all of us, no matter where we are playing in the team. From the Prime Minister, the Chancellor, every government minister. It is all our responsibility.”

Well this comes as no surprise, does it?How on earth can anyone enjoy working for Brown/current administration when everything just goes wrong?
It has to be enormously frustrating and depressing,especially when you come to terms with the fact all could have been so differently.

GO FORTH-yes,with Tony Blair in charge but certainly not with Brown.

Everyone who believes Labour can win the next election is either deluded or insane.They have made their own death bed two years ago. New Labour is already fast asleep and soon,the remaining few will be laid down to rest as well.

—————————————————————————-

The Labour Party annual conference is starting tomorrow and Former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has encouraging news-NOT. He claimed today the Labour Party “is lacking something”. He was complaining about the party’s poor election campaign,saying:

.

“There is no direction in campaigning – we are drifting. “You ask yourself, why did we get in the Gurkhas situation?That would never have happened before (…)So there’s a feeling in the party that, somehow, we’re not getting a grip on it. There is something lacking.”

.“That would never have happened before”?!?!?! Is John Prescott suggesting here Former PM Tony Blair would not have allowed the Gurkha row to get out of control?????? And some other big blunders? Quite.

But there is little hope for Labour to get support from their old boss. Gordon Brown’s election coordinator, Douglas Alexander, confirmed Tony Blair is not going to play a big role in the party’s election campaign but rather “continues to be engaged in the international stage”.

Good for the world,bad for Britain!

Which brings me to my actual point! Allow me to say Prezza, the Labour Party is not just lacking SOMETHING. It lacks almost EVERYTHING.

LEADERSHIP

VISION

PASSION

INSTINCT

DETERMINATION

MOTIVATION

EFFECTIVNESS

k

…………….and that’s why the Labour Party is not lacking SOMETHING but SOMEONE…

SOMEONE who brings in the culmination of it all…………(no Johnson,no Purnell,no Mili)

g

The ONE and ONLY

Mr.Tony Blair

Ps: R.I.P New Labour!!!!!!!

This table shows the General Election outcomes since universal suffrage.

Those held before 1950 were fought in extraordinary circumstances and no valid parallels can be drawn with today.

For the Conservatives to win at the next election would require them to gain over 120 seats. This table demonstrates that only Tony Blair achieved that sort of quantity of gains, and his starting position was far more favourable. This does not mean that David Cameron’s task is impossible, but it is a sizeable task and history is not on his side.

Some in the blogosphere are talking of a Tory landslide. This is wish fulfilment. This would require a 1931 type sea-change. I remind readers that 1931 happened against a backdrop of the Labour leader (Ramsay MacDonald) committing treachery against his own party, and the Government that was formed had a National flavour with MacDonald still at the helm after it.

In my humble opinion there is everything to play for.

Ram Charan demands Rs 5 Cr from Allu Aravind ?

Right after the debacle of Praja Rajyam Party in the recent general elections, there had been reports that………………..

Click Here for More :

Ram Charan demands Rs 5 Cr from Allu Aravind ?

Making of Ram Charan Tej Magadheera Movie

Magadheera Movie Trailers

Magadheera Movie Audio Release Photo Gallery

Magadheera Movie Audio – mp3 songs

Ram Charan Tej new movie (Dheerudu) leaked videos

Magadheera Movie Photo Gallery Ram Charan Tej

MAGHADHEERA movie working stills

Magadheera Movie Posters designs

Kajal Agarwal photo gallery

Kajal Agarwal Photo Gallery Latest

Arun Shourie, the BJP’s resident intellectual for all matters requiring “an IQ of more than 60“—in the famous words of P. Chidambaram, presumably the Congress’s resident intellectual for all matters requiring an IQ of less than 600—has a piece in today’s Indian Express on the debacle of the BJP in the 2009 general elections.

The Magsaysay Award winning journalist, who has emerged as the third man in the dissident triangle after Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha, strikes the grand posture of speaking for all the parties but leaves little doubt over why the L.K. Advani-Arun Jaitley camp has begun to distrust him as to sideline him along with the other two.

“The factor most responsible for the rout has been the state to which the leader and his circle have reduced the party as an organisation, but that is the one factor which the leader and his cohorts will not admit into the discourse. Is the party seen as, is it in fact different from the others? Are its candidates any different? Is every unit of the party not riddled with factionalism?

“That these are the reasons for the setback is manifest to all. But the leader and his circle would have none of them — for that would immediately raise further questions. The party is no longer different from others? Who has allowed the party to sink to this level where it cannot be distinguished from the very parties it has been denouncing? The candidates are no better than those of the rivals? Who has selected the candidates? Factionalism has been allowed to continue? Each state faction has a line to some ringleader in the central cabal? Who has allowed the factionalism to fester and swell?

“They blame others — the rival party; the third party that has stolen their vote; the accidental reason on account of which a section whose vote was to have split got consolidated; the youth; the middle class; the poor who voted on money, the rich who did not vote; the holidays on account of which so many went out of town; the disenchantment with the party’s ally in one state, the absence of an ally in the other; the anti-incumbency factor against us in this state, the advantage that the rival party had in the adjacent state of being in office and thereby being able to use the state machinery; the ‘shameless’ use of money and muscle by the rival… In a word, everyone and everything other than themselves.”

Read the full article here: On the way down

Also read: Don’t laugh: Do journalists make good politicians?

‘Only a vertical split can save the BJP’

The only person to blame for BJP loss is L.K. Advani

I had to give more of the spotlight to my ‘favourite’ political candidate ever… Tok Maimun Yusof! This time, the video is for The Malaysian Insider. Check it out and make sure to voice your comments!

The Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands Hon. Galmo Williams and his cabinet gave an explanation for yesterday’s call for General Elections.

Leader of the Opposition People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) responds to the announcement made today by Premier Hon. Galmo Williams.

The country was launched into a state of shock today when Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands Hon. Galmo Williams announced a call for General Elections for October 22^nd 2009.