Voting begins in Kosovo snap elections

Sun, 12 Dec 2010

Pristina, Kosovo - Voting began in Kosovo Sunday in the first parliamentary elections since the former Serbian province declared independence.

Prime Minister Hashim Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has been tipped to win the most votes, but is expected to fall short of an outright majority.

Thaci lost a no-confidence vote in November, after his coalition with Pristina Mayor Isa Mustafa's Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) fell apart. That triggered the elections a year early.

The 1.6 million registered voters, the vast majority among them ethnic Albanians, can choose from 29 tickets between 7 am and 7 pm (0600 - 1800 GMT).

The Kosovo assembly has 120 seats - 100 are up for grabs by any candidate, 10 are reserved for Serbs and 10 for representatives of other minorities.

Belgrade refuses to accept Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence and has called its compatriots there to boycott the vote. But eight Serb parties still decided to run.

Amid Belgrade's call for the boycott and Kosovo's high potential for violence, the vote is being closely monitored by almost 850 international and 26,000 local observers.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357743,voting-kosovo-snap-elections.html.

Jordan opposition accuses government of apostasy

The Associated Press
Sunday, December 12, 2010

AMMAN, Jordan -- Jordan's powerful Islamic opposition has accused the government of apostasy for assisting the U.S. in Afghanistan.

The religious edict by the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, is not binding, but it highlights the tension with the conservative group, which boycotted last month's parliamentary election.

Jordan says it has only 300 peacekeepers in Afghanistan. But a bombing attack that killed a Jordanian double agent in Afghanistan's eastern province last January revealed the presence of its intelligence officers there.

Sunday's edict said that Islam bars Muslims from fighting against fellow Muslims and the government had "abandoned Islam" because it was helping non-Muslims.

Source: The Washington Post.
Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/12/AR2010121201337.html.

Egyptian opposition mounts protest

Opposition groups in Cairo stage demonstration against election result as president rejects claims the poll was rigged.

12 Dec 2010

Hundreds of Egyptian activists and members of opposition groups have protested against what they said were violations during last month's parliamentary vote that handed victory to the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP).

Sunday's protest in Cairo, the capital, included members of the Muslim Brotherhood and Wafd party.

Referring to the parliamentary votes which took place on November 28 and December 5, the protesters chanted: "Void, void, void. This is not a council. It is a cabaret."

Security forces surrounded the demonstrators, who included members of the smaller opposition movements Enough and April 6, but allowed the protest to go ahead.

The Brotherhood and other opposition groups say the elections were fraudulent, while Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, on Sunday dismissed allegations that the election was rigged and said any violations were too minor to undermine its legitimacy.

The Brotherhood, Egypt's biggest opposition bloc in the outgoing parliament, won only one seat this year, compared to a fifth of the total seats in 2005.

It boycotted the second round of the vote after it failed to win any seats outright in the first stage and refused to acknowledge the seat awarded to one of its members in the run-off.

Egypt's second biggest opposition group in the last parliament, the liberal Wafd party, also withdrew and refused to acknowledge the six seats it won, calling on successful candidates to choose between the party and the parliament.

The opposition groups and independent monitors say the elections were hit by ballot stuffing, voter intimidation and other abuses. But government officials said the process was fair.

"These violations do not invalidate the fact that elections took place in most constituencies according to the law ... and without any violence, deviations or violations," Mubarak said on Sunday, in his first public appearance since the vote.

"As the president of Egypt, I wish the remaining parties had achieved better results, and would have preferred it if their efforts had not gone into arguments about boycotting the vote."

Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin, reporting from Cairo, said that a large percentage of Egyptians believe the elections were rigged.

"There's certainly a great deal of skepticism about the incoming parliament to be sworn in," our correspondent said.

'Parallel parliament'

Meanwhile, about 100 former Egyptian parliamentarians have announced the formation of a "parallel parliament," agreeing on a "road map" to overthrow the new parliament.

Sobhi Saleh, a former Muslim Brotherhood MP, said on Saturday that the new parliament was "constitutionally invalid".

Dozens of former MPs who lost the election stated their plan for a series of actions, at home and abroad, committed to the formation of an alternative parliament.

They have invited all political parties to an extended conference to examine ways to invalidate the new parliament and agree on a program of political, economic, and social reform.

Mustafa Bakri, a former deputy, told Al Jazeera that Mubarak should intervene by dissolving the new parliament in light of the violations during recent elections.

He called for free elections under the safeguards agreed upon by the international community.

Alaa Abdel Moneim, a former deputy from the Wafd party, said the deputies had decided to set up a factual database of violations for submission to relevant international organizations.

NDP control

Protests increased in Egypt before the parliamentary vote, and activists have threatened more action before presidential elections due next year.

But demonstrations rarely number more than a few hundred and are usually quickly quashed by security forces.

Analysts say Mubarak's NDP was eager to remove opponents from parliament to ensure a quiet presidential vote next year.

The NDP won about 80 per cent of seats compared with about 70 per cent in the last parliament.

Mubarak, 82, and in power since 1981, has not said if he will seek a sixth term in the election, expected to take place in the second half of 2011.

Opposition leaders hope to boost their chances of uniting in a new front to increase pressure on the ruling party and make it more difficult to transfer power to Gamal Mubarak, the president's son.

Source: al-Jazeera.
Link: http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2010/12/2010121214281133115.html.

الإسلاميون والسياسة بندوة في الأردن

12/12/2010 م

تناقش كتابا حول الموضوع
الإسلاميون والسياسة بندوة في الأردن

محمد النجار-عمان

عرض اثنان من كبار باحثي معهد كارنيغي للسلام كتابًا رصد التجارب البرلمانية للحركات الإسلامية العربية وخاصة جماعة الإخوان المسلمين.

ففي ندوة استضافها المركز الثقافي الملكي في عمان السبت بالتعاون مع صحيفة الغد، عرض المؤلفان كتابهما "بين الدين والسياسة.. الإسلاميون في البرلمانات العربية" ودار نقاش حوله.

والكاتبان هما كبير باحثي معهد كارنيغي الدكتور عمرو حمزاوي، والباحث في شؤون الشرق الأوسط ناثان براون. وتضمن مؤلفهما الذي نوقش في الندوة أربعة محاور تتعلق بدوافع الحركات الإسلامية للمشاركة السياسية والإقصاء الذي تتعرض له من قبل الأنظمة الحاكمة في البلدان العربية.

وتحدث الدكتور حمزاوي في الندوة التي أدارها المتخصص في شؤون الحركات الإسلامية الدكتور محمد أبو رمان، عن هذه المحاور بقوله إن الحركات الإسلامية أدركت أن نخب الحكم تسيطر على المجالس التشريعية، وهو ما جعلها تركز على الدور الرقابي أكثر من التشريعي بهدف محاربة ما وصفه بتسلط الأنظمة الحاكمة.

ولفت حمزاوي إلى أن التنظيمات الإسلامية وخاصة الإخوان المسلمين في مصر تمكنت من تطوير التواصل مع قطاعات أوسع من الرأي العام بشكل لم يتوفر حتى لنخب الحكم.

والعنوان الثاني الذي حمله الكتاب كان أزمات ما بعد المشاركة السياسية التي يؤكد الكتاب أنها لم تأت بالحد الأدنى من توقعات أتباع الحركات الإسلامية.

الثمن

وقال إن الإخوان المسلمين في مصر والأردن دفعا ثمنا كبيرا لمشاركتهما في الحياة السياسية، مشيرا إلى أن إخوان مصر وحزب العدالة والتنمية في المغرب اشتغلا بالعمل السياسي على حساب الدعوة والاهتمام بالحياة الاجتماعية، وهو ما أدى إلى حدوث صراعات تنظيمية داخلية كبيرة.

ويرى أن ما سماه المشاركة السياسية المتواضعة دفعت بالحركات الإسلامية إلى مراجعة انفتاحها على التيارات السياسية الأخرى ونخب الحكم، وأعطى الدكتور عمرو حمزاوي مثالا بحزب العدالة والتنمية المغربي الذي قال إنه يحاول أن ينتقل من "مرحلة التوافق مع نخب الحكم إلى انتهاج خط الإصلاح الدستوري وتوسيع خطه السياسي المعارض".

ومن جهة أخرى قال الدكتور حمزاوي إن كتاب "بين الدين والسياسة.. الإسلاميون في البرلمانات العربية" بحث أيضا الخلافات داخل الحركات الإسلامية التي قال إنه من الخطأ اختزالها بصراعات تنظيمية شكلية، معتبرا أن هذه الخلافات كانت نتيجة لتقييم "تجارب المشاركة السياسية في ظل أنظمة سلطوية".

وقال إن كل القرارات التنظيمية الإستراتيجية لجماعة الإخوان المسلمين في مصر التي اتخذت بين عامي 2005 و2010 كانت محل نزاع، وأحدث ذلك الخلاف الكبير حول المشاركة في الانتخابات الأخيرة.

ومن جانب آخر، توقف المؤلفان في نقاشهما للكتاب في الندوة مطولا عند خسائر الحركات الإسلامية للانتخابات البرلمانية في السنوات الأخيرة بعد موجة الاكتساح في العقدين الماضيين.

إقصاء

ورأى الدكتور حمزاوي أن أسباب الخسارة كانت ذاتية لأن الجماعات الإسلامية غلبت السياسي على الدعوي والاجتماعي، معتبرا أن إقصاء الإسلاميين -خاصة وفق النموذج المصري- يجر إلى مخاطر كبرى.

وأوضح أيضا أن إقصاء الجماعات الإسلامية رغم تبنيها للإصلاح السلمي ونبذها للعنف وخاصة الإخوان، يترك "تداعيات خطيرة تخلق أزمات متعددة لا سيما في الحالة المصرية".

وأضاف أن الحركات الإسلامية لم تعد مغلقة في نقاشاتها وإنما تناقش خلافاتها أمام وسائل الإعلام، وهو تطور مهم في رأي المؤلف.

وفي موضوع الإقصاء، تطرق حسن أبو هنية الباحث في شؤون الجماعات الإسلامية وخاصة السلفية الجهادية، في الندوة لما سماه مخاطر إقصاء تيارات ما يعرف بالإسلام السياسي، مؤكدا أن بعضها يلجأ للعنف والتطرف نتيجة انسداد الأفق السياسي ورفض الأنظمة وجود شريك لها في الحكم.

وقال القيادي في حزب الوسط الإسلامي مروان الفاعوري إن الأنظمة السياسية العربية تسعى من وراء إقصاء تيارات الإخوان المسلمين لإشاعة "الفوضى الخلاقة في المنطقة العربية".

عوامل خارجية

ومن جهته، رأى المؤلف ناثان براون في نقاشه أمام الندوة أن العوامل الخارجية لم تؤثر في التوجهات السياسية للحركات الإسلامية السياسية باستثناء حالة حركة المقاومة الإسلامية (حماس) التي قال إنها لا تحكمها البيئة الداخلية فقط.

وأشار إلى أن الخلافات الداخلية فيما يعرف بحركات الإسلام السياسي لم تؤد إلى انشقاقات تنظيمية عكس ما هو حاصل مع التيارات السياسية الأخرى التي قال إنها انشقت نتيجة الخلافات.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/3C74B094-80AD-418C-8013-CDC5F16630D9.htm.

إخوان الأردن: الفتنة مقدمة للوطن البديل

12/12/2010 م

محمد النجار-عمان

حذرت جماعة الإخوان المسلمين بالأردن مما وصفته "الفتنة" التي ستخدم "الأهداف الصهيونية الأميركية" بتمرير مؤامرة الوطن البديل، على خلفية سقوط مئات الجرحى بعد مباراة قمة الدوري الأردني بين الوحدات والفيصلي مساء الجمعة في ملعب الملك عبد الله الثاني بمنطقة القويسمة.

وفي أول تعليق رسمي له، اعتبر المراقب العام للجماعة همام سعيد أن تعمق "حالة المظلومية" في المجتمع يمهد لفتنة تسعى لها جهات متربصة بالأردن وشعبه.

وعبر سعيد في تصريح صحفي له اليوم الأحد عن خشيته من أن تدفع الأوضاع السياسية والاجتماعية "القائمة على الظلم إلى حالة من الاحتقان"، بما يؤدي إلى تفسخ التماسك الاجتماعي "خدمة للأهداف الصهيونية الأميركية الساعية إلى صنع فتنة تمهيدا لتمرير مؤامرة الوطن البديل".

ودعا إلى بدء عملية إصلاح جذري وإعطاء المواطنين حقوقهم كاملة في التعبير عن إرادتهم.

وقال إن "ما حدث في القويسمة يتجاوز المكان والزمان ويؤكد على وجود سياسة حكومية غير راشدة وتكرار هذه الظواهر في ظل حالة من الكبت الاجتماعي والظلم والقهر".

وتابع القيادي الإسلامي "تتكرر المأساة، ودائما يكون المواطنون الذين يتلقون الضرب والإهانة موضع الاتهام، فيما يفلت المتجاوزون من العقاب"، لافتا إلى أن "دور الأجهزة الأمنية حماية المواطنين وليس البطش بهم".

تراجع الحريات

وربط سعيد بين ما وصفه "تراجع الحياة السياسية والحريات العامة وما جرى في الانتخابات الأخيرة وغياب الإصلاح الحقيقي وهو ما من شأنه أن يؤدي إلى تكرار مثل هذه الحوادث".

ودعا مراقب الإخوان لمعاقبة المعتدين بشفافية وإعادة الحقوق إلى أهلها ومحاسبة كل من يعتدي على حقوق المواطنين، وانتقد تشكيل الحكومة لجنة من موظفيها للتحقيق في الأحداث.

وكان نحو 250 مواطنا أردنيا أصيبوا مساء الجمعة إثر انهيار سياج فاصل بين مدرج ملعب الملك عبد الله الثاني بالقويسمة وأرضية الملعب.

واتهمت إدارة نادي الوحدات قوات الدرك بتعمد ضرب جماهيرها التي كانت تحتفل بفوزها على فريق الفيصلي بهدف مقابل لا شيء في نهاية مرحلة ذهاب دوري المحترفين الأردني التي تصدرها الوحدات بفارق ثماني نقاط عن الفيصلي أقرب مطارديه.

لجنة تحقيق

وشكلت الحكومة الأردنية لجنة تحقيق بالأحداث برئاسة أمين عام الوزارة وعضوية ثلاثة من موظفيها.

وأعلن رئيس نادي الوحدات طارق خوري مساء السبت تعليق مشاركة الوحدات بالدوري حتى انتهاء التحقيق ومعاقبة المتسببين بالأحداث.

وتدخلت قيادات سياسية واجتماعية رفيعة لتهدئة الأمور بعد أعمال شغب استمرت حتى فجر السبت في مناطق الوحدات والأشرفية والمقابلين ومحيط مستشفى البشير شرقي العاصمة عمان احتجاجا على ما اعتبره غاضبون "تعمد" الدرك ضرب جماهير الوحدات.

وبارك النادي الفيصلي للوحدات فوزه، ونفى في بيان أصدره مساء السبت أي علاقة لجماهيره بأحداث الجمعة.

المصدر: الجزيرة.
الرابط: http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/EXERES/042C49AE-3EEC-45B9-B01F-9062DDE53E0B.htm.

Iraq Kurd leader seeks right to self-determination

ERBIL, Iraq (Agencies) - Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani on Saturday called for the right to self-determination for the northern Iraqi region, a move that could lead to a break-up of the country, Agence-France Presse reported.

His remarks come as Prime Minister-designate Nouri Maliki attempts to form a Cabinet, with Barzani's bloc expected to obtain several ministries, and the Kurdistan region mired in disputes with the Baghdad government over land and oil.

Speaking at a congress of his Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Barzani said "the issue of self-determination," which was considered "a right", would be presented to those attending the conference "to be studied and discussed".

His comments mark the first time Barzani has officially presented the issue to the KDP's congress, with the proposal set to be voted on during the weeklong meeting that opened on Saturday.

The audience included President Jalal Talabani, a fellow Kurd; Maliki; parliament speaker Osama Nujaifi and Iyad Allawi, whose Iraqiya bloc won the most seats in March elections.

The first gathering of its kind since 1999 is to see more than 1,000 delegates elect around 50 new members to the KDP's top leadership committee.

Maliki, who was awarded the premiership on November 25, has two more weeks in which to form a Cabinet. Iraq has been without a new government since elections in March.

The KDP is a key member of Maliki's governing coalition, and the Kurdish leader played a major role in bringing Iraq's divided political factions together to agree a power-sharing deal.

The party, which is part of a joint slate with Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), controls a substantial majority of seats in the Kurdish parliament and jointly holds 43 seats in Baghdad's assembly with the PUK.

Iraq's Kurdish north, made up of three provinces, exerts control over all areas of policy except for national defense and foreign affairs.

It is currently in dispute with Baghdad over two main issues: A land dispute centered on the ethnically mixed oil-rich city of Kirkuk and the distribution of revenues from the region's energy reserves.

Erbil claims Kirkuk and parts of three neighboring provinces and has signed its own deals with international energy firms without consulting Baghdad, both of which central government authorities contest.

On the subject of Kirkuk, Barzani pointedly told the audience that "when it returns to the region... we will make Kirkuk an example of coexistence, forgiveness and joint administration, but we cannot bargain on its identity."

The region first attained a modicum of autonomy in 1974, but Barzani’s father and then-leader of the KDP, Mulla Mustafa Barzani, returned to war with the Baghdad government rather than accept that limited autonomy.

Kurdistan won greater freedom after the 1991 Gulf War, but Barzani and Talabani, the region’s other dominant political leader, waged war for control of smuggling routes that provided valuable tariff revenue while former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was still in power.

A power-sharing deal was eventually struck between their two blocs and today, Barzani is seen as the dominant part of the pair.

New Cabinet delayed

Also yesterday, Iraq’s prime minister said he was still seeking Cabinet nominations from the country’s top politicians, signaling the improbability of forming a new government earlier than the December 25 deadline, the Associate Press reported.

Nouri Maliki, a Shiite Muslim, had pledged to announce his new government by December 15 and end the political deadlock that began after parliamentary elections in March failed to produce a clear winner.

The delay announced Saturday reflects Maliki’s struggle to cobble together an inclusive government.

But he assured political leaders that he remains committed to meeting a 30-day constitutional deadline - ending December 25 - to bring together Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish factions in a government that can overcome enduring sectarian tensions, and appealed for their help to do so.

“I call upon all blocs to quickly present their candidates,” the Iraqi leader said during the KDP meeting, promising to announce Iraq’s new leadership by December 25.

He also warned politicians not to get distracted with “marginal issues” since the clock is ticking. “We are facing a constitutional deadline and we will not tolerate exceeding it,” he said.

Saturday’s meeting in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish autonomous region in Iraq’s north, was also attended by Sunni and Shiite Arab politicians with whom Maliki has had to create uneasy alliances after his political party fell short of winning a majority of seats in parliament.

The new government is expected to include all the major factions, including the Kurds, Shiite political parties aligned with Iran and a Sunni-backed bloc that narrowly won the election.

It will have a slew of issues to tackle, including developing the struggling economy and preventing a resurgence of violence as the last American troops leave by the end of next year.

12 December 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=32552.

'Islamist party will not dissolve'

By Mohammad Ben Hussein

AMMAN - The Islamist Centrist Party (ICP) has reconsidered its recent decision to dissolve, according to ICP officials.

The move is a reversal for the party, which had originally voiced its intention to disband following a poor showing in the November 9 parliamentary elections.

“After some consultation with party leaders and other officials, we decided against dissolving the party and instead give it a chance to contribute to reform,” said a party statement issued late Thursday.

Last week, the ICP’s political office urged activists to start legal procedures to disband the party, according to party leaders.

Marwan Faouri, head of the political office, said the group decided to reconsider the decision in order to work for “the greater interest of the party” and push for political and social reform.

He said party leaders met with former minister of interior Nayef Qadi and other senior officials to discuss dissolving the party as well as government reform policies.

“We were close to dissolving the party, until we heard His Majesty the King’s Speech from the Throne, where he called for active political life,” Faouri told The Jordan Times over the phone on Saturday.

The party had initially decided to disband in light of a disappointing performance in the parliamentary elections, in which one of its members managed to secure a seat.

The party fielded 11 candidates in Jerash, Zarqa, Madaba, Amman and Tafileh, but only Musa Zawahreh from Zarqa was elected to the Lower House.

The dismal showing for the party, which has nearly 1,500 members concentrated in urban areas, had been a cause for “political soul-searching”, according to party officials.

November’s parliamentary elections culminated in a poor showing for opposition parties across the country.

None of the eight candidates fielded by a coalition of opposition parties representing the Hashed, Jordan Baath, Jordan Communist and National Unity parties won a seat, except Abla Abu Olbeh, secretary general of Hashed Party, who won through the women’s quota after securing 10.2 per cent’s of the vote in Amman’s First District.

The Islamic Action Front, the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm, boycotted the elections in protest against the Elections Law.

In 2007, the IAF was the only political party to reach the Lower House of Parliament, winning six seats, its worst showing since the reintroduction of political life in 1989.

12 December 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=32532.

'Citizenship for Jordanian women's spouses key to familial tranquility'

By Rana Husseini

AMMAN - Women activists last week said the government must work to resolve the citizenship issue for Jordanian women married to non-Jordanians to provide stability and tranquility for their families.

The call came during a round-table meeting held on Thursday at the EU Delegation headquarters to mark International Human Rights Day on December 10 by discussing "discrimination against Jordanian women married to foreigners".

Activists have long complained that Jordanian women married to non-Jordanians cannot pass on their citizenship to their spouses or children, a right granted to Jordanian men who marry foreign wives.

This has caused many problems for these families because they struggle with obstacles such as those related to obtaining visas and residency permits for their children and husbands.

These families have to shuttle between police stations and health centers every year to obtain security clearances, residency permits and medical reports for their foreign children.

They must obtain residency permits for their children if they wish to enroll them in private or public schools.

“This form of discrimination is creating instability and the feeling of insecurity for Jordanian women and their families,” said Information and Research Center-King Hussein Foundation (IRCKHF) Director Nermeen Murad.

In a study that is being conducted by the IRCKHF, Murad highlighted other discriminations regarding the residency law and education.

Under the Residency Law for 1973, Article 22 B denies the foreign husband of a Jordanian woman residency while it gives this right to the foreign wife of a Jordanian man who receives a five-year residency, after which she can apply for nationality.

In November 2004, then-minister of interior Samir Habashneh stressed during a seminar that the Jordanian government has no intention of offering citizenship to the foreign husbands and children of Jordanian women.

The minister then referred to around 60,000 Jordanian women who are married to Palestinian men, mostly from the Gaza Strip, saying it is not possible for them to give their husbands or children Jordanian citizenship until a settlement is reached regarding the Palestinian conflict.

He explained that if Jordanian women who are married to Palestinian men are allowed to give their nationality to their spouses and offspring, “around half a million refugees will be settled in the country in contradiction with Jordan’s stand on the right of return for Palestinians”.

Habashneh also said at the time that there were around 20,000 Jordanian women who are married to men of other nationalities.

Individuals and entities opposing granting the citizenship to members of Jordanian women, particularly ones with Palestinian nationality, say that such a measure will only work to ensure “Israel’s ultimate plan of creating a substitute homeland for Palestinians in Jordan”.

But Murad challenged these statements saying that the figures “are not necessarily accurate and the figures are magnified to show that this huge number will create a demographic imbalance”.

From a social perspective, Murad said these families are “ostracized because the children are labeled as the sons of a certain Arab or foreign nationality father, which means that women have wed men who are beneath their social status”.

She added that interviews with family members indicated that children are deprived of participating in activities, such as playing for Jordanian national teams because they are not citizens “although they could be the best players in town”.

Murad stressed that the citizenship issue “is not a political issue. This is a human rights and gender issue”.

The EU is funding the IRCKHF to implement several projects including a project on “reversing the gender bias against Jordanian women married to foreigners”.

The endeavor targets civil society, policy makers, legislation and legislative processes, the Ministry of Interior and its different departments, public education and health sectors, labor market and the media.

The project aims to effect changes in policy and legislation with a view to granting long-term or permanent residency as well as civic rights to the foreign families of Jordanian women.

Also during the roundtable discussion, EU Chargé d’Affaires Irène Mingasson said the union decided to hold a dialogue on this subject with female MPs and civil society to raise awareness on “aspects of discrimination which are still going on in Jordan”.

“We can also discuss means of tackling the problems at a legislative level with key actors [including] women suffering from discrimination themselves,” Mingasson told the gathering.

MP Wafaa Bani Mustafa pledged to backup any “justified demands that do not contradict the legislation or the country’s sovereignty”.

Bani Mustafa was the only deputy who attended the meeting out of seven others who had confirmed their attendance.

“We will fight against all the laws that discriminate against women but we need to lobby right in order to ensure positive changes. We should also meet with government officials to explain the suffering of these families,” the deputy said.

Both Murad and Bani Mustafa suggested to “work on the right of the foreign male spouse to obtain the right of residency and work permit easily first, before we move to the bigger demand”.

In a press statement that was circulated last week, the EU reiterated its commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights outside its borders, by stressing the EU’s firm engagement with the prevention and eradication of any form of discrimination around the world.

12 December 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=32550.

Probe continues into Friday football-related violence

By Raed Omari

AMMAN - A high-ranking committee formed by the government continued Saturday a probe into riots following Friday’s clashes between football fans and the Gendarme Forces and a stampede that resulted in the injury of scores of people, including members of the police force.

Meanwhile, persons wounded in the incident, estimated at more than 150, left hospital except five people, who were receiving treatment at public hospitals, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of State and Government Spokesperson Ayman Safadi told Jordan TV last night.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet discussed the violence which erupted after the match between the top two football clubs, Faisali and Wihdat, and “went over the measures taken to identify the causes of the incident so as to deal with them in a way that ensures enforcing the law and holding accountable violators on the one hand, and prevent the reoccurrence of such acts in the future”, according to a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The Cabinet added that the government “will continue to take all necessary measures to preserve security, stability and the society’s spirit of brotherhood and coherence and protect all citizens, including civilians and members of the security agencies”, voicing support for sports institutions and federations “that work to improve the level of sports and highlight their prestigious image and that of fans in the region and the world”.

The council listened to a briefing by Interior Minister Saad Hayel Srour on measures taken, particularly the task of the high-profile investigation panel headed by the secretary general of his ministry, Saad Manasir. The fact-finding committee includes as members Amman Governor Samir Mubaidin, and senior officials at the interior ministry concerned with human rights, legal issues and security.

The panel, he said, is tasked with “investigating the causes of the incident, communicating with all concerned parties, and filing a report to the government so that it will take the necessary legal action against all those proved to have breached the law and caused the incidents”, according to the statement.

Safadi told the official TV in an interview, in which MP Khalil Attiyeh (Amman, First District) also took part, that authorities dealt with the “tragic” incident from the beginning with a “serious and clear approach”.

He reiterated that the government will take necessary legal action against violators and ensure that such incidents do not occur again.

PSD Spokesperson Lt. Colonel Mohammad Khatib told The Jordan Times over the phone yesterday that several vehicles of the police, the Civil Defense and the Gendarme Forces were also smashed by rioters outside the stadium.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Jordan Times that the match went on smoothly without tension between players of the two teams, adding that “fans enjoyed a thrilling match in which sportsmanship prevailed”.

Echoing the official story, the eyewitness said that right after the match, security personnel started by securing the exit of the Faisali fans from the stadium in a bid to prevent any clash among spectators outside.

“Then all of a sudden people from outside the stadium started throwing stones at the Gendarme Forces and the remaining fans, causing confusion and chaos among the fans and the security forces as well,” he added.

The eyewitness, a “diehard” fan of Wihdat, said: “The chaotic situation, coupled with the rush of the Gendarme Forces towards the remaining fans to restore order, caused a stampede leading to the collapse of the iron fence separating the crowds from the field.”

“I have watched hundreds of football matches in the country but never witnessed such an incident,” he added.

“Not only fans but also Gendarme personnel were wounded in the metal fence collapse,” he pointed out.

Commenting on riots outside the stadium, the eyewitness said fans of both teams were throwing stones at each other and at the police, causing “significant damage” to public and private properties.

“No one could tell who was throwing stones at whom… it was a complete mess, with police trying in vain to restore order,” he said.

Also on Saturday, Faisali Football Club expressed in a statement its sympathy with the injured, saying what happened after the match was a “casual incident” that both clubs should overcome.

Meanwhile, the Wihdat Club administration announced in a press conference yesterday its decision to suspend its participation in all sports activities until concerned authorities conclude the probe into the incident.

Srour criticized earlier yesterday the “provocative statements” by some parties, echoing a Friday statement by HRH Prince Ali, president of the Jordan Football Association, in which he said that the violent incidents do not reflect true Jordanian values.

The federation held a meeting yesterday to discuss reports related to the match, which Wihdat won 1-0, and reiterated the Prince’s statement and commended the conduct of the rival teams and the referees.

Srour added: “Those who tried to take advantage of the incident, raising provocative statements should have instead sought to ease the tension and restore calm,” pointing out that “their statements pose a threat to Jordan’s rule of law and its integral unity”, in an apparent reference to remarks by Wihdat Club’s president, Tareq Khouri, in which he accused the Gendarme Forces of deliberately attacking the team’s fans and inciting rift among the nation and threatening a “tough response”.

Yesterday, Srour and Safadi checked on the conditions of the injured at the hospitals, according to Petra.

Commenting on the issue, parliamentarians and politicians expressed their rejection and condemnation of the violence, saying that it poses a threat to the security and unity of the Jordanian people.

Lower House Speaker Faisal Fayez underlined that “these behaviors are against Jordan’s values and its integrity”, calling on the citizens to stand against all parties that attempt to harm national unity intentionally or unintentionally.

He referred in this regard to His Majesty King Abdullah’s emphasis that the national unity is “a red line”, according to Petra.

Senate President Taher Masri called on citizens to stand firm against any “evil” attempts that seek to threaten national unity, adding that local and regional challenges “should make us all aware that our country’s interests and its integral unity are top priorities”, Petra said.

Teams from Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) on Saturday morning started maintenance work on the stadium’s iron fence and the players locker rooms, which were also damaged, Petra said.

Director of the sports buildings department at GAM, Nasser Batayneh, said the maintenance teams were expected to finish their work by Saturday evening, adding that periodic maintenance of the King Abdullah Stadium will start on Sunday and will continue for two months.

12 December 2010

Source: The Jordan Times.
Link: http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=32549.

Injuries, arrests as fans clash with police in Moscow - Summary

Sat, 11 Dec 2010

Moscow - Nineteen people were injured and 65 arrested when clashes erupted between football fans and riot police in central Moscow on Saturday, reports said.

The Ria Novosti state news agency quoted Russian authorities as saying clashes broke out at a rally not far from the Red Square in Moscow while there were also clashes in St Petersburg.

Police detained 65 fans in Moscow and 60 in St Petersburg, it was reported.

Around 5,000 fans young people had gathered in Moscow for an unsanctioned demonstration in memory of a fellow supporter, Yegor Sviridov, who was shot dead during a recent fight in the city between fans and migrants from the North Caucasus region.

After police called on the protesters to disperse, they responded by shouting nationalist slogans and attacking passers-by who appeared to be members of ethnic minorities from the Caucasus, a police spokesman said.

Riot police used batons against the demonstrators, while television pictures showed police coming under attack by fans throwing stones, bottles, fireworks, smoke bombs and even parts of the city Christmas tree.

Clashes continued in the metro after fans attacked train passengers at one station because of their "non-Slavic appearance," it was reported.

There were also clashes in St Petersburg where about 2,000 protesters ignored police demands to disperse.

Earlier in the day, around 6,000 Spartak Moscow fans gathered at the bus stop where Sviridov was killed to lay flags at a makeshift memorial.

According to Russian media reports, Sviridov was a member of the Spartak Ultras, a group linked to fan violence in the past.

Commentators say the recent violence and ethnic tension around football raises security concerns for the 2018 World Cup after Russia was awarded the tournament last week.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357707,police-moscow-summary.html.

Three injured in clashes between Shiites and police in Bahrain

Sat, 11 Dec 2010

Manama - Three people were injured, one seriously, when police opened fire on a crowd in the Bahrain village of Malkiya on Saturday, witnesses said.

Clashes erupted when police tried to remove black flags hoisted by Shiites as a sign of mourning.

A 23-year-old was admitted to hospital with gunshot wounds to the head and neck. He was said to be in a serious but stable condition. Two others sustained rubber bullet wounds to the abdomen.

Bahrain is mainly Shiite, but ruled by a Sunni dynasty. The village, west of the capital Manama, is one of several Shiite villages that has seen unrest since late 2007.

Authorities launched a crackdown against Shiite dissidents in mid- August, accusing them of conspiring to overthrow the government. More than 350 people were arrested, 48 of whom are still in detention.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357718,clashes-shiites-police-bahrain.html.

Indian army says 16 terrorists entered India via Nepal: WikiLeaks

Sat, 11 Dec 2010

Kathmandu - A WikiLeaks release of US diplomatic cables claimed 16 terrorists entered India via Nepal in 2009, local media reported Saturday.

According to the freshly released information sent by the US Embassy in New Delhi to the US State Department, Indian Army Chief Deepak Kapoor made the claim during a meeting with US National Security Advisor James Jones in June 2009, Nepal News portal said.

"At least 16 terrorists this year entered India through Nepal and then traveled to Kashmir," Kapoor is quoted as saying, citing the porous border between Nepal and India as a challenge.

Relations between Nepal and its southern neighbor India were strained last month following allegations from the Indian government that international terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba and Nepalese Maoists were training Indian insurgents in Nepal.

The Maoists said they were not involved in any such activity, although they supported the Indian Maoist movement, morally. Nepal government launched an investigation into the issue and defended the allegation as "baseless".

India is facing a violent secessionist movement in the part of Kashmir it administers.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357694,entered-india-nepal-wikileaks.html.

PFLP marks 43rd anniversary, calls for end of internal split

Sat, 11 Dec 2010

Gaza - The left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) marked its 43rd anniversary Saturday with a call on rival Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party to reconcile.

Despite stormy weather in Hamas-ruled Gaza, thousands of PFLP supporters gathered at the city's main stadium, waving red flags and chanting slogans for Palestinian unity.

The group, which opposes the peace accords signed with Israel, is the second-biggest faction in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). It slammed both Fatah and Hamas for not reconciling.

Jamil Majdalawi, a senior PFLP leader, told the crowds that Abbas should undertake a comprehensive policy review, especially in relation to the future of the peace process with Israel.

"The ongoing Palestinian split that resulted from Hamas-Fatah disputes was a hard and complicated moment," said Majdalawi. "People with vested interests are happy with the political division between Gaza and the West Bank."

He said there was a need to rebuild the PLO "since it has become clear that the peace process is in deadlock."

"As long as the Israeli occupation of Jerusalem and the West Bank continues, the Palestinian leadership needs to review all its policies and achieve unity," Majdalawi said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357710,anniversary-calls-internal-split.html.

Bolivia's Morales vows to keep up fight for the environment

Sat, 11 Dec 2010

La Paz - Bolivian President Evo Morales complained Saturday about the climate deal that was reached at the UN summit in Cancun, to which Bolivia objected, and vowed to keep up his fight for the environment.

Left-wing populist Morales, Bolivia's first-ever president of indigenous descent, said the Cancun deal does nothing to preserve nature or humanity.

"A human being's temperature is 37 degrees. If it goes up to 40 degrees there is fever, and if it goes up further there are seizures. It is the same with the Earth. If temperature goes up too far it causes damage to the life of the planet and of humanity," he said, according to Bolivian state news agency ABI.

The compromise reached at Cancun includes a package of new measures to help poor countries combat warming. In order to reach a deal, Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinoza ignored fierce objections by Bolivia, which said the compromise was too weak to confront global warming.

Morales said Saturday that his country did not sign the deal because it will lead to the extinction of humanity.

"Although in Cancun, like in Copenhagen, they marginalize us and do not take into account our proposals to defend life, we will remain in the fight alone, together with the Bolivian people," he said.

Morales noted that social movements around the world backed Bolivia's position, and that the small Andean country will work with them.

"The world cannot insist on irrational industrialization programs which only provoke the extinction of the planet and of humanity," he said.

He stressed that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth although the planet can live on without humans.

"That is why the Earth's rights are more important than human rights," he said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357723,vows-keep-fight-environment.html.