By H.E. Ms Teneng Mba Jaiteh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of The Islamic Republic of The Gambia to The Kingdom of Belgium and Mission to the EU with concurrent accreditation to The Kingdom of The Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Fondly referred to as the Smiling Coast of Africa, The Republic of The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa. Upon gaining independence from Britain in 1965, the country quickly established itself strongly in the West African sub-region as a haven of peace and stability. As a newly independent nation and a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, the government has been able to establish its diplomatic presence in friendly nations the world over. Thus, one of the first missions to be established was the Embassy in Brussels that covers The Kingdom of The Netherlands as well as a large part of the EU.
Though The Gambian economy is largely agrarian, with groundnuts as its main export, it has been able to maintain its stability despite the global economic shocks of the recent past. GDP growth rates in the last few years have ranged between 5% and 7%. Services contribute a significant part of our economy – A major part of this comes from the tourism sub-sector.
The Gambia is renowned in the international tourism industry as a choice destination for European tourists â especially during the European winter months. Its main attraction lies in its proximity to Europe (about five to six hourâs flight from most European cities), its peace and tranquility, pristine beaches, the sub-tropical climate, un-spoilt natural environment and the warmth and friendliness of its people. As a former British Colonial settlement, English has remained as its official language with about six main local languages spoken throughout the country. Despite its geographic size, the country has a diverse and rich cultural heritage that attracts many visitors that want much more than the traditional sun, sea and sand tourism.
The tourism infrastructures include world-class hotels mainly along its long and pristine Atlantic Coastline that offer both international and local cuisine with all the modern amenities including internet facilities, as well as Eco-tourist Hotels and Lodges further inland. As a tourist destination, the country is also able to offer a good range of choices of restaurants, Bars and a vibrant nightlife.
Our diverse flaura and fauna also makes The Gambia an attractive destination for nature lovers including bird watchers (the country is home to over 550 species of birds), and game fishing. The River Gambia which meanders from the Atlantic Coast right across the country, dividing it in half, is itself a major attraction being navigable throughout, with its changing vegetation along its banks, interspersed with lowland rice fields in which rural women could often be seen farming tilling the land whilst singing traditional songs.
A journey to the Smiling Coast cannot be complete without a boat ride on the river and spending some time in one of the eco-lodges along its banks. The hippos and the monkeys are a familiar sight especially in the upper fringes. Baboon Island in the River Gambia National Park is a must for nature lovers. Other attractions in the rural hinterland are the UNESCO Heritage sites of Wassu (stone circles), the Slave houses of Janjanbureh both in the Central Region, as well as James Island (now called Kunta Kinteh Island â named after the African American slave cum freedom fighter depicted in the Book âRootsâ by Alex Haley).
Nowhere is cultural and religious diversity celebrated and nurtured more than in The Gambia where the countryâs majority muslim population lives harmoniously with its Christian minority and, our different ethnic groups each with its own distinct language and unique cultures provide so much diversity yet togetherness and solidarity that we are so proud of.
Our welcoming approach to visitors is more evident during the Christmas season. Despite the fact that less than 5% of the population are Christian, the festive season is celebrated by the whole country across religious lines. The entire nation is literally thrown into a festive and jubilant mood with cultural manifestations in the form of masquerades from the various ethnic groups paraded in the streets of the capital city Banjul and its satellite towns. These masquerades are accompanied by young men and women often wearing the same colour and pattern of fabric, drumming, singing and dancing. The festivities culminate with the traditional New Year fireworks â the most spectacular displays by most of the major hotels along the beach front that is witnessed by large crowds of people ushering in the New Year.
The cultural manifestation is also evidenced in the colourful traditional dresses of the women during the festive season. These are normally complemented with elaborate hairstyles or headties. The hotels and restaurants also make sure that visitors are treated to traditional Gambian drinks and cuisine on request â these include the famous peanut butter stew locally called âdomodaâ and the refreshing sorrel drink called âwonjoâ loved by all visitors.
Thus, a christmas break in The Smiling Coast offers individuals and families with a unique and unforgettable experience. It is small wonder that we register more arrivals during this period which also sees the arrival of Gambianâs in the diaspora coming home for Christmas.
We would be more than happy to welcome you home away from home for Christmas in the smiling coast and assure you of a wonderful experience and giving you all the confidence you need to usher in a bright and prosperous New Year!.
————-Photography by Vicky Bogaert.
By Qi Lin.
âThe Chinese grab for fossil fuels or its military competition for naval control is not a challenge but rather a boost for the US Asia-Pacific âeven an overallâ posture. Calibrating the contraction of its overseas projection and commitments â some would call it managing the decline of an empire â the US does not fail to note that nowadays half of the worldâs merchant tonnage passes though the South China Sea. Therefore, the US will exploit any regional territorial dispute and other frictions to its own security benefit, including the costs sharing of its military presence with the local partners, as to maintain pivotal on the maritime edge of Asia that arches from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, Malacca, the South and East China Sea up to the northwestâcentral Pacific.
Is China currently acting as a de facto fundraiser for the US?ââ professor Anis H. Bajrektarevic famously asked in his policy paper âWhat China wants for Asia: 1975 or 1908?â.
Contextualizing the challenge, hereby a fresh take on the issue.
The U.S. pivot to the Asia-Pacific in Obama Administration has concentrated on reinforcing traditional alliances, redeploying Navy forces, and creating multilateral cooperation mechanisms, such as Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Unfortunately, mounting suspicions have undermined the Sino-U.S. relationship and stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific.
Washington needs to take a larger, more constructive approach. It needs not only to engage China but use U.S. leverage to influence China to act in a parallel fashion. U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific rely on regional stability and require a compatible China. The focus of U.S. policy toward China needs to become a win-win relationship.
In September 2016, Obama and President Xi agreed to work together to constructively manage differences and decided to expand and deepen cooperation. This path is promising:
Greater trust. When the United States emphasizes engaging China in multilateral frameworks it leads, both will be less skeptical about each otherâs ambition. Therefore, the inclusion of China in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) becomes important, and the establishment of new security structure with China to share the U.S. defense responsibilities. The invitation for Chinese Navy to participate in the Rime of the Pacific Exercise later in 2016 is a likely step forward in this direction.
Pragmatic values. Beijingâs political challenges push Chinese leaders to put their priority on domestic growth and stability. Accommodating to U.S. policy preferences enables China to retain stability with a restless populace. Better Sino-U.S. relations take pressure off the US Navyâs budget and even provide the United States an opportunity to reinforce its strength on dealing with security challenges, like nuclear nonproliferation in the North Korea.
A more manageable regional security order. Statements by President Obama in support of a One-China policy and a resolution between maritime claimants reassure China that the U.S. will not act as a regional trouble-maker. The statements by President Xi that China is not interested in pursuing hegemony prevent China sabotaging the current security order. A wider strategic dialogue will improve the Pentagonâs ability to assess Chinaâs military capabilities. Risks of miscalculation will be reduced.
Americaâs allies and Chinaâs neighbors may feel less secure when China and the United States get along. Yet their confidence will rebound as both countries develop a shared understanding of responsibilities, and create more development opportunities. All will become stakeholders in better U.S.-China bilateral relations.
The U.S. and China should make every effort to move forward to a beneficial partnership. Neither party wants confrontation and conflict. Both realize how much is at stake, and how much they have to gain from a successful, stable relationship. Chinaâs future membership in TPP, dialogue and cooperation between the Pentagon and Chinaâs military, and a pragmatic approach to managing regional differences points the way to a better future. Both the United States and China want and deserve an Asia-Pacific region that is prosperous and secure.
About the author: Qi Lin, a MA candidate of the George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs. Her research focus is on cross-Pacific security and Asian studies, particularly on the Sino-U.S. relations and on the foreign policy and politics of these two.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus H.E. Ambassador Alexandros N. Zenon. By Roy Lie A Tjam.
His Excellency Ambassador Alexandros Zenon is a veteran of Cypriot diplomacy who he has been active in the diplomatic world since 1979. He is married with one daughter (24) who is a lawyer. She had her formative years in the Netherlands and, according to her father, has retained some pleasant Dutch characteristics, including the famous punctuality and organization.
Ambassador Zenon studied Law at the National University of Athens and holds a post-graduate DEA degree from Paris IV-Sorbonne University in History, International Relations and Defence. He was also awarded a diploma in European Studies from the International Institute of Public Administration in Paris, and completed the Harvard University course on negotiating processes. He is fluent in Greek, English, French and Italian.
Ambassador Alexandros Zenon.
Ambassador Zenon joined the Foreign Service early in his career and has served in the diplomatic missions of Cyprus in Rome (1982-1989), Vienna-CSCE (1989) and Paris (1991-1996), as well as in various positions and departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nicosia, including in the Foreign Ministerâs private office. He was also a Member of the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
He later became Cyprusâs first resident Ambassador to the Netherlands in 1996. Until that time the Cyprus Ambassador accredited to the Netherlands was based in Brussels.
âItâs good to be back in The Hague twenty years after the establishment of the embassy,â remarked His Excellency. Like the novel Twenty years after by Alexander Dumas (pĂšre), the Netherlands has a special place in AZâs heart. He speaks fondly of the then Queen Beatrix, having been impressed by her warmth, broad interests and intelligence. Ambassador Zenon recalls well the day he presented his credentials to HM Queen Beatrix, a remarkable piece of Dutch diplomatic tradition.
He has served as the Cypriot envoy to a number of European countries, and is currently Cyprusâs Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Permanent Secretary.
Cyprus has always been an important country, strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. Many world powers have tried their hand at dominating the island, including the crusaders. Britain was the last foreign power to control Cypriot shores.
Cyprus adheres to a high standard of justice, and it is for this reason that the country has made the donation of the 3rd century BC sculpture to the International Court of Justice. For over seventy years, the court has been a beacon to nations seeking justice. Cyprus would like the ICJ and the world to know the nation recognises the efforts the court has made in the cause of justice worldwide.
According to Ambassador Zenon, Cyprus is making great strides in ending the dispute over Famagusta, Europeâs ghost city. There is cautious optimism that within the coming months a plan for the (re)unification of Cyprus might be agreed. Peace talks have been taking place in various locations. Recently, UNSG Ban Ki Moon visited the ongoing negotiations in Switzerland to encourage stakeholders to pursue the road to unification.
Ambassador Elpidoforos Economou, Ambassador Alexandros Zenon, Harald Hameleers Press and Communication Counsellor and Roy Lie A Tjam.His Excellency Ambassador Elpidoforos Economou has organized many interesting activities in 2016. Among them was the Famagusta photo exhibition which was a great success. The Ambassador revealed there will be more promotional events to follow in 2017.
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By John DunkelgrĂŒn.
Of course the best sight is hindsight. The US election results, so devastating to so many, should not have come as a surprise. We live in a time when neglected voters are finally protesting.
In The Netherlands it started with Pim Fortuyn and Geert Wilders, in France with the Le Pens, in the (not so)UK with UKIP and in the US with Bernie Sanders. And now we have President elect Donald Trump in the US.
What are some of the causes?
Politically Correct speak and policies fuelled by misplaced guilt over a colonial past eventually make the traditional populations uneasy. This is especially so when minority groups are seen to be overly favoured. This causes âLocal people firstâ type of political movements.
By far most people are in favour of accepting and assisting refugees, but when a trickle becomes a wave and then a tsunami that threatens the economy, the social programs and the very culture of a receiving country, it becomes too much to bear for many. No reassuring âWir schaffen dasâ, will alleviate that anxiety.
Globalisation has demonstrably improved the economy all over the world. So, and even more so, has automation. However in its wake of creative destruction these developments have left behind many manual and clerical workers. It is for society at large to use part of the gains to set up facilities for retraining these people and, where that is impossible, caring for them.
The political elites are too aloof, too far away from the anxieties and real worries of the affected people. They have been blind to the damage caused by the absurd extreme differences in wealth and income between âthe 1%â and the rest. It causes mistrust in the political establishment that can, is and will be be used to great effect by populist politicians.
Mrs. Clinton was made aware of the anxieties of the young liberal left by the success of Bernie Sanders and adjusted her campaign (too little, too late?). She totally ignored the states with large populations of people who were left behind by globalisation and automation. She didnât counter Republican claims of the danger of immigrants, not did she repudiate in a forceful way the slander of crookery, untruthfulness and unreliability poured out forcefully and continually on Republican publications, radio, TV and social media. She did not heed the lessons from the policies of Josef Goebbels and Der StĂŒrmer that lies, when repeated often enough become truths. âTruthsâ that have put her opponent in The White House.
If leaders everywhere donât heed these lessons, next year we may be looking at a world not just with Donald Trump as US President and a UK in the process of leaving the EU and perhaps of breaking up, but with a Germany without Mrs. Merkel, Ms. Le Pen as President of France and Mr. Wilders as Prime Minister of The Netherlands.
By Khadija Arib, President of the House of Representatives of the States General.Before her appointment as President of the House of Representatives in January 2016, Khadija Arib served as an MP for 18 years and spent many years as a member of the Council of Europe. In this capacity, she worked as an election observer on numerous occasions, including in Indonesia, the Palestinian territories and Morocco. âI was moved by how eager people are to exercise their democratic right to vote. The Dutch parliamentary system can play a role in the democratisation, or further democratisation of these countries, with parliamentary diplomacy playing a pivotal role.â Â
Dutch parliamentary democracy has a lengthy history. On 1 March 1796, Pieter Paulus opened the inaugural formal session of the National Assembly (Nationale Vergadering); at the time, the Netherlands still went by the name of the Batavian Republic. Even then, the members embraced the notion of a unitary state based on a constitution, the separation of church and state, and the conviction that members of parliament should be democratically elected. These are concepts that continued to be adhered to in the years that followed; in the Constitution of the Netherlands that was drafted in 1814 by a committee headed by Gijsbert Karel van Hogendorp, in the bicameral system of checks and balances that was introduced in 1815 with the first joint sitting of the States General, and in Johan Rudolph Thorbeckeâs sweeping constitutional amendments of 1848.
For us, democracy is a matter of course. Our political transactions are rooted in fundamental, shared convictions, such as equal treatment in equal circumstances, freedom of expression and lifestyle and an independent judiciary system â all focused on an inclusive, fair society. Our system of representation also ensures that parliament is a reflection of society. While that used to relate primarily to established religious or ideological movements, nowadays, ârepresentativeâ means that the voice of new, sometimes one-issue interest groups without historical ties is also represented in parliament. For example, there are parties in the House of Representatives that specifically represent the interests of Christians and the elderly, and the Netherlands is the only country with a party that specifically represents the interests of animals.
Many countries lack these democratic foundations, and the first stones are now cautiously being laid. During my time as an MP, I worked as an election observer on numerous occasions. I visited places including Indonesia and the Palestinian territories, but also my native Morocco. I witnessed long queues, which people joined early in the morning to spend hours waiting in the rain or searing sun in order to exercise their democratic right to vote. There were often not enough polling stations, and it was not always guaranteed that the elections would be conducted honestly. I remember an elderly woman in Indonesia â she must have been in her nineties â who was absolutely delighted, especially as a woman, to witness a free election during her lifetime. It made me appreciate all the more what a great asset it is that our Dutch democracy functions as it does. It may seem perfectly normal to us, precisely because our system is centuries old, but many countries have yet to gain some rudimentary democratic principles.
I believe that the Dutch parliamentary system can play a role in the further democratisation of such countries. They have started on the road towards democracy and can learn from the best practices of countries and parliaments that, like ours, are democratically elected and work based on the confidence and mandate of their voters â consider, for instance, our neighbouring countries such as Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Parliamentary diplomacy will be pivotal in such efforts. Not as an objective in itself, but as an instrument that we â as parliamentarians â can use to share experiences and learn from each other. This takes place during organised conferences linked to the Council of Europe, the EU, NATO or the OSCE, for example, as well as through bilateral relations. We discuss specific policy areas and mutual relations, but I believe that these discussions should also address the matter of how we can contribute to the realisation of a democratic process in countries where this is not a matter of course.
The Netherlands has long had a reputation as an outward-looking country. It is in our nature to share our experiences with countries that intend to work towards becoming a democratic constitutional state, with elected MPs who act in accordance with a written constitution. That is not something that will happen overnight. We know from experience that democracy is something that develops organically. It did not emerge out of nothing in the Netherlands either; repeated steps were taken towards a more open, transparent and accessible system, with equal rights for all. In this regard, the introduction of universal suffrage in 1917 and women’s suffrage in 1919 are two significant milestones. And our political system remains in a state of flux. For example, the constitutional amendments of 1983 determined that the term of office of the Senate would be reduced to four years and that all senators would be appointed at the same time, while the decision was recently taken to appoint a government committee for âconstitutional reviewâ.
Democracy is not static and can take many forms. In mutual relations, open dialogue is required, with due respect for each otherâs political history and landscape, and culture. I believe that these are the most significant cornerstones of parliamentary democracy: mutual understanding, combined with an intrinsic desire to help each other advance and learn from each other.
———
Photography by Hans Kouwenhoven.
âWe must break with the past to build the future and turn the grim pages of our historyâ Michel Aoun  anuaryâBy Corneliu Pivariu, CEO INGEPO Consulting, MG (two stars general – ret.)
On 1 October 201, the Lebanese Parliament ended the longest period in the history of Lebanon without a President (2 months since the end of President Michel Suleimans term of office – May 2014) after parliamentary sessions in which no candidate could reach the needed quorum to be elected.
The new President is General Michel Aoun, whose election had been expected by many people, including the longeval (first elected on 20 October 1992 and re-elected several times) President of the Lebanese Parliament, Abih Berri, President of the Amal movement (since1980).
General Michel Aoun (born 18 February 1935) can be considered a legendary figure in Lebanon. He was promoted to the rank of general in 1984 and the same year he was appointed commander in chief of the Lebanese army. His military education includes training courses in France and the US. From 22 September 1988 to 13 October 1990 he acted as Prime Minister, having been assigned by President Amine Gemayel at the end of his term of office (a controversial decision which led to the existence of two parallel governments, one led by General Aoun, the other led by Prime Minister Selim Hoss).
On 14 March 1989 Aoun announced the liberation war (against the Syrian armed forces), and on 13 October the Syrian army strongly supported by aviation attacked the area controlled by Aoun, including the presidential palace in Baabda, killing hundreds of Lebanese soldiers and civilians. General Aoun took refuge at the French Embassy in Beirut, later being evacuated in an operation of the French intelligence services and army and he received political asylum in France, where he has remained for 15 years – until 2005. He returned to Beirut on 7 May 2005, 11 days after the withdrawal of the Syrian troops from Lebanon, being cheered by hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people in the streets of Beirut.
His political evolution is marked by a high tenacity, a great understanding of the complicated political developments in Lebanon, of the relations between different parties, groups and personalities, but also of the regional and global geopolitical developments. In 2006, as head of the Patriotic Liberation Movement, he signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Hezbollah, an alliance that remained in effect even today, and in 2009 he proved his political maturity again by visiting Syria.
His complex personality made us insist and succeed in obtaining an interview for the Geostrategic Pulse during our travel to Beirut in the summer of 2010, which has been published in a special issue dedicated to Lebanon.    Michel Aoun continued to prove maturity and appropriateness on the Lebanese political arena in order to reach a political consensus to elect a President at the end of Michel Suleimans mandate in 2014 and he gradually succeeded it. The public statement made by Saad Hariri on 20 October in which he showed that his parliamentary block – Alliance 14 March ( 45 MPs) would vote for the election of Michel Aoun as president, is another signal for the settlement of the presidential crisis.
There are also the positions of other Lebanese political leaders, of which we mention Samir Geagea, which does not mean that they have a less important role.  Although Michel Aoun was elected with 83 votes out of 127, this majority was reached only in the second valid ballot (after the first round, two other rounds were invalidated due to a number of votes higher than the numbers of MP present). General Aoun obtained 84 votes in the first round (one vote less than the two-thirds majority required), for the second round being required only a simple majority of 50 % plus one (64 votes).
These details highlight the fragility of the Lebanese political arena and if from the outside it would seem that a new President would be mostly the result of the agreements between Tehran and Riyadh or of Moscows influence (in early October Saad Hariri met Sergei Lavrov in Moscow), the election of President Michel Aoun is primarily due to the domestic political arrangements.
In his first speech after being elected as President, Aoun spoke about: the primary concern for âpolitical stability, respect of the law, the National Pact and the Constitutionâ; âthe necessity to adopt a new electoral law to ensure fair representativeness to the next parliamentary elections” (scheduled for June 2017); Lebanons neutrality; economic and social reforms; âthe provision of security and stability through cooperation between security services and justiceâ the consolidation of the army – as a priority.  A new prime minister is to be appointed, most likely in the person of Saad Hariri, the new government is to be formed, but that does not mean that the old problems will be solved in Lebanon.
About the author: Corneliu Pivariu, former first deputy for military intelligence (two stars general) in the Romanian MoD, retired 2003. Member of IISS – London, alumni of Harvard – Kennedy School Executive Education and others international organizations. Founder of INGEPO Consulting, and bimonthly Bulletin, Geostrategic Pulseâ. Main areas of expertise â geopolitics, intelligence and security.Photography by INGEPO Consulting Photographer Ionus Paraschiv.
By Jhr. Alexander W. Beelaerts van Blokland LL.M.The Hague hosts many international courts, tribunals and other organizations and soon a new one will be added: the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutorâs Office. What is it ?The former Prosecutor of the ICTY (the Yugoslavia Tribunal) Mrs. Carla Delponte pointed out in her memoirs that allegedly in the years 1998 â 2000 very serious crimes were committed in Kosovo and Albania by (former) members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The Council of Europe started an investigation and the result was the Marty report in 2011, that confirmed Mrs. Delponteâs accusations. The Special Investigative Task Force, established by the European Union, concluded in 2014 that there was sufficient evidence to start legal cases. But: for which court ?The EU reached an agreement with Kosovo about additional chambers on every level of the Kosovo court system (Basic Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and Constitutional Court) and a Public Prosecutor Office to conduct the trials. They will function according to relevant Kosovo laws as well as customary international law and international human rights law. Because of experiences with other cases, it was decided for safety reasons to establish these chambers outside Kosovo: in The Netherlands. There is now a (provisional) host state agreement with The Netherlands. The Dutch parliament agreed. Apart from the EU the project has been supported and co-sponsored by Canada, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and the USA.The Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutorâs Office will have jurisdiction over crimes against humanity, war crimes and other crimes under Kosovo law in relation to allegations reported in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Report of 7 January 2011. They will be established in the former EUROPOL-building at the Raamweg in the International Zone of The Hague. A Prosecutor (Mr David Schwendiman from the USA) and a Registar (Ms Fidelma Donlon from Ireland) have been nominated. The judges will come from EU-countries and the abovementioned supporting countries from outside the EU. Only the President will be nominated full time, the other judges will work via the so called roster system. All will start in 2017 or 2018.The City of The Hague is happy and proud to host another important international tribunal.About the author: Jhr. Alexander W. Beelaerts van Blokland LL.M. Justice (Judge) in the (Dutch) Court of Appeal and honorary Special Advisor International Affairs, appointed by the Mayor & Aldermen of The Hague. a.beelaerts@planet.nl   Â
Tashken, Uzbekistan, December 2, 2016 – On December 4, the first presidential elections will be held first time in history the Republic of Uzbekistan since the sudden death of Islam Karimov on September 2nd this year. In power since 1991 when the country reclaimed its independence from the Soviet Union, Islam Karimov became the first and unique president since.
The Constitution of the Uzbek Republic specifies in articles 96, 117 and article 8 of the Electoral Law on Elections that political parties must present their candidates sixty-five days before the elections. A political campaign with Uzbek accent on reforms started immediately after in Tashken and then in every city. Today a big concentration has been announced in Bukhara, 300 kms from the capital.
” On the death of President Karimov on 2 September, in my capacity as President of the Central Electoral Commission, called for an extraordinary consultation with the members of the commission and we decided to call for early elections.” The president of that entity, Mirzo-Ulugbek, Abdusalomov, declared this morning during the conference organized to inform 400 international observers about all the details of the presidential elections at the Tashken
âAccording to the Law on elections of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan the most important guarantees for adhering to and ensuring universally recognized international principles of electoral law are:
First, conducting transparent and open, free and genuine, fair elections (art. 5, Law); Second, organization and conduct of elections of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan by independent electoral commissions (art. 4, Law); Third, state financing the elections of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and electoral campaign of candidates (art. 6, Law); Fourth, state informational support to elections of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and pre-election agitation (chapter IV, Law); Fifth, participation in elections of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan by national, international and foreign observes (art. 5, Law); Sixth, appealing and responsibility for violation of legislation on elections of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (art.7, Law) and finally Seventh, taking non-discrimination measures (art. 2, Law).â
Tashken Convention Center.
Four parties will be represented on tomorrowÂŽs Uzbek elections:
Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party, Founded 15 November 2003. To create new opportunities for entrepreneurs building democratic market economy. Creating new opportunities for development of civil societies. Mirziyoyev Shavkat Miromonovich
Uzbekistan Peopleâs Democratic Party, was founded on 1st November, 1991. Social support to candidate Ketmonov Xotamjon
Uzbekistan National Revival Democratic Party, founded 20 June, 2008. To value and restore Uzbek culture, also trying to build links with other states in central Asia. Sarvar Otamurodov.
Justice, Social Democratic Party, founded on 18 January, 1995. Improving social life of citizens developing international relationship. Candidate Narimon Umarov.
Saidov Akmal Xolmatovich, first ambassador of Uzbekistan to France and one of the speakers during the conference mentioned that âthe right to vote exists since the origins of the Republic of Uzbeksitan. Participation of NGOâs is 3%, 90,000 commission lection participants , every political party participates, having 9,398 polling centers ready for tomorrowÂŽs elections.â
The elections
Last September the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan led by its Chairman Mirza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov, organised a meeting with the heads of political parties and the mass media to officially determinate the date of the next presidential election.
After the death on September second of President Islam Karimov, first president of the Republic of Uzbekistan, four parties will present their candidates on December 4th. The contestants are Shavkat Mirziyoyev candidate from the Uzbekistan Liberal âDemocratic Party, Sarvar Otamuratov from the Milly Tiklanish Democratic Party, Hatamjon Ketmonov from the Uzbekistan Peopleâs Democratic Party and Narimon Umariv candidate of the Adolat Social Democratic Party.
The Chairman of the Commission said that the pre-electoral activities are carried out in strict accordance with the requirements of legislation. Furthermore the Commission invited many international organisations and medias among them Diplomat Magazine, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, CIS Executive Committee, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the World Association of World Election Bodies to participate as observers in the Presidential Elections
By His Excellency Mr Mir-Hamza Efendiyev, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the Netherlands.
Azerbaijan has started promoting the âMade in Azerbaijanâ brand in foreign markets. Azerbaijanâs President Ilham Aliyev approved the rule of defining and regulating the mechanism of paying a part of the expenditures from state budget, organizing export missions to foreign countries, exploring foreign markets and marketing activities abroad. Local companies will receive certificates and patents in foreign countries for export, research programs and projects for development of export.
The energy-rich country announced its intention to develop potential mechanisms and economic growth models with a view to adapt its own model to those of most advanced. Azerbaijani President described the 2016 year as year of economic reforms, which should lead the state of the economy in accordance with the requirements of the post-oil period. Regardless of the ongoing deep economic and financial crisis in the world, Azerbaijan is doing its best to protect the domestic economy against the negative repercussions. The main priorities of the new phase will be increase in competitiveness of the domestic economy.
Over the past 13 years, the gross domestic product has tripled. Significant steps to reduce unemployment and poverty have been taken. Nowadays, both unemployment and poverty are about 5 per cent in our country. A significant part of the Azerbaijani economy is connected with natural resources. The governmentâs main objective is to ensure macroeconomic stability and the normal rate of inflation. At the end of 2015, inflation was less than 4 percent. Azerbaijanâs economy is diversified, with the non-oil sector accounting for about 70 percent of the gross domestic product.
Azerbaijan, which is keen to ensure further economic growth through the non-oil sector, is currently engaged in the creation of its strategic road map, which is expected to become the main document of the economic strategy for the next ten years. The document will be comprehensive, as academic circles and the community were involved in its creation. The government is preparing a number of documents, which include a road map for the period of one year, the strategy of economic growth for 2016-2020 and improvement plan, as well as long-term vision till 2025 and target vision after 2025.
The State Agency for Public Services and Social Innovations (ASAN) serves as an excellent example of Azerbaijanâs institutional reform in the fight against corruption. This is a network of centers where government services are delivered in a unified and coordinated manner by highly skilled and motivated public servants. All of the services in the center are processed online. The six core principles of the ASAN are: being customer-centric, connecting up government, building capacity, delivering on its promise to the public, innovation and fighting against corruption. Currently, ASAN service provides 30 legal and 32 various functional services.
On the other hand, the directions of tax reforms approved in August 2016 will make it possible to apply more favorable value-added tax rates for the socially vulnerable layers of the population, reduce the tax burden on small and medium-sized business, resolve problems during taxation of trade operations. The tax reforms also implies reducing the tax burden. First of all, this will apply to small and medium entrepreneurs. Azerbaijani government has recently taken serious measures for the development of small and medium-sized business. Cancellation of all types of inspections of entrepreneurial activities for a period of two years in November 2015 is among such measures.
In recent years, Azerbaijan has paid importance to boost local production, allocating funds to both public and private sectors. An important role belongs to the factors related to economic reforms, which will continue to improve the business environment in the country.
The government continues to ensure the transparency of the economic and financial sector. Bilateral business forums, visit of the Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev to the Netherlands in 2015, and his Dutch counterpart Henk Kamp to Azerbaijan in 2016 established more solid basis for future cooperation. It is an interesting fact that more than hundred companies with Dutch capital are operating in Azerbaijan.
Planned visit of Azerbaijani Agriculture Minister Heydar Asadov to the Netherlands at the end of October 2016 will give an additional impetus for further cooperation. Introduction of the brand âMade in Azerbaijanâ creates new opportunities for Dutch investors by introducing their know-how to Azerbaijani market, and therefore we invite Dutch entrepreneurs not to miss this opportunity.
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Photography by Azertac.
What are some of the causes?
Politically Correct speak and policies fuelled by misplaced guilt over a colonial past eventually make the traditional populations uneasy. This is especially so when minority groups are seen to be overly favoured. This causes âLocal people firstâ type of political movements.
By far most people are in favour of accepting and assisting refugees, but when a trickle becomes a wave and then a tsunami that threatens the economy, the social programs and the very culture of a receiving country, it becomes too much to bear for many. No reassuring âWir schaffen dasâ, will alleviate that anxiety.
Globalisation has demonstrably improved the economy all over the world. So, and even more so, has automation. However in its wake of creative destruction these developments have left behind many manual and clerical workers. It is for society at large to use part of the gains to set up facilities for retraining these people and, where that is impossible, caring for them.
The political elites are too aloof, too far away from the anxieties and real worries of the affected people. They have been blind to the damage caused by the absurd extreme differences in wealth and income between âthe 1%â and the rest. It causes mistrust in the political establishment that can, is and will be be used to great effect by populist politicians.
Mrs. Clinton was made aware of the anxieties of the young liberal left by the success of Bernie Sanders and adjusted her campaign (too little, too late?). She totally ignored the states with large populations of people who were left behind by globalisation and automation. She didnât counter Republican claims of the danger of immigrants, not did she repudiate in a forceful way the slander of crookery, untruthfulness and unreliability poured out forcefully and continually on Republican publications, radio, TV and social media. She did not heed the lessons from the policies of Josef Goebbels and Der StĂŒrmer that lies, when repeated often enough become truths. âTruthsâ that have put her opponent in The White House.
If leaders everywhere donât heed these lessons, next year we may be looking at a world not just with Donald Trump as US President and a UK in the process of leaving the EU and perhaps of breaking up, but with a Germany without Mrs. Merkel, Ms. Le Pen as President of France and Mr. Wilders as Prime Minister of The Netherlands.
