News

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has outlined its own steps for the resolution of the Kurdish issue, criticizing the government for its lack of hesitance on the peace process

Concrete steps should be taken by the government through legislative and judicial arrangements in order to prevent failure in the stalled peace process, a senior executive of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has said.

KUALA BESUT, July 17 (Bernama) -- A win in the Kuala Besut state seat by-election on July 24 is crucial for development programmes planned by the government in the area to be implemented in the best possible manner.

Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said the federal government could easily channel aid to the area if the state government was from the same party as the central government.

"This factor must be taken into account by voters," he told reporters after visiting Kampung Nangka and Kampung Lampu, here, Wednesday.

The transitional period that includes constitutional amendments, parliamentary elections and ends with presidential elections is expected to finish within nine months, said Mostafa Higazy, presidential advisor for political affairs.

In a press conference at the presidential palace on Wednesday, Higazy announced that the roadmap detailed in the constitutional declaration released last week is beginning to come to shape, reported state-run Al-Ahram.

KABUL (PAN): As some Wolesi Jirga members objected the way the population census law was passed earlier this week, the lower house on Wednesday appointed a delegation to investigate the issue.

BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri questioned reasons behind a boycott of Parliament and a campaign against the Army, saying Wednesday the two are part of the same issue.

“The most dangerous [thing] facing us today is this attack on the Lebanese Army by some and this suspicious campaign,” lawmakers quoted Berri as saying after attending a weekly meeting in Ain el-Tineh.

The Council of Ministers yesterday agreed to allow a team of international monitors to observe the July 27 elections in cooperation with Kuwait Transparency Society. The Cabinet said after its weekly meeting that the decision was taken to ensure that standards of transparency and fairness are completely applied at the next election.

Interim President Adly Mansour presided over the swearing-in Tuesday evening of the transitional cabinet, which is scheduled to function for six months.

In total, 34 ministers were sworn in; General Abdel Al-Sisi will remain as minister of defence as well as being deputy prime minister. He is joined by Amin Al-Mahdi as minister of justice, Reda Mahmoud Hafez as the minister of military production, Nabil Fahmi as the minister of foreign affairs, and Major General Mohammed Ibrahim as the minister of the interior.

The Constitutional Drafting Committee election law was today approved by the General National Congress (GNC), after days of debate.

KABUL (PAN): Some upper house members on Tuesday suggested holding a consultative jirga on finding solutions to Afghanistan’s problems, but others said such forums had no legal basis.