Russia extends presidential terms
Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev signed a constitutional amendment Tuesday extending presidential terms in the country from four years to six, a change that many suspect is intended to benefit his predecessor – and possible successor – Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Medvedev gave final approval to the measure after a hurried legislative drive that lasted less than two months, ignoring complaints by the opposition that parliament is legally required to wait a year before ratifying any change to the constitution.
Conakry, Guinea
Banker appointed prime minister
Coup leaders in Guinea named a civilian banker as prime minister Tuesday, making good on a key promise a week after seizing power upon the death of the country’s longtime dictator.
Their choice, Kabine Komara, is a director of the African Export-Import Bank in Cairo, a 14-year-old institution that promotes trade between African states. His selection raises hopes the military junta may also honor other commitments, including holding elections and cracking down on corruption.
This West African nation has an abundance of gold, diamonds, iron, timber and half the world’s reserves of bauxite, the raw material used to make aluminum. But for the past 24 years, Guinea’s treasury has been pillaged by officials loyal to the late President Lansana Conte and its people have fallen deeper and deeper into poverty.
Coup leader Capt. Moussa Camara’s troops have held raids over the last two days to reclaim government property allegedly stolen by Conte’s inner clique. The European Union on Tuesday reiterated its condemnation of the coup, urging the junta to hand over executive power to an interim civilian government that will organize elections.
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Loser calls election ‘farcical’
Bangladesh’s first election in seven years was called largely free, fair and the most peaceful in decades, but the bitter feelings between the two women who have dominated politics re-emerged as the loser rejected her archrival’s win.
This week’s vote returned former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to power in a landslide. But her rival’s accusation of vote fraud indicated Hasina will find it difficult to escape paralyzing power struggles in a country long plagued by corruption and misrule. Both women faced recent corruption charges.
“It is a farcical election,” Khaleda Zia, also a former prime minister, said in a televised news conference early today, claiming the results did not reflect the people’s opinion.
Hasina, however, offered to work with Zia.