The Caravel | Volume IV, Issue III

VOL UM E I V | ISSU E IV

W A SH I N G TON , D.C. FRI DA Y FEBRUA RY 17, 2017

E. EUROPE & C. ASIA Congressman’s Words Incense Macedonia pg.4 Russia Decriminalizes Domestic Violence pg.5

LATAM & THE CARIBBEAN Colombian President Accused of Bribery pg.7 Venezuela and Russia Pursue Strengthed Diplomatic Relations pg.7

MIDDLE EAST & N. AFRICA Yemen’s Civil War Heats Up pg.8 Algeria Announces 2017 Parliamentary Elections Date pg.9

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA High Court Grants Somali Refugees Reprieve pg.10 Africa Cup of Nations Marred by Poor Pitch Quality pg.11

SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIA Pakistan Declaration Improves China Ties pg.12 NPA insurgents attack after end of ceasefire in Phillipines pg.13

WESTERN EUROPE Merkel Struggles in Federal Election pg.14 Leader of Catolonian Independence Stands on Trial pg.15

British Speaker of the House Denounces Trump Visit Andi Kamyab The Speaker of the House of Commons of the British Parliament, John Bercow, declared his refusal to invite U.S. President Donald Trump to speak to Members of Parliament (MPs) in Westminster, according to the BBC News.

Berkow argued that opposition to racism and sexism were hugely important considerations to be taken into account

The news comes after Donald Trump met with British Prime Minister Theresa May last month and agreed to pay a state visit to the United Kingdom. Since then, a petition has been enacted to withdraw this invitation, amassing over 6 million signatures, set to be debated by MPs later this month.

According to The Guardian, in an address to MPs on February 6, Bercow

argued that “opposition to racism and sexism [were] hugely important considerations” to be taken into account.

Bercow criticized President Trump’s Muslim ban; however, according to The Independent, 29 per cent of U.K. citizens support a similar travel ban for the U.K. Bercow went on to sug-

Bercow’s unprecedented actions were met with mixed responses gest that he would refuse to invite the U.S. president to speak at Westminster, and that the opportunity to speak in the prestigious Westminster Hall “is not an automatic right [but] an earned honour.”

Bercow’s unprecedented actions were met with mixed responses. While many viewed his comments as admirable, others have responded with anger, arguing that he has breached his position of power. According to The Independent, a few cabinet ministers even

COURTESY OF SAM LEE SFS ‘19

EAST ASIA & OCEANIA Beijing Firecrackers Spark Pollution Issues p.2 Kiribati Mulls Proposal to Restore Russian Monarchy p.2

Bercow refuses to invite U.S. President Donald Trump to speak to MPs

expressed suspicion as to Bercow’s motives given that he commented on the issue so publicly. It is unusual for a neutral Speaker to moralize on such a topic, and one unnamed minister told The Daily Telegraph that they even thought Mr. Bercow had orchestrated the episode to secure his backing for another term as Speaker.

Many MPs lauded Bercow, commending him on the courage of his convictions.

According to The Independent, after concluding his speech Veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner calmly stated, “Further to that point of order, two words: well done.”

See British Speaker pg.14

Russia-Belarus Tensions Rise López Obrador Campaign Alex Kleitman Russia reinstated controls along its border with Belarus last week as tensions continue to rise between the two countries. The two ex-Soviet neighbors, who have made up the Union State of Russia and Belarus since 1996, had no controls on their border until now.

The government-owned news site TASS announced the move on January 26, when the head of Russia’s Federal Security Services (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov signed decrees setting up border zones in the Russian regions of Smolensk, Pskov, and Bryansk. These decrees came into effect on February 5.

The FSB assured that the new rules would not restrict freedom of travel across the border for either of the country’s citizens and explained that the border zones were simply designed to prevent illegal migration, drug trafficking and the illicit movement of goods.

However, many see the move as retaliation for Belarus’ recently improving relations with the West.

In a decree signed on January 9, Lukashenko abolished visa requirements for citizens of 80 countries including all European Union (EU) nations and the United States. Citizens can now stay in Belarus for up to five days without a visa, provided that they enter through Minsk International Airport.

Russia views it not only as as a national security threat but also as a further testimony to its diminishing grip on Lukashenko.

In recent years, the Belarusian President has taken more liberty in his statements on Russia. In March 2014, he criticized the annexation of Crimea; the Financial Times quoted a statement of his in which he said, “Ukraine should stay a united, undivided, nonaligned state”.

See Tensions Rise pg.4

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Advances for 2018 Election

Sofia Vargas Andrés Manuel López Obrador, party leader of the left-wing National Regeneration Movement (Morena), announced some of his campaign promises for the 2018 presidential

This is not the first time López Obrador, referred to as AMLO by the Mexican media, has run for president in Mexico

elections at an assembly in the southern state of Veracruz on February 5.

This is not the first time López Obrador, referred to as AMLO by the Mexican media, has run for president

in Mexico. Previously, he led the last two presidential elections representing the center-left Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD). He has also formerly served as Mexico City’s mayor. Now, AMLO leads the leftist Morena party.

His populist rhetoric, so far, caters to the growing anger that many Mexicans feel toward their own president and President Trump.

Domestic issues, such as violence, corruption, and the deregulation of gas prices, continue to stir political controversy, dividing the Mexican people. President Trump’s anti-Mexico policies, such as his executive orders In January, for example, AMLO called on the Mexican government to submit a formal complaint to the United Nations regarding Trump’s plans to build a wall.

See López Obrador pg.6

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EAST ASIA AND OCEANIA

Andrea Moneton China’s tradition of setting-off fireworks to celebrate the Spring Festival has caused concerns over rising pollution levels in Beijing and other major Chinese cities. The fireworks and firecrackers heard consistently throughout the Spring Festival period, which began on January 27 this year, have caused the amount of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air to rise to hazardous levels in Beijing, where the Air Quality Index (AQI) surpassed 600 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter. The index considers levels above 300 hazardous.

Beijing’s pollution problem has gone on for years and typically draws special attention in winter when coal plants are most active to sate heating demands. BBC reports pollution in Beijing most recently reentered the international spotlight when Beijing’s city government declared a pollutionrelated red alert on December 8, followed by a second red alert on December 18. These marked the

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first times that Beijing has issued red alerts since it implemented a fourtier alert system in 2012, according to China Daily. Following the red alert declarations, the city closed public schools, halted outdoor construction, and restricted the number of cars allowed to drive.

Given the recent increase in public and government-level concerns over pollution in Beijing, the popular tradition of lighting fireworks during the Chinese New Year has come under fire. The city government and state-owned media outlets seemed optimistic about pollution during the New Year. The city reduced the number of shops permitted to sell fireworks by nearly 30 percent and found that firework sales decreased nearly five percent by Chinese New Year’s Eve. In addition, state-owned media outlet Xinhua conducted a poll in Beijing and found that 83 percent of citizens would not light firecrackers this year.

However, these reports clashed with realities on the street and in the

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Beijing Firecrackers Spark Pollution Issues

Kiribati Mulls Proposal to Restore Russian Monarchy Air pollution in China has reportedly increased due to sources such as fireworks

air. Citizens had only to listen from their windows or walk around to hear non-stop fireworks going off. In the Chaoyang neighborhood of Beijing, people joyfully stopped cars as their fireworks both lit up the city’s sky and visibly polluted the air.

“It’s a tradition,” a retired resident of Chaoyang said during celebrations on Chinese New Year’s Eve. “The government tries to restrict the sale of fireworks, and there’s no doubt they cause pollution, but it’s a part of the holiday.”

Hours later, the AQI peaked at 647, surpassing Beijing’s self-imposed limit of 500.

AQI levels still topped 500 the

following morning but have since fallen back to mostly healthy levels as of January 29. Although the fireworks can doubtless be tied to rising pollution levels in the short-term surrounding the Spring Festival, the government’s emphasis on this correlation seems to be disproportionate. In the long term, preventing citizens from lighting fireworks will not prevent pollution, especially since many cities forbid their use outside the four days of celebration of the Spring Festival.

Outside of Chinese New Year, citizens will continue to await regulations on coal plants, among other instigators, to meaningfully reduce pollution in Beijing and across China.

Uncertainties Loom Over Refugees in Oceania Kayla Yoon The United States has stopped screening refugees held on Nauru Island for resettlement to the U.S., according to Australian Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton. The announcement followed after a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on January 29.

Australia has traditionally been known for strict immigration policies.

Since 2013, it has strictly maintained the policy of not resettling asylumseekers that arrived by boat, including even those with legal refugee status.

Most Australians support this policy.

The government sends refugees to detention facilities on the Nauru and Manus Islands in Papua New Guinea, places that the United Nations have criticized for dire conditions. Most refugees in Australia are from Sri

Lanka, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, all of which boast significant Muslim populations.

Yet, refugees had previously found hope in the U.S.-Australia refugee resettlement deal signed in November 2016 by then U.S. President Barack Obama and Turnbull. Under the agreement, Obama promised to resettle an unspecified number of refugees from Australia’s offshore detention centers. Two U.S. officials would interview the refugees over a period of six months under the plan.

In return, Turnbull agreed to resettle refugees from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

Trump described this agreement as a “dumb deal,” and the deal now faces a serious revision. He stopped the refugee screening process and promised to send U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials to revise the U.S.-Australia refugee deal.

Gordon Ahl Anton Bakov, a former Russian parliamentarian and businessman, wants to restore the Russian monarchy on three uninhabited islands in the nation of Kiribati, seeking to purchase the land for hundreds of millions of dollars. Kiribati’s Foreign Investment Commission is currently considering the proposal, with mixed opinions.

Bakov says he will construct his alternative Russia by investing $350 million into hotels and tourism on the three islands. Bakov is a member of the monarchist party, which seeks to reform Russia under Czarist leadership.

The monarchy was overthrown in 1917 during the Russian Revolution, but Bakov intends to recreate it. He created the Imperial Throne, a selfdesignated nation lacking any territory in 2011. He believes that the Kiribati land purchase will resolve the issue of the Imperial Throne’s lack of sovereign territory.

Former Kiribati President Teburoro Tito favors the purchase. “If they can do it, without any cost on us, except from the land which we can host them, then I don’t see any fuss at this stage,” said Tito.

However, others such as Sitiveni Halapua, a Pacific Development Specialist, oppose the proposal due to its unusual nature. The total GDP of Kiribati in 2015 was $160 million. A $350 million investment from Bakov, therefore, would have a profound impact on the island nation.

“This is the desire of…a great number of Russian patriots who are not happy with Putin’s regime,” said Bakov’s wife. The monarchist movement in Russia has received little traction, as few Russian citizens see it as a realistic plan, even if they oppose President Vladimir Putin. The island resorts, however, could offer a boost to the popularity of Bakov’s monarchical movement.

F E B. 17, 2017 | 3

Ban Ki-moon Withdraws from Presidential Race Former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced his withdrawal as a candidate from the upcoming presidential race in South Korea on February 1.

Ban implied his intention to run for the presidency upon his arrival to South Korea on January 12. However, his road to a prospective candidacy faced significant obstacles even before it kicked off.

On December 24, Korean news outlet Sisa Press exclusively reported that Ban allegedly received a total of $230,000 in bribes on two separate occasions in 2005 and 2007. In early January, U.S. prosecutors charged Ban’s younger brother and his nephew on a separate case of bribery over real estate.

Ban also hesitated to clarify his position on “comfort women,” an unresolved contention between Korea and Japan over sex slaves during World War II. Korean journalists pressed him to elucidate his position as he began his campaign, and this frustration erupted when a recording device inadvertently caught him deriding those journalists.

Because Ban spent ten years away

from his home nation, his campaign focused on portraying him as an average Korean citizen rather than an international elite. However, the campaign tactic ultimately failed, only reinforcing an aristocratic image.

Reports indicated that his campaign requested presidential-level security protocol at Incheon Airport and videos showed him struggling to obtain a subway ticket from a vending machine.

This series of allegations and gaffes may have influenced Ban to drop out of the race, but he described them as fake news and rumors. He also attributed the current political climate to his withdrawal.

“Each politician had his or her own agenda,” explained Ban in an interview with Hangook Ilbo. “They have spoken about fulfilling public service, but most of them were unable to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.”

Ban lacked a clear political identity, and he was unable to find a political party that matched his persona. The main opposition party, the liberal Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), was already set on putting its former party leader Moon Jae-in on its ticket. The conservatives split into two factions after the ruling New Frontier

Party (NFP) faced an exodus of 29 lawmakers who refused to support President Park Geun-hye.

Describing himself as a “progressive conservative,” Ban also left room to join the moderate liberal People’s Party or create his own party.

From early on, his chance of winning was very slim despite his status as a frontrunner among conservative candidates. The public continued to select MPK as their favorite party, and Ban was never able to surpass Moon’s support rate. According to polling agency RealMeter, Ban started with a

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22.2 percent support rate on January 12, but it continued to plummet afterwards.

Having lost the most viable candidate for the upcoming election this year, the conservatives face a difficult decision concerning possible candidates to endorse. Meanwhile, Moon continues to increase his lead. Potential contenders for the conservative ticket include Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn for the NFP and Representative Yoo Seong-min for the newly-created Bareun Party.

Ban Ki-Moon meets with President Park Geun-hye during her visit to New York

Okinawa Governor Lobbies Washington Politicians Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga travelled to Washington D.C. on February 3 to lobby politicians to reconsider relocating the U.S. military base in his prefecture. He restated his opposition to the substantial presence of the U.S. military on his island, indirectly urging Japanese citizens back home to reconfigure the security arrangements between the two countries.

Newly-appointed U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis visited Tokyo on February 4 and agreed with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to proceed with the highly controversial plan to relocate a U.S. base within Okinawa Prefecture.

According to The Japan Times, Onaga told reporters in Washington that it was “regrettable” that Abe and Mattis agreed to advance the bilateral plan, which would move the Futenma U.S. Marine Corps Air Station in Ginowan to the Henoko district of Nago in Okinawa.

Asahi Shimbun claims that in a joint news conference with Defense

Minister Tomomi Inada on February 4, Mattis commented on the work in Henoko, stating that, “During my discussions here, we agreed that our mutual efforts to build the Futenma replacement facility will continue, and it is the only solution that will enable the United States to return the current Marine Corps Air Station at Futenma to Japan.”

The relocation plan, delayed for two decades, is a key part of a broader bilateral agreement to reorganize U.S. military forces in Japan.

During his time in Washington, The Japan News stated that Onaga held talks with 12 Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as State Department officials involved in handling Japanese affairs.

While Onaga intended to make contact with the President’s close aides, he could not do so, only briefly meeting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at a coincidental breakfast in a Washington hotel. Furthermore, Asahi Shimbun reported one of the State Department officials who met with Onaga reiterated that the transfer

of the military base to Henoko is the only solution.

Many Okinawans, according to RT News, believe that a Trump presidency would lead to a possible breakthrough with the removal of U.S. bases. As opposed to Barack Obama’s affinity for U.S. military bases around the world, Trump stated that he would charge foreign nations to pay for U.S. military protection and would remove these

bases if no such payments came.

RT News stated that activists opposing the U.S. military presence on the island have protested for as long as the bases have existed, insisting that the land be returned to the people.

Okinawa hosts 74 percent of Japan’s total U.S. military presence despite occupying only 6 percent of the whole of Japan.

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Jaebok Lee

Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga Meets Lt. Gen John Wissler in December 2014

EDITOR’S NOTE: Joshua Chang

J

apanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic policies, collectively known as “Abenomics,” aim to stimulate growth in Japan’s stagnant economy. According to the official Abenomics website, Abe’s policies constitute unprecedented changes in fiscal and monetary policy to reverse negative growth.

Prior to Abe’s induction as prime minister, the Japanese economy suffered from low exports, low consumer spending, and a dysfunctional labor market.

Under Abenomics, Abe has reduced government taxation to increase spending and national GDP. Furthermore, he has devalued the Japanese yen in order to encourage buyers in other countries to import Japanese products, funneling more money into the country.

Another piece in Abe’s economic policy involves the removal of barriers to the establishment of new businesses.

Japanese and foreign investors are concerned that rigid government policies prevent them from doing business within the country, and Abe fears the “flight” of capital from the country. By loosening these policies, Abe seeks to revitalize a static Japanese economy hindered by lack of startups and entrepreneurship.

According to economists, Abenomics has met with mixed results. In the short-run, although it increased consumer consumption, many of the longterm issues still remain. Abe insists that his policies need more time to be effective, but Abenomics as a whole has stirred wide controversy as the country struggles to stabilize itself. Another point of concern for the Japanese economy is the fact that because the majority of the population consists of senior citizens set to retire, the country will soon lose a substantial portion of its workforce, burdening current workers in the labor force.

Should Abe’s reforms fail to bring further growth, Japan’s economy may continue to go down its current path of stagnation.

Overall, Abenomics can be seen as an attempt not only to strengthen Japan’s stance in the international market but to also strengthen the country regionally.

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EASTERN EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA

Percy Metcalfe

T

he real fight for Ukraine is not between separatists and the Kiev government or between Russians and Ukrainians. Rather, it is a struggle of Western Europe and America against the increasingly autocratic Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This battle has been raging since the 2004 Orange Revolution, when Russian stooge Viktor Yanukovych was denied the Ukrainian presidency he tried to steal.

Since then the contest has ebbed and flowed in both directions.

Yanukovych’s 2010 electoral victory and the Euromaidan Revolution in 2014 both had the potential to end the clash between Russian and Western interests. However, it is not ultimately up to Putin, Ukrainian President Poroshenko, or the separatists to put an end to this dispute. It will instead be President Trump who who decides the outcome of the conflict.

President Trump looks poised to halt sanctions on Russia. This is likely to leave Eastern Ukraine under the influence of Putin, traded in a Trumpian deal for a better relationship with the Kremlin.

In a last ditch attempt to save her country from a twenty-first century Munich Agreement between Russia and the United States, Yulia Tymoshenko travelled uninvited to Washington, D.C. in early February. Tymoshenko, whose blond braids became a symbol of the Orange Revolution, cornered the president at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 2 to plead her country’s case. So far, there have been no clues as to how the president reacted to being accosted by Tymoshenko. He must at least acknowledge the chutzpah of the Ukrainian, who travelled around the world as an unofficial representative of her desperate country.

No one knows what Trump will decide. However, Tymoshenko is hoping that his Russia-friendly campaign rhetoric will not be reflected in his policies. Her supporters will consider anything less than total U.S. support for Kiev a betrayal.

Congressman’s Words Incense Macedonia Denis Tchaouchev On February 9, U.S. Representative Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican from California and chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats, shocked observers in the United States and abroad when he stated that Macedonia should be partitioned to solve ethnic tensions. According to Foreign Policy, Rohrabacher stated in an interview with an Albanian TV station that the Albanians living in Macedonia should join Kosovo and that the rest of country should “be part of Bulgaria or any other country to which they are related.”

According to Bulgarian newspaper Novinite, Rohrabacher preceded these comments by stating that “Macedonia is not a country,” and pointed to the separation of Czechoslovakia into two states as a model to ease tensions in the Balkans.

However, Rohrabacher’s proposal for a partition of Macedonia may only be one part of a plan to reshape the Balkans. Balkan Insight reports that Rohrabacher’s comments on Macedonia come only a few days after

he mailed a letter to Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic urging him to trade the majority-Albanian parts of southern Serbia for the Serbian parts of northern Kosovo, though B92 reports that President Nikolic denies ever receiving or reading Rohrabacher’s letter.

RT reports that the Macedonian government quickly condemned Rohrabacher’s proposal, releasing a statement saying that Rohrabacher’s views “generated immense anxiety regarding Macedonia and the region” and inflamed “nationalist rhetoric in the neighboring regions, taking us back into the past.”

Rohrabacher’s comments have brought new attention to long simmering tensions in the Balkans.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic rejected Rohrabacher’s proposal, affirming the Serbian government’s position that all of Kosovo belongs to Serbia. Vucic also accused Rohrabacher of being influenced by an “Albanian lobby” to make these comments.

In Bulgaria, where the historical Bulgarian-Macedonian relations are a controversial issue, the government

Russia-Belarus Border Spat Tensions Rise, from pg. 1

the Financial Times quoted a statement of his in which he said, “Ukraine should stay a united, undivided, nonaligned state.” As reported in The Moscow Times, Lukashenko reiterated his support for a united Ukraine in late January, saying, “Right now fraternal Ukraine is fighting for its independence.”

Though Lukashenko never explicitly mentioned who Ukraine is fighting, the phrase nonetheless points to an increasingly strained relationship with his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin.

Following the announcement of reinstated border controls, Lukashenko held a press conference, which, according to The Financial Times, lasted over seven hours without interruption. Unsurprisingly, the Belarusian president continued to berate Russia.

TASS reports that he threatened to jail Sergey Dankvert, the head of Russia’s agricultural and veterinary watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, in

response to his decision to track Belarusian food imports coming across the border.

The Financial Times states that Lukashenko also criticized Russia’s decision to reduce oil deliveries to Belarus. He declared, “Why grab us by the throat? Obviously, we can live without Russian oil. It will be very tough, but freedom and independence…can’t be measured in money.”

Russia announced it would cut oil supplies by 12 percent in the first quarter of 2017 due to Belarus’ increasing debt to Russia, now estimated at $550 million, as recorded in the Seattle Times.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry has tried to play down tensions.

On February 9, spokesman Dmitry Mironchik said, “The Foreign Ministry confirms its continuous commitment to allied and friendly relations with Russia and is looking forward to Russia’s constructive approach towards solving outstanding problems.”

has yet to make an official statement.

While Bulgaria was the first country to recognize Macedonia’s independence from Yugoslavia, the government also refuses to acknowledge the Macedonian language and ethnicity as separate from Bulgaria’s.

Even the U.S. Department of State distanced itself from Rohrabacher’s comments, stating that “we recognize and support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Macedonia.”

Rohrabacher is not the only person calling for a land exchange to stabilize

Balkan relations. Sir Ivor Roberts, a former U.K. ambassador to Serbia, similarly argued that a swap of ethnic areas between Serbia and Kosovo may be the only way to prevent further violence in the region.

However, the European Union will oppose land exchanges based purely on ethnicity. As Serbia and Macedonia are both currently candidate countries for entry into the EU, they are likely to avoid any action that would jeopardize negotiations, even if they are interested in the land exchange.

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EDITOR’S NOTE:

U.S. Congressman Dan Rohrabacher claimed that Macedonia is not a country.

Cartographer’s Cartoons By: Josh Chang

“NAT my problem!”

Check out our new cartoon series by Josh Chang (SFS’20).

You can keep up with his work in our print issues and on our social media accounts.

F E B. 17, 2017 | 5

Romanians Protest Corruption Law

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Many Romanians in Bucharest protested an emergency government ordinance, passed on January 31, that would have ended or reduced the sentences of prisoners charged with corruption.

According to The Guardian, the ordinance, in addition to freeing up to 3,700 prisoners, would have eliminated jail time for corruption charges worth under 44,000 leus (approximately USD $4,700), and also ceased ongoing investigations into potential offenses. The opposition accused the government of attempting to decriminalize corruption.

Since mid-January, the number of demonstrators has reached record numbers, not seen since the fall of communism in Romania in 1989.

Estimates put the size of the crowd at over 300,000 people. In response, Prime Minister Sorin Grideanu promised to withdraw the law late on the night of February 4; however, discontented crowds protested on the next day all the same.

Romania has expanded its anticorruption program significantly since the early 2000s, in an attempt to

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Zachary Thompson

Radical feminist group KazFem protests the law change with quotes from abusers: “if he beats you, it means he loves you,” one of the boxes reads.

Romanian flag flies at a protest in Bucharest

increase transparency so that it could gain admittance to the European Union. The country created a specific entity to handle corruption cases, called the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA). Romania Insider reports that trust in the DNA is 60 percent higher than trust in the parliament. However, CNN notes that some Romanian politicians believed the agency overstepped its bounds when it investigated the country’s prime minister in 2015.

Many protesters see the

government ordinance as a method of undoing the DNA’s anti-corruption work. The law was first proposed by the former prime minister’s own Social Democratic Party. According to Bloomberg, the party leaders claimed that the ordinance aimed to reduce prison overcrowding.

However, it appears the government has not fully learned its lesson. As The Guardian reports that soon, “A separate bill [is] to go before parliament [that] would free about 2,500 prisoners on short sentences.”

Poroshenko Vows Vote on NATO Meghan Bodette Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced plans on February 2 to hold a referendum on NATO membership, the German newspaper Berliner Morgenpost reports. As violence in Eastern Ukraine escalates and the new U.S. administration questions its commitments to existing NATO allies, the outcome of such a referendum will have significant consequences for Ukraine’s security.

Ten Western European nations, the U.S., and Canada founded NATO in 1949 to deter Soviet aggression in Europe. According to Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty, “an armed attack against one or more [member states]…shall be considered an attack against them all,” and “if such an armed attack occurs, each [member state]…will assist the Party or Parties so attacked.”

The collective defense principle is still NATO’s most impactful provision.

Though Article 5 has only been invoked once—on behalf of the United States after 9/11—it still applies to all member states. Were Ukraine to join,

all other NATO allies, including the United States, would theoretically be compelled to respond to the Russian annexation of Crimea and invasion of Donetsk and Luhansk.

As the Moscow Times reported, President Poroshenko claimed that 54 percent of the Ukrainian population supported joining the alliance, up from just 16 percent four years ago. He said that he would do “everything in [his] power” to facilitate the process were

Were the Ukraine to join [NATO], all other NATO allies...would... be compelled to respond to the Russian annexation of Crimea the referendum to pass. Ukraine has had a relationship with NATO since 1994; since 1997, the NATO-Ukraine Commission has met to discuss common security issues, and Ukraine signed the NATO Membership Action plan, a step towards full accession, in 2008. The recent increase in public support is likely a response to the

conflict in the eastern provinces.

The U.S. has an unclear position on both the alliance and the conflict in Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump previously called NATO “obsolete,” but recently pledged support on the condition that allies make larger financial and military contributions.

Politico reports that in a readout of a call with Poroshenko, Trump stated that the U.S. “will work with Ukraine, Russia, and all other parties involved to help them restore peace along the border.” According to the New York Times, Trump has expressed uncertainty about the perpetrators of recent violence in Avdiivka, an Eastern Ukrainian city, and has pushed for a better U.S.-Russia relationship.

It remains to be seen whether questionable U.S. credibility and escalating conflict with Russia will affect the results of the vote. No date has been proposed for the referendum, and it is possible that both facts on the ground and diplomatic agreements will change before the government can set one. Though the NATO question will be put to the public, the possibility of collective defense for Ukraine is still far from answered.

Russia Decriminalizes Domestic Violence Luis Joy Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on February 8 decriminalizing domestic violence in Russia. Russian conservatives have pushed for the change since mid2016, when the Russian Supreme Court elevated the criminal severity of domestic violence. According to the Moscow Times, conservative lawmaker Yelena Mizulina argued that domestic violence ought to be considered an administrative offense, adding, “You don’t want people to be imprisoned for two years… for a slap.” The Russian Orthodox Church supported the move, proclaiming that corporal punishment of children, when “carried out with love,” is a gift from God to parents.

The change reflects a patriarchal, conservative undercurrent in Russia, where, according to the Interior Ministry, domestic violence makes up almost 40 percent of crimes committed.

This figure itself is questionable due to underreporting. The Anna Center, an NGO focused on domestic violence prevention, estimates that two-thirds of Russian homicides are domestic or familial and that “abuse of any form” takes place in one in four families.

The Supreme Court’s decision offered greater protections for victims, as it allowed public authorities to prosecute domestic abusers and lessened the burden of proof for the victim. This new status quo offered more recourse for reluctant victims which could prove vital in certain circumstances.

Traditionalist organizations worried that this new development opened the door for an increasing number of lawsuits. The All-Russian Parents’ Resistance, the organization

that pushed for the law’s change, worried that parents would lose the ability to discipline their children via corporal punishment. According to Voice of America, the group claimed that false accusations of domestic violence were harming families and unjustly punishing parents. Mariya Mamikoyan, chairwoman of the group, said that parents were now “afraid” to take their children to trauma centers.

At the Kitezh Women’s Crisis Center in Moscow, however, Director Aliona Sadikova informed Voice of America that her center’s popularity has grown. In the last year, inquiries have increased over 150 percent, as more people - victims, witnesses, and police - become aware of domestic abuse support networks and recourses.

Domestic violence in Russia has often been whitewashed by the old Russian proverb saying, “If he beats you, it means he loves you.” The phrase, according to the Moscow Times, is rooted in a sixteenth century book called Domostroy which provides a social guide for family life, prescribing appropriate gender roles and division of labor in households. The old text explains away domestic violence, and this attitude still proves powerful in Russian society today. Help centers like Kitezh seek to break the taboo and common acceptance of domestic violence and offers help to aggrieved women, bringing more light to the issue.

Nonetheless, the Russian government has chosen to bring domestic violence back into the private sphere, reversing the Supreme Court’s progressive decision. This status quo can allow for more violence to go under-reported as avenues for justice narrow.

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LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

Kyle Tillotson

W

hile the election of Donald Trump shocked many, those versed in Latin American politics have something to which to compare his rise: the early 2000s political wave, popularlyknown as the Pink Tide, that gave rise to populist, personality driven governments around Latin America.

Throughout Latin America, an astute observer can find miniTrumps—Ortega in Nicaragua, Chavez and Maduro in Venezuela, Correa in Ecuador, Morales in Bolivia, the Kirchners in Argentina, or Lula and Rousseff in Brazil—that might provide some explanation of the event that shook U.S. politics.

The comparisons between Trump and the Pink Tide Presidents are numerous. Both used populist rhetoric to ride antielite sentiments to electoral victory.

Both used and continue to use demonization to mobilize their supporters. Not surprisingly, they also targeted similar groups: the press, multinational corporations, and international institutions.

Perhaps most strikingly, both eschewed institution and tradition to govern and campaign based on bombastic personality.

However, Donald Trump does not conform perfectly to the Pink Tide. Notably, Chavez, Lula, and company were liberal and actively inclined to cooperate with their neighbors. However, these differences are not so stark as they might seem. In both cases, Trump and his Latin American colleagues have been more defined by their populism than by their policies.

To the same end, the Pink Tide Presidents have scorned much of the international order, preferring, like Trump, close cooperation with like-minded world leaders.

It is not at all fair to assume that Trump will go down the same troubled path as many of his colleagues in Latin America.

Regardless, his administration should be wary of the fact that the qualities outlined above have contributed as much to the demise of Pink Tide governments as to their rise.

López Obrador Gains Momentum López Obrador, from pg. 1

concerning immigration and the U.S.-Mexico wall, garner disdain towards the United States, and Obrador has channeled this frustration by actively speaking out against Trump’s policies.

In January, for example, AMLO called on the Mexican government to submit a formal complaint to the Unit-

Pablo Hiriart... believes López Obrador made a promise he cannot deliver ed Nations regarding Trump’s plans to build a wall.

At a public event commemorating the centennial of the Mexican Constitution on February 5, according to Plumas Libres AMLO also stated, “We are living in difficult times, in which unity is needed. As Mexicans, we need to unite to democratically and non-violently attain the regeneration of Mexico.”

Additionally, in a jab against President Peña Nieto’s neoliberal policies,

Obrador mentioned that Mexico’s 1917 Constitution established that the country’s petroleum and other natural resources belong to the state and “not to national or foreign individuals.”

AMLO promised that if his party wins the presidential elections of 2018, he will provide two new oil refineries and provide maintenance for the six that are currently in operation. This promise directly responds to the gasoline crisis that resulted in shortages and price increases after the introduction of a deregulation law last month.

El Financiero contributor Pablo Hiriart, on the other hand, believes López Obrador made a promise he cannot deliver. According to Hiriart, the campaign objectives are “crazy.

Depite major campaign promises or, rather, because of them AMLO is ahead of the four other candidates Another leg-pull by the same character who makes false promises to the poor

Mexico-EU Accelerate Trade Negotiations Chris Mills Mexico and the European Union voted to accelerate trade negotiations on February 1 in order to deepen economic ties in response to the election of Donald Trump. Both Mexico and the EU scheduled two rounds of discussion for April 3-7 and June 26-29, according to Reuters.

President Trump’s inauguration sparked fear among many important American trade allies due to his protectionist policies.

Mexico particularly worries about the impact of the U.S. withdrawal from the TransPacific Partnership as well as the uncertain renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Trump’s rhetoric forced Mexico to outwardly pursue broader trade ties, notably with the European Union.

Trade between Mexico and the E.U. began in 2000, and between 2005 and

2015, it facilitated the rise of the yearly flow of goods exchanged from € 26 to 53 billion, according to the European Commission on Trade. Reuters reports that this rate of trade makes the EU Mexico’s third-largest trading partner.

In Atlantic Sentinel, trade analysts suggest that the focus of the negotiation rounds will be to renew the current agreement. This signals a renewed commitment between Mexico and the European Union to maintain open borders and the distribution of prosperity in the face of rising antiglobalization and protectionism.

Although the exact details remain unclear, representatives of Mexico and the European Union stressed in a joint statement that “side by side, as like-minded partners, we must now stand up for the idea of global, open cooperation,” according to the European Sting.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Andrés Manuel López Obrador salutes crowd after a rally

and middle classes every six years.”

Hiriart goes on to say in his column that promises such as public works programs, a re-boot of the oil industry, and scholarships would cost over a trillion pesos, furthering the nine-billion peso national debt.

Yet, despite major campaign promises—or rather, because of them— AMLO is ahead of the four other can-

didates lined up for the 2018 elections in recent polls. In an unprecedented political move, AMLO scheduled a visit to a pro-immigrant event in Los Angeles on February 12, showing his commitment to finally winning the next presidential election with votes from both sides of the border.

F E B. 17, 2017 | 7

Paraguay Investigates Red Cross Venezuela and Russia Pursue Strengthed Diplomatic Relations Paraguayan Attorney General Javier Díaz Verón announced on January 24 an investigation into the Paraguayan Red Cross for the organization’s supposed failure to report underage pregnancy, according to La Nación. The organization is accused of concealing underage pregnancies at its Reina Sofia Hospital.

Paraguay requires doctors to notify the government about pregnancies of minors due to the high likelihood of child sexual abuse in such cases. The Attorney General’s Office believes that the Red Cross has hidden the cases of a 9-year-old girl who gave birth in August 2016 and a pregnant 11-yearold who has received treatment at a hospital.

The cases came to light following a news conference in which the deputy director of the Reina Sofía Hospital, Dr. Leni Funk, highlighted the high rate of pregnancy among minors in Paraguay.

However, the executive director of the hospital, David Velázquez, quickly clarified that the doctor was mistaken and these cases either do not exist or hospitals do not handle such cases in a conversation with Última Hora.

The Reina Sofía Hospital and the Red Cross stated that the most recent case of a 9-year-old giving birth in the hospital was in 2015 and that the 11-year-old girl is receiving prenatal care but is not under the supervision of the hospital. The Red Cross denies having violated pregnancynotification laws, but the Attorney General believes doctors may have concealed information. He has not ruled out charges against both the hospital and the individual doctors if

The Attorney General's Office believes that the Red Cross has hidden the cases of a 9-year-old girl who gave birth...[and] has recieved treatment at a hospital they are found to have violated their legal obligations.

A 10-year-old girl, whose abortion was denied, brought underage pregnancy in Paraguay to international

attention in 2015, following the case of a 10-year-old girl who was denied an abortion by the government.

Pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 14 have risen 62 percent over the past decade and 20 out of 100 births are among women aged 15 to 19 according to the United Nations Population Fund. Dr. Jorge Sosa, head of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Department of the Paraguayan Ministry of Health, has stated that the key to reducing adolescent pregnancies is preventative actions including sexual education.

Hoy reported that the Red Cross was seeking to highlight the dangers of pregnancies among minors, including increased need for Cesarean sections, premature birth, and medical complications. The hospital was also concerned about the effect of poverty on childhood pregnancy, as poverty level can potentially double the risk of pregnancy at an early age.

It remains to be seen whether the Red Cross actually failed to report cases of pregnancies among minors or if the investigation is based purely on miscommunication, but Paraguay’s problems with adolescent and preadolescent pregnancies are evident.

Colombian President Accused of Bribery Mark McNiskin Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos called for a comprehensive investigation into the accusation that his reelection campaign accepted a $1 million bribe from the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht on February 8. The accusation seeks to link his administration with the Odebrecht scandal, a controversy that spans twelve countries and three continents.

In December 2016, following an investigation by Brazilian, U.S., and Swiss authorities, Odebrecht pleaded guilty to corruption charges by paying officials in exchange for contracts. On December 21, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Odebrecht will pay penalty charges totalling $2.6 billion for its “massive and unparalleled bribery” scheme.

Odebrecht coordinated the bribery from the very top of the company.

According to the BBC, Odebrecht’s executives agreed to assist the investigation into Brazilian petroleum giant Petrobras, whose corruption scandal led to the impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

Of the nine Latin American governments implicated in the Odebrecht scandal, Colombian officials received $11.1 million. In January, according to the Colombian newspaper Dinero, a former Transportation Minister of Álvaro Uribe’s administration was arrested for accepting a bribe of $6.5 million. In exchange, he ensured that Odebrecht would win control of an ongoing project to modernize hundreds of miles of Colombian highways.

President Santos requested that the Prosecutor’s Office expedite its investigation into the Odebrecht scandal, stating, “I need to investigate if someone from my government received any money.”

However, former Senator Otto Bula, who in January was accused of accepting $4.6 million from Odebrecht, stated in Semana that he helped funnel a bribe to Santos’s 2014 reelection campaign. In his statement, Bula described how he facilitated two separate cash payments of $500,000 from Odebrecht to the campaign.

Santos responded on February 8 with a tweet asking the Colombian Electoral Commission for a “thorough

investigation as quickly as possible so that the whole truth about the Odebrecht case can come to light.”

The president’s cabinet took a harder line in a statement from the Interior Ministry, declaring Bula “of dubious reputation” and his alleged crimes “absurd and unacceptable,” according to Reuters.

The controversial scandal surrounding Odebrecht’s involvement in the 2014 presidential election does not end with Santos, however.

His opponent in 2014, Óscar Iván Zuluaga, also faced accusations that his campaign received multi-milliondollar bribes from Odebrecht through Brazilian political strategist Duda Mendonça.

While the future of the accusations and the legitimacy of the claims remain unclear, the Colombian government is actively voiding its current contracts with Odebrecht.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the head of Colombia’s national infrastructure agency announced the administration’s intention to work toward “the definitive exit of Odebrecht from Colombia.”

Nikki Wadley At a meeting in Moscow on February 6, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez and her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, reaffirmed the strength of the relations between their two nations, The Latin American Herald Tribune reports.

As the host, Mr. Lavrov opened the meeting with a statement praising the rapidly improving bilateral relations and said, “The presidents, [Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela and Vladimir Putin of Russia], communicate regularly and confidentially.” Notably, Lavrov also went on the record, saying that Moscow will continue to unwaveringly support the struggling Maduro administration and protect the countries’ shared values— multilateralism, non-intervention, and national sovereignty.

Rodriguez, for her part, expressed admiration for Russia as an advocate for global stability and world order and proclaimed that Russian interests in Venezuela would always be protected for their mutual benefit.

She also condemned recent efforts Western countries’ efforts to strip Russia of the 2018 World Cup as a response to its latest interventions in Ukraine. Later, Rodriguez met with the Russian energy minister to discuss the implementation of the recent oil production-cap agreement.

Reuters reported in December 2016 on an agreement reached between the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)—of which Venezuela is a founding member—and Russia to cut oil production to boost the low prices that have lingered since 2014. Price conditions contributed to the deep economic crisis in Venezuela

THE KREMLIN

James Gordy

in recent years. Now, Venezuela’s current government seeks stronger allies as it deals with major political upheaval and the distancing of previously close allies, particularly Cuba. The relatively young Maduro administration is crumbling and desperate for economic and political partnerships to bolster its economy and silence the increasingly numerous domestic and international calls for Maduro to step down.

Russia has long been disposed to ally itself with leftist governments in Latin America in an effort to counter American hegemony in the hemisphere. The most notable example of this strategy was the Soviet Union’s close partnership with Cuba in the several decades following the island’s communist revolution in 1959.

Venezuela, since the rise of Hugo Chavez at the turn of the century, has been at odds with U.S. interests—and thus pursued a closer relationship with U.S. rivals, including Russia.

With Venezuela’s government particularly vulnerable to further destabilization and Russia facing renewed sanctions from the United States and investigation into the country’s influence on American elections, the two states’ emphasis on sovereignty and non-interference is telling yet unsurprising. It hints at a Russian orientation towards the nation-states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), of which Maduro is the current Secretary-General. NAM also boasts almost all of the developing world as members or observer states.

Analysts now seek to understand how exactly a stronger relationship between Venezuela and Russia will manifest on the world stage and what it will mean for the United States and its allies.

Nicolás Maduro and Vladimir Putin discuss bilateral negotiations at The Kremlin

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MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA

Yemen’s Civil War Heats Up

April Artrip

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) intends to be the first Arab and Muslim country to send a spacecraft to Mars.

The project manager of the Mission to Mars, Omran Sharaf, announced that the mission completed the Preliminary Design Review and is on track to launch in July 2020. If successful, the UAE will join the five other countries (including the European Space Agency), in orbiting Mars.

The unmanned spacecraft, named Hope, will be launched in Japan using a Japanese launch vehicle. Hope should reach Mars after a seven month journey and conduct detailed tests on the planet’s atmosphere. Additionally, Sharaf hopes the mission will promote STEM interest in the Arab world.

Space scientists around the world, including the President of the International Astronautical Federation Jean-Yves Le Gall, emphasize the importance of the mission in exploring the possibility of life on Mars. The atmospheric and climate

tests could to reveal the possibility of life surviving on the planet and the potential for human habitation.

However, the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment of the UAE issued a fatwa, an Islamic legal pronouncement, forbidding Muslims from travelling on a one-way trip to Mars, since the inherent danger is an unjustifiable risk of life and equivalent to suicide.

UAE officials laud the mission for its ability to bolster or even create economic sectors. A strong aerospace industry would not only diversify the Emirati economy but also foster technological advancements that would strengthen the economic position of the country. For example, Dr. Melikechi, a dean at the University of Massachusetts, said the laser technology used in the Mars mission could be developed further to detect cancer. In the Global Space Congress in Abu Dhabi, the UAE Space Agency Chairman al-Rumaithi stated that among other technological industries,

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

UAE Mars Mission Sets Launch Date

Moez Hayat

Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai and Sponsor of the UAE Space Agency speaks at the World Economic Forum Summit on the Global Agenda

the UAE could develop space tourism.

The economic and scientific progress from such developments would be controlled and supported by the country’s upcoming space laws, which regulate profit from the exploration and the organization of space missions.

One of the next steps in the country’s space program is to explore the viability of sending astronauts into space. Scientists hope that the interest generated by the Mars mission will encourage the nation’s youth to pursue the innovation required for the complexity of a human visit.

Because recent developments in the

space sector have been slow, the Hope spacecraft could propel the industry to a breakthrough.

Since creating the space agency in 2014, the UAE has also developed other aerospace projects. Before the end of February 2017, a nanosatellite (a smaller type of satellite that is easier to launch) called Nayif-1 will launch from a space center in India.

Engineering graduates at the American University of Sharjah, in cooperation with the bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai, designed it. Among this team, four of the students will work on the Hope mission as well.

Football in Aleppo After Five Years of War Nikiforos Daniskas

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After years of war in the Syrian city of Aleppo, signs of stability have reappeared. The BBC reports, a football match between local rivals al-Ittihad and Hurriya took place on January 28. Al-Ittihad won the match 2-1. The game was the first official sporting function in the war-torn city in five years. The event followed the government’s complete capture of the city last month in a major offensive.

Recent footage from the match shows drums beating, flags waving, and fans chanting in the stands. Although the atmosphere of Saturday’s game was upbeat, there were hints of the division that plagued the city for half a decade. Several police in riot gear were dispersed throughout the sidelines of the stands. Other indications of war included a portrait of President Bashar al-Assad and political banners

supporting the government.

Syria’s national football league, the Syria League, was suspended after the civil war erupted in 2011. A couple of months ago, only two major cities held games; recently, however, the

Signs of stability have reappeared league resumed matches in Aleppo, Homs, and Hama. These cities have been deemed safe by the Syria League, due to their relative stability and lack of skirmishes. This “safe” rating is indicative of the return to civilian life in many areas across the nation.

When asked about his emotions regarding the match, al-Ittihad defender Omar Hamidi stated, “I can’t tell you how it feels to return to the pitch (in Aleppo) after five years… My heart’s beating so fast.”

Forces in Yemen under the government of Abdul Mansour Hadi fully conquered the port city of Mokha on January 23. Mokha is an important sea-port along the coast of the Red Sea that was the historic center of Yemen’s coffee trade, giving beans from the area the name “Mocha.”

The fall of the city is one of the biggest recent developments in the ongoing civil war that has pitted Houthi rebel forces from the northwest highlands against a mixed alliance of government loyalists, Southern Yemen separatists, and tribal groups backed by the combined air and sea forces of a coalition of countries led by Saudi

Almost 4,000 civilians have been killed during the course of the war Arabia. The Houthis have enjoyed success due to their battle-hardened fighters as well as support from Iran and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Loyalist commanders are now planning on advancing up the western coast of Yemen to the large Red Sea port city of Hodeida. This would effectively surround the Houthis, who still occupy the capital of Sanaa, and would thus be a precursor to retaking the capital and forcing the Houthis back into the northwestern mountains.

However, these military successes have come at a cost. Amnesty International estimates almost 4,000 civilians have been killed during the course of the war. The United Nations also reported that almost 7.3 million people are in need of emergency food aid and that the country needs two billion dollars in emergency funds to prevent an oncoming famine. Despite these cries for reconciliation, President Hadi has refused to continue talks to create a government of national accord.

F E B. 17, 2017 | 9

Algeria Announces 2017 Parliamentary Elections Date The Office of the Algerian Presidency published a decree announcing that the country will hold this year’s parliamentary elections on May 4 for the People’s National Assembly, the lower congressional house, according to Algeria’s official news agency.

Before the news agency announced the date, Algerian opposition parties had already denounced the upcoming elections. A coalition of political parties, known as the Forum for Consultation and Monitoring of the Opposition, have claimed since August 2016 that pro-government parties rigged the upcoming elections Ali Benflis, former Algerian minister and leader of the Talaie El Houriat party, said in October that “The general opinion is that elections will not change anything, given the existing laws.” Despite cynicism, most political parties have expressed their intention to participate in the May 2017 election; only one party, Jil Jadid, has announced its abstention.

The last parliamentary elections in 2012 saw the governing party National Liberation Front (FLN) double its share of congressional seats

to 220 out of the 462 available seats.

Pro-government parties collectively held 62.3% of seats in the assembly following the election. The large 3-party Islamist “Green Alliance,” which expected to take the majority of seats that year, won a surprisingly low 59 seats. Accusations of electoral fraud abounded from both rival parties and some outside commentators.

Despite cynicism, most political parties have expressed their intention to participate in the election

Preetham Chippada

A WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

William Harrison Hurt

Meeting place for the People’s National Assembly in Algiers

Jeremy Keenan, a professor of social anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London disputes the claim that voter turnout reached 42.9 percent. He estimated that real voter turnout was three times lower than the official figure, citing reports from regional groups and a Reuters reporter who stood for 45 minutes outside of a polling station in Algiers without seeing a single voter.

This election will mark Algeria’s sixth parliamentary election since

the country adopted a multi-party system after its 1989 political opening.

Previously, the FLN constituted the only political party. Algeria has continued to face challenges with transparency and corruption even after the reform allowing for electoral competition.

Since 1998, the international human rights organization Freedom House has consistently ranked Algeria with a 5.5 out of 7 on its scale for political freedom, with 7 as the “least free.” Many commentators have suggested that le pouvoir or “the power,” a shadowy group of military generals,

purportedly controls Algerian politics behind the scenes.

But le pouvoir had its own troubles in 2015, when President Bouteflika fired famed Algerian spymaster Mohamed Mediene, who had held his position in military intelligence for more than two decades. Before his firing, Mediene earned the reputation as one of the most powerful men in Algeria. If its parliamentary elections continue to disappoint opposition parties and le pouvoir begins to lose its grip, Algeria may be due for escalating political turmoil.

Iraqi Flamingo Poaching Prompts Backlash Publicized poaching of flamingos in Iraq’s southern marshes has prompted public revulsion and government response. As videos emerged on social media in late December depicting the hunting and consumption of flamingos, protests erupted in Maysan Governorate and the city of Nasiriyah demanding that the government combat poaching.

One video, posted on December 25, depicts a group of four men wading to shore and hauling a net containing

dozens of dead flamingos. Another picture portrays a man butchering a dead flamingo with a short knife. The images generated fierce backlash on social media. Iraqi writer Nazlı Tarzi termed the poaching a “bird genocide,” ruefully adding, “What may appear unimaginable to the outside world happens [today] in Iraq.”

The Mesopotamian Marshes in southern Iraq, part of what the World Wildlife Fund calls “the largest river delta in the Middle East,” are an oasis for wetland birds. Several of them, including the marshes in which

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Adam Kline

Lesser Flamingos in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania

EDITOR’S NOTE:

the birds thrive, are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The bird population is also threatened by environmental destruction. Hydrological engineering projects have obstructed water flow to the marshes, and as the marshes dry up, dozens of animal species, as well as vegetation and plankton, have vanished.

There is large debate over the reason for the spike in flamingo-

Iraqi writer Nazlı Tarzi termed the poaching a bird genocide hunting. Observers and media blame poverty, ostentatious dinner parties, vague definitions of poaching, the July 2016 merger of the environment and health ministries, and the ongoing fight against ISIL. In response to demonstrations in which protesters held posters featuring stills from the videos and photos of flamingos, Maysan’s governor implemented tougher restrictions on poaching. On December 26, Iraq’s

Ministry of Water Resources directed the governments of Basra, Dhi Qar, and Maysan to curb hunting and protect the marshes’ biodiversity.

Chief of Iraq’s marshland restoration, Sameera Abd Mohi, urged local governments to sanction individuals found trading, possessing, or illegally hunting rare birds. An Iraqi academic has even recommended that clerics use fatwas, a decree on an Islamic law by a religious authority, to stem poaching in the country’s marshes.

Despite these measures, the poaching continues as new images of faded pink flamingos resting on the muddy ground before poachers’ feet circulate via social media.

Activists and local officials also complain that a lack of awareness, resources, and enforcement hampers effective preservation efforts. Some commentators are frustrated with the perceived lack of government action, such as a Poland-based journalist who lamented, “It’s so sad that authorities remain silent.” Another Twitter user glumly reported, “The illegal hunting and selling [of flamingos] in south Iraq continues.”

fter two and a half years of rule under the Islamic State (IS), eastern Mosul was liberated by Iraqi forces, according to Al-Jazeera.

Following the announcement, displaced families have begun to return to Mosul from camps for internally displaced persons in the Kurdistan Region. The common sentiment among residents is that the city’s liberation signals forthcoming positive change. “Life is much better now, [... the IS] only knew killing,” said Mahmoud Kheder, a resident of Mosul and employee at the Ministry of Education, according to Al-Monit or.

The IS caliphate proclaimed itself in the wake of open revolt against the Iraqi government by Sunnis. In 2014, residents of Mosul were happy to watch IS militants defeat federal police and the Iraqi army. Today, however, most residents blame IS for the demolition of historic Sunni cities in Iraq and prefer the Iraqi government rule. Due to the extent of the destruction, reconstruction is expected to be a slow process. In the short term, residents are pleading the government to provide access to water, electricity, and kerosene so that they can survive the cold winter, Al-Monitor reports.

Egypt has exhibited recent optimism as well: several campaigns that aim to empower women have made significant progress this year. Entreprenelle, a nonprofit organization that supports womenrun startups hosted an event called “Girls on the Road” to provide women with a platform to solve domestic transportation issues such as financially and environmentally costly private transportation and unsafe public transportation. One entrepreneur named Samira Negm co-founded Raye7, a carpooling app, with the intention of decreasing energy consumption.

Entreprenelle has also partnered with two other Egyptian organizations, Akhbarak.net and Itfarrag, to launch their “Worth 100 Girls” campaign. The project details the stories of 15 inspiring women through their paths to success.

Additionally, the campaigns use social media so that members and visitors can inspire each other with motivational messages. Like residents of Mosul, women in Egypt are coming together and aspiring for better futures.

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SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Sarah Mathys Billions of dollars from Chinese investors began to transform the dream of the East African Railway Master Plan into a reality. Dating back to 2008, the plan aims to revitalize East Africa’s economy through the expansion of infrastructure and the development of trade hubs.

Managed by an intergovernmental organization, the East African Community (EAC), consisting of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, plans to rejuvenate and standardize existing railways in the region, extending them into other member states of the EAC. The project continues to incite fierce division and face severe setbacks.

Notably, political instability in Kenya and concerns from conservationists over the plan’s potential environmental impacts slowed the plan’s progress.

However, proponents of the project argue that protection of the country’s wildlife should not outweigh protection of its people.

“We can’t say to the Nairobi resident: ‘You have to sit in a traffic jam for the rest of your life,’” the chairman of the Kenyan Wildlife Service told The Guardian, echoing a sentiment shared widely among a country where over 20 million people still live in poverty, according to UNICEF. Many economists and policymakers agree that transforming transport will stimulate local economies throughout the region, creating at least 60 new jobs per kilometer of track laid and contributing to an annual GDP growth of up to 1.5 percent. CNN experts also predict that the railway will strengthen political and cultural ties across the EAC. “This project will define my legacy as president of Kenya. What we are doing here today will most definitely transform... not only Kenya but the whole eastern African region,” said President Uhuru Kenyatta at a 2013 ceremony celebrating the beginning of construction.

In addition to replacing railway

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Chinese Investment Fuels East African Growth

Chinese investment has spurred projects such as this port in Zanzibar

lines such as the now-defunct Lunatic Express in Kenya, the project also includes plans for a massive pipeline through Uganda, as well as a 32-berth port on the country’s northern coast, multiple international airports, and a global road system.

China contributed the majority of the funds needed for these projects, financing 90 percent of the railroad and investing over $2.1 billion into Tanzania’s stretch of track alone.

However, this massive investment may prove problematic. Western critics frequently assume that China’s interaction with Africa is motivated by a desire for natural resources.

Funding projects like the Uganda

pipeline may allow for such wealth to be efficiently funneled out of the continent. David Shinn, a professor at George Washington University and the former ambassador to Ethiopia, warns that as the U.S. doubles down on its isolationist rhetoric and OECD foreign aid funding stagnates, China may step in to “fill the void left by the West.” This process, he argues, essentially develops a monopoly on large infrastructure projects in the region.

For now, the future remains unclear as the short-term benefits dominate national rhetoric and the long-term shortcomings, such as the sacrifice of economic autonomy, continue to be ignored.

Fistfight Breaks out in South African Parliament Jonathan Dörnhofer

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A fistfight broke out in South Africa’s parliament on February 9 as opposition lawmakers protested government policy ahead of President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation speech. Members of the anti-capitalist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) began disrupting parliamentary proceedings before President Zuma even arrived to deliver his speech, according to local news reports.

Footage of the event shows EFF parliamentarians shouting as the Speaker of the National Assembly, the ANC’s Baleka Mbete, attempted to restore order by asking Malema and others to leave. Upon their refusal to exit the chamber, a security team forcefully removed the EFF politicians amid flying fists.

According to News24, a news outlet in Cape Town, security used pepper spray to subdue several EFF members. Shouting continued outside, with members of the public

joining the removed parliamentarians in protesting outside the Houses of Parliament in Cape Town.

The EFF...has denounced [President Zuma] as 'rotten to the core' Founded by Julius Malema, an expelled official in the ruling African National Congress (ANC), the EFF is the third-largest party in South Africa’s parliament and calls for economic redistribution along Marxist-Leninist lines. It has long opposed the policies of President Zuma, whom its members have denounced as “rotten to the core,” according to Al Jazeera. The EFF opposes the ANC because of the latter’s supposed inaction on the imbalance in the percentage of land and businesses ownership between the white minority and the black South African majority who comprise 80% of the population.

High Court Grants Somali Refugees Reprieve Meredith Forsyth The Kenyan High Court deemed the proposed closure of Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya’s Northeastern Province unconstitutional on February 9, relieving those hundreds of thousands of Somalis that call the camps home from the perils of forced repatriation.

Kenyan authorities have been threatening to close the refugee camps for years; they vowed to make good on its promises by the end of November 2016, citing security concerns about alShabaab militants operating out of the camps. Outrage from the international community subsequently persuaded Kenyan officials to delay the closure by six months on humanitarian grounds.

The High Court thwarted those plans, ruling “specifically targeting Somali refugees is an act of group persecution, illegal, discriminatory and therefore unconstitutional,” and ordering the government to reinstate the Department for Refugee Affairs.

The future of Dadaab and its inhabitants remains uncertain. It is unknown whether the government, which invests enormous power in the executive branch and routinely violates the rights of Somali refugees, will follow the order. For now, the rule of law prevails, granting Somali refugees some reprieve. Nevertheless, the ruling is a sharp reminder of the growing pressure to find durable solutions for the Somali refugee situation.

Potential solutions include integration of Somalis into local communities or relaxation of strict laws that deny Dadaab residents employment outside the camps.

Another method may be increased settlement opportunities for Somali refugees, but a recent policy change in the U.S. that resettled 9,000 Somalis last year alone could threaten that possibility.

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Former Prime Minister Elected President in Somalia Former Prime Minister Abdullahi Mohamed was elected President of Somalia on February 8.

The victory was cautious as Mogadishu entered into lockdown in order to ensure safety in case of an attack by al-Shabaab. The terrorist organization increased its attacks against the government before the election, according to an Al Jazeera report.

The votes in this election were cast in rounds; however, citizens could not vote due to the lockdown.

Mohamed received 184 votes, while incumbent Mohamud had 97 votes in the second round The race among 21 candidates, including then-incumbent Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, took place at an air force base in Mogadishu, which was guarded against any possible

attack by AMISOM. Two-hundred seventy-five parliamentarians and 54 senators cast votes in the election.

These representatives were chosen by 14,000 elders and “prominent regional figures,” in one of the final stages of a process that lasted months.

The votes in this groundbreaking election were cast in rounds; however, citizens could not vote due to the lockdown. Mohamed received 184 votes, while incumbent Mohamud had 97 votes in the second round. The incumbent then chose to accept defeat, rather than moving to a final round.

In a peaceful transfer of power, Mohamud addressed the results, saying, “History was made, we have taken this path to democracy, and now I want to congratulate Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo.”

Thousands celebrated in the aftermath of the election, hopeful that the result would usher in a new Somalia, devoid of corruption.

Some, however, denounced the election results, pointing to Mohamed’s “inexperience.”

“Unconfirmed reports” revealed that votes were “sold for up to $30,000,” according to a BBC News Report. The election, as reported in The Guardian, illustrates how countries further

Jonathan Dörnhofer

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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Bethania Michael

Abdullahi Mohamed was elected President of Somalia on Fedruary 8 corruption by “funding the campaigns Union, believe that this election is an of specific candidates” in the pursuit important stage in democratization of their own “interests.” Al Jazeera for Somalia and will clear the way reporters also stated that some in the for a “one-person-one vote election” parliament “confirmed that that huge in the future. Addressing his new sums of money were paid by some of constituency, President Mohamed, a the candidates and rival presidential “dual U.S.-Somali national,” stated that candidates have accused each other his election marked “a new beginning of buying the loyalty of MPs, drawing for Somalia. It is the start of the war furious denials.” against terrorists. It is the beginning of The BBC reports that many, the war against corruption.” including members of the African

Africa Cup of Nations Marred by Poor Pitch Quality Ahmed Al-Husseini The 2017 African Cup of Nations came to a close on February 5 with Cameroon narrowly defeating Egypt to take home the prestigious trophy.

Gabon, the tournament’s host country, delivered a safe and smoothly-run tournament, despite earlier concerns of political unrest. However, the issues of poor field quality persisted during the tournament and became a source of several complaints about increasing risk of injury and deteriorating quality of play. Throughout the tournament, multiple players and coaches emphasized the need for more investment into pitch quality in order to give all teams equal opportunity.

The warning signs of poor pitch quality came during Egypt’s first match against Mali when first-choice goalkeeper Ahmad El-Shenawy tore his hamstring while doing a goal-kick.

This immediately caused a crisis for the Egyptians, whose backup goalie was also injured during training because of poor pitch quality. The Pharaohs had to call up 44-year-old Essam Al-Hadary, who made history as the oldest player to partake in a major international

tournament and went on to win the best goalkeeper award. Nevertheless, the mismanagement of funding that prevented proper pitch maintenance cost Egypt two crucial players.

Ghanaian coach, Avram Grant was quick to criticize the Confederation for African Football (CAF) for not allocating the proper funds into

Throughout the tournament, multiple players and coaches emphasized the need for greater investment in pitch quality pitch preparation. He called out the organizing body, saying, “Five injuries so far have been down to the pitch.”

Grant stressed the importance of proper field maintenance, saying, “The main actors are the players, and we need to give them the stage to perform well.”

The most criticized of the stadiums was the Stade d’Angondjé in Libreville, Gabon’s capital. In the buildup to an

EDITOR’S NOTE:

upcoming match, Tunisian defender Youssef said that the fields were in such bad condition that the team would alter their style of play just to match

Despite these long-term promises, CAF did not accept responsibility for the injuries that occurred in the tournament the field conditions. Nevertheless, the incident did not faze him and he said “it’s usual for us to play in Africa on bad pitches so we have to win and not care about the pitch.” This statement alone alludes to the delicate state of African football, which has been subject to avid corruption for decades.

The CAF was quick to speak out against the improper pitch conditions, saying that similar issues would be resolved in the future. CAF Secretary General Hicham El Amrani underplayed the situation. “Of course we would have been happier if certain things had been better managed— and I’m not going to go back on the

everlasting issue of the pitch in Port Gentil,” he said. It is unclear whether the CAF will take action on the issue, but its statements suggest that similar issues will be prevented in the future. El Armani commented that preparations are already underway to ensure safe pitch quality in the 2019 edition of the tournament in Cameroon.

Despite these long-term promises, CAF did not accept responsibility for the injuries that occurred in tournament. CAF representative Junior Binyam denied that the poor status of the pitch was responsible for any injuries, saying “It has not been scientifically proved that injuries are related to the pitch.”

This denial of responsibility shows that the organization has room for improvement in terms of getting serious about legitimate issues that have had adverse effects on the international game.

The Africa Cup of Nations will next be held in 2019 in Cameroon, which last hosted the event in 1972. The hosts plan to use only one stadium built before 2016.

he African continent has seen signs of democratic progress this year. Peaceful transitions of power occurred not only in Ghana, which has become a stalwart of stability in a west African region historically marred by autocracy and instability, but also in The Gambia, which saw the ouster of a longtime president by way of an election instead of a coup, the standard model for past Gambian regime changes.

However, some more troubling developments give cause for concern. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the recent death of a major opposition figure jeopardized the country’s transition process. As a result, fears are growing that longtime president Joseph Kabila will continue to cling to power by stalling negotiations and undermining the opposition.

In South Africa, lingering social tensions flared up in an all out brawl in parliament. These challenges need not undermine the progress made across the continent. Instead, they must be taken seriously and addressed effectively, as an increasingly mobilized and vocal populace continues to demand democratic progress.

This is how Gambia’s president was forced to recognize the results of an election he lost: his citizens protested on the streets, and neighboring countries listened, negotiating his removal. A similar story unfolded in Burkina Faso in 2014, with civilians toppling a regime that had ruled since the 1980s. If domestic civil society can mobilize and participate constructively in the affairs of each African state, there is no limit to how much they can build upon the encouraging signs that opened 2017. Citizens have become increasingly politically informed and active across the continent in recent years, and this progress is beginning to bear fruit. Citizens holding their lawmakers and public officials accountable for the promises they make (or break) provide the best way to foster a prosperous democratic society, far exceeding the capabilities of foreign interventions, sanctions, and Band-Aid concerts.

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SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIA

Alesha Gulamhusein

On January 7, China formally completed a special economic zone in southern Sri Lanka. This development reflects the development of economic relations between the two nations under the presidency of Maithripala Sirisena.

China’s first infrastructure investment in Sri Lanka commenced under former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. According to The Diplomat, between 2005 and 2012, China provided Sri Lanka $4.8 billion. The majority of this was in the form of soft loans, allowing the island nation flexibility with repayment dates and sub-market rates of interest. More recently, China committed $2.18 billion between 2012 and 2014 to develop Sri Lanka’s roads, airports, irrigation, and other vital infrastructure.

The most significant economic collaboration between the nations is the $1.4 billion Colombo Port City Project, a central part of China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative. This project

aims to create a modern day Silk Road across Asia. The port and industrial zone are a joint venture between the state-run China Merchants Port Holding Company and China Harbour Engineering Company.

Sirisena’s administration granted Chinese merchants access to port holdings equal to an 80 percent stake

A 99-year lease impinges on Sri Lanka’s sovereign rights because a foreign company will enjoy the rights of the landlord over the free port and the main harbour

in addition to a 99-year lease on the port.

The Rajapaksa administration endured heavy criticism for opacity regarding deals with China. As a result, in March 2015, newly-elected President Sirisena suspended the

project. However, after considerable appraisal of the initial agreement, the new government reinstated the project in March 2016.

Nonetheless, China’s growing influence in the country has faced extensive backlash.

The opening ceremony of the industrial zone ensued in a violent clash between police and protesters, many of whom were farmers fearing loss of agricultural land, leaving over ten people hospitalized.

At the forefront of the campaign against Sri Lanka’s latest deal with China is former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had initially negotiated a 40-year lease and a 6,000 acre industrial zone. Despite his pivotal role in encouraging relations between the two nations, The Diplomat reported that Rajapaksa criticized the deal, saying that “a 99-year lease impinges on Sri Lanka’s sovereign rights because a foreign company will enjoy the rights of the landlord over the free port and the main harbour.”

Western nations have avoided investment in Sri Lanka due to its

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Sri Lanka and China’s One Belt, One Road

‘One Belt, One Road’ attempts to recreate the original silk road

alleged human rights abuses during the 1983-2009 civil war, subsequently making China and India the primary providers of financial support for the nation. Nevertheless, a third of India’s $1.6 billion provided Sri Lanka with outright grants; whereas, only 2 percent of the initial Chinese $4.8 billion was in the form of grants. As a result, Rajapaksa and his allies fear that the Sri Lankan government will

default on the loans, thereby allowing China to turn the debt into equity and thus giving them ownership rights over consequential projects.

Sri Lanka’s national debt stands at around $64 billion, or 76 percent of GDP. Therefore, in spite of the reverberations, the significance of China’s investments with regards to job creation and their capacity to promote economic growth are undeniable.

Pakistan Declaration Improves China Ties Ghazal Ullah On February 6, the Chinese State Commissioner for Counter Terrorism and Security, Cheng Guoping, met Tariq Fatemi, the special assistant to the prime minister of Pakistan on foreign affairs, during a visit to Pakistan.

Dawn newspaper released a press statement from the foreign ministry of Pakistan, which stated that the country will maintain its support for Chinese efforts in battling terrorism, extremism, and separatism. In addition, Pakistan reaffirmed its backing of China on all core issues and declared its solidarity with China, should any external actor attempt to undermine China’s sovereignty.

China previously supported Pakistan’s counter-terrorism strategy, national security, and territorial integrity. Guoping confirmed that the maintenance of relations with Pakistan was a top priority for China.

The Chinese state Commissioner proceeded to congratulate Pakistan on its achievements in maintaining peace and regional stability.

Diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan are especially important given the shared economic development taking place between both countries. According to the press release, a central aspect of their bilateral relationship and a key topic of discussion during the meeting was the need to increase the speed of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an initiative that formally began in November 2016.

CPEC’s main aim is to enhance economic cooperation between these two countries through construction of extensive roads, railways, and energy infrastructure. The two countries also intend to collaborate over universities, research thinktanks, and other institutions. News International reported that the Chinese government has recently decided to invest almost 25 billion rupees into constructing a highway network to improve the connectivity between the two countries. CPEC has been termed a game-changer for Pakistan by many politicians and journalists, and to date is the largest foreign investment directed into Pakistan.

However, despite these benefits, the Herald emphasizes that Pakistanis still harbor reservations regarding CPEC, particularly the time it will take to bring about results. Regional instability, lack of sustained funds, and a fear of debt undermine optimism for the project. Moreover, China’s interest in constructing a direct route from the Pakistani port of Gwadar to Kashgar in the Xinjiang province raises questions as to whether or not it will invest in sub-routes. These routes are intended to uplift underdeveloped Pakistani cities and towns and make them more accessible.

These reservations, however,were more valid before the initiative began.

The visit by the State Commissioner indicates that both countries realize the potential benefits from sustained, accelerated cooperation, even outside the realm of economic development.

Pakistan’s decision to stand firm behind China in the case of unwanted foreign intervention and China’s acknowledgement of Pakistan’s security struggles are indicators of a durable, supportive relationship between the two neighbors.

F E B. 17, 2017 | 13

Insurgents Attack After End of Ceasefire in Phillipines Shilpa Rao

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

On February 9, insurgents from the New People’s Army (NPA) in the Philippines took three local villagers and burned construction equipment, reported the Inquirer.

The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Founded in 1968, many joined the CPP because of the harshness of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, according to The New York Times. At its largest, the insurgency had approximately 25,000 people but only has around 4,000 today.

Conflict between the Filipino government and the insurgency continued for more than 40 years and caused the deaths of at least 35,000 soldiers, insurgents, and civilians, reported The New York Times.

The two sides attempted to pursue peace talks, most recently under Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte.

The first formal round of peace talks occurred in August 2016 in Oslo, Norway, with both the government and insurgents reaffirming unilateral ceasefires that they previously declared, reported CNN Philippines.

The second round took place in Oslo

in October and the third in Rome in January, but both ultimately failed to implement a bilateral agreement.

The Philippines Star reported that the NPA allowed the ceasefire to expire on February 10. The NPA

Conflict between the Filipino government and the insurgency continued for more than 40 years and caused the deaths of at least 35,000 soldiers, insurgents, and civilians claimed that this is a result of the government’s failure to release political prisoners and the military’s alleged intrusion into territory held by rebels.

In response, the Filipino government ended its ceasefire with the CPP-NPA on February 3, according to Inquirer. Duterte claimed that he wanted to work with the insurgents but felt that too many soldiers had already died.

Inquirer reported Duterte as saying,

“We cannot have a peaceful generation.

There will be always be a fight.

On February 7, Filipino Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that the government declared “all out war” against the rebels, according to CNN Philippines. Lorenzano added that the Philippines considers the CPP, NPA, and sub-group National Democratic Front (NDF) to be terrorists groups.

The government also suspended the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity, which allowed individuals associated with the NDF to travel freely without being arrested, reported CNN Philippines.

On February 8, NPA insurgents killed a soldier in the town of Santo Niño in the Cayagan province of Luzon Island, according to Inquirer. In a statement, rebels said that they carried out the attack in response to the declaration of war.

The February 9 attacks took place in the town of Talakag in the province of Bukidnon in the north of Mindanao, the southernmost island of the Philippines, Inquirer reported.

The government pursued around 60 NPA members who seized the three villagers, one of whom was a policeman.

For now, the future remains unclear as tensions continue to rise.

Duterte declared all out war against the NPA rebels

Pakistan Celebrates Kashmir Solidarity Day Pakistan observed Kashmir Solidarity Day with a minute-long moment of silence at 10 A.M. on February 5. News International describes this public holiday as a reminder to Kashmir and the world that “Pakistan and its people have not forgotten the long-pending issue.”

Though the Pakistani government only officially started observing this day in 2004, its unofficial origins date to 1990. According to Dawn, Pakistan’s

oldest English language newspaper, Kashmir Solidarity Day has been observed every year since then with a moment of silence. In addition to the moment of silence, many Pakistanis take to the streets in protest on this day. The Daily Express reported that citizens from all over Pakistan took the holiday as an opportunity to demonstrate against the Indian occupation of Kashmir.

These protests decry both the Indian control of Kashmir and the treatment of Kashmiris in Indian

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Shane Quinn

Pakistanis express support for Kashmir

Kashmir, which protesters characterize as an abuse of human rights. The Daily Express of Pakistan even calls this treatment state terrorism. The protesters emphasized the right of Kashmiris to self-determination, according to Jang.

The Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has experienced periods of great unrest in the past. The death of Burhan Wani, described by The Hindu as a popular figure on social media who advocates for Kashmiri insurgency, in July sparked protests in the northern state which escalated.

Kashmiri youth clashed with Indian police and unrest characterized Jammu and Kashmir for months.

NDTV reports that these clashes killed nearly 100 people and injured over 12,000 as police and security forces used tear gas and pellet guns in a series of escalations that further destabilized the already precarious region. On January 18, NDTV also reported that the Indian government is currently withdrawing the auxiliary security forces sent to deal with the unrest now that the situation has calmed down.

Despite the deescalation, the sharp

divisions between Kashmiri locals and the Indian government were clear and give evidence to the Pakistani claim of Indian abuse.

Dawn quotes Syed Ali Gilani, the chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an alliance of Kashmiri separatist organizations, for stating “...people in India-held Jammu and Kashmir are challenging a big power and Pakistan is the only country that acknowledges our right to self-determination and extends its persistent support to us.”

Insurgency has plagued Kashmir for decades. Pakistan funds or otherwise supports a significant proportion of these attacks, according to both BBC and The Hindu. Even after the ascension of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir to India instead of Pakistan in 1947, the Pakistani government never surrendered its claims to Kashmir. Pakistan continues to this day to take steps to undermine Indian authority and control, both officially through Kashmir Solidarity Day or unofficially through the support of insurgent groups.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Caroline Schauder

I

ndian state elections began in Uttar Pradesh on February 11, and will serve as a midterm test for Prime Minister Modi’s national approval after his highly controversial cash ban. Because Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India, typically predicts the country’s political tendencies, many regard its results as an indicator as to whether Modi has or has not maintained support of the country.

Modi and his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), received overwhelming support during his first election in 2014, winning 71 out of 80 seats. The Times of India claims that this was the biggest national mandate in three decades.

However, the economic implications of Modi’s abolishment of 86 percent of cash in circulation may cost him support. In an effort to fight corruption and tax evasion, Modi banned the 500 and 1000 Rupee notes in November 2016.

However, according to Al Jazeera, the disruption of daily commerce largely hurt the rural poor and caused the economy to slow. While the government assures its long term benefits, the Times of India claims that Modi’s decision created a massive cash shortage that lasted for two months.

The state elections, which terminate in March, will express the sentiments of the Indian people towards the Bharatiya Janata Party and indicate their level of support for Modi after his banknote ban. The Times of India states the importance of this election, as strong support for the BJP would strengthen Modi’s chances for a second term in 2019.

In his 2014 campaign, Modi claimed to prioritize the interests of the poor. Many supported him because of this promise and hoped to experience change throughout his term. Three years later, the state elections serve as an evaluation of his promises. The elections will soon reveal whether people still support him or if their unyielding trust is faltering.

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WESTERN EUROPE Merkel Struggles in Federal Election

Mary Zuccarello Francois Fillon, France’s Republican Party Presidential candidate, confirmed on February 9, that he used public funds to pay high salaries to his wife and children, whom he employed while serving as Prime Minister under former President Nicolas Sarkozy, according to Le Figaro. Although Fillon will remain in the Presidential race, his popularity has declined significantly.

Accusations against Fillon surfaced in late January, when Le Canard Enchainé, a French investigative newspaper, wrote that Fillon’s wife, Penelope, and two children earned $1 million euros as employees of the government at the time Fillon was Prime Minister. Although employing family members for unofficial jobs is not necessarily illegal, it is a practice that is considered unacceptable by many French citizens.

Many have called on Fillon to drop out of the presidential race. The leader of the French Centrist Democratic Movement, Francois Bayrou,

stated on February 8 that, “Political accountability is a responsibility that should normally be protected from any other interests.” Furthermore, polls from Le Monde report that twothirds of French voters believe Fillon should withdraw his bid.

In the past week, Fillon has worked to patch up his campaign. He apologized for his actions at a press conference, stating, “It was an error; I profoundly regret it and I apologize to the French.” He has released all of the earnings his wife and children received during his time in office.

Still, he believes that the left-leaning media intentionally used its influence to weaken his campaign. Claiming his actions have been misrepresented, Fillon stated his wife’s work “was in no way fictitious.” He will appear publicly across France in the coming weeks to reassure voters that he is qualified to take office.

On April 23, Fillon will face off against the three remaining candidates in the first round of the French Presidential election. If one candidate does not win over 50% of

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Fillon Scandal Transforms French Presidential Race

Isaac Warden

Francois Fillon, French presidential candidate, confirms accusations of corruption

total votes, the election will continue into a second round between the two candidates who received the most votes in the first round. Candidates include Benoît Hamon of the Socialist Party, Emmanuel Macron, the independent and socially progressive former Minister of the Economy, and Marine Le Pen, leader of the extremeright, National Front Party.

Prior to the scandal, Fillon was the favorite to win the election. Now, Le Pen and Macron are dominating polls.

Benoît Hamon, who narrowly beat out former Prime Minister Manuel Valls in the socialist primaries, is still seen as the weakest candidate.

Advocating a 32-hour work week and universal wage benefits, Hamon’s radical stance has divided left-wing voters, causing many to favor Macron.

Macron is now beating out Fillon in recent polls. On the other end of the political spectrum, Le Pen has become a right-wing frontrunner by appealing to those who oppose immigration and feel disenfranchised by the economic effects of globalization.

The Fillon scandal has shifted predictions of the outcome of the French election. Still, Fillon’s efforts in the next month will factor heavily into the final election results.

Dutch PM Campaign Rhetoric Veers Right Theo Symonds With only one month until the Netherlands general election, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced that those who reject Dutch values have the choice to leave the country. In a personal address ‘to all Netherlanders’, Rutte expressed his concern of uncivil interactions among the Dutch population, such as fights. Rutte conceded that the people recommended to leave the country included “immigrants who abuse the freedoms here to impose their cultural values on us” Other party leaders have likened Rutte’s rhetoric to that of far-right Dutch MP Geert Wilders, a populist candidate with an infamous antiimmigrant platform. Wilders was a figure, who had previously dominated the national headlines with his antiimmigrant platform. On December 9, Wilders was found guilty of inciting

and advocating discrimination in comments he made about Moroccans in the Netherlands.

Rutte’s rightward shift, which parallels Wilders’ platform, serves to appease Dutch voters in the upcoming election. Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), is currently leading the polls: as of February 5, they are expected to win 30 out of 150 parliamentary seats, while Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) is expected to win 25 seats. Should the PVV win the most seats, it will still need to form a coalition with other parties to reach the governing majority threshold of 76 seats. All major Dutch parties have indicated that they will not form a coalition with the PVV. The Dutch will go to the polls on March 15, in an election marking a shift from traditional campaign issues like the economy to the question of a consolidated Dutch identity.

Although the German Federal elections take place in September, incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel’s current position as the election’s front-runner has already become tenuous. Recent polls show her leading competitor polling above her by as much as six points.

In the future, Merkel must walk ever more carefully, if she hopes to regain a strong lead for not only herself but also for her party -- the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Germany’s center-right party.

Though the sister parties had a recent falling out over the refugee crisis, Chancellor Merkel and Horst Seehofer, head of the CDU in Bavaria, met from February 5th to 6th in Munich to reconfirm their commitment to the historic union of shared values, reports Der Spiegel. After the conference, Merkel remarked, “Commonality is always a valuable commodity.”

Notwithstanding the Union’s struggles, Merkel and the CDU must face a newly emboldened Social Democratic Party (SPD) with their newly elected Martin Schulz, former European Parliament President, as their candidate for the chancellorship.

According to Deutsche Welle, all major polls now show Martin Schulz as the preferred candidate for Chancellor, while the SPD and CDU/ CSU remain in stiff competition with about 30 percent each.

Simultaneously, both major parties must confront the rise of the populist right. According to DW, the Alternative für Deutschland (an extreme right party) now garners 10 percent of the popular vote, ahead of the eight percent of both the Greens and the Left parties.

As Merkel looked at her fourth campaign, she explained, “This election is [already] the hardest I have ever experienced.” For now, it seems that Germany’s two major parties can overcome the populist wave that has decimated other Western democracies.

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Britain Denounces Trump Visit Additionally, Labour party politician Yvette Cooper stated that Trump was “continuing his assault on the democratic values that the British Parliament holds dear.”

She went on to say that, while it was fine to invite him to the U.K., President Trump should not be granted the “spe-

Yvette Cooper stated that Trump was ‘continuing his assault on the democratic values that the British Parliament holds dear’ cial privilege of an address in the heart of our democracy.”

However, Bercow’s actions were also met by much anger from other MPs and ministers, who claim that he has overstepped his position. Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said that he and his colleagues were both taken back and agitated by Bercow’s comments.

“He’s completely overstepped the mark. It was a pre-emptive strike to torpedo the leader of the democratically free world and our greatest ally from speaking in parliament,” he said drawing reference to the paramount importance of a U.K.-U.S. trade deal, writes The Guardian.

Bercow’s actions are particularly significant considering the fact that Downing Street officials have had their sights set on building strong relations with the newly elected U.S. president.

The Independent reported that May’s persistent advocacy of a “bridge” be-

The international dynamic is a tense one, dominated by uncertainty, rocky relationships, and the need for global reconciliation

Ga Ram Lee

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British Speaker, from pg. 1

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Mixed reactions to British Speaker of the House’s comment on Trump’s visit

tween the two administrations has been an important tenet in many of

her recent speeches, in which she has encouraged an unification of the new administration with the European powers, a move other leaders have been wary to accept. With the British population very divided over the recent populist rhetoric, the disagreement and tension between May’s and Bercow’s stances only increases the complexity of the politics.

At this time, the international

dynamic is a tense one, dominated by uncertainty, rocky relationships, and the need for global reconciliation.

However, as the case in Parliament shows, it might also be prudent to reconcile domestic problems while remedying international ones. Whether or not the two nations will find common grounds remains to be seen.

Leader of Catolonian Independence Stands on Trial Artur Mas, former president of the autonomous region of Catalonia, is now standing trial for organizing a November 2014 vote to formally secede from Spain. On February 6, the Spanish Constitutional Court charged Mas with organizing the vote, but the contentious trial will likely stretch on for some time as it stirs debates over whether Catalonia’s separation from Spain would be constitutional, reports El País.

“Catalans have wanted to secede since even before they joined Spain,” claimed a student at Madrid’s Universidad Autónoma in an interview with The Caravel on February 7. “They have a different culture, a different language...they think they’re better than us. Than Madrid, especially.”

According to the Constitutional Court of Spain, the country’s second highest judicial authority, Mas knowingly ignored repeated warnings that the vote was illegal and that carrying it out would be an act of

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Vivian Cox

Protestors agitate for Catalonian Independence in Spain

disobedience. The vote, referred to as the 9-N vote because of the day and month on which it took place, resulted in more than 80% of the Catalonian population favoring

The vote...resulted in more than 80% of the Catalonian populatin favoring secession secession. However, only an estimated two million of more than five million registered voters participated, according to the BBC. At the time of the vote, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called 9-N “not [a] democratic vote” and an “act of political propaganda” in a press conference. Defending himself on February 6, Mas argued that “if [9N] was so obviously a crime, how is it possible that the Constitutional Court did nothing to enforce its resolution?”

Echoing cries of injustice by Mas and the two other Catalan politicians on trial for supporting the vote–Mas’s deputy Joana Ortega and former Education Minister Irene Rigau– protesters called for the end of the trial and regional independence, reports Reuters. If Mas is found guilty, he will be banned from occupying any

government office for ten years. Most separatists see this as a blow to their independence movement since Mas is one of their most ardent governmental advocates.

Carles Puigdemont, current President of the region, called for a “legal and binding referendum” to take place in September of 2017, reports BBC. Responding to repeated calls for secession, Prime Minister Rajoy said

Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy called 9-N ‘not [a] democratic vote’ and an ‘act of political propaganda’ at the Malta summit of the European Union on February 3 that “we can talk [about the referendum,] but everyone must obey the law.”

The 9-N trial comes amidst a growing debate among politicians and academics concerning the nature of political referenda and separatist movements, such as the British Brexit and the Scottish referendum.

hree states in Germany have proposed to limit public financial support to Germany’s far-right National Democratic Party (NPD). The NPD has alleged neo-Nazi links and racist agendas.

On February 10, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled the party to be unconstitutional, according to the Deutsche Welle. The debate on whether or not the NPD is a genuine threat to Germany’s democratic values and whether it deserves to be deliberately disbanded still continues. Yet, the growing popularity of far-right political sentiments can be seen in the polls, especially the avid support for another far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), which gained an unexpectedly high number of parliamentary seats in state elections.

Xenophobic, nativist political parties in Western European countries have emerged prominently in the presidential elections of countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and France. With proimmigrant political leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel struggling to gain popularity the dominance by extreme right politicians is very likely to occur.

Even political leaders that once considered themselves right-wing liberal like Geert Wilders from the Dutch Party of Freedom and Rutte from People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy are pushing for more extreme, far-right agendas to appeal to a larger base of voters.

In France, the populist presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, recently overtook Francois Fillon to become the election’s frontrunner.

According to Euronews, Le Pen congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the U.S. presidential election and expressed happiness that a competent leader has finally “freed” the American people. President Trump’s electoral victory highlights the rising tide of global populism in both hemispheres.

If European electorates influenced by populist ideals start to strongly advocate for the break of the European Union, Europe may change dynamically in both the political and social spheres. It is just a matter of time before the legacy of the post-war European unity diminishes.

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China, Russia Target Tillerson Strategy Escalates Opposition Leaders Conflict in South China Sea Gabriel Gorre, Opinion For authoritarian leaders, especially those seeking to maintain the pretense of popular support, secrecy and deception remain useful tools for eliminating opponents. By painting the opposition as dangerous to the nation, such governments can fabricate a sense of legitimacy for their rule and their actions.

Recent events in China and Russia provide an illustration of these tools in action.

China’s government has sometimes made politically undesirable individuals

Secrecy and deception remain useful tools for eliminating opponents “disappear.” On January 27, Chinese security agents abducted Xiao Jianhua, a Chinese billionaire living in Hong Kong for his connections to Jiang Zemin’s allies, the target of President Xi Jinping’s anti-graft crackdown. The Chinese government has not commented on his disappearance. However, an undisclosed buyer placed an advertisement, which

Xiao supposedly wrote, in a Hong Kong newspaper, denying a kidnapping occurred.

The Russian government’s attempts to crack down on dissent stand out most. Since Vladimir Putin took power, a number of his critics have suffered violent or suspicious deaths. On February 6, The New York Times reported that Vladimir Kara-Murza, a vocal opponent of the regime, had fallen into his second coma in two years, just one month after criticizing the Kremlin in a letter sent to the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee. A French laboratory determined that poison caused the first coma, and his wife believes it also caused the second. The Russian government denies carrying out such executions, though the causes of death for previous critics undermine these claims.

People often assume that authoritarian regimes suppress opponents in a visible, public manner. Yet these examples provide a glimpse into the techniques that autocratic regimes use to silence their opposition in a subtler manner.

Opponents of such regimes must prepare to fight against such tactics.

Austin Parenteau, Opinion Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s strategic vision in East Asia insists upon taking unnecessary risks and offers little hope of reward for the United States or the region at large.

During his confirmation hearings, Tillerson responded to inquiries regarding China’s aggressive military buildup in the South China Sea by stating that he would block Chinese access to its installations in the region. For years, China has quietly constructed a series of artificial islands in disputed international waters in an effort to assert its claims of sovereignty.

The Hague tribunal ruled against China last year in favor of the Philippines in just one of many territorial disputes in the region, rendering China’s claims powerless with respect to international law. However, these international rulings, which were dismissed by Beijing, offer little solace in the face of the military situation in the region.

Tillerson’s plan to deny China access to the islands presents a much graver threat. This presents a scenario in which both the United States and China could feasibly claim to have international law

on their side. China could claim to defend its sovereign territory, while the United States could claim to defend international freedom of navigation.

Tillerson’s strategic vision ... offers little hope of reward for the United States or the region at large While under normal circumstances a crisis between the United States and China would not likely boil over into a shooting war, Tillerson poses a threat to the two countries’ traditional understanding.

According to legal and regional experts, aggression in South China Sea could start a war. In the event of a conventional conflict, American naval forces have a greater range to engage Chinese targets. Newly constructed Chinese missile stations, however, could pose a threat to American aircraft carriers, meaning that either side could potentially spark a conflict with high risk of escalation in the tense global shipping lane.

Leaders in Brazil, U.S., and Hong Kong Threaten Judges Macon Sheppard, Opinion Recent clashes between the judiciaries of Brazil, Hong Kong, and the United States and their opponents showcase the rising tensions between backsliding democracies and the judges that check their power. In all three of these regions, this divergence of interests is leading to conflict between the democratic ideal of an impartial judiciary and the realities of ambition and power.

In Brazil, President Michel Temer recently nominated a close political ally to the Supreme Federal Court. The position’s previous occupant, Teori Zavascki, died unexpectedly in a plane crash mere weeks after he was tapped to lead a corruption probe that implicated over two hundred politicians and businessmen—including Temer. Temer’s political opposition has claimed foul-play and called for an investigation. In the meantime, it is unlikely that the new judge, who previously served as Temer’s

justice minister, will be as eager to investigate his old boss’s alleged ties to corruption as the late Zavascki.

This divergence of interests is leading to conflict between the democratic ideal of an impartial judiciary and the realities of ambition and power In the United States, President Donald Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court amid condemnation from members of both the Republican and Democratic parties for his continued attacks on judicial independence.

These attacks began in early 2016 during the U.S. presidential campaign when Trump disparaged the federal judge presiding over a fraud case against Trump University for his Mexican heritage, claiming it would stop him from

giving a fair hearing. This week, Trump redirected his vitriol toward Judge James Robart of the Ninth Circuit, who issued a nationwide, emergency stay on the Trump administration’s travel ban from seven Muslim-majority countries. Trump has denigrated Robart as a “so-called judge,” and called his ruling “ridiculous.” These attacks have stoked concerns on both sides of the aisle about the new president’s commitment to the separation of powers. Unlike the Brazilian opposition, the Democrats have not yet been able to launch a corruption investigation into the new administration—despite numerous allegations of financial conflicts of interest between the White House and branches of Trump’s business empire. As in Brazil, however, the violation of political norms to intimidate and coerce the judiciary threatens to delegitimize American governance and facilitate rampant corruption.

To see the consequences of a judicial system cowed by outside political au-

thority, one need look no further than the courts of Hong Kong. For decades, the Hong Kong judiciary was an independent and proud pillar of the city’s democratic society. Since reunification with the mainland, however, this independence has eroded drastically. Late last year, Hong Kong’s highest court ruled that two democratically elected representatives would be permanently disqualified from assuming their seats for allegedly inserting anti-mainland rhetoric into their oaths of office.

Thankfully, neither Brazil nor the United States’ judiciaries have reached this level of deference to their respective political branches—but the regression of Hong Kong’s judiciary from an independent body to an organ of the Chinese Communist Party presents a stark warning for those who would politicize judiciaries in the Americas and around the globe. The impartiality of these bodies is critical for the health of societies wishing to prevent corruption and preserve the rule of law.

EDITORS’ NOTE: Julia Rhodes

O

n January 21, millions of people across the globe took to the streets to defend women’s rights and those of others in response to the rising rhetoric of far-right populism. Many Georgetown University students, with pink hats and clever signs, headed to the White House to participate in the historic Women’s March. Though not technically billed as a protest, the movement allowed those who felt silenced during the election to let their voices ring. Men and women, senators and pop stars, all peacefully challenged the head of the government and attested to the strength of our democracy.

Even though the women’s movement reached a global scale, its aftereffects have the most potential to affect social change. On Georgetown’s campus, anger and disbelief have translated into concrete action: the Iranian Cultural Society hosted a letter-writing campaign, college Republicans and Democrats hosted a phone bank, impromptu groups took to the Supreme Court to protest any number of appointments or policies. The angry rhetoric, previously confined to friends or Facebook, has finally metamorphosed into a concerted call to action.

While a movement like the Women’s March has the potential to galvanize, publicize, and problematize, local and targeted actions get politicians to notice. While a visual expression of opposition had its benefits, the March did not fully outline precise goals nor represent a diversity of races, identities, or economic statuses. However, it has given us a platform: the March can serve as a starting point, bringing in different perspectives in an attempt to challenge our own biases. We cannot let the zeal inspired by the March fade to complacent action.

By combining the overarching sentiment of anger articulated by the March with grass-roots activism that incorporates all stakeholders, Hoyas can begin to affect the changes we want to see in the world. We must move beyond angry rhetoric, and continue to involve and engage with different perspectives.