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WA S H I N G TO N , D. C . M O N D AY MARCH 26, 2018
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Former South African President Prosecuted for Corruption Bethania Michael
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National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Shaun Abrahams announced on March 16 that formerPresident Jacob Zuma is set to face corruption charges. Citing “reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution,” BBC reports that Abrahams concluded that a “trial court was the appropriate place for the matter to be decided.” The corruption charges are linked to a $2.5 billion arms deal in 1999, the biggest deal since the end of apartheid, according to BBC. Although the contracts were said to have been signed in order to “modernize” South Africa’s military, critics slammed the deal as a corrupt act. South African, French, German, Italian, Swedish, and British companies were implicated in the deal, which was ultimately deemed a scheme to “support an extravagant lifestyle,”
Former-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi at the European People’s Party Congress in March 2017.
Populists and Far-Right Surge in Italian Elections
BBC reports. The arms deal involved 783 “questionable payments,” and ultimately led to the imprisonment of Schabir Shaikh, former financial advisor under the Zuma administration. According to Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera, the case was abandoned by the NPA shortly before Zuma’s re-election in 2009. Two of the former-president’s 16charges include racketeering and money laundering. In a recent Voice of America report, Abrahams explained, “After consideration of the matter, I am of the view that there are reasonable prospects of successful prosecution of Mr. Zuma on the charges listed in the indictment.” Abrahams has been firm in suggesting that Zuma will be successfully tried for corruption allegations, stating that he is “mindful that everyone is equal before the law and enjoys the rights to equal protection and See “President Prosecuted” on p. 14
Iraq Lifts Ban on International Flights in the Kurdish Region
The anti-establishment forces of the populist Five Star Movement (M5S) and the right-wing League surged in Italy’s general elections on March 4, shattering the political establishment. After ending in gridlock, the election left the prospects of a coalition government unclear. The center-left Democratic Party (PD), the governing party of Italy since 2013, captured just 19 percent of the vote in an unexpected setback for the party, according to the Guardian. The defeat prompted former-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to resign as leader. The party’s showing was the worst-ever in its
history, according to the New York Times. It was the culmination of an election cycle fueled by frustration over Italy’s high unemployment rates, economic stagnation, anti-immigrant sentiment, and skepticism towards the government and the European Union. M5S and the League tapped into Italian voters’ frustration with the pro-EU PD. The Times reported that the election also revealed a stark disparity between the industrialized north, where the League dominated, and the deprived south, where M5S dominated. There, 18 percent are unemployed, compared to 6 percent in the north, says Reuters. M5S promised to introduce a monthly minimum income of up to $960 for the poor.
The newcomer Five Star Movement captured 32 percent of the vote. The party was founded by former comedian Beppe Grillo and Gianroberto Casaleggio in 2009 when they created an anti-establishment, anti-corruption blog, according to CNN. The growing movement reflects a disillusionment with Italy’s economic stagnation and mainstream, traditional politicians. It is both a novelty and rejection of the establishment. The Five Star Movement stands for environmental protection, public transportation, free access to water, sustainable development, and the right to Internet access, CNN reports.
THE ANCHOR, 2-3
W. EUROPE & CANADA, 6-7
MIDDLE EAST & C. ASIA, 12-13
N. & SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, 14-15
Georgian President Discusses Country’s Future, p. 3
Merkel Sworn in for Fourth Term, p. 6
LATAM & THE CARIBBEAN, 8-9 Oxfam Faces Sexual Abuse Allegations in Haiti, p. 9
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan Reopen Borders, p. 12
Mauritian President to Resign Over Spending Scandal, p. 14
E. EUROPE & RUSSIA, 4-5 Slovakian PM Resigns Amid Scandal, p. 5
Russia Poisons Ex-MI6 Agent in the U.K., p. 7
INDO-ASIA-PACIFIC, 10-11 North Korea Willing to “Denuclearize,” Officials Say, p. 10
Documentary Alleges Regional Collusion in Qatar Coup, p. 13
Protesters Arrested in Cameroon, p. 15
Lauren Olosky
See “Far-Right Surge” on p. 6
Michael Abi-Habib Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has lifted the ban on international flights to and from the Kurdistan region, reports Rudaw. Following a six-month dispute, Kurdish and Iraqi officials reached a consensus to lift the ban on March 13. Flights will return to their normal scheduling starting March 22. Following years of fights for independence, the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq held an independence referendum. According to Kurdistan24, on September 25, 2017, the referendum, which was conducted by the Independent High Elections and
Referendum Commission, resulted in a 93 percent “Yes” vote with 72 percent turnout. The referendum and its results did not intended to lead to an immediate bifurcation. Rather, they were a call for negotiations between the Kurdish and Iraqi governments that would eventually lead to a mutual separation. In response to the referendum, the Iraqi government ordered the surrender of the two airports, Erbil and Sulaimani, reports the New York Times. After noncompliance with the decree, the Iraqi government banned all international flights to and from the two airports. See “Iraq Lifts Ban” on p. 12
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THE ANCHOR
Senate Should Block New CIA Director Nomination President Donald Trump announced on March 13 that he would reshuffle his cabinet by dismissing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replacing him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, reported the New York Times. This move comes just a day after Tillerson delivered his strongestyet criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “From Ukraine to Syria—and now the U.K.—Russia continues to be an irresponsible force of instability in the world, acting with open disregard for the sovereignty of other states and the life of their citizens,” said Tillerson. He was reportedly referencing a political assassination in London that British Prime Minister Theresa May has all but confirmed was carried out by Russian state intelligence, according to the New Yorker. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi responded that “Tillerson’s firing sets a profoundly disturbing precedent in which standing up for our allies against Russian aggression is grounds for a humiliating dismissal.”
Bryce Couch Joshua Haney Christopher Stein Suzie Kim Catherine Lee Irene Chun Jennifer Lu Suzie Kim Sean Fulmer Hannah Casey Janny Zhang Sarah Bothner Christopher Stein Caroline Schauder Jia Sheng Irene Chun Molly Dunlap Eric Schichein Austin Corona Gabriela Rodriguez Preetham Chippada April Artrip Claire Hazbun Bethania Michael Joshua Chang Felipe Lobo Koerich Ga Ram Lee Theo Symonds
Troublingly, this is not the most important consequence of the president’s bizarre personnel change. Trump named current-Deputy Director of the CIA Gina Haspel to replace Pompeo, a former Tea Party representative picked to lead the spy agency by the then-president elect in November 2016, according to the Washington Post. Haspel’s pedigree is different from that of Pompeo, who was a political appointment said to leave most of the agency’s day-today operations to career officers. In contrast, Haspel has served as a CIA operative for 33 years in clandestine missions around the globe and leadership positions at headquarters in Langley, Virginia, reports the Washington Post. While Haspel’s depth of experience would seem an encouraging sign for a would-be member of the least-experienced cabinet in history, her experience is what should disqualify her from elevation to one of the country’s most important leadership positions. According to a review of declassified CIA communications by
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ProPublica, Haspel was the officer in charge at a black-site prison in Thailand in 2002 during the torture of Abu Zubaydah, a Palestinian man believed to be a leader of Al Qaeda. Haspel personally oversaw the torture of Zubaydah through the use of waterboarding, stress positions, and sleep deprivation. After no valuable information was gained from the torture, it was realized that Zubaydah was not in fact a member of Al Qaeda and had no knowledge about planned terrorist attacks against the United States. CIA cables obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union say that Haspel was one of two people with the power to stop the torture of Zubaydah. She never did so, instead “[congratulating] him on the quality of his acting” as he drifted in and out of consciousness, according to ProPublica. Post-Holocaust JewishAmerican philosopher Hannah Arendt’s theory of the banality of evil, that evil is most commonly perpetrated by those who unquestioningly follow orders to do evil, still does not excuse
Haspel. She was the one giving the orders and the one following through on them—and, therefore, she is doubly guilty. Torture does not work. CIA interrogator Glenn Carle has said that “information obtained under duress is suspect and polluted from the start and harder to verify,” according to Newsweek. But its ineffectiveness is not so important to making a decision on its use as is its inhumanity. Not only does torture not work; it is also
morally wrong. The use of torture—euphemized as “enhanced interrogation” by the Bush administration—is a stain on the history of America and represents an abdication of our country’s moral leadership. Because of her complicity in the reprehensible program of torture perpetrated by the CIA under past administrations, Haspel should be blocked by the Senate from assuming the position of CIA director.
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Christopher Stein, Opinion
Gina Haspel was appointed as new CIA Director in place of Mike Pompeo (pictured).
Conflict Zones Witness Heritage Destruction Theo Symonds Despite international recognition of the need to preserve cultural heritage, conflict zones still prove to be an obstacle to its protection. Since the International Criminal Court’s first conviction of the destruction of cultural heritage last August, three regions with some of some of the world’s heaviest conflict have seen an upward trend of heritage destruction. According to reports by the ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiative, Syria alone has suffered the destruction of 133 sites, and Iraq and Libya have each lost over a dozen. Syria is now losing more than one site per day, whereas the month after the Al Mahdi sentence, the loss average was about 0.86 per day. Last January’s Turkish military offensive in Syria led to the destruction of a cultural building, and the media
took notice. The BBC reported that Turkish air missiles inadvertently damaged the Ain Dara temple, located near Afrin Syria; the temple is over 2,000 years old. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was able to publish photos showing rubble where parts of the temple once stood. This destruction occurred during the recent armed Turkish offensive aimed at driving out Kurdish troops from the region, but there are no indications that the temple was targeted.
Cultural heritage sites can just as easily be susceptible to becoming collateral damage. The destruction of cultural heritage during conflict isn’t anything new. The
Nazis plundered art at the end of World War II. The Taliban destroyed the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan in 2001. ISIS destroyed a Roman theater in Palmyra just over a year ago. Scholars have sought to study the destruction of heritage during conflict, and many institutions have come to the forefront of this research. Currently, the Smithsonian and University of Pennsylvania are partnering on compiling a database of destruction instances that can be used for future research, which hopefully will lead to better conservation practices. While cultural heritage is often targeted for ideological reasons, as the International Criminal Court’s AlMahdi case exemplifies, these Turkish air strikes serve as a reminder that cultural heritage sites can just as easily be susceptible to becoming collateral damage in military operations.
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Georgian President Discusses Country’s Future Giorgi Margvelashvili, the President of Georgia, celebrated the country’s centennial anniversary of independence from Russia on March 13 by speaking at Georgetown University about Georgia’s future. He acknowledged the difficulties of having such a powerful and unpredictable nation as Russia as a neighbor but also highlighted Georgia’s important role as a connection between Russia and Europe. After gaining independence in 1918, Georgia was almost immediately placed under Soviet control after the Soviet-Georgian War of 1921. It did not regain its independence until after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite a long history of Russian domination, President Margvelashvili emphasized that Georgia’s unique language and culture have survived the crossfire between the empires of the region. The president also reflected on the political consequences of having Russia as its “big neighbor.” In particular, he spoke of the 2008 Russo-Georgian War that ended with Russia occupying over 20 percent of the country. When asked
about Georgia’s foreign policy toward Russia, Margvelashvili described it as one of “strategic patience,” remarking that it “is not the right time to push the issue” of Russian occupation. He noted that it is best for the country to simply “build [its] statehood” until Russia is willing to pursue diplomatic relations. President Margvelashvili also spoke out against the belief that Georgia and other countries should be treated as “Russia’s backyard,” commenting that Russia has declared to the international community its “privileged rights on nations that have their independent identity.” He urged nations to be sincere and tell Russia that they “will not accept [its] views of the world.” He added that Russia did not invade Georgia because it had been invited to join NATO at the Bucharest Summit, but rather Russia has been “waging a hybrid war” against Georgia since its independence in 1991. He claimed that Russia responded to Georgia’s “dedication to freedom and peace” rather than its engagement with the West. Margvelashvili also called on Europe and the United States to do more to support Georgia. He noted that Georgia fought alongside the
West against the Soviet Union and that Georgian women and children died protesting. He asserted that everyone benefited from such “bold moves” as those taken by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan to embrace Georgia and denounce the Soviet Union. While President Margvelashvili conceded that there is still work to be done to improve Georgia’s democratic structure, as demonstrated by its Democracy Score on the Freedom House website, he emphasized the system’s “value of choice, of freedom.”
He concluded by reiterating that bold actions are needed in this age and asserting that not being “brave enough to embrace Georgia” adds to the political fatigue that he sees in Europe. He urged allies to accept the reality that they must act, saying, “when you’re a superpower, you don’t bring more peace by being passive.” “We are very clearly declaring what we want to be and what we believe we should be doing,” he said.
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Caleb Yip
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelahvili discusses country’s future at Georgetown.
The ICC Confirms Reparation Orders in Al Mahdi Case An International Criminal Court press release on the morning of March 8 stated that five judges convened in the International Criminal Court (ICC) appeals chamber in The Hague and made the final confirmation of the reparations order in the case of The Prosecutor vs. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi. In 2012, when rebel groups were taking control of northern Mali, the Islamist militant group Ansar Dine imposed strict sharia law in the city of Timbuktu. Al Mahdi directed the Hisbah — the city’s imposed morality police — and coordinated the destruction of UNESCO protected heritage buildings. Ansar Dine wanted to uphold the Quran’s interdiction of grave height surpassing 12 fingers. Using pickaxes and hoes over the course of several days in June and July 2012, the group razed nine mausoleums of saints and damaged the Sidi Yahia mosque. Timbuktu was fabled as the city of 333 saints, forming a deep community identity rooted in this heritage. The actions of Al Mahdi meant that the people of Timbuktu lost
pieces of their heritage forever. Over three years later, in September 2015, the ICC arrested Al Mahdi and commenced the trial with the defendant proclaiming an admission of guilt. Later in the yearlong trial, Al Mahdi even issued an apology to the people of Timbuktu and the international community. On September 27, 2016, the ICC officially found Al Mahdi guilty of intentionally destroying the heritage sites of Timbuktu and sentenced him to nine years in prison. This decision marked the first ever international conviction of cultural heritage destruction as a war crime. In August of 2017, I attended the ICC’s delivery of decision session where the judges laid down the reparation orders expected of Al Mahdi. That morning, trial chamber VIII’s viewing gallery was full. Professors, journalists, and civic-minded citizens, all visibly invested in the case, were eager to witness the trial’s conclusion. I managed to get the last spot available in the press seating area and sat two rows behind animated Timbuktu guardian family members — owners of culturally significant properties
that were damaged by Al Mahdi. Each word spoken by the judges was met with fervid head nods of approval from the Timbuktu guardian family members. The ICC ordered Al Mahdi to pay 2.7 million euros in reparations to the guardian families of Timbuktu. Due to the defendant’s indigency, the court compelled its Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) to cover the amount. The effects of the precedence set by this case are still uncertain. It is difficult to assess whether the conviction will act as a deterrent to the destruction of
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Theo Symonds, Opinion
cultural heritage on the global scale. Like many other regions in conflict, Syria has experienced colossal damage to its heritage sites throughout the civil war and there seem to be no signs that heritage destruction is tapering in the region. According to ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiatives’ monthly reports, there have been 180 instances of cultural heritage in Syria, Iraq, and Libya since the delivery of decision against Al Mahdi in August 2017.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Ga Ram Lee
U
ncertainty was one of the keywords in the Anchor’s last editorial column, which symbolized the motivation behind the actions political leaders take in this world. As much as we want uncertainty to be mitigated by policies and immediately tangible changes, one decision to challenge uncertainty can lead to another uncertainty. The recent ramifications of foreign affairs in the United States reflect this exact cycle of uncertainty. President Donald Trump was invited to North Korea to have negotiations about nuclear tensions. Meeting with Kim Jong Un could end in any number of ways, especially due to the idiosyncratic characteristics of leaders on both sides, with each having bold, unfaltering stances. If a deal is struck without major concessions having to be made, South Korea would achieve its goal of improving the relationship between the Koreas through talks. If not, an attempt to communicate could lead to the biggest backlash of the century. With this historic meeting expected to be held in May, another uncertainty reared its head: the replacement of Rex Tillerson as secretary of state. Uncertainties are prevalent in Western Europe as well, as French President Emmanuel Macron wishes to reform the Eurozone with a transfer union. If implemented, this reform would require Germany to pay more and centralize the monetary union, a stance about which Chancellor Angela Merkel remains skeptical. It seems like power dynamics in the European Union have shifted significantly, and Macron could become the leader of Europe, a title Merkel has held for years. The future of the European Union remains uncertain, as the current extent of cooperation between France and Germany has yet to decline. Uncertainties can be viewed positively because they prove that global affairs are constantly changing. If not resolved, however, they can also become the causes of tension.
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EASTERN EUROPE & RUSSIA Eric Schichlein
A
t first glance, Slovakia does not appear to be a bastion of stability in Eastern Europe. As the New York Times reports, the murder of Ján Kuciak, an investigative journalist, and his girlfriend in February led to continued public protests across the country. At the time of his death, Kuciak was investigating ties between the Italian mafia and senior figures in Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government. First, the interior minister resigned over the scandal, but that did not satisfy the protesters. Throughout they focused on pressuring the Prime Minister to resign. Now, Slovakia’s he has resigned. Despite, or perhaps because of the turmoil, Slovakia has become a beacon of freedom in Eastern Europe. In country after country in Eastern Europe, young democracies are being poisoned by illiberal politicians whose ardent nationalism and xenophobia clash with the liberal, increasingly diverse European Union. According to BBC, a series of judicial reforms enacted by Poland’s ruling conservative Law and Justice Party over the past two years have significantly weakened the independence of the country’s judicial system. Toward the end of 2017, the European Union finally recognized the gravity of the situation and began disciplinary proceedings against Poland. In Hungary, the rot of illiberalism has sunk even deeper into the roots of democracy after eight years of rule by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his conservative Hungarian Civic Alliance party. Favoritism runs rampant in the distribution of state contracts, and the press has largely been muzzled, according to Foreign Policy. Much like Slovakia, both Hungary and Poland have seen significant protests during the tenure of their current illiberal governments. However, protests in Hungary and Poland have been weakened by focusing on issues secondary to their government’s illiberalism. Activists in both countries should take note: to prevent a further slide into illiberalism, they must focus unwaveringly on expressing discontent with the government.
NATO Aspirations in East Europe Near Fruition Nick Okerlund Four countries in Eastern Europe have revealed or renewed their intentions to become member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as of March 9. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Macedonia, and Ukraine look forward to engaging in an “intensified dialogue” with NATO, according to the organization’s website. Ukraine, the most recent of these candidates for membership, announced reinvigorated efforts for membership on March 10. President Petro Poroshenko posted on Facebook, welcoming NATO’s decision to “raise Ukraine’s ambitions” and stating the country’s next step: a Membership Action Plan, or MAP. The MAP program outlines tailormade support for each participating country so that they may be fully prepared for NATO membership. It includes suggestions and feedbackbased regular meetings to these countries in political, economic, and security aspects, among others. While Ukraine is only in the preliminary stages of developing a MAP, both Bosnia and Herzegovina’s and Macedonia’s programs are awaiting activation.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, committed to joining NATO since the 1990s, finds its motives largely opposed by Republika Srpska, a federal entity in the country primarily occupied by Bosnian Serbs, who support military neutrality. However, this entity cannot truly interfere with the 2009-requested MAP, as such affairs are handled by the Bosnian state. Bosnian Presidency Chairman Dragan Covic is confident that the plan will be activated within several months. Similarly, Macedonia finds itself in the throes of conflict, preventing the activation of the MAP, which it joined in 1999. Greece continues to block pro-membership actions until the two countries’ long-running name dispute is solved. However, as reported by Balkan Insight, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev insisted this week that “the final phase” of the socalled name talks has begun, marking optimism for impending NATO membership. On the other hand, Georgia’s aspirations for NATO membership remain controversial due to its close proximity to Russia. Bloomberg News explains that while Georgia-NATO ties remain strong and two-thirds of Georgians support membership, any
Kosovo Disputes Border Treaty With Montenegro Ilari Papa Kosovo celebrated the 10th anniversary of its independence on February 17. However, the country continues to struggle, most recently over its demarcation treaty with Montenegro, which will officially set the border between Kosovo and Montenegro, Balkan Insight reports. The European Union clarified that the two neighboring countries need to negotiate the border they share if Kosovo wants to progress in the Schengen Zone visa-liberalization process. However, according to Top Channel, Kosovo’s parliament found it difficult to ratify the demarcation treaty for several reasons. Some opposition parties like the Self-Determination party claimed Kosovo would lose territory and thus refused to vote for the treaty. On the other hand, Balkan Insight reports several parties disagreed on supporting the treaty since the government had attached complementary documents
that the parties considered to be controversial or unnecessary. Afrim Hoti, who teaches international law at the University of Pristina, said that the documents are for “internal consumption.” The Serbian List party also refused to vote to ratify the treaty, claiming it goes against the interests of Serbians in Kosovo. It appeared that five of the parties in Kosovo have come to a consensus to vote for the demarcation treaty after postponing the parliamentary vote several times, according to Top Channel. However, the vote continues to be delayed. Finalizing the border issue with its neighbor does not mean that the EU will liberalize visas for Kosovars, reports Gazeta Tema. The country also needs to work on its anti-corruption campaign. Kosovo’s journey to full independence has not yet ended as the youngest state in Europe struggles to meet EU requirements. Kosovo ultimately hopes to join the UN, NATO, and the EU in the future.
outright declaration of impeding action may aggravate an already defensive Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia’s defensive stance on these countries’ recently declared NATO aspirations, especially Ukraine and Georgia, is not necessarily misplaced. NATO is currently implementing decisions to establish a forward military presence in the Baltic states and the Black Sea area. These 2016 decisions came as a result of Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine. Needless to say, the acceptance of Ukraine and Georgia into NATO would see the alliance encroach further on territory Russia considers to be its own backyard.
NORDEN.ORG
EDITOR’S NOTE:
As it is, NATO has constructed anti-missile launch pads in all current allied countries neighboring Russia. At the time, Putin responded by promising a “suitable response” to these actions to preserve strategic balance, Sputnik News reported. Over the past couple of years, Russia has responded to NATO’s eastward expansion with violations of alliance airspace and dangerous confrontations with alliance aircraft. It remains to be seen if NATO will continue to expand in the face of Russia’s armed involvement in Ukraine and Georgia and its continued testing of allied defenses.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaking to the Nordic Council in 2010.
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Slovakian PM Resigns Amid Scandal Morgan Smith Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico and his cabinet resigned on March 15 amid public condemnation and pressure from coalition partners in response to a political crisis sparked by the murder of an investigative journalist and his fiancée, reported the Slovak Spectator. According to Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), prominent Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak had been investigating Italian mafia links in Slovakia when he and his fiancee were murdered in their home. Both 27-years-old, the couple planned to marry in May. The Slovak police initially detained seven Italian suspects; however, all were released without indictment due to a lack of incriminating evidence. The murders remain unsolved. Leading Kuciak’s funeral, Archbishop Stanislav Zvolensky called for action. “An attack on a journalist is also an attack on the freedom of our country. We must not allow it,” Zvolensky said, according to RFE/RL. Kuciak’s final article, published posthumously, indicated possible ties between political figures close to Fico
and the Italian ‘Ndgrangheta crime syndicate. “Kuciak’s last story has had a serious impact on people’s trust in the system of government, and the murder of two young people has added a strong moral aspect,” Martin Slosarik, an analyst at Focus polling agency, told Euronews. Ensuing government inaction sparked massive protests in Bratislava and other cities around Slovakia. According to Euronews, the protests were the largest experienced by Slovakia since the fall of communism, with crowd estimates reaching the tens of thousands. The Slovak Spectator reported protesters chanting “Enough of Fico” and jangling keys to evoke the 1989 protests. As they demonstrate against political corruption and abuse of power, Slovaks today consider themselves to be fighting to protect what their parents fought for 30 years ago. “Politicians in power have lost our trust,” protester Maria Kuliovska told Euronews. “We don’t trust them to guarantee an independent investigation. They have failed to investigate all previous scandals.”
Calls for action by coalition parties associated with Fico’s leftist SmerSocial Democracy Party compounded public pressure on Smer. RFE/RL reports that Most-Híd, Smer’s junior coalition partner, threatened early elections if Fico did not resign. Finally ceding to the pressure, Fico and his cabinet stepped down on March 15. “To solve the political crisis, I am ready to offer my resignation as prime minister,” Fico declared, according to the Slovak Spectator. Fico remains prominent on the political scene, signaling that his resignation served as more of a symbolic action than an indication of meaningful change. Fico will remain the chairman of Smer and has personally appointed Peter Pellegrini as the new prime minister. Daily Slovakia labeled Pellegrini’s government a carbon copy of Fico’s, claiming that Fico’s political maneuver “is yet another spit in the face of the Slovak people.” According to RFL/RE, Pellegrini will maintain the same coalition of the previous government and is unlikely to initiate any major changes. Anti-government demonstrations are scheduled to continue.
Sergei Lavrov Visits Serbia Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Belgrade, Serbia on February 21 for a two-day trip, hoping to boost Russo-Serbian relations, according to Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). This visit comes in light of the two countries’ 180th anniversary of diplomatic relations. At the same time, Serbia has also been looking westward, towards joining the European Union. RFE/ RL reports that Lavrov stated, “We always wanted partners to have a free choice and develop their political ties” while simultaneously vowing that Russia would remain involved with the Balkan countries regardless of their decision. Serbia and Russia share Orthodox Christian heritage, as well as their condemnation of Kosovo’s independence from Serbia in 2008. In fact, according to the an article from Balkan Insight, Russia has continuously voted against Kosovo’s independence, in agreement with the official Serbian position. In turn, Serbia has largely praised Russia. Prime Minister Ana Brnabic showed gratitude towards
Lavrov for Russia’s “principled stance on the non-recognition of the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo,” reported Balkan Insight. Lavrov also presented Serbian Foreign Minister Ivika Dacic with a Russian State Award bestowed by President Vladimir Putin. Dacic asserted, “Serbia cannot defend its national interest without the help of Russia.” Despite dependence on Russia, Balkan Insight reports that Serbia wants to join the EU, even though Serbian President Aleksander Vucic
OFFICE OF THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENCY
Daniel Shlayen
insisted that the country would not impose sanctions against Russia. This contradicts the EU’s current Russia policy, imposed after its annexation of Crimea, which calls for sanctions against the country. RFE/RL reports that Vucic said, “Serbia is on the European path but will continue to build best relations with Russia.” Ultimately, Serbia finds itself caught between two of the world’s greatest powers: the EU and Russia. It will be difficult for the country to continue pushing its interest westward while keeping close ties with Russia.
Sergei Lavrov being presented a state award by President Vladimir Putin in 2015.
Eastern European Countries Discuss Nord Stream Gas Pipeline Sienna Siu Parliament speakers in Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland voiced opposition on March 12 to the new Nord Stream gas pipeline that runs across the Baltic seabed linking Russia with Germany. Critics say the project, which bypasses Ukraine and Eastern European countries, will increase the rest of Europe’s energy dependence on Russia, further undermining European energy security, according to Worldview. The 761-mile pipeline is on schedule for completion next year. The $11 billion private project is backed by Russia’s state-owned gas giant Gazprom and five energy companies from Germany, France, Britain, and the Netherlands, according to VOA . It also has the strong support of Moscow and Berlin. “Although formally presented as a commercial project, Nord Stream 2 is actually Russia’s policy instrument,” said a joint statement to the heads of European Parliament signed by Viktoras Pranckietis, Marek Kuchcinski, and Inara Mursniec, the parliamentary speakers of Lithuania, Poland, and Latvia, respectively. The statement further read, “Nord Stream 2 is not about the diversification of gas supply sources but the deepening of energy dependence of the EU, especially Central and Eastern European countries, on Russia, which consequently maintains their vulnerability.” It also suggested that the project should be “viewed in a wider context of today’s Russian information and cyber hostilities and military aggression.” Estonian Parliament Speaker Eiki Nestor has not signed the letter yet, stating that more time is needed to investigate the issue. Meanwhile, Andriy Parubiy, chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament, has expressed support for the statement and promised to sign it. Despite the controversy, in another joint statement the chief executives of Wintershall, Uniper, and OMV, three companies partnering with Gazprom on the construction of the pipelines,
asked for legal backing from the European Commission, according to Reuters. It pointed out that the discussion was emotionally driven, and Europe’s import needs could become too costly if countries were to depend upon liquefied natural gas imports from the United States. Europe’s energy supply should not be allowed to become “a pawn in the hand of American energy, economic, security, and geopolitics,” the statement said.
Many eastern states, however, are concerned about engaging in big business with Putin. Moldovan President Igor Dodon condemned the Moldovan parliament for supporting the Baltic states’ opposition to the project, according to EurAsia Daily. He believes that the pipelines will supply reasonably priced energy resources and strengthen Moldova’s energy security. The pipeline also appears to be making progress in the Czech Republic, which is torn between its biggest trading partner, Germany, and other regional allies. After a meeting with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that both Kurz and himself “support the implementation of this project which is undoubtedly, absolutely free from politics. This is a purely economic and moreover purely commercial project.” Many eastern states, however, are concerned about engaging in big business with Putin. Opponents fear that impacts of sanctions on Russia would be weakened if Russia generated additional revenues from Nord Stream 2. They also question the economic benefits of the pipeline, said Noah Gordon, an analyst at the Center for European Reform. Despite opposing the project, the European Commission says there are no legal grounds to halt the private investment.
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WESTERN EUROPE & CANADA
Merkel Sworn in for Fourth Term Alex White
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According to NPR, the German Bundestag voted to swear in Angela Merkel as chancellor for a fourth term on March 14. After enduring a lengthy negotiation process and a close vote, Merkel faces numerous challenges for her country in her upcoming term. Merkel has served as chancellor of Germany since 2005 with the support of her center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Her 12 years in office have made her one of the longest-serving chancellors of Germany and a symbol of stability in
the region to many. However, the 2017 election brought this stability into question. Both Merkel’s party and her partner in the grand coalition, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), lost seats to other parties, most notably the rightwing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Failure to form a coalition with the Green Party and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) forced Merkel to attempt to renew the coalition between her party and the SDP. The vote to confirm her as chancellor brings the recordlong five-month period without a
Angela Merkel was sworn in for her fourth term as chancellor.
government to an end. However, according to Reuters, the vote was extremely close: 364 to 315 with 9 abstentions. Compared to her election in 2013, when she received more than 80 percent of the vote, the outcome indicates that Merkel is on shakier ground than in her previous terms.
The outcome indicates that Merkel is on shakier ground than in her previous terms. There were also minor disruptions indicating discontent with the result of the vote from members of the AfD. According to Deutsche Welle, one AfD party member unrolled a banner that read “Merkel must go” and was escorted out of the chamber. Another tweeted a picture of his ballot in which he voted against Merkel with the caption “Not My Chancellor.” He was later fined for breaking the German secret ballot rules. Opposition party leaders were also quick to condemn Merkel, with FDP Chairman Christian Linder saying,
“The result shows that the chancellor has lost authority,” and AFD Chairman Alexander Gauland characterizing the vote as “two loser parties circling the wagons to govern the country whatever way they can.” German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier remained more optimistic as he swore Merkel in for her fourth term. According to the Washington Post, he said, “It is good that the time of uncertainty is over” and that “many hope we in Germany will show that liberal democracies are capable of acting and facing the future.” Now equipped with a fresh cabinet filled with younger and more diverse ministers, Merkel has numerous challenges to address, Reuters reports. She faces trade tensions with the United States in the wake of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Closer to home, she is under pressure from France to reform Europe and from the United Kingdom to condemn Russia. Meanwhile, she has to reckon with an already fragile coalition over which she has much less control than before. As a result, Merkel’s fourth term may turn out to be her hardest yet.
Populist and Far-Right Forces Surge in Italy’s Election, Cont’d from p. 1 Lauren Olosky NPR reports that the Five Star Movement (M5S) is also opposed to globalization, free trade, the EU, and child vaccination, which it believes causes autism. The party has also been embroiled in corruption scandals, according to the Telegraph. Renzi described M5S to the French RTL radio network as a “Noah’s ark of money launderers, fraudsters, and scroungers.” The League, an anti-migrant farright party, captured 17 percent of the vote. Along with its coalition, including Silvio Berlusconi’s centreright Forward Italy, the party took 37 percent of the vote, the leading bloc. With no single party or bloc capturing enough votes in the election to command a majority and govern alone, the election thrusts Italy into a state of limbo as it looks to cobble together a government and decide
which parties will compose and lead it. “We have the right and the duty to govern,” said Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio after declaring that his party was “the absolute winner.” According to Reuters, he believes that M5S should lead. Nevertheless, it cannot do so without forming a coalition. Yet, the other major parties do not welcome a coalition with M5S. Renzi firmly dismissed any potential of a coalition with either M5S or the League, said Italy’s the Local. League leader Matteo Salvini also dismissed a possible coalition between M5S and the League, reported the Times. The coalition seems unlikely, as the League’s anti-immigration stance clashes with M5S’s left-wing support. The Five Star Movement and the League will meet with President Sergio Mattarella, who will ultimately decide the makeup of the new government. The new Parliament will meet for the first time on March 23.
Austria Deports Afghan Sisters Andi Kamyab Two Afghan sisters who lost an asylum case at the European Court of Justice in July 2017 were deported from Austria, BBC reports. Austrian authorities deported the sisters at midday on March 13 to a camp in Zagreb, Croatia. Khadija and Zainab Jafari and their three children arrived in Austria in August 2016 but were refused asylum, as Austrian authorities decided that they should be sent back to Croatia, their country of entry into the EU. The sisters took their case to the European Court of Justice, which ruled in July 2017 that the Austrian authorities had the power to deport the sisters under the Dublin Regulation, arguing that refugees who leave their countries must seek asylum in the first EU state they reach. The decision held that the sisters were not entitled to enter other EU countries and should have sought asylum in Croatia instead, according to the Telegraph. Upon its inception, the ruling brought into doubt the futures of hundreds who arrived in Austria during the 2015-2016 migrant crisis. According to the Washington Post, despite the ruling, the European Court of Justice did mention that EU countries were entirely permitted to show a “spirit of solidarity” by reviewing asylum applications even if it is not required. Christoph Riedl, a policy adviser with humanitarian aid group Diakonie, asked Austria to allow the sisters to remain, says the Washington Post. “Austria should simply have shown some heart and solidarity as the European Court of Justice demanded in its ruling,” Riedl said. The deportation has received substantial backlash from aid agencies and charities, BBC reports. “We would have wished that Austria would send a positive signal and carry out the asylum procedure itself,” the Diakonie charity stated, arguing that “the case of the Jafari sisters and their children would have been an ideal case for the spirit of European solidarity.”
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Russia Poisons Ex-MI6 Agent in the U.K. A former British intelligence officer of the MI6 and his daughter were poisoned on March 4 by a Russian military-grade nerve agent in the British city of Salisbury, reported the Economist. The United Kingdom and the international community have promised to take strong action against those responsible for the brazen attack on British soil. Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, remain in critical condition, and around 21 other people have sought medical attention to fight the symptoms of the damaging chemical compounds. According to the Economist, Skripal worked in Russian military intelligence and served as a spy for British intelligence for many years. In 2004, Russian authorities jailed Skripal but later released him in a spy swap in 2010, after which he settled in Salisbury with his daughter. According to espionage codes of behavior, Skripal should have been off-limits after the swap. In her address to the House of Commons on March 12, Prime Minister Theresa May blamed Russia
for the attack and demanded an explanation from Moscow. According to C-SPAN, May said that “there are only two possible explanations for what happened in Salisbury […] either [it] was a direct action by the Russian state against our country, or the Russian government lost control of its potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others.”
attempted murder using a weaponsgrade nerve agent in a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals. It was an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk.” According to the Telegraph, tensions between the United Kingdom and Russia have increased since the Salisbury attack, especially considering that the U.K. has been actively seeking support from the international community to bring justice. As stated in Politico Europe,
Tensions between the U.K. and Russia have increased since the Salisbury attack. May then proceeded to list several international crimes that Russia has verifiably committed in modern history, including Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, its transgression into national airspaces of various European countries, and election meddling in various European nations and the United States. In her promise to bring those responsible for the attack to justice, May stated in her address that “this
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President Donald Trump and May discussed the issue over the phone on March 13, agreeing that it is imperative for Russian officials to “provide unambiguous answers” to the United Kingdom. On March 14, after Moscow failed to meet the deadline imposed by the United Kingdom for explanation, May expelled 23 Russian diplomats. This tough measure further raised tensions to a level that, according to the New York Times, has “not [been] seen since the heights of the Cold War.”
May expelled 23 Russian diplomats after the attempted assassination in Salisbury.
Martin Selmayr Appointed New EC Secretary-General Vincent Doehr The European Union’s College of Commissioners voted on February 21 to appoint Martin Selmayr as the EU’s head civil servant, according to Politico. Selmayr, a German lawyer who previously served as European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s chief of staff, is notorious for his fierce loyalty to Juncker and his secretive, forceful methods. Some individuals in Brussels immediately questioned the promotion of Selmayr, an openly political member of the conservative European People’s Party, to a historically nonpartisan position, Politico reports. Marietje Schaake, a Dutch Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, stated on Twitter that Selmayr is too political for a role intended for a civil servant and that, “Maybe he should have run for political & accountable office instead.” EU officials have criticized the clandestine process through which the Commission appointed Selmayr because the vote was not announced until immediately before the
commissioners met. An attendant at the College of Commissioners meeting speculated that the vote was kept secret in order to avoid media attention and prevent commissioners from organizing dissent, Politico reports. This has given credence to the perception that Selmayr was appointed because of Juncker’s support alone.
Some view Selmayr’s appointment as a way for Juncker to maintain influence. Further adding to the controversy, Juncker’s term as Commission president will expire next year. The Economist reports that some political experts view Selmayr’s appointment as a way for Juncker to maintain influence in the Commission after departing Brussels. This casts further doubt on the Commission’s ability to be a neutral arbiter between different national governments and various political parties. Yet another issue complicated by
Selmayr’s promotion is the number of European institutions headed by Germans, with the European Parliament and European External Action Service both headed by German secretaries-general, reports Politico. However, many Germans pushed back against this perspective, arguing that Selmayr’s policy positions often conflict with those of Berlin. The combination of issues with the promotion of Selmayr has caused many to wonder why the Commission did not exercise more transparency in order to alleviate fears of ethical violations. The Hungarian government accused the Commission of hypocrisy, as the Commission has cited Hungary several times for violations of the rule of law, according to Politico. Hungary’s right-wing government alleged that the existence of such an ethical lapse at the highest levels of the Commission demonstrated a double standard against Hungary. Several MEPs, including members of Selmayr’s own European People’s Party, critiqued the appointment as political, opaque, and hypocritical. MEPs stated that the move reinforced the perception of European institutions
as undemocratic and cronyistic. MEPs voiced concerns that the appointment had been undertaken so suddenly in order to bypass the checks and balances of the European Parliament. Some MEPs, like the Dutch Democrats 66 leader Sophia Helena in ‘t Veld, staunchly oppose Selmayr’s appointment, as reported by the Guardian. “I am left speechless at the scene of 28 top politicians, selected for the political leadership of this continent, led by the nose by a civil servant. The Commission will have to choose what is more important: the credibility of the commission or the career of Mr. Selmayr. The two are irreconcilable,” in ‘t Veld said. Selmayr has also played a critical role in the Brexit negotiations and is purportedly despised by both Theresa May and David Cameron. Politico reports that while serving as Juncker’s chief of staff, Selmayr was accused of leaking details of private meetings between British and EU delegates and treated British requests for a more generous exit deal with disdain. Selmayr’s extended presence in Brussels will not make for an easier Brexit.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Felipe Lobo Koerich
E
urope is dying. Literally. According to Eurostat, the European Union (EU) statistics bureau, more people die yearly in Europe than are born. The continent’s fertility rate of 1.6 births per woman lies well below the 2.1 needed to maintain stable demographics. The nations of Europe are aging and dying. The World Economic Forum argues that more immigration will solve Europe’s demographics issue. Yet recent elections in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Italy demonstrate emphatically that a large segment of the European population wants less, not more. In the Netherlands, Prime Minister Mark Rutte bested Geert Wilders by only 13 percent, according to the Telegraph, but only after moving further right to undercut Wilders’s support. The New York Times reported that Rutte co-opted ideas from the far right by supporting dramatic policies to decrease immigration. In Germany, the far-right has representation in the Bundestag for the first time since World War II. According to Politico, the Alternative for Germany party rode an “antiimmigrant” backlash to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refugee policy and pushed politics to the right, forcing Merkel to accept a 200,000 refugees cap to appease coalition allies. In Austria, anti-immigrant sentiment won out, with centrist People’s Party (ÖVP) and far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) forming a government. The FPÖ ran on an antiimmigration platform that forced the ÖVP to emulate its ideology. Heinz-Christian Strache, FPÖ leader, even stated, “our message has reached the mainstream.” In Italy, recent elections yielded large victories for anti-immigration parties and have pushed mainstream EU politicians to adopt hard-line anti-immigration policies or risk losing power, according to Reuters. This attempt at self-preservation has further spread anti-immigration policies Europe-wide, especially as the EU limits the entry of migrants. Europe is dying. The solution is simple, yet loathed: immigration. Europe needs additional immigrants to increase its numbers, supplement its youth, and increase its birth rates. Yet anti-immigrant sentiment is currently en vogue, and unless principled leaders take a stand, it likely will be for years to come.
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LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN Austin Corona & Gabriela Rodriguez A CNBC report on March 15 found that declining oil production in Venezuela threatens to cause a shortage in the global oil market, according to the International Energy Agency’s March 2018 status report. While the global market feels the impacts of Venezuela’s underproduction, Venezuelans continue to endure the economic consequences of poor management. Following a sudden drop in oil prices in 2014, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations have limited their joint production and attempted to restore higher prices. Even so, Venezuela’s hampered oil industry has created an unexpected deficiency in the global oil supply, and the Latin American nation has threatened to induce a spike in oil prices in the near future. Venezuela’s decreased oil production stems from its crippling economic crisis, which has generated widespread food shortages and malnourishment. As revealed in a survey conducted by three Venezuelan universities, lack of money for food contributed to 64 percent of residents losing weight in 2017. According to Bloomberg, petroleum workers have so little access to food that it inhibits them from doing their job. Pablo Ruiz, a worker at the Puerto La Cruz refinery, says that with his current salary, he can only afford about two pounds of rice per week. His only source of protein comes from canned tuna included in a food box the government provides for low income families. These boxes, however, only show up every 45 days or so. Jose Bodas, the general secretary of United Federation of Venezuelan Oil Workers, estimates that around 500 employees have resigned at the Puerto La Cruz refinery and nearby processing facilities in the past 12 months. Hunger and fatigue have come to define life in what was once one of the world’s foremost oil economies, and while Venezuela remains flush with oil, the resource becomes meaningless if there is no one to extract it. “They’re giving up because of hunger,” Bodas said. “They’re leaving because they get paid better abroad. This is unheard of, a catastrophe.”
CLAS Hosts Former Governor of Puerto Rico Gabriela Rodriguez The Georgetown University Center for Latin American Studies hosted the former Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis G. Fortuño, on March 15. The event, called Puerto Rico PostMaría, included a Q&A with Fortuño, during which he discussed the island’s financial situation and proposed his solutions for rebuilding the territory’s economy. Fortuño, a graduate of Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, served as Puerto Rico’s Governor from 2009 to 2013. He is currently a partner with the international law firm Steptoe and Johnson’s Washington office, where he works as a member of the Corporate, Securities, and Finance Group and the Government Affairs and Public Policy Group. Fortuño began the event by acknowledging the social and political consequences of the Category 4 hurricane that hit Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. “These events are events that occur suddenly, and when they do, they change the course of action of the
island,” said Fortuño. He described the devastation of the hurricane as unparalleled, “like nothing he had seen in his life.” Fortuño has been hard at work communicating this message to government officials in DC hoping to encourage further disaster-relief aid. According to Fortuño, one cannot measure the island’s recovery by looking at San Juan, which has almost returned to a state of normalcy. The situation in the mountains and countryside, he mentioned, indicates more accurately that many Puerto Ricans still have not recovered from the damage left by Hurricane Maria. Many Puerto Ricans have moved to the mainland United States in search of stability. Since his time as governor, Fortuño’s greatest concern for Puerto Rico has been the island’s increasing population loss. Currently, about 3.4 million Puerto Ricans live on the island, and 5 million live in the continental United States. “You’re not just losing numbers…. You’re losing talent, which means you’re losing faith,” said Fortuño. Fortuño presented his personal solutions to the island’s current crisis,
Legal Victory for Brazilian Transgender Activists Sean Fulmer In a historic turn of events, Brazilian transgender activists won two major judicial cases on March 1, the Washington Blade reports. These landmark rulings will allow individuals to change their legal gender without undergoing surgery and will allow transgender political candidates to run under their preferred names in the upcoming 2018 elections. According to the Washington Blade, 179 transgender individuals were murdered in Brazil in 2017. Brazil witnesses the most annual hate crimes against transgender people in the world. According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, transgender Brazilians have a life expectancy of 35 years, whereas the Brazilian average is 75 years. According to Human Rights Watch, the Superior Electoral Court of Brazil
unanimously ruled that Brazilian individuals can now change their legal gender without receiving surgery or hormonal treatment. Transgender people will not need a psychological or medical assessment in order to change their legal gender, PinkNews reports. Additionally, the Superior Electoral Court refused to set a minimum age for when individuals can change their legal gender. The Washington Blade also reported that the Superior Electoral Court of Brazil now allows transgender candidates to use their preferred name on ballots during an election important in the upcoming October 2018 election. Activists claim that while this is a sign of major progress in acceptance of the transgender community in Brazil, the country still faces widespread transphobia.
admitting that some listeners may find them controversial. Fortuño proposed structural solutions such as energy reform, deregulation to improve competitiveness, real fiscal reform, incentives to increase labor participation, tax reform, and improving infrastructure through public-private partnerships. He placed a large emphasis on encouraging startups and small businesses, which he believes will “pull up Puerto Rico.” When asked about his thoughts on federal aid and support, Fortuño
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replied that he believes “Congress did what it was going to do already.” He prefers to seek solutions internally, placing responsibility at the hands of the locals. “Puerto Rico is always looking North for solutions,” acknowledged Fortuño. “Solutions must come from Puerto Rico itself.”. “In government, there are always good ideas. Execution, however, will be key. I’m hopeful that the current administration will be successful in its execution.”
Luis G. Fortuño served as Puerto Rico’s Governor from 2009 to 2013.
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Chris Mills Cuba held their first parliamentary election since the death of Fidel Castro in 2016 on March 11. In the Cuban election process, voters ratify a list of candidates for provincial and national assemblies, which in turn select the president. This process occurs every five years, but this election is particularly significant because this new national assembly will elect a president to replace Raul Castro. “For many Cubans, elections have never represented change,” said 37-year-old Havana native Rafael Padron. “But this is a key moment.” Fidel first assumed power over Cuba during the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Since then, the Castros have dominated Cuban politics, acting as the figureheads of the Communist Party and the country. Despite the possibility of change in Cuban politics, a drastic shift in power seems unlikely. According to Reuters, the Communist Party is the only party on the ballot, and thus will still be in power. Raul will most likely remain the head of the Party despite not being president. Additionally, Miguel DiazCanel, the candidate who everyone
assumes will be chosen, has been handpicked and groomed by the Castros for years. Because he was born after the Cuban Revolution and lacks military experience, some argue that he will be different than the Castros, reports Al Jazeera. Nevertheless, DiazCanel is still an establishment figure in the Communist Party and intends on supporting the Castro ideology.
“We don’t know what will happen exactly, but people want to see...a change for the better.” -Arnaldo Betancourt “The triumphal march of the revolution will continue,” Diaz-Canel said after voting, promising that the “peace, liberty, independence and the sovereignty of the people will endure”. Julio Cesar Guanche, a professor of law and history, expects the legitimacy of the country’s next president to come from “institutional performance” rather than personal history such as
involvement in the 1959 revolution. The Miami Herald reports that this election had the lowest turnout in the history of socialist Cuba. A little over 17.1 percent of voters refused to participate, showing a decrease in political engagement compared to past elections. The National Electoral Commission, however, has reported that the voting rates were close to 90 percent. Because the Miami Herald and a local Kaui’i paper have been the only outside papers to cover the election, there is no clear data on official electoral results, which are scheduled to come out on March 19. This month’s election is historic in that it will elect a non-Castro president for the first time since 1959, but it is expected that the end result will be more of the same. The lack of candidate options, a Castro-groomed favorite, and opaque data are all indicative of little change in Cuban politics. Nevertheless, Cuban natives are still hopeful for a more prosperous future. “We don’t know what will happen exactly,” said 52-year-old Arnaldo Betancourt, “but people want to see new things, a change for the better.”
Three Italians Kidnapped in Mexico Colin Maloney Three Italian nationals remain missing after being kidnapped in Mexican state of Jalisco on January 31. El País reports that four police officers have confessed to handing the Italians over to members of a drug cartel, according a statement by Jalisco State Prosecutor Raúl Sánchez. The case has ignited controversy both in Italy, where the families of the victims are demanding answers, and in Mexico, where it has sparked public outrage at police corruption. Antonio Russo, 25, Raffale Russo, 60, and Vincenzo Cimmino, 29, were last seen near the town of Tecalitalán. The three were arrested at a gas station by four policemen on unknown charges. According to Mr. Sánchez, the police officers handed the Italians over to an “organized crime group,” reported El País. He did not specify which group received the hostages. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel dominates organized crime in the area. The four police officers have been detained and formally charged for the disappearances. State officials
are investigating three other officers in connection with the incident. Additionally, the entire police force of Tecalitalán has been ordered to undergo mandatory retraining. According to BBC, the son of one hostage claimed the captives had been “sold to a gang” for $38. Other relatives have organized a march in Naples to demand answers from the Mexican authorities. Additionally, the public prosecutor’s office in Rome has opened an official investigation in response to their complaints.
Mexican officials claim that the Italian trio’s purposes in Mexico were dubious. “We want to contact the Mexican President so that he tells us the truth…. In Mexico they know the truth, but they’re afraid or they don’t want to tell it,” said one relative in an article by Italian newspaper La Repubblica. Mexican officials claim that the Italian trio’s purposes in Mexico
were dubious. According to El País, the three men claimed to have been tourists, but Mexican officials say the trio was actually in Mexico on business, selling falsely advertised Chinese generators. Mexican officials have claimed that confusion around the Italians’ incentives delayed their investigation. Furthermore, one of the victims, Raffaele Russo, was arrested three years ago in the Mexican State of Campeche, though the charges are unknown. The relatives of the victims have rejected rumors that the men were involved in the narcotics trade. “Us? Drug-traffickers? What a lie. If [Raffaele] was a drug-trafficker, he would be more powerful than Pablo Escobar,” his daughter Daniele Russo told La Repubblica. Many Mexican journalists view this disappearance as the latest in a series of incidents highlighting illicit ties between cartels and local police forces. Some journalists have compared the case to that of the 43 Mexican students who disappeared from the town of the Iguala in 2014 after corrupt police officials handed them over to a local gang.
Oxfam Faces Sexual Abuse Allegations In Haiti Amelia Smith
Outrage ensued on February 9 when the Times of London published a front-page article accusing Oxfam staff members of illegally paying survivors for sex in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The article claims that senior staff used prostitutes during the devastation following the earthquake and that the British charity organization covered it up. Among the male staff accused is Oxfam’s then-director of operations in Haiti, Roland Van Hauwermeiren, who allegedly paid prostitutes at a villa rented for him by the organization. The Charity Commission has since launched a statutory inquiry into Oxfam, one of the U.K.’s biggest charities with 10,000 staff working in over 90 countries. Oxfam has denied covering up the scandal, claiming they conducted an internal investigation and dismissed four members as soon as they heard the allegations. Following the scandal, Oxfam has announced it is assembling an independent commission of women’s rights experts to carry out a review of working culture. The organization has agreed not to bid for U.K. government funding for the time being. Haitian President Jovenel Moïse condemned Oxfam, saying the sexual misconduct was an “extremely serious violation of human dignity.” BBC has reported that senior government sources have confirmed the launch of an investigation into foreign aid agencies operating within Haiti. Another charity organization, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), has been questioned for repatriating 17 staff members, and many worry
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about the consequences of punishing all aid agencies in the country. After the earthquake left 1.5 million people displaced and Haiti in a state of chaos, foreigners were often the primary source of resources; and while prostitution existed in Haiti before 2010, the earthquake aftermath drastically augmented it. According to Reuters, many reporters and aid workers have warned against using Oxfam as a scapegoat in a country where sexual abuse is a general issue. The responses from Moïse and Haitian nonprofits have echoed a similar sentiment, that the problem is institutional. Oxfam Executive Director Winnie Byanyima has promised to bring justice to the female victims but has also stated that the organization cannot “find every person who was exploited by an aid worker and restore their lives, because the problem is endemic.” Dorothea Hilhorst, professor of humanitarian aid and reconstruction at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, fears the response may be ineffective as well as damaging to the victims, who would have to testify multiple times, if conducted individually by agencies. The better option, as she and others have claimed, would be a sector-wide response. The future of Haiti’s relationship with agencies such as Oxfam is uncertain, but one consensus is clear: aid agencies need to improve how they prevent and handle sexual misconduct, and the Haitian government and international community must address all the factors that contribute to unacceptable trends of sexual abuse.
Oxfam is one of the U.K.’s biggest charities, with 10,000 staff workers.
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INDO-ASIA-PACIFIC Caroline Schauder
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n January, China published its first white paper on Arctic policy, in which it outlined its strategy in the Arctic and declared itself a “near-Arctic state.” According to the white paper, China plans to incorporate the Arctic into its One Belt One Road initiative by constructing a Polar Silk Road. China’s interest in the Arctic reflects a broader movement in Asian countries to capitalize on the accelerating ice melt in the northern region. Asian involvement in the Arctic is evident from new observer members of the Arctic Council. In 2013, six countries gained observer status, five of which were Asian countries: China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and India. The incentive for most Asian countries to get involved with the Arctic is largely economic, as a melted Arctic would transform trade by providing new opportunities for countries to diversify their maritime trade routes. China has established economic partnerships with Russia, most recently by purchasing over 20 percent of the Yamal Liquefied Natural Gas Plant, located above the Arctic Circle. The Diplomat asserts that this project is intended to create conditions for a regional economic collaboration. Since China’s successful sailing of the Xue Long (Snow Dragon) through the Northern Sea Route in 2012, the country has been eager to further explore trade route opportunities in the region, according to the Barents Observer. Additionally, South Korea, which depends on maritime shipping for 99.9 percent of its imports and exports, is allegedly exploring a potential Arctic container shipping line in collaboration with Russia according to the Asia Times. Japan also looks toward the Arctic with hopes of trade and energy opportunities. Japan has even appointed Kazuko Shiraishi ambassador to the Arctic. Increased opportunities in the Arctic will have widespread political ramifications, and alliances, specifically between China and Russia, have already begun to form.
North Korea Willing to “Denuclearize,” Officials Say Nareg Kuyumjian South Korean National Security Office Chief Chung Eui-yong announced on March 8 that North Korea is willing to refrain from its missile production, reports NK News. Two diplomatic developments have surfaced since the announcement. First, according to the Korea Times, Kim Jong Un has agreed to hold the third inter-Korean summit and meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Secondly, according to Radio Free Asia, North Korea is willing to engage in a Kim-Trump meeting that would potentially involve steps toward nuclear disarmament. According to the Korea Times, an inter-Korean summit is slated to take place sometime in late April. A South Korean committee, led by presidential Chief of Staff Im Jongseok and Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, plans to put together a viable negotiation strategy in the coming weeks. Furthermore, according to Radio Free Asia, Moon’s office released a statement announcing that “the North Korean side clearly
stated its willingness to denuclearize” only if any “military threat to the North was eliminated and its security guaranteed.” Balbina Hwang, a visiting professor at Georgetown University’s Center for Security Studies, weighed in on the recent development by claiming that nuclear disarmament and maintenance of a threatening U.S. military force in South Korea “are simply incompatible” and that “the South Korean public will have to make a choice.” In addition, NK Times reports that there will be a Kim-Trump meeting as soon as May. With special envoy Joseph Yun’s resignation in February and now the dismissal of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, NK Times adds that this meeting would be the “most high profile meeting between the two nations since Secretary Madeleine Albright met the late Kim Jong Il in 2000.” Despite, as the South China Morning Post puts it, “the [Trump administration’s] apparent lack of communication,” Trump was quick to claim this development as “great progress” in a recent tweet.
Indian Farmers End Protest Over Land Rights Shilpa Rao After meeting with state ministers, Indian farmers from Maharashtra ended their protests over land rights and loan waivers, according to the Times of India. According to the Straits Times, protesters demanded that the Indian government give forest land to tribal communities, pay one-and-a-half times the cost of crop production to farmers, and waive farm loans. The Maharashtrian government met two of the protesters’ nine specific demands, reports the Times of India. The Straits Times reports that farmers marched 100 miles from Nashik to Mumbai, wearing red caps and carrying red flags. Officials estimated that around 30,000 marched and gathered at the Azad Maidan playing field in southern Mumbai. The Times of India reports that the
protest was organized by All India Kisan Sabha, the farmers’ wing of Communist Party of India-Marxist, and other farmers’ unions. According to Reuters, this protest was the second challenge to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in less than a year. Modi had promised to double farmers’ income in five years. In June 2017, the Maharashtrian government announced a farm loan waiver of 138 billion rupees ($2.1 billion), but protesters argued that it did not benefit all farmers in need. Approximately 260 million farmers live in India, and farming contributes 17 percent to India’s GDP, reports the Straits Times. According to BBC, farming in India has been plagued by drought, decreasing productivity, and failure to modernize. According to the Straits Times, official numbers suggest that around 2,500 Maharashtrian farmers committed suicide in 2015.
These recent developments could potentially cool tensions that had escalated following North Korea’s multiple Hwasong-15 missile last November, which, according to CNN, demonstrated its ability to hit “any part of the continental United States.” The Korea Times reports that a meeting between a North Korean delegation led by Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, and the Blue House during the Winter Olympics indicates an overall loosening of tensions between the regional enemies and, in essence, serves as a turning point for North
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Korean foreign policy. However, skeptics like Hwang expect that these preliminary talks will not result in “very much real change” and that “they will fail many times before we see any real progress.” Furthermore, according to South China Morning Post, a delegation from the European Parliament led by British MEP Nirj Deva “has met senior North Korean officials...14 times and plans another meeting in Brussels in the near future.” These meetings were kept from the public for no expressed reason.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a parade.
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Australian Labor Party Introduces New Tax Policy China’s National People’s Congress Removes Presidential Labor Party cited Australia’s growing Term Limits budget deficit as the
The Australian Labor Party announced a plan to end a system of cash refund credits to shareholders who receive tax free dividends. The Labor Party’s plan would save $8.79 billion in fiscal year 2020-21 and 202122, according to the Parliamentary Budget Office. As Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports, the proposal attempts to reform a system designed to prevent double taxation. Since 1987, companies paying dividends to Australian shareholders must include a franking credit on the dividend to prove that the company has paid taxes on its profits. Individual shareholders or self-managed superannuation funds (SMSF) need not pay taxes on what is covered by the franking credit. In 2000, under the conservative Liberal Party government of John Howard, the system changed so shareholders could convert any credit to cash refunds from the government, costing Australia $3.8 billion per year. ABC News reports that Labor Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen noted that this proposed change to the system would affect about 200,000
part-time pensioners or 14,000 full pensioners, which account for about 10 percent of part time pensioners and “at most, 1 percent of full pensioners,” according to Mr. Bowen.
reason for this plan.
A small fraction of SMSFs will be affected by this change as well. Bowen estimated the number to be about 600,000 SMSFs, explaining that “some people have engineered their affairs so they can get maximized refunds.” Labor Party leader Bill Shorten explained that this policy would primarily affect wealthier retirees, who make up a higher concentration of shareholders than other retirees. Shorten added that half of the cash refunds go to the largest 10 percent of SMSFs, which have more than $1.8 million invested in them. The Labor Party reiterated that more than nine out of ten taxpayers will not have to pay this charge, a claim backed by independent economist Saul Eslake.
According to ABC News, members of the governing coalition have criticized the Labor Party’s policy as a tax on pensioners. Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison blasted the Labor plan for “stealing the tax refund of retirees and pensioners and lowincome earners.” Finance Minister Senator Mathias Cormann rejected the Labor Party’s claim that no one would pay more tax under this proposal, stating that a $45.5 billion, tax increase would affect over one million retirees. ABC News reports that the Labor Party cited Australia’s growing budget deficit as the reason for introducing this plan. Bowen claimed, “We can’t afford this any longer, the budget’s under pressure, and difficult decisions are necessary to ensure the budget returns to surplus,” adding that the cost of these tax refunds is greater than the Australian government’s current spending on public schools. Bowen labeled the current system of franking credits a “negative income tax". The Labor Party said it would implement this policy in July 2019 if it is in government after the next federal elections scheduled for February of 2019.
China Restructures Government Ministries Jonathan Marek The Chinese government submitted a plan to the ongoing session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s legislature, to restructure the Chinese cabinet, the State Council, on March 13. According to a report by the official Xinhua News Agency, the goal of the reforms was to “streamline the governance system with a more efficient administration.” The changes, representing the most significant reforms in two decades, will reduce the number of ministerial and vice-ministerial positions by 15. It proposes the merging of regulatory agencies for banking and insurance in order to control China’s debt-ridden financial sector. Ministries to be eliminated include the family planning commission, which implements the recently relaxed “one child policy.” The South China Morning Post described the restructuring as part of an effort by Xi Jinping to disrupt vested interests in the current bureaucratic system, which have often hindered implementation of central government directives. Several new or reorganized ministries reflect Presidendt Xi
Jinping’s policy priorities. The changes also empower the environment ministry to take a more active role in combating climate change and pollution, according to the Washington Post. An agency for international development will assume responsibilities for Xi’s signature Belt and Road Initiative previously split between the Ministries of Commerce
New or reorganized ministries reflect Xi Jinping’s policy priorities. and Foreign Affairs. Analysts such as Mao Shoulong noted that some restructured agencies closely resembled their American counterparts. The aforementioned international development agency will also be responsible for foreign aid. Li Fan, founder of the World and China Institute think tank, compared it to USAID in that both seek to advance their nation’s diplomatic interests through aid projects. Mao also highlighted the new
immigration administration and Ministry of Veterans Affairs as similar to the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service and Department of Veterans Affairs, respectively. Cheng Enfu, an NPC delegate and researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the South China Morning Post that the reduction in the overall number of ministries will bring China more in line with developed countries. Perhaps most notable among the changes is the increased role for Party central leadership in the state bureaucracy. In an editorial in the People’s Daily, a close advisor to Xi, claimed, using a popular quote from Mao Zedong, that the reforms addressed the “core issue” of “strengthening the Party’s leadership.” The Xinhua announcement made numerous references to improving the strength and efficiency of the national administration. These centralizing moves are especially notable given the recent abolition of presidential term limits, which will allow Xi to remain in power indefinitely. The NPC, a rubber-stamp body, is expected to approve the changes later this week.
Jackson Gillette China’s rubber-stamp parliament officially voted on March 11 to repeal presidential term limits. The National People’s Congress (NPC) voted overwhelmingly in favor of passing the constitutional amendments. According to Bloomberg News, there were only 3 abstentions and two nays out of the 2,964 votes cast, which translates to a 99.8 percent support rate. The measure will remove the portion of the constitution, specifically Article 79, which states that the president and vice president “shall serve no more than two consecutive terms.” According to the New York Times, the constitutional imposition of term limits stems from the efforts of former-leader Deng Xiaoping. The revision was passed in 1982, adding the two-term limit desired by Deng and other party leaders. Peng Zhen, a former leading member of the Communist Party, viewed the term limit as a vital restriction on the power of any individual within the party. A 2015 article in the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the CCP, cited the unique concerns China faces as a single-party state. The article contrasted China to France, where each term allows up to seven years, saying “France has opposition parties who find faults every day, so it is difficult to be reelected. We are party leaders, and the longer we are in power, the easier it is for things to go wrong.”
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Benjamin Richmond
Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The legislative change could have broad implications for China’s political system for years to come, according to the South China Morning Post. Under the two-term limit, President Xi Jinping, currently in the beginning of his second term, would legally only be able to serve up until 2023. However, according to the South China Morning Post, as a result of the removal of term limits, experts believe that it will allow for Xi to hold power indefinitely. Moreover, in an article for the South China Morning Post, journalist Jun Mai believes that the removal of term limits may also signal a desire from Xi to change the role of the presidency in China. Mai points out that currently the position of president is “largely ceremonial," and that power truly resides in the party’s general secretary and chairman of the Central Military Commission, both being positions Xi also holds. The removal of term limits, according to Mai, is an attempt to add more “political heft” to the presidency on behalf of Xi and party leaders. According to Radio Free Asia, a group of dissidents organized a protest campaign across numerous universities outside of China in opposition to the change. In the United States, ethnic Chinese residents took to the streets objecting to the amendments. State-run media in China largely defended the decision. The Global Times published an editorial pushing back against concerns over Xi holding power for life. The editorial states that the party "will continue to be successful in solving the power shifts of the CCP."
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MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA
Yemeni Government Losing Favor with Arab Supporters Uzbekistan and government had been prevented from News, Saudi diplomats have excluded own control over Yemen. In January, Moez Hayat returning to Yemen. their Yemeni counterparts by directly Saudi Arabia gave a muted response Tajikistan Moreover, as Reuters reports, talking with the Houthis when Hadi’s as forces of the UAE-backed Southern Yemeni minister Salah Al-Siady Saudi diplomats have been secretly government does not have any similar Transitional Council (STC), a southern Reopen Borders called for Yemenis to protest the house negotiating with the Houthi movement backchannels. In fact, the Saudis have Yemeni separatist movement, captured
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arrest of the president in Saudi Arabia on March 11, according to The New Arab. According to Al-Siady’s social media, Saudi Arabia has attempted to detain the Yemeni president in the same manner the country arrested Lebanese President Saad Hariri in November 2017. That month, according to Al Jazeera, several ministers also claimed that President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and members of his family and
to end the civil war between the rebel group that currently controls the north of Yemen and the coalition of Arab states that support the president’s government. Apparently, the Saudis have been negotiating with the Houthis directly in Oman since January, according to Al Jazeera. Hadi has not been involved in these secret peace talks. According to Twasul
Hadi sitting down for a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.
failed at least three times to negotiate an agreement with the Houthis, according to the Washington Post.
Saudi diplomats have secretly negotiated with the Houthi movement. As a result, it appears Saudi Arabia is undercutting its Yemeni allies in order to prioritize its own geopolitical interests. In February, the Middle East Eye reported that UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed decried the Houthis for rejecting a peace deal with the Hadi government. It is now known that the failure coincided with the secret talks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, reducing any incentive by the Houthis to make a deal with the official government of Yemen. Moreover, other analysts noted that Saudi Arabia has stood idly by as the United Arab Emirates asserts its
the provisional capital of Aden from Hadi’s Saudi-backed forces, even as Hadi’s ministers were besieged in the presidential palace, according to France 24. The Middle East Eye reports that many Yemenis, including Hadi, have accused the UAE of attempting to occupy and colonize southern Yemen by creating a UAE puppet state, allowing it to control the profitable ports of the region. In this context, Hadi’s house arrest further marginalizes the Yemeni government and reduces its ability to control its territory and seek an international settlement. As regional partners consider their own ways to end the conflict, Hadi’s government risks being abandoned by Saudi Arabia and the UAE as they seek to impose their own solution on the war in Yemen. Such a solution may not include the Yemeni people as a party to any peace deal or as rulers of their own country.
Iraq Lifts Flight Ban in Kurdish Region, Cont’d from p. 1 Michael Abi-Habib According to airport officials, the two airports contributed to a combined 40-50 percent of Iraq’s total daily flights. The six-month ban has severely hurt the Kurdish economy, with Kurdish officials claiming that Baghdad owed the airport an estimated $37 million for loss of revenue and wages, according to Kurdistan24. According to Rudaw, on March 13, the Iraqi Interior Minister Qasim al-Araji, the KRG Interior Minister Karim Sinjari, and the head of the Transportation Committee in the Iraqi parliament Bestun Zangana made a joint announcement lifting the ban on the airports. Al-Abadi has also stated that the Iraqi government will repay the salaries of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) employees soon. Despite the allowance of international flights, Kurdistan24 reports that the new agreement would keep the airports under federal jurisdiction. As a result, all passengers traveling through Kurdish airports
must face the same immigration procedures as those traveling through Iraqi airports. Foreign workers in Kurdistan must now request Iraqi visas. Furthermore, all shipments, information, and technical measures must be linked with the main system in Baghdad. According to Araji and Barzani, these measures are needed to ensure a strong opposition to terrorism, reports Rudaw. The decision represents a huge step forward in the Iraqi-Kurdish relationship. Interior Minister Sinjari stated that “all issues between Baghdad and Erbil should be resolved through dialogue and discussions and based on the Iraqi constitution.” Kurdistan24 reports that this same sentiment was expressed by US Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman, who stated that the negotiations “represent an example of how constructive dialogue can lead to the resolution of disagreements in a peaceful manner.”
Will Rau
Border disputes and trade restrictions have characterized Uzbek-Tajik relations for decades, but recent diplomatic visits have brought about progress. On March 9, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Tajikistan to discuss energy production and disarmament, topics that have polarized regional policy. According to The Diplomat, historical clashes have fractured Uzbek-Tajik diplomacy. In 1992, former Uzbek President Islam Karimov supported a losing party in the Tajik Civil War, placing him at odds with Tajikstan’s emerging leaders. The resulting animosity between the nations’ ruling parties resulted in disputes over a loosely-defined border. Karimov lined the Uzbek-Tajik boundary with landmines in the early 2000s, killing numerous civilians and underscoring Uzbekistan’s opposition to compromise. However, since Karimov’s death in 2016, Mirziyoyev has prioritized relations with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who has held office since the civil war. Mirziyoyev recently approved a Tajik hydroelectric plant, the development of which enraged Karimov’s administration. Concerned with agricultural irrigation, the former president protested the dam’s water diversion along the border; however, renewed trade could give Uzbekistan a stake in the profits. Reports indicate that Mirziyoyev is pursuing imported excess electricity in exchange for the dam’s operation and is considering a new export route. During Mirziyoyev’s visit, a transnational railway reopened between Ghalaba, Uzbekistan and Amuzang, Tajikistan, according to Railway Gazette International. Uzbek railway officials thanked “the political will of the presidents of the two countries” and promised improvements in passenger services and rail maintenance. Asia Plus, a Tajik news site, indicated that the railway opened for the first time after a 2011 terrorist attack halted operations. With new economic negotiations at play, the railway’s reopening might symbolize a new age of diplomacy in Central Asia.
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Jerusalem’s Coptic Church Protests Religious Property Tax Jerusalem’s Coptic Church has shut its doors in protest of increased taxation and proposed legislation targeting the churches’ commercial activities from the city’s government, reports the Washington Post. On February 24, the leaders of the city’s major Christian sects announced that they would be closing the church of the Holy Sepulchre for the afternoon. Christian establishments and the Israeli government have always maintained tense relations. This strained relationship is compounded by the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as the majority of Christians in Israel are Palestinian, reports the Washington Post. The municipal government exacerbated these relations with its plans to tax Christian churches’ assets around the city, as well as to seek a bill that would allow the municipality to expropriate land sold by the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches. According to the Jerusalem and Middle East Church Association, the churches issued a joint statement claiming to be unjustly targeted by the Israeli government in a “systematic
campaign of abuse.” As reported by the Jerusalem Post, the Jerusalem municipality says that it deeply cares about and is dedicated to ensuring the Christians’ freedom to worship, but that “hotels, halls and businesses cannot be exempt from municipal taxes simply because they are owned by the churches.”
Tax squabbles between the local Christian community and the Jewish State have been happening for years. The Vatican and Israel have been conducting sporadic negotiations in an effort to reach an accord on Catholic properties. In 1993, a Fundamental Agreement between the Holy See and Israel was ratified; both parties are hoping to renegotiate and revise the document sometime this year. Some see Jerusalem’s threat to tax church property as intended to further pressure the country’s finance ministry to distribute funds. The Christian
The churches claim to be unjustly targeted in a “systematic campaign of abuse.” The city of Jerusalem is in desperate need of funding for municipal necessities, such as governmentemployed sanitation crews. The Jerusalem Post reports that the lack of proper financing from Israel’s central government to Jerusalem threatens to potentially put 2000 municipal employees out of work. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat has demanded that Israel’s Ministry of Finance allocate more funding to his city. Jerusalem is one of Israel’s largest, yet poorest metropoles.
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Francesca Ractliffe
churches of Jerusalem would benefit from such an empty threat. According to a report by the Israel Hayom newspaper, the Catholic church would have to foot an already outstanding tax bill of over $3.3 million, and the Anglican Church has also accumulated a debt of over $2.5 million. According to the Jerusalem Post, the churches reopened after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an apology and promised that Jerusalem would not pursue its taxation plan.
View of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Documentary Alleges Regional Collusion in 1996 Qatar Coup Al Jazeera has released the first two editions of a new documentary following the failed coup d’etat in Qatar in February 1996. It provides evidence of that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain were involved in the coup, despite years of denial. The coup targeted the then-Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa. According to the documentary, a group of prominent Middle Eastern officials formed a committee to orchestrate the coup. Its leaders included the Saudi minister of defense, the crown prince of Bahrain, the former Egyptian vice president, and the former chief of staff of the UAE armed forces, who is now the crown prince of Abu Dhabi. This revelation of widespread regional collusion is a dramatic expansion of the initial understanding of who was responsible. Following the attempt, the Emir’s cousin, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, was found guilty as the coup’s mastermind, says BBC. Hamad bin Jassim was Qatar’s economy minister and police chief. He, along with 32 others, were jailed for life. During the trials, several witnesses
alleged that Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were at least aware of the plot, but no action was taken against these parties. A main engineer of the coup revealed the large role that the thencrown prince of Bahrain played. The prince personally financed sabotage operations and bombings in Doha, though his efforts were foiled by technical difficulties. One of the supervisors of the Qatari police investigation detailed new evidence against the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia in the documentary. Investigations reveal extensive conversation about the coup between Qatari authorities and leaders in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the UAE and Bahrain provided passports to Qatari fugitives and military members participating in the coup. The Atlantic says that relations between Qatar and many of its neighbors had been hostile for years before the coup. Between Qatar and Bahrain, control over the Hawar Islands has long been a point of contention. Qatar and Saudi Arabia have conflicting interests in Yemen’s internal affairs, and just before the 1996 coup, they clashed over appointments
to the Gulf Cooperation Council. Two decades later, these lines of division still cut through regional relations. In June of 2017, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain gave Qatari citizens notices to leave their territory by month’s end, BBC reports. The following month, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt broke off diplomatic relations with Qatar. Yemen, Libya, and the Maldives soon followed. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt have excluded Qatari aircraft from their airspace. Saudi Arabia has closed the only land
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Emma Morris
West Bay Skyline in Doha, Qatar.
border to Qatar, and many ports have banned Qatari ships from docking. Furthermore, according to the Gulf Times, Qatar filed complaints to the UN over violations of Qatari airspace by Bahrain and the UAE only a few days after the release of the documentary. Qatar also issued a report to the UN of a UAE naval ship seizing a Qatari fishing boat at gunpoint earlier this year. These recent incidents and the revelations of the documentary may aggravate the longbred tensions between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Preetham Chippada
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lections in the Middle East remain up in the air. Lebanon has its first elections in almost a decade scheduled for May 6. The sitting Lebanese parliament extended its four year terms twice, foreclosing the possibility of parliamentary elections. The 976 candidates will compete for 128 parliamentary seats using a system of electoral law based on proportional representation. Voters will choose parties with preselected candidates and then pick their favorite candidate from the party. Although the election is an opportunity for Lebanese activists that have gained popularity, political commentators such as Rabie Barakat are skeptical that the activists will be successful, as the electoral districts are tailored to benefit establishment political parties. Iraq also has elections scheduled for May. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is seeking another four year term. For the past four years, al-Abadi has been supported by the United States in his war against the Islamic State (ISIS). Al-Abadi will be competing with former-Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki and former-Transportation Minister Hadi al-Amiri, who Al Arabiya notes are both close allies with Iran. On March 14, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis accused Iran of using money to interfere in Iraqi elections, according to Al Arabiya. Although Mattis has not detailed how this money is influencing the election, the statement serves to bolster al-Abadi’s candidacy in the upcoming election. Iran has not yet responded to these allegations but has denied similar charges in the past. Finally, Israel came close to holding a snap election after a disagreement over an ultraOrthodox conscription bill. Members of Israel’s right-wing coalition demanded a preliminary vote to exempt the ultra-Orthodox from army conscription before passing the budget, according to Reuters. The government reached a compromise on March 13. Netanyahu is currently under fire for multiple corruption scandals, and some critics claim that Netanyahu created the political crisis to distract from the corruption allegations.
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NORTH & SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Claire Hazburn
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his edition of the Caravel features two articles on African women. Kate Fin writes about the Cameroonian government’s arrests of female protesters. Kevin Pollack highlights Ameena Gurib-Fakim’s resignation as president of Mauritius, leaving the 54 countries of Africa without any female heads of state. However, in spite of statesponsored repression and lagging representation in high government positions, women are making headlines across the continent. Nigeria boasts Abimbola Alale, the only female CEO of a major satellite company in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. The mission of NIGCOMSAT, the company that she heads, is to become the leading communications service provider in Africa. Also in the news is the Ghanaian government, which allocated $8 million for the organization of the thirteenth Africa Women Cup of Nations. In winter 2018, the Confederation of African Football will assemble eight of the best women’s soccer teams on the continent. However, despite these positive strides, women still face serious challenges in many African countries. In Kenya, less than two percent of title deeds issued since 2014 were to women. Although the Kenyan constitution prohibits gender discrimination, the tradition of men owning land still triumphs. According to World Bank estimates, women run more than three-quarters of Kenyan farms, but men still own most of them. In Uganda, an investigation of MP Onesimus Twinamasiko is currently underway after he was recorded advocating for men to beat their wives. The Ugandan response has been swift, with the president denouncing Twinamasiko’s comments and female activists calling for his resignation. Overall, Afrobarometer finds that across the continent, African support for women’s equality is “widespread and growing.” However, the pan-African survey cautions that disadvantage and discrimination still permeate the day-to-day lives of many African women.
Mauritian President to Resign Over Spending Scandal Kevin Pollack As the people of Mauritius prepared to celebrate 50 years of independence on March 12, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth stunned the country on March 9 by announcing that President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim will resign in the coming weeks, according to the New York Times. “The interest of the country comes first, and I am proud of Mauritius’s image as a model of living democracy in the world,” Jugnauth said. While he did not specify a date for her resignation, he said it will come before parliament convenes at the end of the month. The announcement came just one day after the government launched impeachment proceedings. According to the New York Times, Gurib-Fakim used a credit card issued by London-based charity Planet Earth Institute (PEI) on her exorbitant shopping trips in Italy, United Arab Emirates, Sweden, Italy, and elsewhere. According to AfricaNews, she spent more than $30,000 in personal purchases of clothing and jewelry. Gurib-Fakim — the first woman
in Mauritius to be appointed to the predominantly ceremonial position in 2015 — first questioned the authenticity of the reports but later stated that she has since refunded all the money to PEI’s Mauritian sister organization, according to BBC. PEI has a history of causing controversy. The organization was founded by Álvaro Sobrinho, a contentious Angolan banker and businessman. Under his leadership, more than $600 million disappeared from an Angolan bank. Gurib-Fakim’s popularity in Mauritius had already been dwindling, according to CNN. Rabin Bjujun, managing editor at Indian Ocean Network News, dubbed her a “president in transit” due to her many trips abroad. The announcement of her resignation cast a somber mood over the independence celebrations. According to BBC, multiple opposition parties have officially boycotted the parades because Gurib-Fakim is still in office. “It is unfortunate that the president is embroiled in such a scandal during the celebrations. My party, the
President Prosecuted, Cont’d from p.1 Bethania Michael “mindful that everyone is equal before the law and enjoys the rights to equal protection and benefit of the law,” according to South African news site News 24. Abrahams continued, “Similarly, the NPA, in executing it’s constitutional and legal mandate, will ensure that alleged perpetrators of crime will be prosecuted without fear, favor of prejudice, irrespective of their station in life.” As previously reported in the Caravel, Jacob Zuma resigned as president of the African National Congress on February 14 after mounting pressure and waning support from the ruling African National Congress (ANC). After his unexpected resignation, the ANC publicly stated that the move offered “certainty to the people of South
Africa,” Reuters reports. Shortly after Zuma’s departure, former ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa, who served as deputy president since 2014, was elected president. On his inauguration, the president declared a “new dawn,” assuring South Africans that he would take on corruption and shrink the ANC’s cabinet, Reuters reports. “This is the year in which we will turn the tide of corruption in our public institutions,” Ramaphosa declared in his first address. In response to the recent development, ANC secretary general Ace Magashule publicly stated that “the ANC reaffirms its confidence in our country’s criminal justice system and our respect for the independence of the judiciary. We equally affirm our commitment to the constitutionally enshrined principle of equality of all before the law.”
Labor Party, which fight [sic] for independence, is very saddened by this situation. This is why the Labor Party does not join these celebrations,” Osman Mohamed, a member of parliament for the Labor Party, said regarding the boycott. Gurib-Fakim is not the first Mauritian politician to resign in scandal in recent months. A leaked video to L’Express, a daily Mauritian newspaper, exposed former Deputy Prime Minister Showkutally Soodhun making racially insensitive comments
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EDITOR’S NOTE:
President Ameenah Gurib in 2015.
just months after publicly making a death threat against a leader of the opposition. Former Attorney General Ravi Yerrigadoo also stepped down to recuse himself from an investigation into money laundering. Gurib-Fakim’s resignation may have an impact on the intersection of gender and politics throughout Africa. After former-President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf reached her term limit in October of 2017 and left office, Gurib-Fakim was the only remaining female head of state in Africa.
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Tensions in Nigeria Over Supposed Coup Democratic Concerns Grant Castle Tensions rose in Nigeria ahead of its 2019 national elections after ambiguous statements made in the Nigerian Senate appeared to call for a military coup. AllAfrica reported that the Nigerian Senate met on March 7 to discuss instances of political violence in the state of Kogi. Senator Ahmed Ogembe from Kogi claimed that the police have done nothing to respond to political kidnappings, violence, and assassinations in his state. According to the Nigerian Times, he also accused Kogi’s governor, Yahaya Bello, of hiring thugs to disrupt an empowerment event that he had organized for his constituents. In response to Ogembe’s concerns, Deputy President of the Senate Ike Ekweremadu stated that Nigeria’s democracy was “receding and it is not unlikely for the military to takeover.” He went on to say, “The problem in Nigeria now is that our democracy is receding and the international community needs to know this. Who says that the army cannot take over in Nigeria? It is possible. So, let us not joke with our democracy, especially with the way things are going.”
Ekweremadu’s statements quickly spread across the internet and mass media in Nigeria, causing widespread concern. Some interpreted his speech as a call for a military takeover to end the political violence. Others believed that the statements were a warning regarding an imminent coup plot by the military.
“So let us not joke with our democracy, especially with the way things are going.” -Ike Ekweremadu Ekweremadu responded to the concerns by stating, “Some people took it out of context and said I was calling for a military coup. I never called for a military coup [nor] said the military was planning any coup.” However, he also urged political leaders to display caution in order to prevent the backsliding of democracy. Acting Director of Defense Information, Brigadier General J.A. Agim, released a statement on behalf of the Nigeria military on March 9 stating that the “military has no political ambitions.” He later went on to say that the Nigerian military is in “total subordination to democratic
governance.” While much of the initial concern over these statements has subsided, the confusion came at a difficult time in Nigerian politics. According to Nigerian newspaper Daily Trust, tensions and violence have flared ahead of Nigeria’s national elections scheduled for 2019. Current President Muhammadu Buhari, who was elected in 2015, is facing health concerns and questions about his ability to run for reelection. Disagreements between Nigeria’s National Assembly and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over election rules have added to the concerns. The INEC also issued a warning ahead of the election that if all 68 of Nigeria’s registered political parties field candidates for president, the INEC might not have the capacity to organize for all candidates and ballots. Former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, on his recent trip to Africa that included a visit to Nigeria, stated that the 2019 Nigerian elections are critically important to the U.S. because of Nigeria’s fast-growing population, according to Sahara Reporters. He affirmed that the U.S. wanted to ensure a peaceful, democratic transition in Nigeria.
Amid Egyptian Presidential Elections Kate Fin
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will seek a second term in the country’s presidential elections in March 2018. His only opponent in the race, Moussa Mostafa Moussa, has yet to give a speech or make any public appearance. People continue to questions Moussa’s candidacy as he appears to be a supporter of Sisi. The deadline to submit one’s candidacy for the office of president was late January and was announced with little warning, according to the Times. Multiple qualified and wellknown potentials announced their candidacies, including two ex-military commanders, a former prime minister, and Khaled Ali, a prominent Egyptian human rights lawyer. All have since been imprisoned on diverse charges. In reality, their only crime was presenting a viable threat to reigning strongman President Sisi, an exmilitary general who seized power in a coup in 2013, according to the New York Times.
A complete lack of opposition in the presidential race is unprecedented.
Protesters Arrested in Cameroon Over 100 Cameroonian women gathered on March 8, International Women’s Day, to advocate for a change in the government’s response to the Anglophone Separatist movement. Twenty-two protesters were detained without explanation and released after around six hours in custody, according to Face2Face Africa. The self-appointed “mothers of the nation” condemned killings in Anglophone regions of Cameroon, calling on President Paul Biya to negotiate a peaceful political transition, reported Africa News. Along with the facilitation of a non-violent transition, the protesters hoped to meet with President Biya to discuss issues including the government’s failure to provide basic services such as improved access to electricity, water, and roads, and education for Cameroonian youth. The women were led by Edith Kahbang Walla, commonly known as Kah Walla, the national coordinator of the Cameroon People’s Party (CPP) and previous presidential candidate. “This is a tremendous moment for the fight for respect of human rights, democracy, political transition in Cameroon,” Walla told Voice of America. Although the conflict has intensified recently, it has
roots in Cameroon’s colonial past. The current conflict stems back to the creation of the country, when British and French colonial territories joined to create the sovereign nation of Cameroon. The Anglophone region is located in north and southwest Cameroon, and the English-speaking minority comprises one-fifth of the total population. Since Cameroon gained its independence, people from the Anglophone region have voiced discontent. The English speaking minority has accumulated grievances over alleged political and economic disadvantages.
Several protesters died after clashes with security forces. In 1993, the All-Anglophone Conference demanded a return to federalism and threatened secession if no progress was made. In May of 2015, Anglophone lawyers again called for this return to federalism, stating: “We demand that the state should exercise its constitutional duty to protect the Anglophone minority and by so doing,
protect our history, heritage, education, and cultural values.” The government enacted no changes in response to these demands. The movement gained momentum in late 2016, when several political rallies arose to protest the government’s disregard for the law as well as the state of the education system in Anglophone regions. The government responded to the rallies with strong force, and several protesters died after clashes with security forces. In early 2017, the government cut off Internet access in English-speaking regions, declared any debate on federalism illegal, and dubbed protesters and secessionists terrorists, according to Africa News. Biya subsequently promised to defeat them. By October, the protesters had given up on their calls for federalism, choosing to fight instead for international recognition as the separate nation of Ambazonia. Kah Walla and the other protesters rallied to oppose violence and promote a peaceful political transition. In an interview with Africa News, Walla stated that the women of Cameroon are unable to celebrate International Women’s Day while children of the nation are being brutally targeted and killed in the Anglophone region.
Moussa, the only other remaining presidential contender, does not present a similar threat. He openly supports Sisi’s presidency and has refused to debate him since he’s “not here to challenge the president,” according to the Washington Post. Thus, Sisi is poised to win the election in a landslide victory. While from a distance this might seem like nothing new, since Egypt has largely been under military rule since Gemal Abdel Nasser seized power from the monarchy in 1952, a complete lack of opposition in the presidential race is unprecedented. Even President Hosni Mubarak, who
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Macy Uustal
was supplanted in 2011, always faced legitimate opposition. Sisi could be trying to learn from Mubarak’s mistakes, however. Mubarak resigned after nearly 30 years of rule in 2011 in the face of mass anticorruption protests in Tahrir Square and was replaced by Mohammed Morsi, the country’s only civilian president and head of the opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood. Some believe that Mubarak sowed the seeds of this destruction in 2005 when, confronted with international pressure, he held the country’s first multi-party election. It appears Sisi is doing everything in his power to avoid a similar situation. Within days of ousting Morsi in August 2013, Sisi led a violent crackdown against Muslim Brotherhood members and supporters, culminating in the infamous Rabaa Massacre, during which Egyptian security forces killed over 800 people in a single day, reported the Atlantic. The non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch deemed the raids “one of the world’s largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in recent history.” Sisi also forbade protests and demonstrations, purged liberal judges from the courts and jailed at least 40,000 political dissenters in the wake of Morsi’s deposition. Human rights and democratic conditions have not improved since then. Opposition websites are being shut down at an incredible pace and extrajudicial killings are on the rise, as well as political imprisonments and disappearances. Unsurprisingly, these abuses, as well as economic austerity measures and rising prices, have aroused popular discontent: Sisi’s popularity was at 27 percent according to a 2016 poll. None of this, however, seems to prevent him from gaining a second term in the upcoming elections. Now, the future remains unclear as some express concerns regarding the state of Egyptian democracy.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurtz in 2015.
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GA RAM LEE (SFS ‘20)
The wonders of aurora borealis.
Street musicians play in La Ribeira, Porto, Portugal.
The Little Mermaid, based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
CAROLINE SCHAUDER (SFS ‘20)
BRYCE COUCH (SFS ‘19)
BRYCE COUCH (SFS ‘19)
Please join the Caravel in congratulating the winners of our 2018 Spring Break Travel Photo Contest! Check out their photos below!
Red algae lakes in el Páramo de Sumapaz, Colombia.