Nigeria overcomes stoning storm to host Miss World

NAIROBI, Nov 12: As 91 of the most beautiful women in the world arrived in the Nigerian capital of Abuja yesterday for the preparatory rounds of the Miss World contest on December 7, the Government breathed a sigh of relief.

The glittering international event, which was also supposed to be a showcase for Nigeria, had already threatened to fall apart as several high profile contestants pulled out in protest against a Nigerian court, which sentenced a woman to death by stoning.

While the international beauty queens campaigned for the lifting of the sentence, Nigeria was battling to keep the Miss World beauty contest on track.

Among those who took a high profile moral stand against the stoning were contestants from Denmark, Iceland, Norway, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the Ivory Coast, some citing deep conviction and others expressing their doubts in tears.

A 31-year-old woman, Amina Lawal, was sentenced to death by stoning by an Islamic court in Northern Nigeria last March for having a child a year after her divorce, which is regarded as a crime of adultery under Sharia (Islamic) law. Her home town of Katsina is among the 12 northern Nigerian regions governed by Islamic law since 1999.

As the beauties gave Nigeria the cold shoulder, the Government feared an international loss of face. Following the crowning of Nigerian Agbani Darego as Miss World last year, the first staging of the Miss World contest in West Africa offered an opportunity to the region to polish up its battered image of an economically depressed oil-producing state. But instead of glitz and glamour came ignominy.

As more and more beauty queens pulled out, the Islamic court in Northern Nigeria imposed its fifth death sentence by stoning. None of the stonings have so far been carried out. And it seems that they may never be carried out after the Government stepped in to offer an assurance to the international community.

"In Nigeria, no-one will be sentenced to death by stoning," assured the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dubem Onyia, at the weekend.

Even if the Central Government in Christian Abuja is bound by the constitution not to interfere with sentences passed by Sharia law, he said the Government would still not allow the executions to go ahead.

Observers, however, regard the explanations as an attempt to save the beauty contest.

"That is just stupid gossip," said Stella Din from the Miss World organizers, Silverbird Productions, in Abuja. "If 91 out of 110 women come, how is the competition in danger?" she asked.

"Everyone has the right to their opinion but Bigeria is a secular state and a protest against something, that probably won’t happen anyway, is a little premature," she believes.

All those taking part can expect the tightest security precautions. Several Muslim groups have objected to a "show of partially naked women" and have threatened protests.

As the beauties pose for swimwear photo-shoots over the next few days at cattle farms and under waterfalls, they will be heavily guarded, assured miss-world spokeswoman din.

"Not that we fear anything terrible will happen but we want to show them that we take our responsibilities seriously," she added.

But she stressed that the pageant parade would be avoiding the Muslim north. (DPA)

Pak parties to support Musharraf if he quits as army chief

ISLAMABAD, Nov 12: As efforts continued to break the stalemate over Government formation in Pakistan, hardline religious parties have firmly told President Pervez Musharraf that they would support him in any future Government if he quit his post as army chief and abrogated constitutional amendments.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad, leader of the six religious parties alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), conveyed their stand to Musharraf during a two-hour meeting here last night.

"I told him ... We are ready to accept him as a civilian President," Ahmad, who is vice president of MMA told reporters after the meeting.

He said he told Musharraf to convene the national assembly without further delay, so that elections of Prime Minister and Speaker were held, and issues relating to the supremacy of Parliament discussed on the floor of the House.

Ahmad said that MMA would not accept Musharraf’s Presidency unless he resigned as chief of army staff (CAS) and withdrew the constitutional amendments, including the legal framework order (LFO) which give him extraordinary dis cretionary powers.

"I have pointed out to the President that the MMA is opposed to the additional powers that he had given to himself through the LFO and his decision to retain the post of COAs while presiding over the State," he said.

"I have, on behalf of the MMA, also offered the President support in giving his actions indemnity by Parliament that he had taken after Oct 12, 1999," said Ahmad, who is also the chief of the Jamat Islami.

Meanwhile, federal interior minister Moinuddin Haider has said in view of the deepening crisis, Musharraf himself may step in and broker a deal with political parties.

"I believe the Government could convene the session of the National Assembly, allowing the elected members to form a Government themselves. Or, in case, there is a complete deadlock, President Musharraf could sit with the parties and broker a deal," he said.

"There is a possibility that President Musharraf feels it is in the interest of the country, to mediate and help the politicians form a stable Government at any point in time, he might do the same. The political parties might also like to settle the issue in his presence at that juncture," he said.

On his recent remarks that the Government could consider holding a re-election, he said "it is a tall asking with huge money and a lot of effort and time involved. The elected people will have to sit together and come up with a political solution. Holding the elections frequently is quite hard, and is an extreme step."

About reports of a deal between the Government and various political parties, he said no such thing has taken place. (PTI)

No decision yet on Vajpayee’s visit to China: Sinha

SEOUL, Nov 12: A decision on Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s planned visit to China this year is yet to be taken, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said today.

Asked whether the Government has taken a decision on Vajpayee’s visit to China within this year, Sinha said: "not that I know of. I have to go back and discuss it."

Sinha, who is in the south Korean capital to attend the second ministerial conference of the community of democracies, said he is satisfied with the current state of India-China relations.

"Our relations with China is as cordial as ever," he told PTI when asked to comment on the current state of India-China relations.

Meanwhile, matters pertaining to Vajpayee’s visit to China may be discussed during the upcoming visit to India by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang would be visiting India for the 14th round of the India-China Joint Working Group (JWG) on boundary issue which is scheduled to be held in New Delhi from November 21, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in Beijing.

Wang would be the senior-most Chinese official to visit India after China’s ruling Communist Party completes its 16th party Congress this week, which is expected to announce a new generation of Chinese leadership led by Hu Jintao, who is currently China’s Vice President.

Sources in Beijing said wang is expected to discuss with his counterpart, Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal, Vajpayee’s visit to China which was earlier scheduled to take place within this year.

Chinese Foreign Ministry officials pointed out that when Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji visited India in January this year, he had personally extended an invitation to Vajpayee to visit China.

"Prime Minister Vajpayee has accepted the invitation," one official said.

Chinese President and Communist Party general secretary Jiang Zemin, who met Vajpayee on the sidelines of a regional security conference in Almaty in Kazakhstan in June, had also welcomed the Prime Minister to visit China.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry official said exchange of visits by leaders of both countries plays an important role in promoting bilateral relations.

"The Chinese side has a positive attitude towards this," he said, adding that Vajpayee’s visit would surely promote the development of Sino-India relations.

Chinese Foreign Ministry sources also said that Chinese Defence Minister Gen Chi Haotian has formally invited his Indian counterpart George Fernandes to visit China at his convenience.

"The specific dates of the visit are still being discussed," the ministry spokesman said in response to a question.

Commenting on the 14th round of the JWG, Kong said the two sides would discuss the India-China boundary issue as well as exchange views on bilateral, regional and international issues of common interest.

"The Chinese side hopes that the JWG will continue to make progress (on the boundary issue)," Kong said.

The India-China Expert Group (EG) of diplomatic and military officials under the JWG has met recently in New Delhi and discussed matters pertaining to the western sector of the India-China boundary.

The meeting of the EG was significant in the sense that it was the first time in the India-China boundary negotiations that the EG managed to meet three times within one year to discuss the vexed issue.

While India and China have exchanged maps of the middle sector, the two sides are discussing the western sector now. Once they are through with the western sector, the most complicated eastern sector would be dealt with.

India says China is illegally occupying 43,180 sq km of Jammu and Kashmir, including 5,180 sq km illegally ceded to Beijing by Pakistan under the Sino-Pakistan boundary agreement in 1963. On the other hand, China accuses India of possessing some 90,000 sq km of Chinese territory. (PTI)

US asked to set time frame for sale of counter
terrorism devices

NEW DELHI, Nov 12: Impressing upon Washington that continued denial of frontier technology could lead to a case of "missed opportunities", India today asked the United States to set a time frame for sale of counter terrorism devices, ground sensors and early warning airborne and land surveillance systems.

Maintaining that the two countries could commence upon a long term defence partnership by early clearance of arms list already supplied to Washington, secretary, defence production and supplies, N S Sisodia said this could pave the way for transfer of sensitive technology, co-development and co-proudction of futuristic weapons platforms and systems.

He assented that denial of technology under the garb of dual use was not justified. Continued restrictions on transfer of high technology would make New Delhi look to alternative sources, he added.

Addressing leading representatives of major US arms manufacturers, Sisodia told them that the arms market was highly competitive and any denial could lead to India exploring alternative sources.

In a hard hitting speech at the first ever Indo-US Defence Industry seminar, organised by the CII here, the official outlined New Delhi’s eagerness to enter into a long term defence partnership with US and said before this Washington would have to address "serious apprehensions" about its reliability as partner in product support.

The defence inter-action being attended by top representatives of major US armament giants like Raytheon, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Honeywell Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Bell Heicopters and Northrop Grumman is coinciding with the three day meeting of the Indo-US security cooperation group.

Reffering to the meeting, Sisodia said during groundwork discussions lasting 10 hours yesterday, India had told the United States that it would have to gurantee product support for weapon system purchases.

" We have made it clear that we want arms deliveries to be based on a time frame of our requirement", he said. Sisodia also told the American armament giants that India could prove for them an excellent base for joint marketing and maintenance services for US products in the region. Reffering to the dual use technology, the secretary defence production said such a technology can be used " both for development and war purposes and this should not be the basis for denial of technology to India".

Calling upon US to remove impediments on the way to the two countries becoming natural allies, he said India was not looking upon entering into a buyer-seller relationship, but instead wanted a long term defence partnership commitment from the United States.

The visiting US Defence Security cooperation agency official Edward Ross who would head the US side at the Indo-US defence talks said Washington had proved to be most reliaable defence partner in the world and aspired for a long lasting defence parternship with India.

Ministerial forum vow to combat terrorism,
adopts action plan

SEOUL, Nov 12: Sharing India’s concerns, Foreign Ministers and delegates from more than 100 countries today vowed to strengthen cooperation to combat state-sponsored, cross-border and other forms of terrorism and outlined a set of tough measures against countries which support it.

The Seoul plan of action adopted at the second ministerial meeting of the community of democracies, advocates exclusion of such countries from this grouping and suspension of bilateral relations and trade with them.

Strongly denouncing terrorism as a grave threat to democratic societies, the conference, attended by External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, in a statement said the fight against this scourge required a comprehensive set of actions, including addressing conditions that may offer a breeding ground for it.

It was underscored that terrorism cannot be justified by any cause or under any circumstances.

The action plan set out a roadmap to promote and defend democracy from terrorism and other threats both within countries and from outside.

The plan called for enhanced cooperation in regional oganizations to promote and monitor democratic developments. It advocated the creation of a cadre of trained experts to come to the aid of democracies under threat and emphasized the importance of education to promote democracy.

Sinha, who co-chaired a round table on media and democracy, said there was consensus on the need for a free media in democracies and that control and censorship by the state was a bad idea.

A group of ten convening countries including India and the US are coordinating the work of the Community of Democracies (CoD). The others are Chile, Czech Republic, Mali, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, South Korea and South Africa.

The CoD is an international coalition of democratic countries to foster cooperation for the protection and consolidation of democracy. It was launched in Warsaw in June, 2000.

The Seoul meet emphasised that the fight against terrorism required cooperation between and among states.

They reiterated their resolve to strengthen cooperation to face transnational challenges to democracy such "state-sponsored, cross-border and other forms of terrorism".

The conference underlined the need for universal ratification and full implementation of the UN conventions and protocols related to acts of terrorism and the need to enforce the provisions of all the relevant UN Security Council resolutions including 1373.

Observing that terrorism constituted a threat to international peace and security as well as to humanity in general and the very foundation on which democracies were built, it said the most recent terrorist attacks confirmed that international cooperation against terrorism would remain a long-term effort snd required a sustained universal commitment. (PTI)

Iraqi Parliament recommends rejection of UN resolution

BAGHDAD, Nov 12: Iraq’s Parliament today unanimously recommended rejection of a UN resolution strengthening the mandate of international arms inspectors, but said the final decision would be left to the country’s top leadership.

According to a parliamentary resolution read during the session, the 250-member Parliament accepted an earlier recommendation from its foreign relations committee.

"The council suggests rejection of the UN resolution," Parliament’s resolution said.

It went on to say the "political leadership" should "adopt what it considers appropriate to defend the Iraqi people and Iraq’s independence and dignity and authorizes President Saddam Hussein to adopt what he sees as appropriate expressing our full support for his wise leadership."

Parliament Speaker Saadoun Hammadi asked deputies to vote on the first clause of the resolution by a show of hands and announced it had been accepted unanimously. It was not clear how many members were present for the vote.

Hammadi then called for a vote on the second clause referring the matter to Saddam, and again announced unanimous approval. A third vote was held for the entire proposal, and it also was approved unanimously.

Iraq has until friday to accept or reject the resolution, which the UN Security Council approved unanimously last Friday. If it does not, or falters afterward in following the tough provisions of the resolution, the United States and Britain have made clear they will attack iraq.

Today’s session of Parliament was not broadcast live on Iraqi television, leaving Iraqis unaware of how the Parliament was likely to vote. The opening and the vote were carried live by Al-Jazeera, the Qatari-based Arabic Satellite Channel. Iraqis cannot receive Al-Jazeera as the Government bans satellite dishes.

The UN resolution demands inspectors have unrestricted access to any suspected weapons site and the right to interview Iraqi scientists outside the country and without Iraqi officials present both issues that could become points of dispute.

Iraq has insisted on respect for its sovereignty, an argument it has used in the past to restrict access to Saddam’s palaces.

But Odai Saddam Hussein, Saddam’s eldest son, said in a letter distributed to Parliament as it reconvened today "we have to agree to the UN Security Council resolution with limits on certain points, but not, we say, conditions."

"There should not be approval of the resolution without an Arab umbrella or, if this is not possible, then under the so-called Arab League and there should be Arab experts or technicians and monitors (on the inspection teams) who are familiar with the nuclear, chemical and biological side," the President’s son said in his letter, which also was distributed to reporters in Baghdad by the Information Ministry.

Arab League Foreign Ministers who met over the weekend in Egypt and urged Saddam to accept the UN Security Council resolution also demanded that Arab arms experts be included on the UN teams.

The United States has portrayed similar calls in the past from Baghdad as unacceptable attempts to manipulate the United Nations. US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice has warned Iraq to bow to the resolution without wasting "the world’s time with another game of cat and mouse."

Odai Saddam Hussein, who won 99.99 percent of the vote in his constituency in the last parliamentary elections in 2000, has a high profile in Iraq, running an influential newspaper and a television station. Flamboyant and said to have a violent temper, he was considered the main candidate to succeed his father as leader of Iraq until he was badly injured in a 1996 assassination attempt.

His younger and lower key brother, Qusai, is now believed to hold a stronger position and has several important posts, including head of the Republican guards, the country’s best-trained and equipped troops.

In his letter today, Odai Saddam Hussein said acceptance of the UN resolution would not necessarily ward off war.

"We have to know our enemy and that the UN resolution does not mean stopping him from committing military action. We also have to take precautions and measures and here we have to ask the Arab countries to immediately cut oil supplies to those countries that launch a military strike or aggression on iraq and to any country that allows foreign war planes to use their airports or offer logistic support for them for refueling ...," his letter said.

Arab oil producers have ignored similar calls from Iraq in the past, saying stopping sales was not in their interest.

"Arab countries should not allow the passage of any weapon meant to be used against Iraq through their waterways or air corridors," he added. "These Arab countries which extend facilities and allow for military buildup should be excluded from any Arab aid or help and prevented from getting fuel."

While Iraq’s Arab neighbors publicly oppose any military strike on Iraq, they distrust Saddam and are likely to try to protect their relationship with Washington by quietly cooperating in any war on Baghdad. (AP)

Kumaratunga moots LTTE inclusive national panel

COLOMBO, Nov 12: In a new suggestion to broadbase Sri Lanka’s peace process, now confined to the Government and Tamil Tiger rebels, President Chandrika Kumaratunga today proposed a ‘National Commission for ethnic reconciliation and sustainable peace’ that includes the LTTE, while regretting the anti-Tamil riots that broke out nearly two decades ago in the island nation.

Addressing the nation after a brief ceremony to mark the eighth anniversary of her winning the presidency, Kumaratunga said the Commission should comprise representatives of the Government, all parties in Parliament, major non-Government organisations and the LTTE.

"... A clear action plan must be formulated with the purpose of bringing military conflict to an end and finding a durable solution to the causes of the conflict," she said in an address that declared her intent to pursue the "re-democratisation and re-humanisation" of Sri Lanka.

Regretting the anti-Tamil riots that broke out nearly two decades ago, spawning the island nation’s ethnic conflict, she said "the clear failure of the Sri Lanka state to protect its Tamil citizens in July 1983 is a watershed event in ethnic relations."

"It was a failure, which I deeply regret," Kumaratunga said, calling the riots "a true tragedy of epic proportion."

President Kumaratunga suggested that the Commission should be immediately set up and have among its main objectives the task of identifying "core issues" in the conflict and recommending negotiated solutions.

Significantly, Kumaratunga said that her own constitutional reform proposals of 1997 and the draft 2000 Constitution could form the basis for discussions.

The suggestion is unlikely to find favour either with the Government or the LTTE, as it may mean giving up the present bilateral talks structure and introducing opposition parties and non-LTTE Tamil groups into it.

The rebel group has dubbed parties like Kumaratunga’s own people’s alliance and leftist Janatha Vimukti Peramuna as anti-peace. And it claims to be the sole representative of the Tamils — a position that will not admit the entry of even pro-LTTE Tamil parties into the domain of negotiations.

Kumaratunga’s suggestion for a broad-based panel inclusive of the LTTE to resolve the issue came along with praise for the ongoing peace efforts of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Kumaratunga indicated that she had softened her criticism of the Government’s approach to the peace process after the parties negotiating in Thailand decided to grapple with core political issues and give up their earlier idea of having an interim council prior to a final settlement.

"I am happy to note that the Government has taken serious note of my insistence on the necessity to engage in a dialogue with the ltte on the core issues," she said. (PTI)

Israeli troops sweep Palestinian camp

JERUSALEM, Nov 12: Israeli tanks and troops swept into a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank city of tulkarem today as part of the military response to an attack by Palestinian gunman which killed five people, including a mother and her two children, over the weekend.

Reports from Tulkarem quoted Palestinian sources and eyewitnesses as saying that about 30 tanks, armoured troop carriers and jeeps entered this West Bank town and an adjacent refugee camp today, demolishing the home of a local Palestinian militia leader and arresting three wanted men.

The soldiers searched the area for Al Aqsa fugitives. The attack on the Kibbutz Metzer on Sunday was claimed by the Al-Aqsa martyrs brigades, an offshoot of Yaseer Arafat’s Fatah Movement.

In Tulkarem, the military demoilished the home of a local Al Aqsa leader, Mohammed Naefa, who the Army said orchestrated the attack.

The Army said troops began withdrawing after several hours, following the arrest of three wanted Palestinians.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat denied today that his Fatah Movement was involved in the Attac, saying "it’s not from Fatah.. This is not the fitst time for me to be blamed for such an action. You should not forget that we have condemned it immediately in an offical condemnation."

Israel, meanwhile, said the attack on the Kibbutz revealed the insincerity of Arafat’s recent condemnation of attacks on civilians. "Our enemies are despicable murderers. We have to do everything to prevent such a thing and ensure that we can put our hands on the murderers."

The attack on Isareli Kibbutz came at a time when Arafat’s Fatah organisation was trying to persuade radical Islamic outfit hamas to stop attacks against Israeli civilians.

The Hamas and Fatah networks have been responsible for a series of attacks against Israelis over the past few months.

The attack on Isareli Kibbutz and Isareli military response has coincided with the start of an election campaign.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is under pressure to take strong action after the new Foreign Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is challenging him for leadership of the right-wing Likud Party, again called for exiling Arafat.

In yesterday’s cabinet meeting, Netanyahu, raised the option of exiling the Palestinian Authority Chairman but the Prime Minister’s Bureau, the Israeli defence forces and the shin bet (internal intelligence agency) security forces have expressed reservations about deporting him at this point. (PTI)

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