Target Centermass

Day: June 9, 2005

  • Arroyo Heading into Political Whirlwind

    Remember Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Philippine president and the great Manila Folder whose troop withdrawal and ransom payout bankrolled terrorists in Iraq to the tune of $6 million and who wants to buddy up to China’s military? Well, it seems she suddenly has a few problems of her own.

    Arroyo Son, Relative Took Gambling Payoff, Woman Says

    A witness in a Philippine Senate investigation today said she delivered illegal gambling payoffs to President Gloria Arroyo’s son and brother-in-law, who are both congressmen. Stocks, bonds and the peso slumped.

    Philippine president hit by electoral tampering claims

    President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines could face fresh political turmoil following the release of recordings of telephone conversations she made in the weeks after the hotly contested May 2004 elections.

    Alan Paguia, a lawyer for Joseph Estrada, former president, admitted preparing compact discs containing excerpts of Mrs Macapagal’s phone conversations, and said she was talking to a senior member of the independent electoral commission about keeping her lead over rival candidate Fernando Poe Jr, the film actor who died last December.

    Damage control fails as Arroyo’s scandals grow

    It began as a coffee-shop rumor four weeks ago. Then it started circulating in telephone text messages, which, in this SMS-obsessed part of the world, usually indicates something is afoot. This week, the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo decided to step in and take control of the situation. Or so it thought.

    […]

    Analysts and politicians say the latest scandal, which they deem to be potentially more damaging than the jueteng problem, could plunge the Philippines into political chaos similar to uprisings in 1986 and 2001, when presidents were removed from office.

    Analysts and politicians are predicting massive protests, and businessmen have warned of “dire economic consequences.”

    It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person. Reap the whirlwind, babe.

  • More on Proposed UNSC Reform

    ‘Group of Four’ drop UNSC veto demand

    Japan, Brazil, Germany and India have proposed a 15-year freeze on veto powers for new permanent members of the U.N. Security Council as part of a revised version of its draft resolution to expand the council, diplomats and governments said Wednesday.

    The so-called Group of Four has been campaigning vigorously to become permanent members of the U.N.’s most powerful body, but were forced to back down in the face of opposition from a number of countries, including some of the current permanent members with veto power.

    China rejects peppered-over UNSC reform plan

    China again poured cold water Thursday on the revised version of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reform plan spearheaded by Japan, which describes an additional six new permanent members would not exercise the right of veto until 2020.

    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in Beijing June 9 that China firmly opposes the “immature plan” proposed by some countries on UNSC reform. He said that a peppered-over plan will lead the United Nations reform nowhere.

    “China is very concerned about this action,” Liu said.

    […]

    Other countries like Italy, Republic of Korea, Pakistan and Mexico have opposed the G-4 plan, and put forward their own plan to restructure the UNSC, by adding 10 non-permanent members. China supports the plan.

    Of the five current permanent members, China is firmly against Japan’s bid to become a permanent member of UNSC, on account of Japan’s consistent whitewashing of WWII history. Its Primer Minister Koizumi has been paying homage to the Yasukuni Shrine at the center of Tokyo, where 14 WWII Class-A criminals were honored together with 2.5 million war dead.

    The Bush administration is reluctant to support Germany’s bid, according to the New York Times.

    The G-4 has indicated they will put their revised plan to a vote by the UN General Assembly before the end of June.

    […]

    The G-4 plan needs to be approved by two-thirds of the 191 UN member states, or 128 at least, in order to be adopted.

    I find it interesting the the China and the U.S. find two different reasons to come to a similar stance, a stance with which I happen to agree.