06/13/2012

By Fernan J. Angeles

President Aquino, whose survey ratings are on a dangerous slide, initiated yesterday a shuffling of members of his Cabinet with the daughter of Budget Secretary Butch Abad bowing out of government service to pave the way for Energy Secretary Jose Almendras as the new chief of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS).

Despite presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierdas denial, and the usual alibis of having short or no information on media queries, Almendras is set to take over the PMS in a matter of two weeks as President Aquino has reportedly picked his preference for his replacement at the Department of Energy (DoE).

With Almendras as the new PMS chief, the President chose to get a veteran replacement for the Department of Energy (DoE). Expected to take over the post that Almendras handled for the last two years is former Finance Secretary Emmanuel Bonoan.

Aquino has long been eyeing Almendras for the position of Secretary of the Cabinet.

As it is, Aquino could no longer afford to wait longer to effect a shake-up in the Cabinet, with Julia Abads request to be relieved of her duties and assume a full time role of a wife and mother.

However, the outgoing PMS chiefs father, Budget Secretary Butch Abad, doesnt see his daughters departure as happening very soon. He however admitted that his daughter, who had just given birth, needs more family time, adding that her job at the PMS deprives her of precious time she wanted to spend with her family.

Palace reporters have been trying to get

confirmation from the Office of the Presidential Spokesman since Monday, but Lacierda claimed to be unaware of such Cabinet movement in the offing.

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Almendras to PMS, Bonoan takes over energy post

Will Troy Buswell return as WA's Treasurer?

Two parliamentary secretaries could be elevated to the state Cabinet following the sudden resignation of Treasurer and Attorney-General Christian Porter yesterday.

Mr Porter immediately moved to the backbench after announcing his intention to run for the federal seat of Pearce.

The gaping hole in the senior portfolios could see former treasurer Troy Buswell return to the role but that would also leave his present responsibilities of housing, transport and emergency services up for grabs.

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If Premier Colin Barnett prefers to avoid a wider Cabinet reshuffle he could retain the treasury position beyond a temporary capacity but holding the two highest portfolios would be considered too great a workload.

He is more likely to promote one of his MPs with some economic and business credentials, such as Liza Harvey or Mike Nahan.

Both are members of the Economics and Industry Standing Committee, with Mr Nahan the chairman. Ms Harvey also is Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business, a role considered to be in preparation for a ministry.

Political analyst Harry Phillips said Nationals MP Wendy Duncan also could not be ruled out.

Either way, a junior MP is likely to be promoted to Cabinet either as Treasurer or to fill Mr Buswell's vacated portfolios.

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Comeback for Buswell?

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has named an advisory panel to assist in the search for the city's next police commissioner following the retirement of Frederick H. Bealefeld III.

The mayor's office said the panel will conduct interviews of internal and external applicants and recommend finalists to Rawlings-Blake. It's headed by Baltimore attorney Ken Thompson, a partner at Venable LLP. Rawlings-Blake's new chief of staff, Alexander M. Sanchez, is vice chairman, and the group includes leaders of three universities and a former city fire chief.

The commissioner, whose last official day is Aug. 1, has delegated day-to-day operations to Deputy Commissioner Anthony Barksdale. Bealefeld is expected to meet with the panel before they interview applicants, officials said.

Among internal candidates, Barksdale is believed to be best-positioned for the post, having served in the No. 2 role for nearly five years after being the youngest-ever deputy commissioner. But aides to Rawlings-Blake say there is not a favorite and that they want a deep pool of candidates from outside the agency.

Ryan O'Doherty, a spokesman for Rawlings-Blake, said the city has contracted with the Police Executive Research Forum, a nonprofit law enforcement think tank in Washington, to conduct the search and screen applicants. The think tank will be paid $25,000 for the work, O'Doherty said.

Chuck Wexler, its executive director and a former Boston police official, is also a member of the advisory panel and is the only member with law enforcement experience.

The job posting for the position, obtained by The Baltimore Sun last month, sets the qualifications for the job as a bachelor's degree in a law enforcement field and five years of command-level experience or a high school diploma with 10 years of command-level experience. It also lays out requirements such as strong leadership skills and ability to interpret crime statistics.

Bealefeld, who got the Baltimore job over former Washington, D.C., Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey, did not have a college degree when he took the helm of the department in 2007, though that is increasingly rare among police chiefs nationwide. Ramsey campaigned for the job and signed a contract before then-Mayor Sheila Dixon changed her mind.

Dixon's search process was led by a less formal panel consisting of Cabinet officials and a handful of community members, including her pastor, the Rev. Frank M. Reid III of Bethel AME Church.

In addition to Bealefeld, Rawlings-Blake is also losing her Cabinet's top adviser on crime, Sheryl Goldstein, who worked closely with the Police Department and secured millions in grant funds. She announced her retirement the same day as Bealefeld, and she will step down this week.

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Mayor names panel to look for Bealefeld replacement

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on Friday said Senators Panfilo 'Ping' Lacson and Francis 'Kiko' Pangilinan are both "highly qualified" to be in the Cabinet.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Enrile said Lacson is qualified to sit at the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) or the Department of National Defense (DND).

However, Enrile said Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin is already there doing good job.

Pangilinan, on ther other hand, being a lawyer, "can move around," he said.

Lacson and Pangilinan are expected to be named to the Cabinet next year after their terms end in mid-June 2013.

Asked about his preferred replacement for deposed Chief Justice Renato Corona, Enrile said he prefers an insider from the Supreme Court, although an appointee may come from outside as a prerogative of the appointing authority, President Aquino.

De Lima said Enrile came to see her and requested for some things for prosecutors in his province, Cagayan.

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JPE: Ping, Kiko 'highly qualified' for Cabinet posts

BEIRUT: The Cabinet overcame Thursday the spending crisis that had paralyzed its work for months by approving advanced payments and treasury loans worth over LL10 trillion ($6.7 billion) to cover public administration expenses for 2012 and finance projects in Tripoli and other areas.

Addressing the Cabinet meeting he chaired at Baabda Palace, President Michel Sleiman said priority should be given to an intra-Lebanese National Dialogue, scheduled to take place on June 11, and to energizing Cabinet work, Information Minister Walid Daouk told reporters after the meeting.

The third priority, Sleiman said, was to explain the Lebanese situation to Arab Gulf states which have issued warnings to its nationals against visiting Lebanon following a series of security incidents in the north. Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have warned their nationals against travel to Lebanon following deadly clashes in Tripoli last month.

The Cabinet approved an urgent draft law to allocate LL10.394 trillion in treasury bills to cover public administration expenses for 2012, Daouk said.

He added that the Cabinet also approved a treasury loan of LL150 billion to finance the implementation of some development projects in Tripoli and another treasury loan of LL450 billion to fund implementation of development projects in other parts of the country.

The decision to fund projects in Tripoli came after deadly clashes between armed supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad that gripped the countrys second-largest city in recent weeks in a clear sign of the spillover of the Syrian unrest into Lebanon.

Sleiman, who returned Wednesday from a one-day visit to Qatar and the UAE after visiting Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, said that his Gulf tour had been to brief officials in these countries on the situation in Lebanon and to seek their help in securing the release of the 11 Lebanese hostages held by Syrian rebels.

He added that Lebanon had been able in the past year-and-a-half not to serve as an arena for conflict or a springboard for any attack on any Arab country or interference in Arab affairs, particularly the Syrian crisis, according to Daouk.

Sleiman said that concerns voiced by Arab Gulf states over the security situation and warnings to their nationals against travel to Lebanon prompted him to move on three paths: To call for an intra-Lebanese National Dialogue which, he said, should be the first and permanent path in Lebanon; to energize Cabinets work and streamline the citizens affairs in all fields; and to explain Lebanons position to Arab states, particularly Gulf states.

I have sent the invitations to dialogue and I hope they will be accepted by all, Sleiman said.

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Cabinet resolves spending crisis, approves LL10 trillion loans

REDWOOD CITY, CA--(Marketwire -06/06/12)- ASSIA, Inc., the leading provider of high-performance software tools for Dynamic Spectrum Management (DSM) of digital subscriber line (DSL) networks, has just published a white paper that presents a solution for maintaining a competitive environment among DSL service providers as they upgrade their lines from asynchronous digital subscriber lines (ADSLs) to vectored very-high-speed digital subscriber lines (vectored VDSLs). "Methods for Supporting Vectoring when Multiple Service Providers Share the Cabinet Area" is available for download from the ASSIA DSL Knowledge Center on the ASSIA Web site.

With data rates exceeding 100 megabits per second (Mbps) at loop lengths of up to 1,000 meters, vectored VDSL benefits consumers who increasingly rely on mobile devices for accessing rich media content and on high-bandwidth services such as Internet Protocol television (IPTV). Vectored VDSL also can catapult widely installed DSL to new performance standards beyond shared cable and fiber broadband services. However, crosstalk between lines from multiple competitive Internet service providers (ISPs) sharing the same cabinet area may degrade the performance of vectored VDSLs. As government mandates worldwide attempt to promote competition between incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) and competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), some in the industry advocate restrictions that would allow only the ILECs to manage all vectored lines in a single cabinet area to avoid this issue and secure the full benefits of vectoring.

"The misperceptions that vectoring technology requires wholesale replacement of DSL infrastructure and is incompatible with unbundling do a disservice to the operator community, broadband consumers and broadband competition," said Marc Goldburg, chief technology officer of ASSIA and co-author of the white paper. "Properly managed with Dynamic Spectrum Management (DSM) solutions, different DSL technologies operated by different service providers can coexist in the same physical plant, while preserving each provider's ability to deliver advanced, differentiated services."

Informa Senior Analyst Stephen Wilson recently examined the possibility of using DSM to maintain a competitive environment while reducing vectored VDSL crosstalk, and wrote in a blog post that "DSM can control the transmit spectrum of different lines, sometimes in coordinated fashion, using a spectrum management centre (SMC). DSM can dynamically shape the power spectral density of lines or how the power on a line is distributed across different frequencies. By doing this it may even be possible to reduce the power on a line and have higher bit rates because crosstalk has been lessened."

The latest white paper from ASSIA also clarifies the tools operators need to manage the simultaneous presence of vectored and non-vectored lines and also multiple vectoring groups as existing DSL equipment is gradually replaced with vectored DSL. The paper also explains how the rich capabilities of DSM can address the technical requirements of managing various types of DSLs from multiple service providers sharing the same cabinet area, while promoting healthy competition and protecting end users from unhealthy monopolies.

ASSIA is not only addressing the issue on paper; its latest product release, ASSIA DSL Expresse 2.7, is the first product to offer advanced network management software for multi-tenant environments. The multi-tenant architecture facilitates carrier unbundling by enabling multiple service providers' simultaneous use of the same software instance to optimize their lines' interplay and performance.

ASSIA CTO Goldburg also presented these findings and more in his presentation, "Vectoring Coexistence: Unvectored Services and Unbundled Environments," at the recent TNO DSL Seminar 2012 in Leiden, The Netherlands.

About ASSIA, Inc. ASSIA, Inc. develops high-performance software tools that dramatically improve the speed and reach of DSL networks. Using Dynamic Spectrum Management (DSM), these platform-agnostic tools enable DSL service providers to manage lines in real time and to lower capital and operating expenses, increase revenue, and deliver new multimedia content to the broadband-enabled home. ASSIA has more than 60 million lines under contract with top-tier service providers worldwide and is backed by strategic investors, including AT&T, Mingly China Growth Fund, SFR Development, Sandalwood Partners, Sofinnova Partners, Stanford University, Swisscom Ventures, T-Ventures, and Telefonica. For more information, visit http://www.assia-inc.com.

ASSIA DSL Expresse is a registered trademark of ASSIA, Inc.

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ASSIA Enables Healthy Competition Among Service Providers Transitioning to 100 Mbps Vectored VDSL

American Ambassador in Sofia, James Warlick, refuted once again Tuesday media information that he has been recalled early.

In an interview for TV7, which the channel says might be his farewell one, the diplomat explained that the US has started the procedure to nominate his replacement, but the decision has not yet been finalized.

On May 25th US President Barack Obama officially announced that he has nominated Marcie Ries for Ambassador to Bulgaria, where she will replace James Warlick. The announcement was published on the site of the White House.

In the interview, the Ambassador also touched on the last developments in the country's fight against organized crime, saying the arrest of alleged drug lord Evelin Banev AKA Brando is a significant step forward of the government in this fight. He stressed once again that criminals must not only be arrested, but tried and receive just sentences under the rule of law.

Warlick pointed out that as Rome was not built in a day, the fight against organized crime is a long and difficult process.

"The series of arrests of key figures from the underground such as Brando or the alleged "Octopus" gang ringleader Alexey Petrov, are proof that the Bulgarian government is making the necessary efforts and must stay the course," said he.

Commenting on the new law for confiscation of illegally acquired assets without the need to have an effective Court verdict, the diplomat explained that all individuals in Bulgaria who have "unexplainable" wealth must be probed.

The Ambassador further reiterated his support for the decision of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, to scrap the project to build a second Nuclear Power Plant, NPP, in the Danube town of Belene, adding he agrees with Borisov's motive that such project is a very expensive undertaking.

"If this was an economically beneficial project, investors would have shown up," Warlick stated.

He also commented on the exploration of shale gas deposits in Bulgaria, saying Bulgarians are right to give top priority to preserving the environment. The diplomat, however, voiced the opinion that there is a need of in-depth and unbiased debate about such exploration as shale gas can end up being an alternative energy source for the country.

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Outgoing US Ambassador: Bulgarian Cabinet Must Stay Course

CABINET ministers are waiting anxiously for President Hifikepunye Pohamba to act on his threat to reshuffle them.

A Cabinet reshuffle was on the cards last year, but was never executed for reasons unknown.

During the last Cabinet meeting when the President requested action within the ranks of the permanent secretaries, he at the same time warned the ministers that he would reshuffle them too. This was said after he expressed his dismay with the performance of certain ministries.

"We don't know when it will take place and are waiting for the President to take action. At least he warned us about the reshuffling," a senior minister told The Namibian.

However, political analysts are of the opinion that the chances are slim for a major Cabinet reshuffle with the watershed Swapo congress just around the corner.

A total of 11 out of the 24 permanent secretaries were reshuffled, but even Prime Minister Nahas Angula made it clear that ministers are ultimately responsible for their ministries.

According to the Constitution, ministers must direct, coordinate and supervise the activities of their ministries, government departments and parastatals and should be held accountable for the administration of their ministries.

The executive director of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), Graham Hopwood, told The Namibian that Cabinet ministers are supposed to ensure that apartheid, tribalism and colonialism do not manifest themselves again in Namibia and to assist disadvantaged citizens. In addition they are not supposed to be using their positions to enrich themselves or expose themselves to conflicts of interest.

"In an ideal world ministers' performances should primarily be measured against these benchmarks and the recent track records of their ministries in terms of improving service delivery. However, Cabinet reshuffles have always been strongly influenced by other factors such as ethnic balancing and pleasing various interest groups within the ruling party."

He said a recycling exercise, as was the case with the permanent secretaries, probably won't achieve much in terms of improving service delivery. It would be more invigorating for government performance if some new faces and younger politicians were drafted into Cabinet.

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Namibia: Swapo Congress 'Stalls' Cabinet Reshuffle

05.06.2012

President Hifikepunye Pohamba

A Cabinet reshuffle was on the cards last year, but was never executed for reasons unknown. During the last Cabinet meeting when the President requested action within the ranks of the permanent secretaries, he at the same time warned the ministers that he would reshuffle them too. This was said after he expressed his dismay with the performance of certain ministries. We dont know when it will take place and are waiting for the President to take action. At least he warned us about the reshuffling, a senior minister told The Namibian. However, political analysts are of the opinion that the chances are slim for a major Cabinet reshuffle with the watershed Swapo congress just around the corner. A total of 11 out of the 24 permanent secretaries were reshuffled, but even Prime Minister Nahas Angula made it clear that ministers are ultimately responsible for their ministries. According to the Constitution, ministers must direct, coordinate and supervise the activities of their ministries, government departments and parastatals and should be held accountable for the administration of their ministries. The executive director of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), Graham Hopwood, told The Namibian that Cabinet ministers are supposed to ensure that apartheid, tribalism and colonialism do not manifest themselves again in Namibia and to assist disadvantaged citizens. In addition they are not supposed to be using their positions to enrich themselves or expose themselves to conflicts of interest. In an ideal world ministers performances should primarily be measured against these benchmarks and the recent track records of their ministries in terms of improving service delivery. However, Cabinet reshuffles have always been strongly influenced by other factors such as ethnic balancing and pleasing various interest groups within the ruling party. He said a recycling exercise, as was the case with the permanent secretaries, probably wont achieve much in terms of improving service delivery. It would be more invigorating for government performance if some new faces and younger politicians were drafted into Cabinet. However, President Pohamba has, so far, been very cautious in changing his Cabinet. I would expect that any changes would only be limited to a few posts. Particularly with the congress approaching he probably would not want to be seen as upsetting the apple cart by making a lot of changes, said Hopwood. Another political analyst, Bill Lindeke, shares the same sentiments, saying the threat was perhaps made to keep the ministers on their toes. Looking at the track record of the President and the infighting going on in Swapo, it is most unlikely that he will make a major Cabinet reshuffle. He is not a Cabinet shuffler. The head of the Department of Politics and Administration at Unam, Victor Tonchi, said the recycling of ministers is a futile exercise. If they cannot do the job, the appointing authority should get rid of them and bring in new blood. However, in a certain manner the Presidents choices are limited to members of the National Assembly and he might not always find the suitable replacement. He is also sceptical about any reshuffle taking place, adding that the upcoming Congress might be the stumbling block.

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Swapo congress stalls Cabinet reshuffle

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda carried out a Cabinet reshuffle Monday, effectively sacking two censured ministers in a bid to court the Liberal Democratic Party's support to pass contentious legislation to double the 5 percent sales tax.

It is the second time Noda has reshuffled his Cabinet since he assumed office in September. He changed out members in January also in an attempt to push forward talks on the tax issue with the opposition camp, replacing two ministers censured by the opposition-controlled Upper House in December.

Bowing again to opposition pressure, Noda replaced five of his 18 Cabinet members, including Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka and transport chief Takeshi Maeda, both of whom were censured in the Upper House in April.

Their replacement is a condition demanded by the LDP for holding tax talks with the Democratic Party of Japan government.

"The reshuffle aims to strengthen the Cabinet's function and create an environment to move forward various issues, such as the tax and social security reforms," Noda said Monday.

Announcing the new Cabinet lineup, Noda urged the LDP to engage in talks on a compromise over the tax issue and stressed the necessity of holding tax talks "at some stage" with LDP chief Sadakazu Tanigaki, who advocates hiking the sales levy.

To ensure the tax hike bills are passed, Noda said it is "most important" to discuss the issue thoroughly with the LDP.

Noda, who has said he will stake his political career on getting the bills passed in the current Diet session, did not mention if he would try to extend the session beyond its scheduled June 21 end if the legislation hits a snag.

Noda's Cabinet submitted to the Diet in late March bills including one that will double the consumption tax in two stages to 8 percent in April 2014 and 10 percent in October 2015 to help cover the nation's swelling social security costs.

The Cabinet reshuffle comes a day after Noda, who heads the DPJ, failed to win over former DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa, who strongly opposes the tax hike.

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Noda replaces censured ministers