With the Modi juggernaut crushing the Congress in Maharashtra, alarmed party men are pushing hard for a change of guard in the State. Already two Cabinet Ministers have sent in their resignations in an attempt to build pressure for the ouster of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. The resignation of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, after the abysmal showing by his Janata Dal(United), is serving to tighten the screws on Mr. Chavan.

The Congress has won just two of the 48 Lok Sabha seats a historic low in Maharashtra, once considered its bastion. Party MLAs and functionaries fear they will lose the Assembly polls in October as well unless there is a complete overhaul at the top including replacement of PCC chief Manikrao Thakre and AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Mohan Prakash.

Publicly, Industries Minister Narayan Rane said he was quitting since he could not ensure the victory of his son Nilesh Rane from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg. Employment Guarantee Scheme Minister Nitin Raut took moral responsibility for the defeat of the party in Nagpur, his home base.

However, others were more frank. The high command will have to change the Chief Minister for us to have a fighting chance in the Assembly polls, said a senior Minister. The Congress began its campaign too late and Mr. Chavan did not consult with party MLAs and other leaders. Its clear the Congress has lost touch with ground reality, he added.

Many MLAs see Mr. Chavan as an outsider to State politics, inexperienced in realpolitik. He has barely contested elections. How will he lead the State in an election? asked a functionary.

Mr. Chavan, who took over the reins of the State in the shadow of the Adarsh Housing Society scam, has also been accused of keeping key decisions pending for too long. His slow pace of file clearance even earned a public rebuke from the ally, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, who said the government had been struck by a paralytic stroke.

Another reason, a senior Congress functionary said, is that Mr. Manikrao Thakre lost interest in the polls as his son was denied ticket. We had no election campaign committee until the very end.

When contacted, Mr. Thakre admitted the party should have begun its campaign much earlier. We made mistakes and will have assuage peoples anger. Several schemes could not be implemented and we will have to work much harder, he told The Hindu. Asked about the demands for a change of guard, he said, Resignations do not solve anything. We need to work together.

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Partymen seek Chavans ouster

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President Benigno Aquino III says he will not fire any Cabinet official unless there is sufficient evidence of involvement in the corruption scandal

NO SACKING. President Benigno Aquino III says he will not fire any of his Cabinet secretaries unless there is sufficient evidence of the involvement with the pork barrel scam. File photo by Malacaang Photo Bureau

MANILA, Philippines President Benigno Aquino III did not attempt to hide his feelings about calls to fire his Cabinet secretaries who have been linked to the multi-billion peso pork barrel scam.

On Thursday, May 15, Aquino laughed off the call of his critics and said the most crucial question to ask is if there is adequate evidence against the concerned officials.

"The point here is I only have one official family. Do I trust them or not? What is the actual allegation against them?," Aquino told reporters at the sidelines of the inauguration of the San Carlos solar energy power plant in Negros Occidental.

"And I already promised the people and I think you've seen this when we have sufficient evidence, we will bring the case to court and that's what happened when we brought the information we had to the Ombudsman."

Aquino was referring to the plunder cases filed by the state against 3 senators and alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

The lawmakers are accused of channeling their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to Napoles' bogus non-governmental organizations in exchange for hefty kickbacks. (READ: Pork tales and Navigating the PDAF scam affidavits)

Napoles has since volunteered information on the scam and offered names of others she transacted with in hopes of becoming a state witness. (READ: Napoles wants to be state witness De Lima)

The President was responding to questions on the list submitted by Rehabilitation Secretary Panfilo Lacson to the Senate Blue Ribbon committee earlier this week, allegedly from Napoles herself.

The rest is here:
Aquino shuns calls to sack Cabinet members in Napolist

Details Published on Friday, 09 May 2014 09:57

KUALA LUMPUR - The replacement for the Sedition Act 1948 is still being drafted two years after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak pledged to replace the controversial law with the National Harmony Act, Minister Nancy Shukri said.

The new law is being drafted by the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) and members expect to show the bill to the Cabinet before a date set for its presentation in parliament is determined.

We are still drafting it actually, there are more things to come, Shukri, the de facto law minister told The Malay Mail Online when contacted yesterday.

The minister in Prime Ministers Department declined to elaborate over the phone, saying she was currently abroad.

However, NUCC member and PAS MP Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said that aside from content, members were also concerned about the bills passage through Parliament.

He added the NUCC will seek public input before the bill goes before the Dewan Rakyat, putting the earliest date by December this year.

The 66-year-old law, which critics denounce as a government tool to silence dissent, continues to be used even today.

In the latest, senior DAP MP Teresa Kok was charged with sedition this week over her satirical video during Chinese New Year.

Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming said Koks sedition charge reflected the Najibs administrations failure in fulfilling its promises for reform.

Continue reading here:
Two Years On, Sedition Law Replacement Still On Drawing Board, Says Minister

Thailand police fire tear gas at protesters

The Telegraph - Friday 9th May, 2014

Thai police fired tear gas and water cannon on Friday to push back hundreds of protesters trying to force their way into a government compound, the latest indication that ousting the premier will ...

New Europe - Friday 9th May, 2014

A file photo dated 16 October 2008 shows Thai paramilitary soldiers take position behind sandbags in the jungle at the disputed border area with Cambodia of the Preah Vihear ...

The China Post - Friday 9th May, 2014

BANGKOK -- Thai police fired tear gas Friday at protesters who called for the nation's Senate to aid their bid to topple the embattled government, two days after the prime minister was stripped ...

Asia News Network - Friday 9th May, 2014

Thailand will be virtually absent from the Asean Summit in Myanmar this weekend following a ruling by its Constitutional Court on Wednesday, forcing Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down ...

Irish Times - Friday 9th May, 2014

Read the original here:
Yinglucks removal brings Thailand no closer to resolution

Thai court to rule if PM abused power in transfer order

Thailand News.Net - Tuesday 6th May, 2014

The Thai Constitutional Court said Tuesday that it would deliver a verdict Wednesday on the allegation that caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had abused power. Yingluck denied the ...

VOA - Thursday 8th May, 2014

Anti-government protesters are singing as they ride on a truck during a rally. A court ousted Thailand's prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra for abuse of power, giving the anti-government ...

wsws.org - Thursday 8th May, 2014

Thailand's Constitutional Court yesterday removed the elected Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, and almost a third of her cabinet ministers for "abuse of power." The ...

The Guardian - Thursday 8th May, 2014

The rice-subsidy scheme was popular in Thailand's rural north and helped Yingluck Shinawatra win votes of millions of farmers. Photograph: Borja Sanchez Trillo/Getty ...

The Telegraph - Thursday 8th May, 2014

View original post here:
Cabinet appoints new Sports Authority of Thailand governor

Thai court to rule if PM abused power in transfer order

Thailand News.Net - Tuesday 6th May, 2014

The Thai Constitutional Court said Tuesday that it would deliver a verdict Wednesday on the allegation that caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had abused power. Yingluck denied the ...

VOA - Thursday 8th May, 2014

Anti-government protesters are singing as they ride on a truck during a rally. A court ousted Thailand's prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra for abuse of power, giving the anti-government ...

wsws.org - Thursday 8th May, 2014

Thailand's Constitutional Court yesterday removed the elected Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, and almost a third of her cabinet ministers for "abuse of power." The ...

The Guardian - Thursday 8th May, 2014

The rice-subsidy scheme was popular in Thailand's rural north and helped Yingluck Shinawatra win votes of millions of farmers. Photograph: Borja Sanchez Trillo/Getty ...

The Telegraph - Thursday 8th May, 2014

See the original post:
Court ousts Thai PM part of her Cabinet

Thai court to rule if PM abused power in transfer order

Thailand News.Net - Tuesday 6th May, 2014

The Thai Constitutional Court said Tuesday that it would deliver a verdict Wednesday on the allegation that caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had abused power. Yingluck denied the ...

VOA - Thursday 8th May, 2014

Anti-government protesters are singing as they ride on a truck during a rally. A court ousted Thailand's prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra for abuse of power, giving the anti-government ...

wsws.org - Thursday 8th May, 2014

Thailand's Constitutional Court yesterday removed the elected Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, and almost a third of her cabinet ministers for "abuse of power." The ...

The Guardian - Thursday 8th May, 2014

The rice-subsidy scheme was popular in Thailand's rural north and helped Yingluck Shinawatra win votes of millions of farmers. Photograph: Borja Sanchez Trillo/Getty ...

The Telegraph - Thursday 8th May, 2014

See the rest here:
Nine Cabinet members removed along with Yingluck

BANGKOK: Thailands Constitutional Court yesterday dismissed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and nine ministers for abuse of power, leaving the government clinging to power but the nation still locked in a political crisis.

The cabinet swiftly appointed a deputy premier Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan to be Yinglucks replacement as the ruling party struggled to regain its footing after the judicial blow.

The court, which has played a key role in deposing two other Shinawatra-linked governments in recent turbulent years, ruled unanimously that Yingluck acted illegally by transferring a top security official in 2011.

Therefore her prime minister status has ended Yingluck can no longer stay in her position acting as caretaker prime minister, presiding judge Charoon Intachan said in a televised ruling.

Nine cabinet ministers who endorsed the decision to transfer Thawil Pliensri were also stripped of their status. But fears that the court would dismiss the entire cabinet proved unfounded.

Niwattumrong, a Thaksin-loyalist who is also commerce minister, was quickly promoted to the role of caretaker premier.

He vowed to press ahead with a planned July 20 election to establish a new government. That poll date has yet to be endorsed by a royal decree. Observers said the court ruling does nothing to ease Thailands prolonged political malaise.

Anti-government protesters are still on Bangkoks streets and the promotion of a Thaksin supporter may make Yinglucks dismissal a hollow victory.

Red Shirt supporters of the government meanwhile threaten to rally to defend it and to press for elections, raising fears of clashes. They will mass on Saturday in a Bangkok suburb.

This is a war of legal attrition, said Paul Chambers of the Institute of South East Asian Affairs at Chiang Mai University.

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Thai Cabinet appoints new Prime Minister

BANGKOK - Thailand's Constitutional Court Wednesday dismissed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and nine ministers for abuse of power, leaving the government clinging to power but the nation still locked in a political crisis.

The cabinet swiftly appointed a deputy premier - Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan - as Yingluck's replacement as the ruling party struggled to regain its footing after the judicial blow.

The court, which has played a key role in deposing Shinawatra-linked governments in recent turbulent years, ruled unanimously that Yingluck acted illegally by transferring a top security official in 2011.

"Therefore her prime minister status has ended... Yingluck can no longer stay in her position acting as caretaker prime minister," presiding judge Charoon Intachan said in a televised ruling.

Nine cabinet ministers who endorsed the decision to transfer Thawil Pliensri were also stripped of their status.

But fears that the court ruling would wipe out the entire cabinet proved unfounded.

Niwattumrong, who is also commerce minister, was quickly promoted to the role of caretaker premier, said Phongthep Thepkanjana, another deputy prime minister.

Ruling party officials vowed to press ahead with a planned July 20 election to establish a new government. That poll date has yet to be endorsed by a royal decree.

While short of a knockout blow to the government, the court ruling does nothing to ease Thailand's prolonged political uncertainty.

Anti-government protesters are still on Bangkok's streets and the promotion of a Shinawatra-loyalist may make Yingluck's dismissal a hollow victory.

Read more here:
Court removes Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra from office