Political stories of some note today! Summary compiled 12 October 2009!

(See What We See News and Archive)

Article by Marc Aupiais

African Issues:

New Constitutional Court Judges for South Africa, could change the interpretation of law:


According to the office of the Presidency, of the Republic of South Africa, President Jacob Zuma has appointed 4 new judges to the constitutional court, who were set to take office today, according to the release:

"President Jacob Zuma has in accordance with section 174(4) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa [This is their claim, not our service's, as with all the claims quoted here], appointed the following judges to the Constitutional Court:

· Judge Sisi Sibongile Virginia Khampepe
· Judge Christopher Nyaole Jafta
· Judge Johan Coenraad Froneman, and,
· Judge President Mogoeng Thomas Reetsang Mogoeng

The four retiring Justices are:

· Chief Justice Pius Langa
· Justice Yvonne Mokgoro
· Justice Kate O’ Regan
· Justice Albie Sachs

On the 1st of October 2009, President Zuma announced the appointment of Justice Sandile Ngcobo as the new Chief Justice of South Africa, Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo assumes office on Monday 12 October 2009.

[...]

The newly appointed judges assume office on Monday 12 October 2009.

ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCY ON 11 OCTOBER 2009"

(The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa (Secular; Governmental; South African) 11 / 10 | October / 2009)

In South Africa, the Chief Justice is appointed by the presidency, the other judges are appointed by the President of the Republic from a list offered by the JSC (Judicial Service Commission), on which the presidency has a voice via proxy, on the body which also includes representatives of the legal profession. In South Africa, as elsewhere, the appointment of judges is seen as a political matter.



Refugees warned not to return to the DRC:

According to the United Nations (UN) News Center, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday warned 2 000 (Two Thousand) Congolese situated in Burundi, not to return to their home in the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo / DR Congo), reportedly due to security fears:

"The latest warning from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) follows an incident yesterday when more than 400 Congolese from the recently closed camp in Gihinga, central Burundi, were stopped from entering their country by DRC immigration officials.

“UNHCR has repeatedly urged the refugees not to go back to their native South Kivu province in DRC for the moment, stressing that that under the prevailing security conditions neither the Government authorities nor UNHCR would be in a position to guarantee their safety on return,” agency spokesperson Andrej Mahecic told a news briefing in Geneva.

DRC immigration services said their actions were based on security concerns for the group. The refugees had boarded 11 trucks provided by Burundian government yesterday morning, leaving behind another group of some 500 refugees waiting for their turn to go home. When they reached the border they found it closed and the Burundian authorities took them back to Gihinga.

The refugees are being provisionally sheltered at the former camp, in classrooms and a health centre, waiting for the outcome of discussions between the Burundi authorities and DRC officials, who were expected to arrive in Bujumbura, the Burundian capital, today.

The refugees are being cared for by the Burundian agency responsible, Office pour la Protection des Réfugiés et des Apatrides, which is distributing food and water provided by UNHCR and high protein biscuits provided by the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

The Congolese denied access to their country are those who earlier refused to relocate to the newly established Bwagiriza camp in eastern Burundi, claiming their security would not be guaranteed there. Bwagiriza camp is presently sheltering some 1,200 mostly Congolese refugees, including 599 who voluntarily transferred from Gihinga earlier this week."

(United Nations News Centre (Secular; United Nations; International) 09 / 10 | October / 2009 )

The Eastern Congo, remains a high alert area of the war torn Central African country.

Russian news:

Svetlana Medvedev, Russia's first-lady (The wife of President Medvedev), according to Russia's presidency, took part in the consecration of a Russian Orthodox church, that of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, situated in Sestroretsk which is in the Leningrad Region of Russia. Sestroretsk is reportedly situated nearby St. Petersburg.

Considering that the religious building was build nearby a spot, where Czar, "Peter the Great"/Peter I had launched what the presidency called his "lurking vessel", an early submarine vehicle, the Russian first lady used the opportunity to commemorate the deaths of sailers in Russian service. She also handed over a 18th Century icon of the two Apostles.

According to the Russian Presidency: Russian Orthodox Patriarch, Kirill, presided over the consecration of the church, which included a memorial to sailors in the wall. Also present were:

"[Russia's] Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, [... their] Commander in Chief of the Navy Vladimir Vysotsky, St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matvienko, the leaders of organizations [... which donated] funds for the construction of the temple, as well as residents Sestroretsk."

(The Kremlin / Russia's Presidency (Secular / Associated with Russian Orthodox Church; Governmental; Russian - quote is a translation from the original Russian into English) 11 / 10 | October / 2009 : view English Google Translation)

The Russian Orthodox Church remains in a centuries old schism with the Roman Catholic church, despite warming of relations between the two recently, and speculation since the election of Kirill as Patriarch. While Russian Orthodoxy, is taught in public schools in Russia, Catholicism is not. Those Eastern Orthodox Christians not associated with the Roman Catholic Church, generally believe it is acceptable to make icons of saints, but not statues of them. The Russian Orthodox Church has in the past been perceived by some: of having close ties to the Russian government, something some hope Kiril may someday, prevent.

American News:

American President Barack Obama's press office has released their notes of his speech to what they note as an organisation promoting the interests of "gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender" persons. The US President claimed:

"For nearly 30 years, you've advocated on behalf of those without a voice. That's not easy. For despite the real gains that we've made, there's still laws to change and there's still hearts to open. There are still fellow citizens, perhaps neighbors, even loved ones -- good and decent people -- who hold fast to outworn arguments and old attitudes; who fail to see your families like their families; who would deny you the rights most Americans take for granted. And that's painful and it's heartbreaking. (Applause.) And yet you continue, leading by the force of the arguments you make, and by the power of the example that you set in your own lives -- as parents and friends, as PTA members and church members, as advocates and leaders in your communities. And you're making a difference. "

(White House / US Presidency (Secular; Governmental; American; Occupied by the left leaning "Democratic Party") released 10 / 10 | October / 2009 )

President Barack Obama was speaking to an organization called the "HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN", where he claimed that their mission was to promote "human rights".

Barack Obama supports Abortion, late Term Abortion (where a child is likely to live if extracted by Caesarian Section), and the prevention of medical resources for survivors of abortion. Prior his election, he is reported in media as having made several promises to Abortion firm, Planned parenthood. He additionally supports homosexual marriage. For his stances on these issues, many Catholics, including a large number of US (USCCB) Catholic bishops, are very concerned over his presidency.

Middle East / America's so-called "War on terror"

Top UN official notes that Afghanistan election was "fraudulent":

While claiming that there are mechanisms in place, to ensure the "will of the people", top UN (United Nations) envoy to Afghanistan, Special Representative: Mr. Eide, admitted to the existence of alleged widespread election fraud, alleged fraud long reported on by the like's of Britain's BBC (British; Governmental; Secular). The United Nations (UN) News Centre, notes that Mr. Eide, has been accused of showing bias towards encombant transition president: Hamid Karzai, this by the UN's own former Deputy Special Representative, Peter Galbraith, Eide's former deputy.

Eide is quoted by the UN News Centre as saying:

"“I have spent all my time over the last weeks for one purpose – and that is to bring this election process forward. That’s been a difficult process, marred by so many problems, not least, as you know, by widespread fraud. So it’s not been easy and that has been my only focus,”[...]

“It is important to bring this country through this process and to continue this process of installing democracy in Afghanistan,” [...]

“I believe that the institutional framework we have created – whatever its weaknesses and those are weaknesses we recognize – I understand well that these institutions would, in the end, be able to remove fraudulent votes and honour valid votes,” said Mr. Eide.

“We are now at a critical juncture,” he stated. “We have put very solid mechanisms in place to ensure that those steps are taken correctly, and that the result reflects the vote of the Afghan people.

“And I do believe, therefore, firmly, that when the result is being certified it will be a result being made on a solid basis and that should be acceptable to the Afghan people.”"

(United Nations News Centre (Secular; United Nations; International) 12 / 10 | October / 2009)

The UN itself did not count votes, this was done by an allegedly "Independent Election Commission" (IEC), set up for the task.


Hamid Karzai's government, has caused discontent among some, after his government passed a law- permitting men to deny their wives food, if they did not please them sexually. The United States of America, and its coalition allies, had been hoping that the election would feed legitimacy to their military campaign in the Middle Eastern nation. Requests for more troops by its top commander in Afghanistan, seem to suggest that their mission has yet to succeed in any substantive way.


Senior UN envoy to Iraq concerned over election laws:

"The senior United Nations envoy in Iraq has voiced concern about the country’s election laws, saying they lack clarity just three months before parliamentary polls are slated to be held.

Ad Melkert, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and the head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), issued a statement yesterday in which he called on Iraq’s Council of Representatives to revise the legal framework for the elections.

“Holding parliamentary elections on 16 January appears to be something that is strongly desired by the people of Iraq, will be a vital milestone for Iraq’s democratization process, and called for by the Iraq constitution,” he said, according to a press release issued by UNAMI in Baghdad."

(United Nations News Centre (Secular; United Nations; International) 12 / 10 | October / 2009)

The issue may cause concern, after the outcome of the Afghanistan election recently.