Washington: The United States on Monday hailed a strong showing by Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party in Myanmar's by-elections, calling the vote an important step in the country's democratic transformation. "We hope it is an indication that the government of Burma intends to continue along the path of greater openness, transparency and reform," Jay Carney, press secretary for US President Barack Obama, said in a statement. The United States...
02:33 AM, Apr 03, 2012
Yangon: Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party, NLD, has won 40 of the 45 seats it contested in the by-elections on Sunday. It is a landslide and one that will mark the beginning of democracy. Declaring the victory of her party, Suu Kyi told her cheering fans that it was their triumph. "Not so much our triumph. It is a triumph of all the people who participatedwon so...
09:25 PM, Apr 02, 2012
Malavika Karlekar is one of Aung San Suu Kyi's oldest friends in India, having known her from 1960 when they were both students at the Convent of Jesus and Mary. They went on to study BA (Hons) in Political Science at Lady Shri Ram College and then read PPE together at St Hugh's College, Oxford. As Suu Kyi creates history in Myanmar by finally entering the country's parliament after almost...
06:08 PM, Apr 02, 2012
Yangon: Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is believed to have won a historic bye election in Myanmar. The Delhi University alumnus says she wants to visit her alma mater. "It's a great victory. I would like to come to India soon, and meet all my friends there. I would also like to visit my college, Lady Sri Ram College. I don't want to speak about the elections until the...
12:51 PM, Apr 02, 2012
Yangon: Myanmar votes on Sunday in its third election in half a century, a crucial test of its nascent reform credentials that could propel opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi into Parliament and convince the West to end sanctions. The United States and European Union have hinted economic sanctions, imposed years ago in response to human rights abuses, could be lifted if the election is free and fair, which could...
07:46 AM, Apr 01, 2012
The Parliament has mildly reprimanded Team Anna with Speaker Meira Kumar reading out a statement saying any comment that lowered the dignity of Parliament was ...
05:46 PM, Mar 29, 2012
After months of violence that left more than 5,000 people dead, Syrians vote on a referendum on democracy. ...
10:00 PM, Feb 26, 2012
I have chosen this topic for discussion as I believe that, as we look deeper and wider in the functioning of our polity, we have ...
12:49 PM, Feb 13, 2012
Islamabad: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday pointed to the "stark difference" in the continuity of the democratic systems of India and Pakistan and said conspiracies were being hatched against his government to prevent the holding of elections to the Senate next month. Pakistan and India were created on the same date but there was a "stark difference in how they have continued" with their democratic systems, Gilani told...
02:22 AM, Feb 06, 2012
Ralegan Siddhi: Spelling out that his next phase of agitation would be to achieve "power for the people", veteran social activist Anna Hazare on Thursday said time had come for the masses to enjoy the fruits of democracy. "Today power is concentrated in Mantralaya (secretariat)in Mumbai or in Delhi. There is a need for decentralisation of power," Hazare said after unfurling the tricolour at the Republic Day celebrations in his...
02:33 PM, Jan 26, 2012
New Delhi: President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, addressed the nation on the eve of the 63rd Republic Day and stressed on reforms, economy, democracy and women empowerment among other subjects. Following is the text of the President's address on the occasion: Dear Citizens, On the eve of our 63rd Republic Day, I convey my warmest greetings to all of you across the country, from every walk of life and in different...
11:22 PM, Jan 25, 2012
New Delhi: In an apparent reference to the civil society movement for a strong Lokpal Bill, President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday said one has to be cautious in bringing about reforms so that the tree of democratic institutions does not come down. "While bringing about reforms and improving institutions, we have to be cautious that while shaking the tree to remove the bad fruit, we do not bring down the...
08:47 PM, Jan 25, 2012
New Delhi: Aiming at providing them exposure to democracy and its benefits, the Indian embassy in Kabul has sent a group of 20 children from Afghanistan who will also witness the Republic Day parade on Thursday. The embassy there has sent these 20 children to see India. They will see both ancient and modern structures such as the metro rail to get a feel of how democracy helps in development...
05:17 PM, Jan 25, 2012
Islamabad: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday called on the military and judiciary to defend democracy and not to "pack up the system" as Pakistan's beleaguered government got a morale booster when parliament passed a pro-democracy resolution. Speaking in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament after the resolution was passed by a two-thirds majority in the 342-member House, Gilani said his government may have differences of opinion...
02:28 AM, Jan 17, 2012
After Musharraf shot himself in the foot by messing with the Chief Justice, and got ousted, Pakistan lurched back to democracy. Benazir Bhutto returned in ...
01:49 PM, Jan 16, 2012
Washington: The United States has said it is monitoring the situation in Pakistan and reiterated its commitment to a civilian-led democracy there. The strong statement in support of the civilian government gains significance in the wake of the increased tension between the government led by the President, Asif Ali Zardari, and the Pakistani military led by its Army Chief, Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani. This has given rise to speculation of...
08:47 AM, Jan 12, 2012
Washington: The US has established a new office to deal with issues like democracy and human rights in a bid to strengthen institutions that address present-day transnational threats. The Office for Civilian Security Democracy and Human Rights established by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is part of the restructuring and reorganisation of the State Department to make diplomacy a more effective tool to achieve country's foreign policy and national security...
10:29 AM, Jan 06, 2012
New Delhi: Advocating Presidential system, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that there are 'serious disadvantages' in Parliamentary democracy. According to Tharoor, time has come to revive the debate on adopting the 'Presidential system'. In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN on November 28 Tharoor had expressed his opinion on Presidential system. "I believe that the Presidential system would be far better in our country than the Parliamentary system because of the...
04:19 PM, Dec 14, 2011
New Delhi: Pointing to "serious advantages" in parliamentary democracy, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said time has come to revive the debate on adopting the "Presidential kind system" in India wherein people would directly elect their executives. Tharoor, a former UN diplomat and former Union minister of state for external affairs, said there were "serious disadvantages" in parliamentary democracy adopted by India after it attained independence in 1947. "I...
10:34 PM, Dec 13, 2011
