Indonesia cancels ratification of controversial election law changes as thousands protest

A protester throws a rock toward riot police during a rally against controversial changes to election laws, at the parliament building in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (AP)
A protester throws a rock toward riot police during a rally against controversial changes to election laws, at the parliament building in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (AP)
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Updated 22 August 2024
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Indonesia cancels ratification of controversial election law changes as thousands protest

A protester throws a rock toward riot police during a rally against controversial changes to election laws.
  • Power struggle between the parliament and the judiciary comes amid a week of dramatic political developments in the world’s third-largest democracy

JAKARTA: Indonesian lawmakers canceled plans to ratify controversial revisions to the country's election laws, the deputy speaker of Parliament said, after thousands of protesters rallied in front of the parliament building.
If implemented, the changes could have further enhanced the political influence of outgoing President Joko Widodo.
Parliament met in an emergency session Thursday to overturn one decision made by Indonesia's Constitutional Court on election procedures, while amending another. But the legislature canceled the ratification after failing to achieve a quorum amid the protests outside.
“It was stated that the revision of the regional election law cannot be implemented. This means that today the revision of the regional election law will not be implemented,” Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad told reporters in Jakarta.
Indonesian police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of protesters who attempted to storm the parliament building after they tore down a section of fence and threw rocks at police. Protesters occupied roads in front of the building. Some held banners and signs, while others started a fire and burned tires.
The Constitutional Court on Tuesday dismissed a challenge to an age limit that prevents people under 30 from running for regional governorships, which would prevent Widodo's youngest son, Kaesang Pangarep, 29, from running in a regional contest in Central Java.
The court also made it easier for political parties to nominate candidates by cutting back a requirement that they hold 20% of a local legislature.
Parliament on Wednesday passed an emergency motion to change the minimum age to serve as governor to 30 at the time of inauguration and further ease nomination requirements, and had planned to ratify the change in a plenary session on Thursday.
The moves triggered widespread condemnation on social media and raised concerns about a potential constitutional crisis. The legislature was forced to cancel passing the law after failing to achieve a quorum.
Widodo, popularly known by his nickname Jokowi, began his second and final five-year term in October 2019 and is not eligible to run again. He leaves office in October.
Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is the incoming vice president after the same court created an exception to the age limit for the post for former regional leaders. The decision was made while Widodo's brother-in-law, Anwar Usman, was serving as chief justice. Usman was criticized for participating in a case involving a close relative and later dismissed.
Activists, students, workers and Indonesian celebrities and musicians joined the protest Thursday, voicing concerns about democracy in Indonesia.
Protests were also reported in other big cities, including Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Makassar.
In Yogyakarta, at least 1,000 protesters rallied in front of Yogyakarta’s parliament building, the state palace and the city's ceremonial center. Their demands included voting down the regional election bill, respecting the Constitutional Court's ruling and rejecting political dynasties.
The simultaneous protests in major cities showed anger at parliament’s efforts to overrule the Constitutional Court decision to allow more candidates to compete in the regional elections, said Yoes Kenawas, a political analyst at Atma Jaya Catholic University.
"They also opposed the dynastic politics carried out by President Jokowi,” Kenawas said.


Germany, other European countries suspend decisions on Syrians’ asylum bids after Assad’s fall

Syrian refugee Anas Modamani records a video with his phone in front of Aljoud bakery in Neukolln district in Berlin, Germany.
Syrian refugee Anas Modamani records a video with his phone in front of Aljoud bakery in Neukolln district in Berlin, Germany.
Updated 23 min 9 sec ago
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Germany, other European countries suspend decisions on Syrians’ asylum bids after Assad’s fall

Syrian refugee Anas Modamani records a video with his phone in front of Aljoud bakery in Neukolln district in Berlin, Germany.
  • Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees said Monday that more than 47,000 applications are currently pending
  • It said it would reassess the situation and resume decisions once things in Syria have stabilized

BERLIN: Germany and several other European countries said Monday they are suspending decisions on asylum claims by Syrian nationals because of the unclear situation in their homeland following the fall of Bashar Assad.
Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees said Monday that more than 47,000 applications are currently pending. It said it would reassess the situation and resume decisions once things in Syria have stabilized.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Sonja Kock noted that asylum decisions take account of the circumstances of each case, which involves assessing the situation in the applicant’s country. She said the migration authority has the option of prioritizing cases from other places if a situation is unclear, as it currently is in Syria.
More broadly, German officials said it’s too early to tell what the fall of Assad will ultimately mean for the many Syrians who sought refuge in Germany in recent years, particularly in the mid-2010s.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said it’s not yet possible to predict “concrete possibilities to return” and “it would be unserious to speculate about this in such a volatile situation.”
Her ministry said that, as of Oct. 31, there were 974,136 Syrian nationals in the country, the majority of whom had some kind of refugee or other protected status.
In neighboring Austria, Chancellor Karl Nehammer also tasked his interior minister with suspending decisions on current asylum applications by Syrians, the Austria Press Agency reported.
“It is important to first establish facts, to put asylum and family reunion procedures on hold,” Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said. “We need to wait until the dust settles, so we can see what is happening, what the next points are.”
Sweden’s Migration Agency said it will also pause decisions on Syrian asylum cases, arguing that it isn’t possible at present to assess applicants’ reasons for seeking protection. It didn’t specify how long the pause would last, but said a similar decision was made in connection with the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
In Finland, the director of the Department for International Protection at the Finnish Immigration Service, Antti Lehtinen, told public broadcaster YLE that decisions have been suspended there, and he can’t immediately estimate when they will resume.
In Norway, the Directorate of Immigration announced a similar decision, saying that it has put asylum applications from Syria on hold “until further notice.”
France says it was considering following Germany’s example.
“We are working on a suspension of ongoing asylum files from Syria,” the French Interior Ministry said. “We should reach a decision in the coming hours.”
The ministry said 450 applications from Syrian citizens are pending in France.


Weeks after blackout, restive Indian state lifts Internet block after ethnic clashes

Weeks after blackout, restive Indian state lifts Internet block after ethnic clashes
Updated 09 December 2024
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Weeks after blackout, restive Indian state lifts Internet block after ethnic clashes

Weeks after blackout, restive Indian state lifts Internet block after ethnic clashes
  • Blackout was ordered to contain deadly ethnic violence, clashes between protesters and police in Manipur
  • Internet services were shut down for months in Manipur last year during the initial outbreak of violence

NEW DELHI: Internet was restored in India’s conflict-torn northeastern state of Manipur on Monday, weeks after a blackout was ordered to contain deadly ethnic violence and clashes between protesters and police.
Ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur last year between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community, killing more than 250 people.
Since then, communities have splintered into rival groups across swaths of the northeastern state, which borders war-torn Myanmar.
Fresh clashes that killed at least 17 people last month in a part of Manipur previously spared from the violence prompted the latest of several Internet shutdowns imposed in the state.
That order came after protesters, outraged by the killings, tried to storm the homes of politicians in state capital Imphal, vandalising some of the properties.
The local government Monday ordered the lifting of “all forms of temporary suspension of Internet and data services” imposed on November 19.
Internet services were shut down for months in Manipur last year during the initial outbreak of violence, which displaced around 60,000 people from their homes according to government figures.
Thousands of the state’s residents are still unable to return home owing to ongoing tensions.
Long-standing tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities revolve around competition for land and public jobs.
Rights activists have accused local leaders of exacerbating ethnic divisions for political gain.
Manipur is ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and Human Rights Watch has accused the government of facilitating the conflict with “divisive policies that promote Hindu majoritarianism.”


Dozens of schools in Delhi get bomb threats, Indian news agency says

Dozens of schools in Delhi get bomb threats, Indian news agency says
Updated 09 December 2024
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Dozens of schools in Delhi get bomb threats, Indian news agency says

Dozens of schools in Delhi get bomb threats, Indian news agency says
  • Schools, railway stations and airports this year have been subject to hundreds of hoax bomb threats
  • In May, over 50 schools in Delhi, adjoining suburbs received bomb threats that turned out to be hoaxes

NEW DELHI: At least 40 schools received a bomb threat by email in Delhi on Monday demanding $30,000, ANI news agency said, while police officials conducted initial searches on school premises.
Schools, railway stations and airports this year have been subject to hundreds of bomb threats, which have later turned out to be hoaxes.
Airlines and airports in India received 999 hoax bomb threats from the start of the year until mid-November, and 12 people had been arrested during the same period, government data shows.
Two schools got the threatening email on Sunday night, which said multiple bombs were planted inside buildings and would be detonated if the sender was not paid $30,000, according to ANI.
Many other schools received the emails on Monday morning, prompting school authorities to call parents to take the students home for the day.
Parents were seen picking their children up from the gates of some schools as police checked school premises for suspicious items.
Police officials in Delhi did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
In May, more than 50 schools in Delhi and the adjoining suburb of Noida received similar bomb threat emails that turned out to be hoaxes.


India’s Modi woos foreign investors at global investment summit in Rajasthan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi touts his country’s economic prospects at a global investment summit in Rajasthan on Monday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi touts his country’s economic prospects at a global investment summit in Rajasthan on Monday.
Updated 09 December 2024
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India’s Modi woos foreign investors at global investment summit in Rajasthan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi touts his country’s economic prospects at a global investment summit in Rajasthan on Monday.
  • Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit will be held until Dec. 11
  • Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment is among the summit participants

JAIPUR: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi touted his country’s economic prospects at a global investment summit in Rajasthan on Monday, as the state seeks to attract foreign investors and position itself as a hub for innovation and development.

Rajasthan, India’s largest state by area, is hosting the inaugural investment event in its capital Jaipur from Dec. 9 to 11, as the government seeks to double the state’s gross domestic product to $350 billion in the next five years.

The summit seeks to attract international investors and foster new partnerships in various sectors, including renewable energy, electric vehicles, infrastructure, startups and tourism.

“Today, every expert and investor in the world is very excited about India,” Modi said at the Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit.

He highlighted how the nation has become the world’s fifth-largest economy and almost doubled its exports in the last decade, also pointing to India’s young demographic — the world’s largest youth population — and tech expertise.

“We are going to see its huge benefits and huge impact here in Rajasthan as well. I have always believed that the development of the country comes from the development of the state,” Modi said, as he urged investors to explore the state’s manufacturing potential.

“Rajasthan has a network of modern connectivity, a rich heritage, a very large landmass and a very capable youth force … Rajasthan has a lot to offer. This potential of Rajasthan makes the state a very attractive destination for investment.”

Rajasthan is home to a large portion of India’s mineral reserves, including zinc, limestone and marble. It is also the location of the nation’s largest solar parks and contributes to its energy security.

The Rajasthan government has committed to making the state “a hub for investment, innovation, and development,” according to its Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma.

“This summit will be a key platform to attract investors, highlight Rajasthan’s potential, and boost its position as a global business destination,” he said.

Thousands of people gathered in Jaipur for the summit’s opening day, including delegates from foreign countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the UK and Japan.

The Saudi Ministry of Investment brought its “Invest Saudi” initiative to the summit’s exhibition space, with a dedicated pavilion set up to highlight opportunities in the Kingdom.

“Everyone is coming to Rajasthan for this great summit, and everyone wants to see what Rajasthan has to offer,” Rayed M. Al-Homied, who is part of a business delegation organized by the Saudi ministry, told Arab News.

“I can see a lot (of potential) from every sector we can think about; agriculture, renewable energy,” he said. “This is our first day, and I can see a huge opportunity for investors.”

Saud M. Alshuraym, chairman of Riyadh-based agriculture company Leen Alkhair, said he is looking for joint venture opportunities at the summit.

“The prime minister, he talked today about the opportunity to invest in India … We see so many opportunities, and we hope we can do something here and there,” Alshuraym said.

For Jaipur-based entrepreneur, Parul Arora, the summit was also an opportunity to expand her business to the Middle East.

She was keen on promoting products made in Rajasthan, such as marble, furniture, dresses, gemstones and jewelry.

“I am just expecting to bring out more construction materials, more artistic things that people (from Rajasthan) can export into Saudi Arabia,” she said.


184 killed in Haiti capital violence over weekend: UN

184 killed in Haiti capital violence over weekend: UN
Updated 09 December 2024
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184 killed in Haiti capital violence over weekend: UN

184 killed in Haiti capital violence over weekend: UN

GENEVA: Close to 200 people were killed in brutal weekend violence in Haiti’s capital, the United Nations said on Monday, with reports that a gang boss orchestrated the slaughter of voodoo practitioners.
The killings were overseen by a “powerful gang leader” convinced that his son’s illness was caused by followers of the religion, according to civil organization the Committee for Peace and Development (CPD).
“He decided to cruelly punish all elderly people and voodoo practitioners who, in his imagination, would be capable of sending a bad spell on his son,” a statement from the Haiti-based group said.
“The gang’s soldiers were responsible for identifying victims in their homes to take them to the chief’s stronghold to be executed,” it added.
UN rights commissioner Volker Turk said over the weekend that “at least 184 people were killed in violence orchestrated by the leader of a powerful gang in the Haitian capital.”
“These latest killings bring the death toll just this year in Haiti to a staggering 5,000 people,” he told reporters in Geneva.
Both the CPD and UN said that the massacre took place in the capital’s western coastal neighborhood of Cite Soleil.
Haiti has suffered from decades of instability but the situation escalated in February when armed groups launched coordinated attacks in the capital Port-au-Prince to overthrow then-prime minister Ariel Henry.
Gangs now control 80 percent of the city and despite a Kenyan-led police support mission, backed by the US and UN, violence has continued to soar.
The CPD said that most most of the victims of violence waged on Friday and Saturday were over 60, but that some young people who tried to rescue others were also among the casualties.
“Reliable sources within the community report that more than a hundred people were massacred, their bodies mutilated and burned in the street,” a statement said.
More than 700,000 people are internally displaced in Haiti, half of them children, according to October figures from the UN’s International Organization for Migration.
Voodoo was brought to Haiti by African slaves and is a mainstay of the country’s culture. It was banned during French colonial rule and only recognized as an official religion by the government in 2003.
While it incorporates elements of other religious beliefs, including Catholicism, voodoo has been historically attacked by other religions.