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Lebanon Forms a New Government
Bhavya Bana
Last Tuesday saw Prime Minister Hassan Diab unveil a new government to a protesting Lebanon. Hassan Diab was elected as the PM on 19 December and remained true to his word of forming a cabinet within six weeks of coming to power. The new cabinet is different from the previous governments in many ways. Self-proclaimed 'technocrat', Diab's cabinet has become leaner to have only 20 ministers, each of whom has stayed away from the criticism of the protestors, with a portfolio of academics, economists and medical experts to their benefit. In a patriarchal society, Diab's cabinet is the first in the country to have six women hold government positions, especially of deputy prime minister and defense minister.
The government’s ability to deal with the demands of the protestors, termed by Diab as a Revolution, depends heavily on how the outside powers view this government. Supporting a government formed by the mandate of Hezbollah as a legitimate one, despite the seemingly apolitical nature of its ministers, could bring into play old geopolitical tensions. The urgently required financial support for the country could remain on hold, given Hezbollah’s role in the formation of the government. The pro-US and Saudi parties, former PM Hariri’s Future Movement, the Christian Lebanese Movement, and the Progressive Socialist Party, have already distanced themselves from this alliance.
Coronavirus Outbreak in China
Hassaan Chishti
The New Year marked the news of a virus breaking out of the Chinese province of Wuhan. This virus is a strain of the coronavirus family to which the infamous Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus also belongs. With both of them originating out of China, it was initially downplayed by the Chinese government, though they had informed the World Health Organisation (WHO) of a possible pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan province. On 7th January the WHO declared that this was a new virus from the coronavirus family named 2019-nCoV and is spread through sneezing, coughing and touching an infected person. The WHO confirmed the first case outside mainland China on 13th January in Thailand, and over the course of the next few days the US, Nepal, France, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan also confirmed positive cases for the virus.
The Chinese government is taking steps for the virus to be as quarantined as possible, and not impact as SARS did, which killed more than 700 people across the globe. Wuhan, the place where it originated, has been cut off from the rest of the country through airways and railways.
So far, more than 56 deaths from the virus have been confirmed by the Chinese government. However, the WHO has not declared it a public emergency yet as it believes that there is not enough evidence regarding the virus being spread outside China.
Trump’s Impeachment Trial Begins
Epcita Shukla
The impeachment trial of the 45th US President Donald Trump commenced on January 16. Since then, the world has been witnessing the war of words and rampage rhetorics, sparking a new fire, every day at the US senate. Trump was impeached last month for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The proceedings began with a rift between Democrats and Republicans. The latter tried to block the Democrats’ efforts to subpoena witnesses and documents related to Ukraine and moderate Republicans forced changes to the trial rules. Both the sides have been allotted equal time, i.e. 24 hours over 3 days to present their cases, which then consequently would be followed by a debate on the introduction of new witnesses.
The Democratic congressman, Adam Schiff, the head of impeachment managers who serve as the prosecutor, opened the arguments. The managers even addressed the claim, which states the involvement of Trump’s domestic rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden in a corrupt business scheme in Ukraine. They presented their arguments along with audio and videotapes, as a testimony, to portray the President guilty.
From 25th January, the defence took over the marathon sessions to nullify all the accusations of the opposing side. Their focus stays primarily on upholding the accusation at Bidens. A two-third majority is required to impeach a President, and the defence stands at an advantage, as the Republicans have a commanding lead in the senate. However, the way subsequent trial sessions unveil would define Trump’s presidency.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Retracts His Resignation.
Sayali Phanse
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk, opted for resignation on 17th January 2020, following the release of an audio recording in which he appeared to have questioned the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s economic acumen. President Zelsinky, a comedian with no prior political experience, won country’s presidency by landslide victory after his party, Servant of the People took a commanding lead in Ukraine’s election of 2019.
An audio recording resurfaced in which Honcharuk is allegedly heard to have made disparaging comments about Zelensky’s ‘primitive’ views on economics’. The audio recording was leaked on social media and is believed to have come from an informal December meeting between ministers and senior officials from National Bank.
Prime Minister said that the recording has been doctored and was a compilation of fragments of recorded government meetings. Ukrainian President called the situation’ unpleasant’ and has rejected Prime Minister’s offer to resign in a videotaped meeting that the President’s office posted to Facebook.
Ukrainian President and Prime Minister are believed to share excellent political relations. Prime Minister Oleksiy asserted that the current composition of government would not be dissolved, quashing all the rumours surrounding the resignation.
India-Brazil Strategic Action Plan
Pratishtha Kaushik
On 25th January 2020, India and Brazil signed an Action Plan to deepen the Strategic Partnership, adopted in 2006, between the two democracies. The Action Plan is an attempt to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries as they celebrate 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2023. Fifteen agreements and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) have also been concluded between India and Brazil on matters of investment cooperation and facilitation treaty, mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, bioenergy and cyber security.
The primary objective of the Plan is to strengthen the existing institutional and political mechanisms while promoting coordination and collaboration on bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral themes. The Plan also aims to encourage the exchange of national experiences in matters of mutual interest on the basis of the principles of equality and mutual trust. Finally, the Plan enables to review the progress in all areas of cooperation.
The already established mechanisms along with the goals of the Action Plan are categorized in six major thematic categories:
1. Political and Strategic Coordination
2. Trade & Commerce, Investments, Agriculture, Civil Aviation and Energy Mechanisms
3. Science, Technology and Innovation; Space Cooperation; Environment and Technical Cooperation; Health Mechanisms
4. Defense and Security Mechanisms
5. Culture and Education Mechanisms
6. Consular Issues, Social Security and Legal Cooperation Mechanism
The India-Brazil Joint Commission for Political, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation is the chief agency for observing the execution of the Action Plan. It will meet every two years, in principle, to manage and assess the bilateral cooperation in all domains as per the present Plan.