Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts are the latest Democrats to formally join the 2020 race for the White House. So far, nine Democrats have either officially declared their candidacy or formed a presidential exploratory committee, and several more are expected to join the field in the weeks ahead. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
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Month: February 2019
Crowded Democratic Presidential Field Vies to Take on Trump
Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts are the latest Democrats to formally join the 2020 race for the White House. So far, nine Democrats have either officially declared their candidacy or formed a presidential exploratory committee, and several more are expected to join the field in the weeks ahead. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
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Indonesian Musicians Rally Against Music Bill
More than 200 Indonesian musicians have started a movement against a draft bill on music law (RUU Permusikan) being considered in the legislature that they say could limit freedom of expression.
Mondo Gascaro, a composer and music producer, and one of the people who initiated the National Coalition against the Draft Bill on Music, says most of the articles in the bill are problematic.
“These articles don’t address the problem about the welfare of people in the music industry. The government’s regulations should ensure a good ecosystem for music (industry), and instead the articles in the bill can potentially limit musicians’ freedom of expression,” he said at a press conference in Jakarta on February 6.
Gascaro believes the bill is also problematic because it is unclear what are the issues that the government wants to regulate because the bill only focuses on the musicians.
“They said this is about governance of the music industry, but there are terminologies that are missing from the bill when you talk about the industry, there’s production, creation, distribution, artists,” he continued.
The coalition is calling for the bill to be discarded. Arian Arifin, a vocalist of the Indonesian heavy metal band Seringai, said it is pointless to revise the bill because he said more than 80 percent of the articles are disorganized.
Bill not yet finalized
Although the draft bill on music law has been included in the 2019 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), which means it is one of the priority bills that can be passed this year, Representative Inosentius Samsul, a backer of the measure, said it is not final.
“It can still be revised and reviewed,” the lawmaker said at a press conference on February 4.
“We make the framework and the main stakeholders (musicians) only need to fill it. If there are things that need improvement, we will be open to discuss it and revise the script,” he explained.
The coalition is not convinced, however, because the bill is already in the Prolegnas, and revising a script with articles can be problematic.
“Why bother revising, you might as well create a new one. Start from the beginning with transparency and credible sources,” Arifin said.
One of the sources cited in the draft bill is a Blogspot page that was written by a student from a high school in Central Kalimantan. Rara Sekar Larasati, a singer and a researcher on Cultural Anthropology, questioned the sources that were used as a basis of the bill’s script.
“The sources for the articles are irrelevant. How can you cite a Blogspot that was made by a high school student?” she told VOA.
Potential criminalization
Larasati said a major concern for artists is the possibility for musicians to be prosecuted and jailed under the draft bill.
“We see there’s Article 5 that can potentially be a ‘rubber law,’ ” she said, referring to the term used in Indonesia for a law with ambiguous wording that is open for broad interpretation. “This is like a pattern for the state to censor and control its citizens.”
The article states that musicians are not allowed to encourage the public to commit violence, make pornographic content, provoke dispute, commit blasphemy, bring the negative influence of a foreign culture, and demean people’s dignity.
Asfinawati, director of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), said Article 50, at the end of the script, states anyone who violates Article 5 can be punished with imprisonment or fines.
“But the wordings are problematic, must not encourage the public to commit acts against the law. In law, the word encourage is ambiguous. For example, a musician can sing on stage, but in one corner there are people gambling. The authority can say the performance encourage gambling, or be connected to a violent act in the same place,” she explained.
In addition, the bill mentions the negative influence of foreign culture. Asfinawati is unsure whether it refers only to the negative things that may be adopted from another culture or deems all foreign cultures negative.
“When we talk about foreign (culture), the problem is there is not a single country in the world that is authentic. We have been influenced by other cultures. Should we muzzle all of it? And musicians must not demean one’s dignity? What if they wrote a song about rape or domestic abuse. They may need to portray the act of demeaning another person to highlight the social issue,” she said.
Moreover, Article 32 states that to be acknowledged in the profession, musicians must take a competency test.
Gede Robi, a member of an Indie band Navicula, believes this can be used to silence independent musicians who are critical of the government.
“They may not find negative elements in the songs, but it’s possible we can simply be dismissed from the profession, and no longer acknowledged as a musician,” he added.
Robi said that a poorly drafted bill will hurt the music industry in Indonesia, especially the smaller independent bands. “We want the state to make our lives easier by not diminishing our efforts,” he said.
…
Indonesian Musicians Rally Against Music Bill
More than 200 Indonesian musicians have started a movement against a draft bill on music law (RUU Permusikan) being considered in the legislature that they say could limit freedom of expression.
Mondo Gascaro, a composer and music producer, and one of the people who initiated the National Coalition against the Draft Bill on Music, says most of the articles in the bill are problematic.
“These articles don’t address the problem about the welfare of people in the music industry. The government’s regulations should ensure a good ecosystem for music (industry), and instead the articles in the bill can potentially limit musicians’ freedom of expression,” he said at a press conference in Jakarta on February 6.
Gascaro believes the bill is also problematic because it is unclear what are the issues that the government wants to regulate because the bill only focuses on the musicians.
“They said this is about governance of the music industry, but there are terminologies that are missing from the bill when you talk about the industry, there’s production, creation, distribution, artists,” he continued.
The coalition is calling for the bill to be discarded. Arian Arifin, a vocalist of the Indonesian heavy metal band Seringai, said it is pointless to revise the bill because he said more than 80 percent of the articles are disorganized.
Bill not yet finalized
Although the draft bill on music law has been included in the 2019 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), which means it is one of the priority bills that can be passed this year, Representative Inosentius Samsul, a backer of the measure, said it is not final.
“It can still be revised and reviewed,” the lawmaker said at a press conference on February 4.
“We make the framework and the main stakeholders (musicians) only need to fill it. If there are things that need improvement, we will be open to discuss it and revise the script,” he explained.
The coalition is not convinced, however, because the bill is already in the Prolegnas, and revising a script with articles can be problematic.
“Why bother revising, you might as well create a new one. Start from the beginning with transparency and credible sources,” Arifin said.
One of the sources cited in the draft bill is a Blogspot page that was written by a student from a high school in Central Kalimantan. Rara Sekar Larasati, a singer and a researcher on Cultural Anthropology, questioned the sources that were used as a basis of the bill’s script.
“The sources for the articles are irrelevant. How can you cite a Blogspot that was made by a high school student?” she told VOA.
Potential criminalization
Larasati said a major concern for artists is the possibility for musicians to be prosecuted and jailed under the draft bill.
“We see there’s Article 5 that can potentially be a ‘rubber law,’ ” she said, referring to the term used in Indonesia for a law with ambiguous wording that is open for broad interpretation. “This is like a pattern for the state to censor and control its citizens.”
The article states that musicians are not allowed to encourage the public to commit violence, make pornographic content, provoke dispute, commit blasphemy, bring the negative influence of a foreign culture, and demean people’s dignity.
Asfinawati, director of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), said Article 50, at the end of the script, states anyone who violates Article 5 can be punished with imprisonment or fines.
“But the wordings are problematic, must not encourage the public to commit acts against the law. In law, the word encourage is ambiguous. For example, a musician can sing on stage, but in one corner there are people gambling. The authority can say the performance encourage gambling, or be connected to a violent act in the same place,” she explained.
In addition, the bill mentions the negative influence of foreign culture. Asfinawati is unsure whether it refers only to the negative things that may be adopted from another culture or deems all foreign cultures negative.
“When we talk about foreign (culture), the problem is there is not a single country in the world that is authentic. We have been influenced by other cultures. Should we muzzle all of it? And musicians must not demean one’s dignity? What if they wrote a song about rape or domestic abuse. They may need to portray the act of demeaning another person to highlight the social issue,” she said.
Moreover, Article 32 states that to be acknowledged in the profession, musicians must take a competency test.
Gede Robi, a member of an Indie band Navicula, believes this can be used to silence independent musicians who are critical of the government.
“They may not find negative elements in the songs, but it’s possible we can simply be dismissed from the profession, and no longer acknowledged as a musician,” he added.
Robi said that a poorly drafted bill will hurt the music industry in Indonesia, especially the smaller independent bands. “We want the state to make our lives easier by not diminishing our efforts,” he said.
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Thai Political Party Facing Dissolution
Thailand’s election commission is calling for the dissolution of the political party that nominated a member of the royal family as its candidate for prime minister.
The commission filed a request with the Constitutional Court Wednesday to disband the Thai Raksa Chart party because it violated the country’s system of a constitutional monarchy alongside a democratically elected government.
The Thai Raksa Chart party last Friday nominated Princess Ubolratana Mahidol to run for prime minister in the March 24 general election. The 67-year-old Princess Ubolratana gave up her royal titles after her marriage in 1972 to an American, whom she has since divorced. But King Maha Vajiralongkorn overruled the move as inappropriate and unconstitutional, saying Ubolratana is still a member of the royal family. The Election Commission formally disqualified her on Monday.
In a message on her social media account, Ubolrantana expressed remorse that “my genuine intention to help work for the country and all Thai people has created a problem that should not happen in this day and age.” The message ended with the hashtag theme “#howcomeitsthewayitis.”
The move to dissolve Thai Raksa Chart is notable because it is aligned with the Pheu Thai, the main political party of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin remains popular among Thailand’s rural majority, and his affiliated parties have won every general election since 2001.
Thaksin and the royalists have been quarreling for most of the last two decades in a bitter feud that has fueled bloodshed and two coups, including one in 2014 that returned the country to its current state of military rule.
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Thai Political Party Facing Dissolution
Thailand’s election commission is calling for the dissolution of the political party that nominated a member of the royal family as its candidate for prime minister.
The commission filed a request with the Constitutional Court Wednesday to disband the Thai Raksa Chart party because it violated the country’s system of a constitutional monarchy alongside a democratically elected government.
The Thai Raksa Chart party last Friday nominated Princess Ubolratana Mahidol to run for prime minister in the March 24 general election. The 67-year-old Princess Ubolratana gave up her royal titles after her marriage in 1972 to an American, whom she has since divorced. But King Maha Vajiralongkorn overruled the move as inappropriate and unconstitutional, saying Ubolratana is still a member of the royal family. The Election Commission formally disqualified her on Monday.
In a message on her social media account, Ubolrantana expressed remorse that “my genuine intention to help work for the country and all Thai people has created a problem that should not happen in this day and age.” The message ended with the hashtag theme “#howcomeitsthewayitis.”
The move to dissolve Thai Raksa Chart is notable because it is aligned with the Pheu Thai, the main political party of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin remains popular among Thailand’s rural majority, and his affiliated parties have won every general election since 2001.
Thaksin and the royalists have been quarreling for most of the last two decades in a bitter feud that has fueled bloodshed and two coups, including one in 2014 that returned the country to its current state of military rule.
…
How Communist Vietnam Will Gain as Host of US-North Korea Summit
When Singapore played host in June to the first summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, businesspeople in the city-state made money from summit-themed merchandise and side events. About 2,500 journalists visited, and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was quoted saying the summit would bolster his country’s image abroad.
Now Vietnam, as host to a second Kim-Trump summit scheduled for February 27-28, should expect to get even more, country specialists say.
The summit in Hanoi, likely covering U.S. concerns about the buildup of North Korean weapons, will earn Vietnam new respect from both democratic and communist countries, good for its multi-country foreign policy and reputation as a go-to country for business including large international events.
“All the stakeholders, North Korea, the United States, China and South Korea, trust Vietnam to be a neutral host,” said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor with the University of New South Wales in Australia. China backs North Korea, which the U.S. government fears is developing nuclear weapons.
“Vietnam’s success will reaffirm the correctness of its foreign policy of ‘diversifying and mutilateralizing’ its external relations and being ‘a reliable friend to all,’” he said. “Vietnam benefits from the leverage it acquires as host for the second summit.”
Ties with world’s biggest economy
Once war-ravaged Vietnam’s quick economic growth since the late 1980s stands to get special attention at the summit from the United States.
Foreign direct investment drawn by cheap labor has driven the Southeast Asian country’s economic growth of 6-7 percent since 2012. Last month alone, registered investment from abroad grew 27.4% compared to the same month a year ago. Also last month Vietnam joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership, a free-trade deal encompassing about 13.5 percent of the world economy.
The U.S. government had placed Vietnam under a 19-year trade embargo through 1994.
American consumers now look to Vietnam for shoes, clothing and electronics as U.S. firms increasingly eye the Vietnamese middle class as a viable export market, said Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist at the market research firm IHS Markit.
“Vietnam’s relationship with the U.S. will definitely be a key feature of this meeting,” Biswas said. “Although the meeting is obviously between the U.S. and North Korea, I think the backdrop of President Trump visiting Vietnam is also very positive for Vietnam. It offers the opportunity for bilateral dialogue.”
U.S.-Vietnam relations are “moving to a new higher level,” he said, and this summit “puts a spotlight” on that trend.
In 2017 Trump lauded Vietnam’s economic progress as a “great miracle” despite a trade gap favoring Hanoi. His comment tells North Korea that as a country with Communist rule like Vietnam’s it can improve too, said Frederick Burke, partner with the law firm Baker McKenzie in Ho Chi Minh City.
International events
The summit will add to Vietnam’s list of major international events, analysts add. Countries in Asia, Thayer said, “know that Vietnam is capable of providing security, excellent accommodation, and professional diplomatic experience to managing a high-level summit meeting.”
The 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meeting took place in 2017 in Vietnam’s central coast city Da Nang. Next year Vietnam will chair the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a role that requires holding a series of large-scale events.
“I think that Vietnamese leaders have not really been confident in the international arena,” said Trung Nguyen, international relations dean at Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. “This is a chance for them to be used to receiving a lot of attention in the world.”
Political prestige
Vietnam, already trusted by the summit parties, will go on record this month for supporting a regional peace effort if the two summit participants make progress on handling North Korea’s nuclear weapons, Burke said.
“It’s stature in terms of the international community, not just a responsible member but actually as a leader who steps up to the highest level of international relations and international problem solving,” Burke said.
Vietnam, like other Southeast Asian governments, pursues a balanced foreign policy to get security and economic benefits from China as well as from Western powers.
At the summit in Singapore, Trump and Kim issued a broad joint statement covering U.S. security guarantees for North Korea and expressing support for a cut in nuclear weapons.
…
How Communist Vietnam Will Gain as Host of US-North Korea Summit
When Singapore played host in June to the first summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, businesspeople in the city-state made money from summit-themed merchandise and side events. About 2,500 journalists visited, and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was quoted saying the summit would bolster his country’s image abroad.
Now Vietnam, as host to a second Kim-Trump summit scheduled for February 27-28, should expect to get even more, country specialists say.
The summit in Hanoi, likely covering U.S. concerns about the buildup of North Korean weapons, will earn Vietnam new respect from both democratic and communist countries, good for its multi-country foreign policy and reputation as a go-to country for business including large international events.
“All the stakeholders, North Korea, the United States, China and South Korea, trust Vietnam to be a neutral host,” said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor with the University of New South Wales in Australia. China backs North Korea, which the U.S. government fears is developing nuclear weapons.
“Vietnam’s success will reaffirm the correctness of its foreign policy of ‘diversifying and mutilateralizing’ its external relations and being ‘a reliable friend to all,’” he said. “Vietnam benefits from the leverage it acquires as host for the second summit.”
Ties with world’s biggest economy
Once war-ravaged Vietnam’s quick economic growth since the late 1980s stands to get special attention at the summit from the United States.
Foreign direct investment drawn by cheap labor has driven the Southeast Asian country’s economic growth of 6-7 percent since 2012. Last month alone, registered investment from abroad grew 27.4% compared to the same month a year ago. Also last month Vietnam joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership, a free-trade deal encompassing about 13.5 percent of the world economy.
The U.S. government had placed Vietnam under a 19-year trade embargo through 1994.
American consumers now look to Vietnam for shoes, clothing and electronics as U.S. firms increasingly eye the Vietnamese middle class as a viable export market, said Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist at the market research firm IHS Markit.
“Vietnam’s relationship with the U.S. will definitely be a key feature of this meeting,” Biswas said. “Although the meeting is obviously between the U.S. and North Korea, I think the backdrop of President Trump visiting Vietnam is also very positive for Vietnam. It offers the opportunity for bilateral dialogue.”
U.S.-Vietnam relations are “moving to a new higher level,” he said, and this summit “puts a spotlight” on that trend.
In 2017 Trump lauded Vietnam’s economic progress as a “great miracle” despite a trade gap favoring Hanoi. His comment tells North Korea that as a country with Communist rule like Vietnam’s it can improve too, said Frederick Burke, partner with the law firm Baker McKenzie in Ho Chi Minh City.
International events
The summit will add to Vietnam’s list of major international events, analysts add. Countries in Asia, Thayer said, “know that Vietnam is capable of providing security, excellent accommodation, and professional diplomatic experience to managing a high-level summit meeting.”
The 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meeting took place in 2017 in Vietnam’s central coast city Da Nang. Next year Vietnam will chair the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a role that requires holding a series of large-scale events.
“I think that Vietnamese leaders have not really been confident in the international arena,” said Trung Nguyen, international relations dean at Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities. “This is a chance for them to be used to receiving a lot of attention in the world.”
Political prestige
Vietnam, already trusted by the summit parties, will go on record this month for supporting a regional peace effort if the two summit participants make progress on handling North Korea’s nuclear weapons, Burke said.
“It’s stature in terms of the international community, not just a responsible member but actually as a leader who steps up to the highest level of international relations and international problem solving,” Burke said.
Vietnam, like other Southeast Asian governments, pursues a balanced foreign policy to get security and economic benefits from China as well as from Western powers.
At the summit in Singapore, Trump and Kim issued a broad joint statement covering U.S. security guarantees for North Korea and expressing support for a cut in nuclear weapons.
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Deadly Stampede in Nigeria at Political Rally Days Ahead of Election
A number of people were killed in a stampede at a rally in support of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, local officials from his party said on Tuesday, days ahead of an election in which he is seeking a second term.
The incident happened at an event in the southern city of Port Harcourt, which is in the country’s Niger Delta oil-production heartland.
Voters in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest democracy, will go to the polls on Saturday. Buhari’s main challenger in the race to govern the continent’s top oil-producing nation is Atiku Abubakar, a businessman and former vice president.
Watch related video: “Nigeria’s Presidential Candidates: Same-Same or Different?”
In a statement, Judith Amaechi, who runs the women and youth team in support of Buhari in the region for his All Progressives Congress (APC) party, expressed “deep shock over the death of APC members who were in a stampede.”
The statement, which did not specify the number of people killed, said it occurred after the rally.
Accidents sometimes occur at political rallies in Nigeria, which are often crowded. Last week, Buhari offered his condolences after supporters were killed in a stampede at a rally in the eastern state of Taraba.
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Deadly Stampede in Nigeria at Political Rally Days Ahead of Election
A number of people were killed in a stampede at a rally in support of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, local officials from his party said on Tuesday, days ahead of an election in which he is seeking a second term.
The incident happened at an event in the southern city of Port Harcourt, which is in the country’s Niger Delta oil-production heartland.
Voters in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest democracy, will go to the polls on Saturday. Buhari’s main challenger in the race to govern the continent’s top oil-producing nation is Atiku Abubakar, a businessman and former vice president.
Watch related video: “Nigeria’s Presidential Candidates: Same-Same or Different?”
In a statement, Judith Amaechi, who runs the women and youth team in support of Buhari in the region for his All Progressives Congress (APC) party, expressed “deep shock over the death of APC members who were in a stampede.”
The statement, which did not specify the number of people killed, said it occurred after the rally.
Accidents sometimes occur at political rallies in Nigeria, which are often crowded. Last week, Buhari offered his condolences after supporters were killed in a stampede at a rally in the eastern state of Taraba.
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Senegal Arrests 24, Seizes Weapons After Pre-Election Violence
Police in eastern Senegal have made two dozen arrests and seized knives and clubs after clashes in the run-up to presidential elections left at least two dead, officials said Tuesday.
The violence erupted Monday in Tambacounda, 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Dakar, pitching supporters of President Macky Sall against those of opposition candidate Issa Sall.
One supporter of the president was fatally stabbed by a suspected member of the opposition Unity and Assembly Party (PUR), the sources said.
A second fatality was part of a group of young pro-government motorcyclists that tried to prevent Issa Sall’s motorcade from leaving the town. He was hit by a vehicle and died, they said.
Local media reported that a third supporter of the president died of injuries, but the officials did not confirm this.
“The gendarmerie have arrested 24 people,” a security source in Tambacounda told AFP on Tuesday.
Moustapha Sarr, a senior official with PUR, said 20 of the arrests were supporters of Issa Sall.
Macky Sall and Issa Sall share the same surname but are not related.
Tambacounda public prosecutor Demba Traore said the arrests were mainly members of Issa Sall’s security guard, and police had seized knives and clubs on PUR members.
Interior Minister Aly Ngouille Ndiaye said the police would find those responsible for the violence and “bring them to justice.”
He said national police would be available to work with the security teams of all presidential candidates until the end of elections.
Other incidents
Eight journalists who were covering Issa Sall’s campaign were hurt when their minibus was attacked by suspected supporters of the ruling coalition, organizations representing media workers said.
Senegal, a former French colony, has been buffeted by violence ahead of the Feb. 24 vote, which Macky Sall hopes to win outright in the first round.
On Sunday at least two people were “seriously injured” in Fatick, a presidential stronghold in Senegal’s center-west, in clashes with supporters of rising opposition candidate Ousmane Sonko, local media reported.
Four people, all Sonko supporters, were badly hurt Feb. 4 in the northern city of Saint-Louis, Sonko’s campaign said.
Issa Sall said Tuesday on Twitter that after the “tragic events” in Tambacounda, he would be “suspending” his campaign and heading back to the capital.
President’s reaction
On Monday, the president called for calm but took aim at his predecessor and political rival, Abdoulaye Wade, who last week called for his supporters to burn their electoral registration cards and ballot sheets.
The clashes “are the result of the call for violence by certain political leaders … who will be brought before the courts to account for their acts,” President Sall said.
Senegal’s election campaigns are often marred by accusations of corruption, influence-peddling and dirty tricks, and misinformation, although the country is also often held up as a beacon of democracy and relative prosperity in West Africa.
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Senegal Arrests 24, Seizes Weapons After Pre-Election Violence
Police in eastern Senegal have made two dozen arrests and seized knives and clubs after clashes in the run-up to presidential elections left at least two dead, officials said Tuesday.
The violence erupted Monday in Tambacounda, 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Dakar, pitching supporters of President Macky Sall against those of opposition candidate Issa Sall.
One supporter of the president was fatally stabbed by a suspected member of the opposition Unity and Assembly Party (PUR), the sources said.
A second fatality was part of a group of young pro-government motorcyclists that tried to prevent Issa Sall’s motorcade from leaving the town. He was hit by a vehicle and died, they said.
Local media reported that a third supporter of the president died of injuries, but the officials did not confirm this.
“The gendarmerie have arrested 24 people,” a security source in Tambacounda told AFP on Tuesday.
Moustapha Sarr, a senior official with PUR, said 20 of the arrests were supporters of Issa Sall.
Macky Sall and Issa Sall share the same surname but are not related.
Tambacounda public prosecutor Demba Traore said the arrests were mainly members of Issa Sall’s security guard, and police had seized knives and clubs on PUR members.
Interior Minister Aly Ngouille Ndiaye said the police would find those responsible for the violence and “bring them to justice.”
He said national police would be available to work with the security teams of all presidential candidates until the end of elections.
Other incidents
Eight journalists who were covering Issa Sall’s campaign were hurt when their minibus was attacked by suspected supporters of the ruling coalition, organizations representing media workers said.
Senegal, a former French colony, has been buffeted by violence ahead of the Feb. 24 vote, which Macky Sall hopes to win outright in the first round.
On Sunday at least two people were “seriously injured” in Fatick, a presidential stronghold in Senegal’s center-west, in clashes with supporters of rising opposition candidate Ousmane Sonko, local media reported.
Four people, all Sonko supporters, were badly hurt Feb. 4 in the northern city of Saint-Louis, Sonko’s campaign said.
Issa Sall said Tuesday on Twitter that after the “tragic events” in Tambacounda, he would be “suspending” his campaign and heading back to the capital.
President’s reaction
On Monday, the president called for calm but took aim at his predecessor and political rival, Abdoulaye Wade, who last week called for his supporters to burn their electoral registration cards and ballot sheets.
The clashes “are the result of the call for violence by certain political leaders … who will be brought before the courts to account for their acts,” President Sall said.
Senegal’s election campaigns are often marred by accusations of corruption, influence-peddling and dirty tricks, and misinformation, although the country is also often held up as a beacon of democracy and relative prosperity in West Africa.
…
Aid Groups: Africa Welcomes Refugees, But Freedom and Jobs Needed
African nations, which host more than 20 million people forced to flee their homes, must enforce international agreements to better protect and provide opportunities for those escaping conflict and disaster, aid groups said Tuesday.
Refugees and internally displaced people topped the agenda at the African Union’s (AU) annual heads of state summit, which ended Monday — a move welcomed by humanitarians as growing numbers are forcibly uprooted around the world.
African nations have been lauded for adopting a more liberal “open door” policy toward refugees than Western nations, despite being low-income economies.
But refugees are then usually confined to camps in Africa.
They cannot access basic public services like health and education and are not allowed to work. Those fleeing within their own country are vulnerable to attacks by armed factions.
“Some African countries are doing a tremendous job in providing safety for neighbors fleeing wars and persecution,” said Yemisrach Kebede, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) representative to the AU.
“[But] currently, many displaced people are left without necessary protection and support, both in their home country and in the countries where they seek protection as refugees.”
Over a third of the world’s forcibly displaced people are found in Africa, including some 6.3 million refugees and 14.5 million internally displaced persons, says the AU.
Many have been uprooted due to armed conflict in countries such as the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan. Others have had their lives disrupted due to disasters linked to climate change such as floods or droughts.
Compared to other regions, Africa has a well-developed legal framework, with treaties protecting and providing rights to displaced people and refugees, said the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) Jagan Chapagain.
“Yet states often face difficulties to implement and apply such frameworks,” said Chapagain, the IFRC’s under secretary-general for Programs and Operations.
“All of those on the move should have access not only to basic services to meet needs like water, food, [and] medical care, but also to protection and to measures that seek to restore their hope and safeguard their dignity.”
The Global Compact on Refugees, for example, was approved by United Nations member states in December and seeks to ease pressures on host countries and provide refugees with access to education and work to help them become self-reliant.
Under the pact, African nations hosting refugees would be able to access funds from Western nations, the private sector and international financial institutions to support those who have been forcibly displaced, aid agencies said.
With aid agencies struggling to raise funds, countries such as Uganda — which hosts over 1 million refugees and allows them freedom of movement and the right to work — have been praised for progressive policies aimed at integration and empowerment.
Last month, Ethiopia passed legislation allowing for similar provisions for the over 900,000 refugees it hosts.
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Cardi B Deactivates Instagram Account After Grammy Criticism
Cardi B has deactivated her Instagram account following social media criticism of her winning a Grammy for best rap album.
Some people said the 26-year-old rapper didn’t deserve the Grammy over other nominees. The criticism was amplified by a now-deleted BET tweet that pitted Cardi B against her longtime rival Nicki Minaj.
Cardi B shared an expletive-laden video prior to deleting her account saying it’s not her style “for people to put other people down to uplift somebody else.” She then pointed out how people said she was snubbed when she didn’t win for her debut single “Bodak Yellow” last year despite two nominations.
The rapper said she worked hard and throughout her pregnancy on her first album “Invasion of Privacy.” Her Grammy win made her the first solo female artist to win the award for best rap album.
your ad hereCardi B Deactivates Instagram Account After Grammy Criticism
Cardi B has deactivated her Instagram account following social media criticism of her winning a Grammy for best rap album.
Some people said the 26-year-old rapper didn’t deserve the Grammy over other nominees. The criticism was amplified by a now-deleted BET tweet that pitted Cardi B against her longtime rival Nicki Minaj.
Cardi B shared an expletive-laden video prior to deleting her account saying it’s not her style “for people to put other people down to uplift somebody else.” She then pointed out how people said she was snubbed when she didn’t win for her debut single “Bodak Yellow” last year despite two nominations.
The rapper said she worked hard and throughout her pregnancy on her first album “Invasion of Privacy.” Her Grammy win made her the first solo female artist to win the award for best rap album.
your ad hereBBC Wants Security Review After Cameraman Attacked at Trump Rally
The British Broadcasting Corporation asked the White House for a review of security arrangements on Tuesday after a BBC cameraman was assaulted at a Donald Trump rally.
BBC cameraman Ron Skeans was attacked by a Trump supporter yelling anti-media slogans during the U.S. president’s rally in El Paso, Texas, Monday night.
Skeans was unhurt and the man wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat was restrained and removed from the riser where the media had assembled.
Paul Danahar, the BBC’s Americas Bureau Editor, said in a tweet that he had asked White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders for a “full review of security arrangements after last night’s attack.”
“Access into the media area was unsupervised,” Danahar said. “No one in law enforcement intervened before, during or after the attack.”
BBC Washington correspondent Gary O’Donoghue, who was covering the El Paso event, said his cameraman was pushed and shoved by the unidentified assailant “after the president repeatedly goaded the crowd over supposed media bias.”
He said the man attempted to smash the BBC camera.
“Happily, Ron is fine,” O’Donoghue said.
Trump paused his remarks following the commotion in the crowd and — pointing at the media – asked “You alright? Everything OK?”
Trump repeatedly denounces the media as the “enemy of the people” and frequently condemns critical reports about his administration as “fake news.”
New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger urged Trump during an interview last month to tone down what he called his “potentially dangerous” rhetoric towards the press.
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