|
|
|
> magazine
|
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
> magazine |
|||||
|
|
APRIL 21, 2000 VOL. 26 NO. 15 | SEARCH ASIAWEEK Newsmakers
The first day of his life as a convicted criminal, former PM Nawaz Sharif spent as he has most every other day since he was arrested on Oct. 12. While two attendants and a cook saw to his needs, Sharif "walked, had his meals and offered prayers," according to Nusrat Manghan, the superintendent of Karachi's Landhi prison. He explained that "A-Class" prisoners - those who have held public office or are otherwise well-placed - are usually accorded such privileges. Sharif will remain in Landhi while he appeals the April 6 double life sentences for terrorism and hijacking, stemming from his attempts to keep Gen. Pervez Musharraf - the man who deposed him - from landing at Karachi airport.It was that move that led to Sharif's ouster later the same day. Another group that still considers Sharif A-Number-One is the Pakistan Muslim League, which confirmed him as party leader on April 9 - even though, PML vice president Raja Zafar-ul Haq admits, there are members who want fresh party elections. Meanwhile, Musharraf left for Paris and then went on to the Group of 77 summit in Havana to shore up any support he can find among developing countries. The general - who has promised elections but refuses to set a date - needs allies. Pakistan is becoming a country where leaders are increasingly seen as a well-treated but expendable commodity. Rushing To Rule "I have no plan at all to dissolve the lower house," Mori Yoshiro, Japan's brand new prime minister, told Parliament on Apr. 11. Yeah, sure. Senior members of Mori's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have publicly identified every Sunday in June, from the 4th to the 25th, as possible polling dates. Elections do not have to be held until Oct. 19, so why the rush? The LDP wants to tap voters' sympathy for hospitalized former prime minister Obuchi Keizo, whose stroke led to Mori's elevation. And the opposition is clamoring for a public judgment on Mori's sudden rise to eminence. Though the PM himself may want to notch a few achievements first - hosting the G8 summit in July in Okinawa would burnish his image nicely - he has a more practical reason to call elections. His instantaneous accession to power forced him to adopt Obuchi's cabinet and policies lock, stock and barrel. It was so complete that members of his LDP faction complain that Mori went off to be a bride in the Obuchi family. With an electoral win, Mori would cement his position and be able to name his own cabinet. Stepping Down, But Not Out The rumors said she was getting married. The reality is that she is tired of battling Hong Kong's executive-led government. So the 44-year-old Christine Loh won't try to tack on another term to her nine-year stint as a member of the territory's Legislative Council. On April 11 she told a press conference that she is frustrated with Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's reluctance to introduce more democracy into the SAR so she will turn her attention to issues like environmental protection - her main concern while in Legco. So she's outta there for good? Not completely: Loh says she will remain chairman of the Citizens Party which she founded in 1997. And about those marriage plans?A flat denial, tinged with a mind-your-own business attitude. Write to Asiaweek at mail@web.asiaweek.com
Quick Scroll: More stories from Asiaweek, TIME and CNN |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
| Back to the top |
© 2000 Asiaweek. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. |
|
ASIAWEEK'S
LATEST