Day: June 19, 2024
PRETORIA — South Africa put on a display of pomp and ceremony on Wednesday for Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration as president for a second term that will see his African National Congress share power with other parties after it lost its majority in parliament.
African heads of state and dignitaries gathered outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria, seat of the South African government, to watch Ramaphosa’s motorcade arrive with a guard of honor on horseback.
Ramaphosa will head what he calls a government of national unity with five other parties, including the ANC’s largest rival and virulent critic, the pro-business Democratic Alliance.
While investors have welcomed the inclusion of the DA, which wants to boost growth through structural reforms and prudent fiscal policies, analysts say sharp ideological divisions between the parties could make the government unstable.
Just before the election, Ramaphosa signed into law a National Health Insurance bill that the DA says could collapse a creaking health system. It was unclear what would happen to that law under the new government.
The DA advocates scrapping the ANC’s flagship Black economic empowerment program, saying it hasn’t worked — a highly contentious topic in a nation grappling with huge inequalities, some inherited from apartheid.
Ramaphosa has yet to announce the make-up of his new government, which he will have to negotiate with members of the new alliance.
“The president does not want the country to go through a prolonged period of uncertainty,” his spokesman Vincent Magwenya told state broadcaster SABC.
“This time around, there is a small layer of complexity in that he has to consult with the various parties that form part of the government of national unity. Those consultations have been underway. They will continue, even tonight,” he said.
A former liberation movement, the ANC came to power under Nelson Mandela’s leadership in the 1994 elections that marked the end of apartheid. Once unbeatable, it has lost its shine after presiding over years of decline.
It remains the largest party after the May 29 election, with 159 seats out of 400 in the National Assembly, but lost millions of votes compared with the previous election in 2019. The DA’s vote share remained stable and it has 87 seats.
Voters punished the ANC for high levels of poverty, inequality and unemployment, rampant crime, rolling power cuts and corruption in party ranks.
Paris — French far-right leader Jordan Bardella said on Wednesday that he backed Ukraine’s right to defend itself against Russia, but if elected prime minister he would not provide Kyiv with missiles that would allow it to strike Russia’s territory.
He also said he would standby France’s commitments to the NATO military alliance if he became prime minister.
Bardella’s National Rally (RN) party leads opinion polls ahead of June 30 and July 7 snap parliamentary elections, which has led to questions over the foreign policy implications if they win enough seats to form a government.
“I wish for Ukraine to have at disposal the ammunition and equipment it needs to hold the front, but my red line will not change, which is sending equipment that could have consequences of escalation in eastern Europe,” Bardella told reporters at the Eurosatory arms fair near Paris.
“And so I don’t plan to send, especially, long-range missiles or other weapons that will allow Ukraine to strike the Russian territory. My position has not changed and will not change – it’s about support for Ukraine and avoiding all risks of escalation in the region. And I think the risk of escalation is of course real.”
Even if the RN was to run France’s government, Emmanuel Macron would remain as president, and the head of France’s army.
But the constitution also gives the prime minister a role in terms of defense, with the division of power not clear cut.
Macron would lose control over the domestic agenda, including economic policy, security, immigration and finances, which would in turn impact other policies, such as aid to Ukraine, as he would need parliament’s backing to finance any support as part of France’s annual budget.
Bardella also said he would keep France’s commitments towards its partners, including on increasing defense spending.
“I don’t plan to put into question the commitments made by France on the international level, because there’s a stake regarding credibility towards our European partners as well as towards our NATO allies,” he said.
“And so I plan to pursue the efforts of rearmament of the country, both in terms of its defense capabilities, increasing the military budget through budgetary efforts put in place in past years, which we have supported,” he added.
PRETORIA — South Africa put on a display of pomp and ceremony on Wednesday for Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration as president for a second term that will see his African National Congress share power with other parties after it lost its majority in parliament.
African heads of state and dignitaries gathered outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria, seat of the South African government, to watch Ramaphosa’s motorcade arrive with a guard of honor on horseback.
Ramaphosa will head what he calls a government of national unity with five other parties, including the ANC’s largest rival and virulent critic, the pro-business Democratic Alliance.
While investors have welcomed the inclusion of the DA, which wants to boost growth through structural reforms and prudent fiscal policies, analysts say sharp ideological divisions between the parties could make the government unstable.
Just before the election, Ramaphosa signed into law a National Health Insurance bill that the DA says could collapse a creaking health system. It was unclear what would happen to that law under the new government.
The DA advocates scrapping the ANC’s flagship Black economic empowerment program, saying it hasn’t worked — a highly contentious topic in a nation grappling with huge inequalities, some inherited from apartheid.
Ramaphosa has yet to announce the make-up of his new government, which he will have to negotiate with members of the new alliance.
“The president does not want the country to go through a prolonged period of uncertainty,” his spokesman Vincent Magwenya told state broadcaster SABC.
“This time around, there is a small layer of complexity in that he has to consult with the various parties that form part of the government of national unity. Those consultations have been underway. They will continue, even tonight,” he said.
A former liberation movement, the ANC came to power under Nelson Mandela’s leadership in the 1994 elections that marked the end of apartheid. Once unbeatable, it has lost its shine after presiding over years of decline.
It remains the largest party after the May 29 election, with 159 seats out of 400 in the National Assembly, but lost millions of votes compared with the previous election in 2019. The DA’s vote share remained stable and it has 87 seats.
Voters punished the ANC for high levels of poverty, inequality and unemployment, rampant crime, rolling power cuts and corruption in party ranks.
Paris — French far-right leader Jordan Bardella said on Wednesday that he backed Ukraine’s right to defend itself against Russia, but if elected prime minister he would not provide Kyiv with missiles that would allow it to strike Russia’s territory.
He also said he would standby France’s commitments to the NATO military alliance if he became prime minister.
Bardella’s National Rally (RN) party leads opinion polls ahead of June 30 and July 7 snap parliamentary elections, which has led to questions over the foreign policy implications if they win enough seats to form a government.
“I wish for Ukraine to have at disposal the ammunition and equipment it needs to hold the front, but my red line will not change, which is sending equipment that could have consequences of escalation in eastern Europe,” Bardella told reporters at the Eurosatory arms fair near Paris.
“And so I don’t plan to send, especially, long-range missiles or other weapons that will allow Ukraine to strike the Russian territory. My position has not changed and will not change – it’s about support for Ukraine and avoiding all risks of escalation in the region. And I think the risk of escalation is of course real.”
Even if the RN was to run France’s government, Emmanuel Macron would remain as president, and the head of France’s army.
But the constitution also gives the prime minister a role in terms of defense, with the division of power not clear cut.
Macron would lose control over the domestic agenda, including economic policy, security, immigration and finances, which would in turn impact other policies, such as aid to Ukraine, as he would need parliament’s backing to finance any support as part of France’s annual budget.
Bardella also said he would keep France’s commitments towards its partners, including on increasing defense spending.
“I don’t plan to put into question the commitments made by France on the international level, because there’s a stake regarding credibility towards our European partners as well as towards our NATO allies,” he said.
“And so I plan to pursue the efforts of rearmament of the country, both in terms of its defense capabilities, increasing the military budget through budgetary efforts put in place in past years, which we have supported,” he added.
Администрация колонии перевела меня из ШИЗО в помещение камерного типа (ПКТ). Это что-то вроде тюрьмы строгого режима внутри лагеря. По сути, та же камера ШИЗО, только уже на постоянной основе.
К такому развитию событий мы с адвокатами готовились, так что никаких сюрпризов.… pic.twitter.com/a6vT9gr1Li
— Илья Яшин (@IlyaYashin) June 18, 2024
Администрация колонии перевела меня из ШИЗО в помещение камерного типа (ПКТ). Это что-то вроде тюрьмы строгого режима внутри лагеря. По сути, та же камера ШИЗО, только уже на постоянной основе.
К такому развитию событий мы с адвокатами готовились, так что никаких сюрпризов.… pic.twitter.com/a6vT9gr1Li
— Илья Яшин (@IlyaYashin) June 18, 2024
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