Word: directous
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Iran’s current enrichment activities are in direct contravention of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1696 and 1737, which demanded that Tehran halt enrichment and slapped sanctions on the Islamic Republic. In light of recent developments, new sanctions have been proposed, but China’s refusal to approve any additional penalties for Iran has stymied hopes that coordinated international action might stop Iran’s rulers from pursuing a bomb. The United States must make it clear to China that its actions are absolutely unacceptable and constitute an irresponsible policy for a nation so committed...
...There is no second place to direct voter contact,” Simmons said...
...country's 26 cantons (similar to states) should be obligated to appoint a special attorney to represent pets and farm animals in court in cases of alleged abuse. The initiative is just one of many put before the electorate every year in Switzerland's unique brand of direct democracy, in which anyone can bring an issue up for a vote provided he or she has enough signatures on a petition. While some may grumble that the initiatives are, at times, trivial - animal lawyers being the exception, of course - the ability to decide on matters of national importance is a source...
...parliament, like when the public overwhelmingly approved the decision to renew Switzerland's heroin-distribution program in 2008. "They are powerful instruments for launching new laws and correcting policies, and they are an integral part of our culture," says Andreas Auer, director of the Centre for Research on Direct Democracy in the town of Aarau. "The federal government has learned to adapt to and live with this system. And while more than half of popular votes are favorable to its views, there remains a margin of uncertainty that is healthy to a truly democratic government." (See TIME's photo-essay...
...proud as the Swiss are of their direct democracy, though, some have expressed concerns that the system can be abused by right-wing extremists seeking to push through anti-immigrant proposals. Last year, for instance, the Swiss People's Party (SVP) sponsored an initiative to ban the building of minarets on mosques - a proposal opponents decried as anti-Muslim and hateful. The ban was approved by more than 57% of voters, but there's been talk among Muslim groups about challenging it in court. The Swiss parliament can declare an initiative invalid only if it violates international law. This last...