Word: parliament
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1970-1979
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Neither do other Indians. Last week Indira Gandhi moved on two fronts to strengthen her powers and continue India's relentless pace toward a more centralized, authoritarian government. The Indian Parliament finally approved a much-debated package of constitutional amendments that limit the powers of the presidency and the courts and enlarge those of Parliament and the Prime Minister. Since Mrs. Gandhi's Congress Party holds an overwhelming majority in both houses, the amendments reinforce the party's already substantial power. Shortly afterward, Parliament approved a government request to postpone once again national elections, originally scheduled...
...Seats. The Prime Minister, however, will probably be able to hang on for about another year before asking the voters for a mandate, which he is constitutionally required to do before October 1979. Reason: the Labor Party and the minority parties supporting it in Parliament would almost certainly suffer a catastrophic defeat. In three key by-elections last month-all held in traditional Labor strongholds-roughly 16% of voters who had backed Labor candidates in the general election two years ago switched to the opposition Tories, who picked up two of the seats. The government now commands only 316 votes...
Despite these gloomy omens, the government tried to ramrod through Parliament five controversial bills-among them a measure nationalizing the country's ship and aircraft building industries-that the country's powerful labor unions had demanded as a quid pro quo for voluntarily helping to keep wage increases down. All the bills had been passed once before by the Commons and sent on to the Tory-dominated House of Lords. Unable to throw out the bills, the Lords nonetheless tacked on more than 100 crippling amendments and sent them back to the Commons...
Those two losses were not serious enough to bring down the government, but Callaghan and his followers were clearly put on warning that their room to maneuver in Parliament had been drastically reduced. It was hardly a reassuring sign for the government, as it awaited the terms of a deal still being pieced together in London with representatives of the International Monetary Fund. The negotiations involve terms for a $3.9 billion loan that is to help tide over nearly bankrupt Britain until North Sea oil revenues relieve the current balance of payments crisis. Callaghan will probably have to promise further...
During a three-day barnstorming tour of Maharashtra state, Sanjay Gandhi was asked in Bombay whether he intended to run for Parliament in the next election. Answered the imperious younger son of India's imperious Prime Minister: "I do not even know when the elections are to be held...