Word: parliament
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...been a year of setbacks for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Since the elections of last September, he has lost four cabinet ministers to political scandals; control of the upper house of parliament; and 40 approval rating percentage points. Now, in an attempt to right his ailing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and prepare for a tumultuous fall Diet session, Abe has reshuffled his cabinet, bringing in a host of veteran politicians to regain voter confidence...
...notion of Allawi's return is symptomatic of a bipartisan consensus in the U.S. that Iraq's problems could be solved if the Iraqis would simply do as they're told. Last Wednesday Hillary Clinton offered her advice to Iraq's parliament, saying it should get rid of Prime Minister Maliki and pick a "less divisive and more unifying figure." That echoed remarks made earlier in the week by Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Republican Senator John Warner later chimed in to say Maliki had "totally failed," and was unable "to deliver greater security...
...official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The interest we have had is in trying to bring together the middle of Pakistani society to refocus efforts against the extremes." The theory is that Bhutto's personal popularity would bolster Musharraf's weakening support and her party's strength in Parliament could help him get re-elected. In exchange, he would name Bhutto as Prime Minister and drop corruption charges against her and her family...
Partly for this reason, there's no guarantee that Musharraf and Bhutto would win enough votes to control the next Parliament. Eight years of military rule have left Pakistanis frustrated and angry. Many now see Musharraf as little more than a U.S. stooge. Meanwhile, support for Bhutto's party, the Pakistan People's Party, has been weakened by the revelation that she is contemplating a deal. "We are all exasperated. She was a symbol of democratic values, of decent values, of political and religious moderation," says Iftikhar Gilani, a Law Minister under Bhutto. "Benazir has lost credibility because of this...
...assertive judiciary could prove pivotal in the run-up to elections due in the next few months. Musharraf wants the current parliament to elect him to another term of office before the general election returns a new legislature. But according to Pakistan's constitution, he can't run until he steps down from his role as head of the military - something he is showing no sign of doing. (Musharraf won a one-term waiver of this law five years ago, but that expires in November). The President has also been speaking with another exiled former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto...