Tag: president

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India News

99% polling for Presidential elections


There were two contesting candidates — Draupadi Murmu and Yashwant Sinha for the 16th Presidential election…reports Asian Lite News

A total of 11 states and one union territory including Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Sikkim, Mizoram and Tamil Nadu recorded 100 per cent voting on Monday in polling for the election of the 15th President of India.

Polling concluded successfully in free, fair and transparent manner at the Parliament House on Monday and in each of the 30 places of poll in State Legislative Assemblies including Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi and UT of Puducherry.

There were two contesting candidates — Draupadi Murmu and Yashwant Sinha for the 16th Presidential election.

As per the Election Commission, of a total of 771 Members of Parliament entitled to vote (5 vacant), and similarly out of total 4,025 Members of the Legislative Assemblies entitled to vote (6 vacant and 2 disqualified), over 99 per cent cast their vote on Monday.

However 100 per cent voting by MLAs was reported from Chattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Sikkim, Mizoram and Tamil Nadu.

The Election to the office of President is one of the most important elections, which the Election Commission conducts vide the mandate of Article 324 of the Constitution. Polling was held between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in 31 locations.

As per Article 54 of the Constitution, the President of India is elected by the Members of an Electoral College consisting of the elected members of both Houses of Parliament, and the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of all States (including National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry).

The Members nominated to either House of Parliament or the Legislative Assemblies of States, including NCT of Delhi and Union Territory of Puducherry, are not eligible to be included in the Electoral College.

The Election Commission is required to maintain a list of members of the Electoral College.

The list contains the names of elected members of the Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha and the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of States, NCT of Delhi and UT of Puducherry.

Two members including Anant Kumar Singh and Mahendra Hari Dalvi were not eligible to vote in the election on Monday, owing to disqualification under Section 8 of R.P. Act, 1951 subsequent to judgement of competent court.

Further, there are 5 vacancies in Rajya Sabha and 6 vacancies in State Legislative Assemblies.

Therefore, there were a total of 4,796 electors in the list of Electoral College for this Presidential Election to participate in the election.

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India News Politics

Oppn Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha to file nomination today

Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states were all present during Murmu’s filing of nomination papers…reports Asian Lite News

The Opposition’s presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha will file his nomination papers for the July 18 poll on Monday.

Sinha is likely to be accompanied by leaders of the opposition parties for filing of the nomination.

Meanwhile, the TRS announced its support to Sinha. Sources said that TRS floor leader Nama Nageswara Rao and other Members of Parliament will be present during Sinha’s nomination. Sinha will then pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B.R Ambedkar.

He will also begin his campaign to meet MPs and MLAs. On Friday, Sinha had telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s offices seeking their support for the poll. He also wrote a letter to all the leaders of the opposition parties.

In the letter Sinha wrote: “India is going through extremely difficult times. I shall raise my voice for the common people.”

Sinha had also said that the leaders of the other ideology are intent on throttling the Constitution and “making a mockery of the people’s mandate in elections.”

On his nomination as joint opposition candidate, Sinha had tweeted: “Thanking them for choosing me as their common candidate for the Presidential Election 2022. I am truly honoured. Defending the Constitution is our solemn promise, pledge and commitment.”

BJP-led NDA candidate Droupdai Murmu had filed nomination last week in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief J.P. Nadda, union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari and leaders of alliance partners.

Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states were all present during Murmu’s filing of nomination papers.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the Opposition parties will be meeting on Monday in Parliament. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar who is firefighting the Maharashtra crisis has landed in Delhi for the meet. The opposition has been put to test since the NDA announced its candidate.

The big question is who all from the opposition will be present in Monday’s meeting as Congress MLAs and MP are busy signing the nomination papers. Sinha will address a press conference on Monday at 4 p.m. and will then begin his campaign.

Sinha on Wednesday had said that the Constitution is being throttled.

“If elected,” he said, “I shall not allow the independence and integrity of democratic institutions to be weaponised against political opponents, as is happening now.”

“The ongoing attacks on the federal structure of the Constitution, whereby the government is attempting to rob the state governments of their legitimate rights and powers, will be treated as totally unacceptable. I shall also use the authority of my office to check the menacing power of ill-gotten money that is killing the soul of Indian democracy and making a mockery of people’s mandate in elections,” Sinha told media here.

A dozen-odd opposition parties declared Sinha as their candidate on Tuesday, the same day the BJP declared Draupadi Murmu as its candidate for the post of the President, elections for which are due on July 18.

BSP Supremo Mayawati has already announced support to the NDA nominee while YSRCP and the BJD are on board from day one and the crisis in Maharashtra has put the NDA in a comfortable position in the contest while other political parties may come in support of Murmu. She has already spoken to JMM leader Hemant Soren.

The development comes after JDS leader H.D. Deve Gowda praised the NDA candidate and termed her “suitable” and “non-controversial”.

ALSO READ-BJP narrows down names for Presidential polls

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India News Politics

Yashwant Sinha to be opposition candidate

Earlier in the day, Sinha had resigned from Trinamool Congress (TMC) leading to speculations about his name being finalized for the President’s post as opposition’s candidate…reports Asian Lite News

The opposition parties on Tuesday announced former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha as their consensus candidate for the post of President, election for which is to be held on July 18.

“We (opposition parties) have unanimously decided that Yashwant Sinha will be our common candidate for the Presidential election,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told media persons soon after the meeting of the combined opposition parties held at the Parliament Annexe.

The meeting was called by NCP top leader Sharad Pawar and attended by leaders from the Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPI-M, National Conference, and RJD among others.

“In his long and distinguished career in public life, Sinha has served the nation in various capacities. An able administrator, accomplished Parliamentarian, and an acclaimed Union Minister of Finance and External Affairs, he is eminently qualified to uphold the secular and democratic character of the Indian republic and its constitutional values,” he said.

“Ideally, a consensus candidate of the government and the opposition should be elected to the highest office of the republic. However, the initiative for this should have been taken by the government. The Modi government made no serious effort in this direction,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Sinha had resigned from Trinamool Congress (TMC) leading to speculations about his name being finalized for the President’s post as opposition’s candidate.

Last week, the opposition parties had convened a similar meeting wherein several leaders had wanted NCP leader Sharad Pawar to be the opposition candidate. Pawar had, however, declined the offer.

The voting for the Presidential poll is scheduled to be held on July 18 and counting to be held on July 21.

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-Top News Arab News UAE News

Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Elected UAE President

MBZ, US Defence Secy review strategic relations

The 61-year-old Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi will be the country’s third president, reports Asian Lite News

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was on Saturday elected as the new President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The 61-year-old will be the country’s third president, after succeeding Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who passed away on Friday at the age of 73, reports Khaleej Times.

Sheikh Mohamed, who is also the Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, was elected by the UAE’s Federal Supreme Council.

He will hold office for a five-year term before being eligible for re-election.

ALSO READ: Indian leaders, business community mourn passing of UAE President

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-Top News Europe

Macron ahead in first round of presidential election

Macron cast his vote in Le Touquet, a seaside town in Pas-de-Calais in northern France and urged voters to exercise their franchise. But he failed to sufficiently enthuse them…reports Asian Lite News

Notwithstanding a slightly low voter turnout, an opening estimate of the result of the first round of the French presidential election by pollsters Ipsos, gave the incumbent President Emmanuel Macron 28.1 per cent of votes, with Marie Le Pen of the far-right National Rally, better known as National Front, securing 23.3 per cent support.

The two now go through to a decisive second round of voting on April 24 for a re-match. Supporters of the finalists were planning parties in celebration of qualifying into the ultimate stage, which were predicted to continue late into the night.

Among the 12 candidates altogether, leftist JeanLuc Melenchon registered an impressive 20.1 per cent – which is likely to mostly transfer in favour of Macron in the second round. Eric Zemmour, an extreme rightist, posted 7.2 per cent – much of this will probably go to Le Pen in the second round. Valerie Pecresse of the traditional right-of-centre Republicans got only 7.2 per cent – she requested her voters to back Macron in the second round. Socialist Anne Hidalgo fared even worse with 2.1 per cent.

Macron cast his vote in Le Touquet, a seaside town in Pas-de-Calais in northern France and urged voters to exercise their franchise. But he failed to sufficiently enthuse them.

Turnout was down as compared to polling in the first round in 2017, but still around 75 per cent. French voters have not stayed away from casting their ballot in this manner, other than their apathy of 2002.

The low turnout is interpreted by commentators as a reflection of defiance and dissatisfaction among French people in the politics of the country, looked upon as a worrying trend.

Le Monde, the leading French daily, commented in an editorial piece: “Started in times of pandemic (Covid-19) and completed in times of war (in Ukraine), this presidential campaign suspended between two perils leads to a first round threatened by a double danger” – abstention and the rise in support for the far-right.

Reporting on Paris, the paper wrote: “Many voters hesitated a lot before deciding, sometimes even in front of the voting booth.”

In what was described as “the chic districts of Marseille” – a port city, founded in 600 BC and France’s oldest urban centre in the south-west of the country – some leaders of the Republicans reportedly led the way to vote for Macron of En Marche, a centrist formation established in 2016. “A conversion with a bitter taste for some voters,” Le Monde’s correspondent said.

In sandy Reunion Island, a French prefecture in the Indian Ocean, where 25 per cent of its 900,000 odd population are of Indian origin, the percentage of polling was also down from five years ago. Standing in bright sunshine, one local resident was quoted as saying: “Life is more pleasant here (on the beach) than in a voting booth!” Behind her the waters were an exotic turquoise blue.

In 2017, Macron won 24 per cent of the votes to Le Pen’s 21.3 per cent in the first round. But he went on to capture 66.1 per cent in the second ballot to Le Pen’s 33.9 per cent to be victorious quite comfortably. He is expecting this will be repeated two weeks from now to clinch for him a re-election.

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Africa News News

Tunisian President urges ISIE to conduct elections for December 17

Tunisian President

Tunisian President Kais Saied has urged the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) to be ready to organise the legislative elections slated for December 17, according to a statement released by the presidency…reports Asian Lite News

During his meeting with ISIE Vice-President Farouk Bouasker on Monday, Saied said, “It is imperative to preserve the independence and the neutrality of the body.”

For his part, Bouasker highlighted the elections’ importance for the country’s political future and its stability, in addition to the ISIE’s critical role to ensure the elections’ success, Xinhua news agency reported.

ALSO READ: Tunisian President dissolves Parliament

Last week, the Tunisian President announced the dissolution of the Assembly of People’s Representatives, or the parliament.

Tunisia’s Islamist party Ennahdha (Renaissance) on Monday voiced its opposition to the dissolution of the Tunisian parliament.

According to a statement on its Facebook page, Ennahdha said the President’s decisions “are in violation of the provisions of the constitution”.

In December 2021, Saied announced a constitutional referendum will be held in July this year, followed by parliamentary elections at the end of 2022.

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India News

President lauds record production by farmers

Indian Railways operated over 1,900 Kisan Rails on more than 150 routes to transport perishable food items like vegetables, fruits and milk, thereby transporting about six lakh metric tonnes of agricultural produce…reports Asian Lite News

Despite the Covid pandemic, Indian farmers produced more than 30 crore tonnes of food grains and 33 crore tonnes of horticulture produce in 2020-21 even as the government made record procurement to match the record production, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Monday.

“I would like to give maximum credit to the small farmers of the country for this consistent success and strengthening the agriculture sector,” President Kovind said in his speech on the first day of the Budget session.

“My government is working continuously to empower the farmers and the rural economy of the country. The government procured 433 lakh metric tonnes of wheat during the Rabi season benefiting about 50 lakh farmers. A record quantity of about 900 lakh metric tonnes of paddy was procured during Kharif season, benefiting one crore 30 lakh farmers,” he said.

Stating that agriculture exports have also reached a record level due to the efforts of the government, he said, “Agricultural exports registered a growth of more than 25 per cent in the year 2020-21, and have reached nearly Rs three lakh crore.”

Because of the incentives provided to honey production, domestic production of honey has reached 1,25,000 metric tonnes in 2020-21, President Kovind said and pointed out that it is an increase of about 55 per cent compared to 2014-15. “Export volume of honey has also grown by more than 102 per cent as compared to 2014-15,” he said.

The government endeavoured new avenues of prosperity for the farmers by launching Kisan Rail Seva, wherein, during the Corona period, Indian Railways operated over 1,900 Kisan Rails on more than 150 routes to transport perishable food items like vegetables, fruits and milk, thereby transporting about six lakh metric tonnes of agricultural produce.

Asserting that the interests of the small farmers, who constitute 80 per cent of the farmer-community, have always been central to our government, the President said, “Under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, Rs 1.80 lakh crore have been provided to more than 11 crore farmer families.”

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Africa News News World

Burkina Faso President tweets to lay down arms

Amid ongoing unrest and a coup in Burkina Faso, a tweet was sent out by President Roch Kabore’s official account calling on the army to lay down arms and to safeguard democratic achievements…reports Asian Lite News

“Our nation is going through difficult times. At this precise moment, we must safeguard our democratic achievements. I invite those who have taken up arms to lay them down in the higher interests of the nation. It is through dialogue and listening that we must resolve our contradictions,” read the tweet posted on Monday.

Earlier on Monday, Burkina Faso’s Army said that it had ousted President Kabore, suspended the Constitution, dissolved the government and the national assembly, and closed the country’s borders.

Kabore has been detained and taken to a military camp following the mutiny, a security source has confirmed.

Also in the day, the ruling party of Burkina Faso, People’s Movement for Progress (PMP) announced that the President survived a “failed assassination attempt”.

On Sunday, a nationwide curfew was imposed in Burkina Faso, following reports of gunfire in some barracks in the morning.

Another statement, from the Minister of National Education, announced the closure of schools on Monday and Tuesday.

Gunshots were heard early Sunday morning in barracks in the capital Ouagadougou and other cities. The government confirmed the gunfire but had denied reports on social media about an army takeover.

UN chief Antonio Guterres has condemned the coup and called on the military to “ensure the protection and the physical integrity” of Kabore.

ALSO READ: Burkina Faso President detained by mutinous soldiers

The African Union and regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States, have also condemned the forceful takeover of power, with the latter saying it holds the soldiers responsible for the deposed President’s well-being.

The coup camea week after 11 soldiers were arrested for allegedly plotting to overthrow Kabore.

Burkina Faso is now the third West African country to witness a military takeover in recent years.

Guinea and Mali have had sanctions imposed on them by Ecowas to press them to return to constitutional order.

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Africa News Arab News News

Burkina Faso President detained by mutinous soldiers

Burkina President detained by mutinous soldiers

Burkina Faso President, Roch Marc Christian Kabore has been detained overnight by mutinous soldiers…reports Asian Lite News

“President Roch Marc Christian Kabore has been detained by soldiers,” local radio Omega FM reported on Monday.

“The President was taken to a military camp following the mutiny,” a security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

On Sunday, a country-wide curfew was imposed in Burkina Faso, following reports of gunfire in some barracks in the morning, according to a decree signed by President Kabore, Xinhua news agency reported.

Another statement, from the Minister of National Education, announced the closure of schools on Monday and Tuesday.

ALSO READ: Burkina Faso imposes nationwide curfew after unrest

Gunshots were heard early Sunday morning in barracks in the capital Ouagadougou and other cities. The government confirmed the gunfire but denied reports on social media about an army takeover.

Also on Sunday, Defense Minister General Barthelemy Simpore said on state television that the situation was under control, and rejected reports as rumors that President Kabore had been detained by soldiers.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called for calm and reaffirmed its support for President Kabore.

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Kerala

Security breach during President’s visit, probe ordered

He was to be present at the inauguration of the event to unveil a statue of the late P.N. Panicker, the pioneer of learning, literacy and library movements, in the city…reports Asian Lite News.

Several agencies have begun a probe if there was a violation of protocol done by the vehicle carrying the Thiruvananthapuram Mayor, Arya Rajendran when the visiting President Ram Nath Kovind was travelling from the airport to attend an event in the capital city.

Kovind, who is on a state visit, arrived from Kochi on Thursday morning at the airport in the state capital.

He was to be present at the inauguration of the event to unveil a statue of the late P.N. Panicker, the pioneer of learning, literacy and library movements, in the city.

It was when the presidential convoy with Kovind travelling second in the 14 vehicle-cavalcade was moving towards Poojapura, nearly 8 km from the airport, the vehicle carrying the Mayor was trying to enter into the convoy as she was also to be present on the stage with Kovind at the event.

After travelling a few kilometres, her vehicle got into the convoy near the General hospital and followed the eighth vehicle of the convoy.

According to sources, this was a serious lapse done by the district Mayor and as soon as her vehicle entered into the ninth position, vehicles behind her had to halt

Central agencies have started a probe into what they allege is a serious lapse of protocol and will submit a report on this. The Kerala Police is looking into the matter as well.

Time and again the district Mayor has been in the news for various reasons.

She first came into the limelight in December 2020, after becoming the youngest Mayor in the country at the age of 21.

Since then she has come under attack from the BJP, the main opposition in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, for allegations of corruption.

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