| Iraq's constitution |
On 1 March 2004, the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council finally agreed a new provisional constitution, the Transitional Administrative Law. This major breakthrough came only after months of divisive negotiations between factions on the Council, the civilian head of the Coalition Provisional Authority Paul Bremer and wider Iraqi society. It marks greatest political success of the occupation to date. But its announcement coincided with the most violent day since the invasion of Iraq last March. Full text & PDF (free to all users) >>> |
| Tensions over Taiwan |
On 20 March, Taiwanese voters will go to the polls to elect a president and vice-president for the next four years. In addition, Taiwan's citizens will vote on two unprecedented national referenda: whether Taiwan should acquire more anti-missile defence equipment to counter the Chinese missile buildup across the Taiwan Strait; and/or whether a framework of 'peace and stability' should be established between Taiwan and China. The outcomes of the votes have potentially great significance for cross-Strait relations, as well as for regional stability and the complex relations between the United States, China and Taiwan. Full text & PDF (subscribers only) >>>Buy this article online >>> |
| Election year in Southeast Asia |
Four core members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are entering a year of intense political activity as they prepare for national elections. In Indonesia and the Philippines, both of which are already plagued by economic, social and political fragility, the elections may exacerbate instability in the short-term. But while it is possible that unpredictable new leaders will be elected, it is more likely that incumbent presidents will survive and that there will be substantial policy continuity. Such continuity is more or less assured in Malaysia and Thailand. Full text & PDF (subscribers only) >>>Buy this article online >>> |
| Dialogue between India and Pakistan |
On 18 February 2004, after three days of official-level 'talks on talks' in Islamabad, India and Pakistan agreed to resume their bilateral 'composite dialogue' in May-June 2004. This move followed the dramatic joint statement by India's Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines of a regional conference on 6 January. In this, they agreed to restart a peace process that had been suspended for the past three years. Notwithstanding the significance of these meetings, the India-Pakistan peace process is fraught with problems and difficulties. Full text & PDF (subscribers only) >>>Buy this article online >>> |
| Prime defence contractors |
Financial pressures on big prime contractors, combined with a political desire to get better value in procurement and the cultural and technological shifts that customers will expect, mean a new, more subtle restructuring of the defence business may be under way: one that may not feature mega-mergers, but will over time produce a supplier base markedly different from the present one. Full text & PDF (subscribers only) >>>Buy this article online >>> |
