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Japan’s Democrats clinch coalition deal
‘Noynoy’ Aquino to run
for Philippines presidency
TOKYO: The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), set for power
after an election win, yesterday struck a coalition deal with
two parties after agreeing to review aspects of the US military
presence in the country. I accept
“We now stand at the starting line of the new govern- the
ment,” said the prime minister-in-waiting, DPJ leader Yukio
Hatoyama, after signing a formal accord with the leaders of respon-
sibility to MANILA: The son of former
two smaller parties following days of closed-door talks. Philippine President Cory
“We will give our all to fulfill our commitment,” said continue Aquino, heroine of the 1986
Hatoyama, 62, whose party won a lower house election on the fight people power movement,
Aug 30 but needs the support of its junior partners to also
have a majority in the upper house.
for the said yesterday he would run
country.” for the presidency next May.
The leaders of each party – the Social Democratic Party Senator Benigno
and the People’s New Party – are each expected to take - Aquino
“Noynoy” Aquino’s
ministerial posts when Hatoyama’s government takes power (pix) decision to join
on Wednesday next week. – AFP the presidential race
is likely to win the
Kidnapped journalist freed: Official backing of several
KABUL: A New York Times journalist kidnapped in Af- opposition groups,
ghanistan has been freed during a special forces opera- propelling him to
tion but his Afghan colleague was killed by the Taliban, a place among the
an Afghan official said yesterday. front-runners for
Stephen Farrell, who is Irish, and his colleague Sultan the post.
Mohammad went missing on Saturday in the northern “I accept the
province of Kunduz, where a Nato air strike killed civil- plea of the nation.
ians and dozens of Taliban insurgents. I also accept the
“Last night in a US special forces operation in Chard- instructions of my
ara district, they managed to free Stephen Farrell but parents,” Aquino
the Afghan journalist Sultan Mohammad was killed by told a news
Taliban during the operation,” said Kunduz governor conference
Mohammad Omar. – AFP at the
same hall
where his
Tension as Thai police chief quits mother,
BANGKOK: Thailand’s national police chief resigned yesterday, who died
days after an anti-graft body held him responsible for clashes
between anti-government protesters and police last year.
Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan handed in his resignation to
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva just hours after the premier
shifted him to a desk job, following months of trying to remove
the senior policeman.
But his resignation is likely to create tensions between the
police and the government less than two weeks before a major
protest by supporters of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission ruled on Monday
that Patcharawat violated criminal law during a crackdown
on anti-Thaksin “Yellow Shirt” demonstrators who surrounded
parliament in October 2008. – AFP
Thousands of Thais sing songs to praise King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok
yesterday. The government and people across the country paid their respects
to the king, the ninth monarch in the Chakri Dynasty.
Thai govt marks 9-9-9
date for ninth Chakri king
BANGKOK: The Thai govern-
ment and people at 9.09am on the
auspicious date of the ninth day of
the ninth month of 2009 paid their
respects to Thai King Bhumibol
Adulyadej, the ninth monarch in the
Chakri Dynasty.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva
led his cabinet and hundreds of
high-ranking military officers and
civil servants yesterday in singing
the royal anthem at Government
House, the seat of the administra-
tion, to mark the auspicious time
and day.
The number 999 denotes “go-
ing forward” for Thais. Similar
ceremonies were held by Thais
nationwide.
“We want to draw attention to the
charisma of the king, both domesti-
cally and internationally,” Abhisit
said of the occasion.
“During his 63-year reign, the
king has helped to solve the country’s
problems for the people,” he added,
highlighting Bhumibol’s more than
3,000 royally initiated projects aimed
at reducing rural poverty, boost-
theSun
last month, was proclaimed presi-
dent more than 23 years ago.
“I accept the responsibility to con-
tinue the fight for the country.”
At least half a dozen other can-
didates, mostly senators, have said
they will contest next year’s vote, but
analysts say no one has a clear edge.
Nominations close in November.
Analysts have said Aquino will
have much to do to translate the
affection and respect for his parents
into votes for himself, as he has not
had an impressive record in his 11
years as lawmaker.
“I think it is a very refreshing
announcement,” said Peter Wallace,
head of Wallace Business Forum
consultancy. “It has stimulated this
election and put a new dimension to
it which I believe we needed.
“On the negative side, he doesn’t
have a very impressive record in
Congress ... One would be a little
concerned that should he become
president, would he be an active and
effective president?” Wallace said.
Pressure on Noynoy Aquino to
run has been immense since his
EPAPIX
ing agriculture and encouraging
“sufficiency economics,” a develop-
ment strategy that urges farmers to
make the most of local inputs and
avoid debt.
During his long reign, the king,
81, has been deemed a stabilizing
force in the hurly-burly of Thailand’s
tempestuous politics and numerous
military coups and a unifier of the
people.
The institution of the monarchy
has been under unusual pressure for
the past three years as various pro-
test groups and politicians have tried
to draw it into a deep political divide
between supporters and detractors
of former prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra, who was ousted by a
military coup in September 2006.
Thaksin, a billionaire business-
man turned politician, used populist
policies during his two terms from
2001 to 2006, to win backing from
Thailand’s rural and urban poor that
he used to justify his increasingly
autocratic rule that eventually an-
tagonised Thailand’s political elite,
leading to his downfall. – dpa
| THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10 2009
mother died last month. Hundreds of
thousands of people poured onto the
streets for her funeral – the biggest
crowd seen in the Philippines since
the 1986 “People Power” revolu-
tion that ousted dictator Ferdinand
Marcos and swept Cory Aquino to
power.
Days and weeks after Cory’s
death, people had left hundreds of
flowers and dozens of messages out-
side the family home in the Quezon
City suburb, urging Noynoy to run.
Noynoy’s father, Benigno, was a
senator who opposed Marcos and
was killed when he returned home
from political exile in 1983.
Earl Parreno, an analyst at the
Institute for Political and Electoral
Reforms, said Aquino was the only
contender capable of winning a
populist following.
“He can improve his chances of
winning the elections next May if he
will not be held hostage by a tradi-
tional political party. His campaign
must be perceived to be supported by
a broad-based movement,” Parreno
said. – Reuters
Australia
starts war
crimes probe
into ‘Balibo
Five’ deaths
SYDNEY: Australian police yes-
terday said they had launched a
long-awaited war crimes inves-
tigation into the deaths of the
“Balibo Five” journalists gunned
down by Indonesian troops in
1975.
The move comes nearly two
years after a coronial investiga-
tion ruled the five Australia-based
men were murdered as they tried
to surrender to Indonesian forces,
and called for war crimes charges
against a number of generals.
“Allegations of war crimes
committed overseas give rise to
complex legal and factual issues
that require careful consideration
by law enforcement agencies
before deciding to investigate,”
the Australian Federal Police said
in a statement.
Jakarta has always maintained
the reporters died in crossfire as
Indonesian troops fought East
Timorese Fretilin rebels, a version
of events accepted by successive
Australian governments.
If sufficient material was un-
covered to show “criminality or a
real possibility of criminality,” the
AFP said it would ask Australia’s
chief prosecutor to consider
whether war crimes charges
should be laid. “The standard of
proof in a criminal proceeding is
high, and differs from that of a
coronial inquiry,” it added.
The inquiry follows the recent
release of a hard-hitting movie,
“Balibo,” depicting the deaths of
Australians Greg Shackleton and
Tony Stewart, Britons Brian Peters
and Malcolm Rennie and New
Zealander Gary Cunningham.
The five were covering Indo-
nesia’s advance into East Timor.
Sydney Coroner Dorelle Pinch
found that they were murdered to
keep the invasion a secret. – AFP