Sunday, November 10, 2019

Foreign Digest: United Kingdom and Bolivia Updates; Warnings from Pope Francis and Lech Welesa


United Kingdom
            The Conservative British Government called for elections in December to break the impasse over the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, after the referendum in favor of leaving was approved in June of 2016.  At the request of the UK, the departure deadline was extended by the EU from then end of October to the end of January after the British Parliament was unable to reach a majority on the withdrawal agreement the minority Government had re-worked with the EU and after Parliament had already rejected leaving the EU without any deal.  Opposition from the junior coalition partner, the Northern Irish unionists, was pivotal in the rejection.  The attainment of a Conservative majority in favor of the deal would break the impasse.

Bolivia
            The President of Bolivia announced today that the presidential election will be re-voted by the end of the term on January 22 and that he may not be a candidate, after protests continued against the dubious election results announced late last month by the Government of the Chavist President of his re-election to a fourth term.  The Bolivian Constitution establishes a two-term limit and the people rejected a referendum to amend the constitution to repeal term limits, but he was allowed by his appointed judges to be elected to a third term and to seek a fourth.  The left-wing President has become increasingly authoritarian, in the mold of Socialist Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.  The protests have been met with violence from the Government. 

Pope Francis and Lech Welesa
           Two European leaders gave warnings last week that were related about current politics, Pope Francis and former Polish opposition leader under Communism and later President of Poland, Lech Welesa.  Pope Francis warned against xenophobia and nationalism.  Welesa warned against populism and demagoguery.  

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