Lebanese lawmakers urge UN to renew UNIFIL mandate

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Beirut, July 23 (IANS) A delegation of Lebanese lawmakers on Thursday delivered a letter signed by 86 parliament members to UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jean Arnault, urging the renewal and continued presence of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported.

The letter was handed to Arnault in Beirut as part of a parliamentary initiative supporting UNIFIL’s mission.

According to the NNA, the lawmakers said the broad cross-party support reflects a national consensus on the importance of maintaining UNIFIL’s presence in southern Lebanon, citing its role in preserving security and stability, monitoring the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and helping prevent further escalation.

The delegation argued that the conditions that led to the establishment of UNIFIL remain in place due to continuing violations and the fragile security situation, Xinhua News Agency reported.

They said the peacekeeping force should retain its full operational mandate, especially during what they described as a critical period for Lebanon and the wider region.

The lawmakers also stressed that UNIFIL’s role extends beyond maintaining security, saying it would be essential in supporting the implementation of future arrangements, conducting demining and unexploded ordnance clearance, monitoring compliance, and assisting the Lebanese Armed Forces and state institutions in extending government authority across the country’s territory.

They warned that reducing or ending the mission before the conditions for its withdrawal are met could create a dangerous security vacuum with consequences for both Lebanese and regional stability.

According to the NNA, Arnault said he would forward the letter and accompanying documents to the UN secretary-general and Security Council members through the appropriate channels, expressing appreciation for the parliamentary initiative and its support for continued cooperation between Lebanon and the United Nations.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in 2025 extending UNIFIL’s mandate until Dec. 31, 2026, and authorising its gradual withdrawal thereafter.

–IANS

ksk/dan

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Assam Panchayat polls: CM Sarma says NDA has won 325 seats unopposed

Guwahati, April 18 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Friday that the BJP-led NDA in the state has secured as many as 325 seats unopposed in the upcoming Panchayat elections.

Sarma mentioned, “Yesterday marked the last date for withdrawal of nominations for the upcoming Panchayat elections. As per reports received so far, the NDA has already secured 37 Zila Parishad (35 BJP and two AGP) and 288 Anchalik Panchayat (259 BJP and 29 AGP) seats unopposed.”

According to CM, this is a massive and unprecedented mandate in Assam’s political history. It reflects the immense trust and overwhelming love that the people of Assam have for the NDA and for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He further said, “We are confident that when the final election results are declared, this tally will grow even more impressive. The NDA is all set to sweep the Panchayat elections in Assam. My heartfelt gratitude to the people of Assam and deep appreciation to our dedicated karyakartas for their tireless efforts and unwavering commitment.”

Meanwhile, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi alleged that the “goons” of the BJP have been unleashing atrocities against the opposition candidates in the run-up to the upcoming Panchayat polls.

Gogoi said, “The state administration is biased towards the BJP and they have not taken any action against the goons of the ruling party. State Congress president Bhupen Borah and MP Pradyut Bordoloi have raised this issue with the police; however, no action was taken against the BJP goons.”

He also stated that Congress workers will not be intimidated and they will take on the BJP in the polls. “We have a long history of contesting against the ruling dispensation, and our party workers are adamant not to let down their guard in front of the intimidation and fearmongering tactics of the BJP,” Gogoi added.

The Panchayat elections in Assam will be held in two phases on May 2 and 7.

–IANS

tdr/uk

South Korea: Special counsel fails to secure PPP membership list in raid over ex-first lady’s bribery allegations

Seoul, Aug 14 (IANS) A special counsel team in South Korea left the main opposition People Power Party’s (PPP) headquarters empty-handed on Thursday, after attempting to secure its membership list as part of an investigation into bribery allegations surrounding former first lady Kim Keon Hee.

Special counsel Min Joong-ki’s team has been looking into allegations that a shaman linked to Kim and a key Unification Church official tried to get church members to join the party en masse to influence the results of the PPP’s leadership race in 2023.

After attempting to carry out a search-and-seizure against the PPP’s headquarters in Seoul on Wednesday, the team’s investigators withdrew early the next morning due to strong refusal from the party, the team said in a press notice.

It said it had sought the PPP to voluntarily submit a roster of its members over a certain period of time, while denying that it had demanded the party’s entire membership list.

The team appears to have sought to secure the roster to compare it with a list of Unification Church members to confirm the allegations about the mass sign-ups to the party.

The warrant reportedly detailed the need to check the party’s membership list to confirm allegations of violations of the Political Funds Act and acceptance of bribes for mediation, reports Yonhap news agency.

The shaman, named Jeon Seong-bae, and the church official, surnamed Yoon, allegedly exchanged texts about then-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s support for Rep. Kweon Seong-dong ahead of the party election in March 2023.

Kweon, who ultimately did not take part in the race, has denied receiving any political funds from the Unification Church. The church has also denied making any illegal donations to any specific individual.

–IANS

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Not a caste census, says Karnataka govt as HC seeks clarity on survey

Bengaluru, Sep 23 (IANS) The division bench led by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi on Tuesday, while hearing petitions seeking an interim stay on the socio-economic and academic survey (commonly referred to as the caste census), sought clarity from the Karnataka government on conducting a survey of seven crore people in the state on the basis of caste.

Meanwhile, the bench adjourned the matter to Wednesday.

The Akhila Bharata Brahmana Mahasabha, Vokkaliga Mahasabha, and other community groups had filed a PIL seeking a stay on the caste census being undertaken by the Backward Classes Commission, an independent body under the Congress-led government in Karnataka.

The High Court also asked senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Karnataka government, about the difference between a census and a survey.

Singhvi, countering the petitioners’ arguments, began by clarifying that the exercise being undertaken is not a caste census but a socio-economic and academic survey.

Counsel Singhvi said that the caste survey is aligned with the state government’s policy-making process and is essential for framing social welfare projects.

He contended that granting an interim stay on the caste survey would have long-term consequences, emphasising that there has been no precedent of imposing such a stay order.

The purpose of the survey, he said, is to gather statistics, and in the absence of data, it is not possible to frame effective policies.

He further submitted that accepting the petitioners’ argument — that only the Centre has the power to conduct such surveys — would amount to restricting the powers of the state.

He said that earlier, the state government had constituted the Havanuru and Venkataswamy Commissions, and that such an argument undermines the federal structure of the country.

The contention that only the Centre can conduct a census, Singhvi said, is incorrect and curtails the state’s powers.

The Karnataka government, he said, cannot carry out selective surveys; a full-fledged survey is required to identify backward classes.

“Following amendments to the Constitution, the state has been empowered to conduct such surveys. A comprehensive survey is part of the policy-making process,” Singhvi stressed.

He added that backward classes cannot be neglected “while sitting in ivory towers”.

It cannot be argued, he said, that the Centre alone will conduct a survey and the state should refrain.

Citing the example of Bihar, where a caste census has already been conducted, Singhvi said that Karnataka cannot wait indefinitely for a central census, as this would weaken state administration.

He added that the State Legislature has the authority to conduct such a survey, and that caste categorisation must be based on statistics.

The outcome, he said, could influence appointments, promotions, and other matters.

Sources said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, anticipating a court judgment in the matter, postponed his Bihar visit by a few hours.

Siddaramaiah was scheduled to board a special flight at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, but in view of the case’s importance, rescheduled it to 7:30 p.m.

–IANS

mka/khz