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Venezuela: Nicolas Maduro re-elected as President
Opposition demand re-poll, US, EU deny recognition
In another set-back to US in its backyard, Nicolas Maduro has been re-elected for a second six year term as Venezuela’s president. US government has already said it will not recognize outcome of the Venezuelan presidential election. Opposition has also rejected the election result as “illegitimate” and demanded a repeat vote be held later this year.
According to the results announced by Tibisay Lucena, president of the National Electoral Council (CNE), President Maduro obtained 5.8 million votes while his main opponent, Henri Falcon, got a total of 1.8 million votes. A total of 8.6 million Venezuelans voted, putting turnout at 46.01 percent, much lower than 2013 presidential elections when over 80 percent voters turned to the polling stations.
During the previous elections, polling stations were kept open beyond its closing time at 6 pm. “as long as there are people in line to cast their vote”.
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Maduro, the political heir to the late leftist President Hugo Chavez, hailed his win as a victory against “imperialism,” but his main rival refused to recognize the results, alleging irregularities.
Maduro, 55, while thanking his supporters amidst fireworks on Sunday night, said, “This was a historic day!.. the day of a beautiful victory. They underestimated me. Never before has a presidential candidate taken 68 percent of the popular vote. We are the force of history turned into a permanent popular victory.”
His supporters gathered outside his Miraflores presidential palace in downtown Caracas, celebrating with fireworks.
Maduro further said, “The whole of Venezuela has triumphed! Democracy has triumphed! Peace has triumphed! Constitutionality has triumphed [These were] elections that were constitutional, legitimate and legal,” he said. “We have a president of the people! A working president!”
The country’s main opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable had boycotted the election, while the two opposition leaders, Henrique Capriles and Leopoldo Lopez, were barred from contesting the elections.
Read More: Trump Faces Latin American States after Threats to Venezuela
Maduro’s main rival, Henri Falcon has called for a new vote, alleging the election was marred by irregularities and lacked legitimacy. “We do not recognize this electoral process as valid,” he told local media. “There must be new elections in Venezuela.”
According to reports, the ballots were recorded electronically, making the voting quick and easy. The presence of government troops around polling stations also ensured the safety of voters. Some 150 international observers from 30 countries and international organizations were present in the Venezuela to monitor the whole election process.
Maduro also called on his political rivals to join him for negotiations about the future of the country. He said “permanent dialog” is needed with the entire opposition so that Venezuela could set aside political disputes.
Several of Venezuela’s Latin American neighbors as well as the European Union also joined voices with Maduro’s rival and said they would not recognize the results of the election. They alleged that the conditions did not exist for the election to be free and fair.
Read More: Venezuelan Supreme Court faces helicopter “terrorist attack”
However, former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who is in Venezuela as an international observer, said he has no “doubt about the voting process.”
“It is an advanced automatic voting system. I come here to keep peace, coordinate and promote dialogue so as to improve the democratic mechanism here. What I need to do here is to see whether people can cast their ballots at their own discretion. Now we all see how people vote, don’t we?” he added.
Washington has already imposed sanctions against Venezuela and blamed its allies in the region and elsewhere for the country’s acute economic crisis. On Saturday, the US ramped up pressure on Caracas by imposing new sanctions against the government’s top officials.
However, Maduro’s government said the US was using new sanctions to sabotage the election. It called Washington’s move as part of “a systematic campaign of aggression” by President Donald Trump’s administration and said they had no legal base.
Presidential elections were held on 20 May. Earlier it was scheduled to be held in December this year. Some western analysts have described the poll as a show election.
Several Venezuelan NGOs have expressed their concern over the alleged irregularities of the electoral schedule, including lack of Constituent Assembly’s competences to summon the elections, impeding participation of opposition political parties and the lack of time for standard electoral functions.
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National Daughters Day 2023: History, significance, theme and wishes
The purpose of National Daughter’s Day is to serve as a reminder that girls should be given equal chances, including access to education, practical life skills, and sports participation, among others.
In India, Daughter’s Day is observed on the final Sunday in September, which falls on September 24, 2023. India is the only big nation with a higher mortality rate for females than boys, according to UNICEF.
At birth, there are 900 females for every 1000 boys in the nation. In the world, boys are 7% more likely than girls to die before the age of five. In India, though, the figures are dismal, with 11% more girls dying before turning five.
Given these troubling numbers, it is crucial to invest in the wellbeing of girls in order to empower them. The purpose of National Daughter’s Day is to serve as a reminder that girls should be given equal chances, including access to education, practical life skills, and sports participation, among others.
The first National Daughters Day was observed in India in 2007, which is where the holiday’s origins can be found. Daughters have frequently been overlooked in a society where males have long been regarded with awe. The noble goal of this day is to inspire parents to show their admiration for their daughters.
In certain cultures, having daughters has been seen as more of a burden than a blessing. With the goal of reversing this perception, National Daughter’s Day exhorts parents to acknowledge the extraordinary gift that their daughters are.
The significance of National Daughters Day can be found in our ever-changing society. It’s a day set aside to gleefully acknowledge the daughters in our lives. Falling on a Sunday presents a chance for parents and daughters to spend quality time together, cherish one another, and have intimate life-related dialogues. It’s a day for giving, caring, and fostering the cherished relationship between mothers and daughters.
Wishes
- Daughters are special and highly valued, which demonstrates that they were sent from heaven above
- Daughters are special; once we have them, we can never live without them. Happy Daughters’ Day!
- Daughters are the pride of their parents’ hearts; from birth, they are beautiful
- My darling daughter, my baby you will always be, no matter where you are. You are a little part of me, whether near or far. Happy Daughters’ Day!
- Daughters will soon be married and grown, then they may start a family of their own
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Canadian PM Trudeau wants to work constructively with India, says Canada shared credible allegations with New Delhi weeks ago
India has repeatedly denied claims of receiving any intel regarding the allegations from Canada before Justin Trudeau’s announcement on Monday revealing them.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday asserted that Canada shared credible allegations that the Indian government may have been involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar weeks ago, according to reports.
The Canadian Prime MInister added that his country wants to work constructively with India and hope that New Delhi engages with them so that they can get to the bottom of this very serious matter. Meanwhile, India has repeatedly denied claims of receiving any intel regarding the allegations from Canada before Justin Trudeau’s announcement on Monday revealing them.
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that there was a potential link between an Indian government agent and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force, who was gunned down in Surrey in June. Justin Trudeau made the allegations in the Canadian Parliament.
India has debunked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement deeming the allegations of the Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada as both absurd and motivated. Issuing a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that they have seen and rejected the statement made by the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament. It added that they also rejected the statement made by their Foreign Minister.
After the allegations by PM Trudeau, the Canadian government expelled a top Indian diplomat. In a tit for tat move, New Delhi also expelled a Canadian diplomat. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also claimed that the Indian High Commission and consulates are facing security threats in Canada and therefore cannot process visa applications temporarily.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was among India’s most-wanted terrorists, carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head. He was fatally gunned down by two unidentified assailants outside a gurdwara in Surrey, a province of British Columbia in Canada, on June 18, according to reports.
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India-Canada row: No special exemption to India, says US NSA Jake Sullivan
Jake Sullivan asserted that this is something that they will keep working on, noting that there was no special exemption to India in the case.
The United States on Thursday affirmed that it is in constant communication with India and Canada amid increasing diplomatic tensions between both the countries. The diplomatic standoff broke out after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted that his country’s security agencies were investigating a link between the Indian government and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Speaking on the matter, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters that the US will be in contact with India at the highest level. He added that it is a matter of concern for them and they are taking it seriously. He asserted that this is something that they will keep working on, noting that there was no special exemption to India in the case.
He underlined that there is not some special exemption for actions like this. He added that regardless of the country, they will stand up and defend their basic principles. In addition, he affirmed that the US will also consult closely with allies like Canada as they pursue their law enforcement and diplomatic process.
Jake Sullivan further dismissed reports that the US’s desire to strengthen ties with India would constrain its ability to voice concerns about the allegations. He asserted that the Joe Biden administration took Canada’s allegations seriously and it was in constant contact with Ottawa.
He also noted that the US have deep concerns about the allegations and that they would like to see this investigation carried forward and the perpetrators held to account. Meanwhile, New Delhi outrightly rejected Canada’s allegation as absurd and motivated. In a tit for tat move to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official over the case, New Delhi expelled a senior Canadian diplomat.
On Thursday, India asked Canada to take action against terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil. Furthermore, India also suspended visa services for Canadians, as the diplomatic standoff over Nijjar’s killing pushed their ties to an all-time low.
