Pakistani Lawmakers Elect New Prime Minister After Voting Khan Out |
Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif was elected prime minister (CNN) today in a vote boycotted by lawmakers from former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party. Ahead of the vote, they announced their mass resignation from the lower house of Parliament. Pakistan’s legislature ousted Khan (BBC) in a no-confidence vote yesterday, ending a power struggle that went all the way to the country’s top court.
No Pakistani prime minister has ever completed a five-year term. Khan’s support had waned (NYT) due to double-digit inflation and clashes with military leaders. His foreign policy distanced Pakistan from the United States and drew it closer to China and Russia. He is expected to run for prime minister again in the next general elections and has called for them to be held early.
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“[Khan] was supported by the military in the 2018 elections, and a coalition of disparate groups was built to provide his party enough parliamentary support to form the government. Even with the military’s support, his government struggled, largely due to Khan’s limited understanding of statecraft,” journalist Zahid Hussain writes for the Asia Unbound blog.
“Khan’s public messaging as a strongman has partially been responsible for agitating the relationship with the US—and by extension, his relationship with the Pakistani military, which wants to be closer to the US,” Vox’s Jonathan Guyer writes. |
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Japan, Philippines to Work Toward Military Cooperation Pact |
The countries’ foreign and defense ministers met in Tokyo (Kyodo) on Saturday and agreed to work toward a defense cooperation treaty.
China: Cities in Guangdong Province tightened entry restrictions (SCMP), began mass COVID-19 testing, and switched to online education for primary and middle schools after a handful of new COVID-19 cases were reported. |
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Biden, Modi to Speak Ahead of Ministerial Talks |
U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a call today before their countries’ foreign and defense ministers meet. Biden, who requested the call, is expected to press Modi (TNN) to review his position on Russia’s war in Ukraine. CFR provides comprehensive coverage of the war in Ukraine. |
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Middle East and North Africa |
Tehran Says Nuclear Deal in ‘Emergency Room,’ Calls for Sanctions Relief |
A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry said a revived version of the 2015 nuclear deal is alive but in the “emergency room.” He said Washington has yet to decide (Bloomberg) on some of Tehran’s demands, including removing a terrorism designation for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and lifting sanctions.
CFR’s Ray Takeyh writes that the Ukraine crisis could sideline the nuclear deal.
Tunisia: Multiple lawmakers joined protests (The National) against President Kais Saied in the capital, Tunis, yesterday, objecting to his dissolution of parliament and other decrees that his opponents say constitute a coup. |
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DRC Rebels Announce Retreat From Captured Villages |
Rebels from the March 23 Movement announced their retreat (AFP) from villages in North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after clashing with government forces. They will reportedly seek dialogue with the government. Gambia: The National People’s Party of President Adama Barrow won the most seats (RFI) in legislative elections yesterday but did not achieve a majority. |
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Macron to Face Le Pen in France’s Runoff Election |
French President Emmanuel Macron won 27.6 percent of votes (Politico) in the first round of the presidential election yesterday. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen won 23.4 percent, her best-ever showing in the first round of a presidential election.
Russia/Ukraine: Russia appointed Alexander Dvornikov (Bloomberg), a commander who led Russian troops in Syria, to head its operations in Ukraine, Western security officials said. Officials in Ukraine have urged citizens to evacuate (NYT) from the country’s east over fears of a new Russian offensive there.
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Few Voters Turn Out in Referendum on Mexican President’s Mandate |
The referendum organized by supporters of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador needed 40 percent of eligible voters to participate in order to be binding, but less than 20 percent took part (FT). More than 90 percent of participants voted to back the president. Ecuador: Former Vice President Jorge Glas was released from prison (Reuters) over concerns about his physical and psychological health. He was serving a sentence for bribery charges. |
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Biden Releases Final Version of Rule on ‘Ghost Guns’ |
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