UPA violating constitution, dictating terms to EC: BJP

October 1st, 2009 YANGON - A Myanmar court Friday rejected an appeal lodged by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi against an 18-month detention sentence, government sources said. Suu Kyi's lawyers had opened the appeal case at the Yangon Divisional Court in a bid to overturn a court verdict in August that found her guilty and placed her under house detention for another 18 months.

September 14th, 2009 Atlanta Journal-Constitution raises price to $1ATLANTA — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution now costs $1 if you buy it at a newsstand Monday through Saturday. In a front-page note to readers on Monday, the Journal-Constitution said the 25-cent increase was necessary to continue to provide the quality newspaper on which readers depend.

September 8th, 2009 Colombia's president signs re-election proposalBOGOTA — President Alvaro Uribe signed legislation Tuesday calling for a national referendum on amending the constitution to allow him to seek re-election for a second time. With Uribe's signature following passage by both houses of congress, the measure goes to the Constitutional Court for review.

August 12th, 2009 BOGOTA - Conservative Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has said that he would seek a third term in office if a referendum on presidential re-elections was approved. In a meeting with members of the ruling party Tuesday, Uribe said he was keen to remain in power if a referendum allowing him a third presidential term was held.

July 31st, 2009 Myanmar police ring court ahead of Suu Kyi verdictYANGON, Myanmar — Riot police sealed off the court trying Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in military-run Myanmar ahead of Friday's verdict that could send the frail icon of democracy to prison for up to five years. The 64-year-old opposition leader is charged with violating the terms of her house arrest by harboring an American man who swam to her house uninvited.

July 4th, 2009 PANAJI - Activists in Goa have urged the government to ban offshore and onshore casinos in the state - like Russia which outlawed gambling houses Wednesday. Offshore and onshore casinos have been the subject of controversy over the past year after the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and civil society groups vehemently opposed them on grounds of moral and socio-economic degradation.

May 8th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh is planning to restore 'socialism', one of the four original principles of state policy, in the constitution but will also retain the Islam expression 'bismillah', says Law Minister Shafique Ahmed. A 2005 high court ruling had held as unconstitutional the Fifth Amendment under which 'bismillah' was included and 'Secularism' dropped.

May 8th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh is planning to restore 'secularism', one of the four original principles of state policy, in its constitution but will also retain the Quranic expression 'bismillah', says Law Minister Shafique Ahmed. A 2005 high court ruling had held as unconstitutional the Fifth Amendment under which 'bismillah' was included and 'secularism' dropped.

March 17th, 2009 PANAJI - The Goa government will not allow the setting up of the Sri Rama Sene (SRS) in Goa where its ideology would find no takers, Home Minister Ravi Naik said Tuesday. He was reacting to an announcement made by chief of the Hindu rightwing outfit, Pramod Muthalik, in south Maharashtra's Vengurla town that it was seeking volunteers from Goa to start a branch in the state.

March 5th, 2009 KABUL - Afghanistan's Election Commission Wednesday rejected President Hamid Karzai's ruling to advance the presidential election to April or May. In January, the commission announced that the election would be held Aug 20.

February 7th, 2009 EL ALTO - Bolivian President Evo Morales has enacted a new constitution that he says will 'refound' the country on the basis of unity, equality and dignity and put it on a path to national reconciliation, EFE reported Sunday. 'Mission accomplished.

February 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party has no right to speak about upholding the credibility of constitutional bodies, the Congress said Tuesday, alleging that the BJP had a poor track record on this count. 'The BJP has a history of attacking democratic institutions,' senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal told reporters at his residence.

January 25th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed is under attack from opposition parliamentarians for 'violating the constitution' of the country. Ironically, these MPs are from the party that had elected him in the first place.

January 14th, 2009 CARACAS - Venezuela's parliament has paved the way for a planned referendum on changes to the constitution that would allow President Hugo Chavez unlimited terms of office. The National Assembly Wednesday night approved in a second and final reading the referendum for a constitutional amendment that would allow not only Chavez, but all of Venezuela's governors, members of parliament and mayors to seek re-election over an unlimited period.

December 29th, 2008 MOSCOW - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Tuesday signed into law a bill extending presidential terms form four to six years, the Kremlin said. Medvedev's final endorsement of the constitutional amendment follows rapid legislative approval by both houses of Russian parliament as well as 83 regional chambers.