Patrick Nulty (center) Irish TD (Courtesy photo – edu.only)

By Patrick Nulty  – LAST WEEK, THE EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Baroness Catherine Ashton visited Bosnia and Herzegovina for the second time in less than a year. The country’s political leaders have been unwilling to agree on how to implement a European Court of Human Rights judgment that requires them to amend the country’s constitution to allow all citizens an opportunity to run for the presidency and the upper chamber of parliament.

Affiliation needed to stand for election

At present, one must declare affiliation with one of the “constituent peoples” – Bosniaks, Croats, or Serbs – to be eligible to run. Ashton said she was “really disappointed that no real progress has been made since [she] last came,” blaming politicians for adhering to party or ethnic interests rather than the public interest.

The EU delegation in Bosnia, along with the European Commission’s Directorate for Enlargement, has increasingly expressed desperation for a deal – any deal – that would allow them to proclaim progress. Whether that progress is real seems a secondary concern.

Irish legislators have been more attentive than most of their counterparts in the EU to the deteriorating situation in Bosnia – and the demands of justice for the 100,000 who were killed in that country’s 1992-1995 war. The forthright inquiry of TDs and Senators from across the political spectrum on Serbia’s lack of full cooperation in the hunt for Srebrenica massacre architect Ratko Mladic played an important role in Serbia’s decision to finally “find” him two years ago.

War crimes grilling

We have punched above our weight in the EU on these matters by remaining true to our principles. The grilling that Irish parliamentarians gave then-Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic on the war crimes accountability issue surprised and gratified Bosnians, who applauded such seriousness and directness.

Such straight talk on Bosnia has been sadly lacking during Ireland’s EU presidency. Ireland is merely going with the flow, as defined by Berlin and Brussels. European Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton stated that she wanted to inject some momentum into the enlargement process in the Western Balkans. But in Bosnia’s case, the momentum is all in the wrong direction.

For seven years, the EU has had the undisputed lead in directing international policy toward Bosnia. The failure to get what the EU has termed “credible effort” toward enacting the European Court’s ruling should signify the bankruptcy of the current approach.

Joining the EU

That approach is based on the assumption that Bosnia’s politicians actually want to join the EU – and that their citizens can hold them accountable if they fail to deliver. After all, that’s the way it worked in Central Europe. But Bosnia’s peace agreement, which also includes its constitution, was built around the wartime power brokers. Warlord politics is institutionalised, albeit with a pseudo-democratic veneer. This narrow stratum runs everything in Bosnia – politics, business, organised crime, media, and academia – and holds the levers of both patronage and fear.

There is little to no upward mobility. I have numerous constituents who, while proud Irish citizens, would love to go home at least part time to try to build their homeland’s future. Yet they typically return demoralised, seeing no avenues to make an honest living or prospects for their children. The idea that this political elite would willingly abandon the prerequisites of power for the good of the country is naive. But that remains the EU’s policy. Irish taxpayers are going along for the ride as the EU attempts to postpone with money what it will not prevent with sound policy.

Holding politicians accountable

Now is an opportune time for a fundamental rethink of how the EU should deal with Bosnia. We have interests there – Croatia’s membership as of July will give the Union a 1000 km border with Bosnia. We can’t wish it away; containment will only come back to bite us. Luckily, the interests of EU and Bosnian citizens completely coincide. By protecting our own interests and resources, we can better enable Bosnians to hold their politicians accountable.

Only external actors can negate the ambient fear that permeates all issues in Bosnia today. Doing so would be simple and relatively cheap – and certainly less expensive than allowing Bosnia to continue to slide toward violence. No new tools or institutions would be required; only a new strategy of how to marry the EU’s soft power instruments to the hard power tools that exist to prevent collapse – the international High Representative and the executive EU for military mission.

Addressing the problem

The elephant in the room is that the carrot of EU membership will not address Bosnia’s problems alone. All EU foreign ministries know it, but don’t want to address it since they are implicated. So they instead tell their political masters they have things under control, and that any problems owe to Bosnia’s (predictably self-serving) political class. Short-term bureaucratic self-preservation and careerism within the EU is the biggest hurdle to changing the dynamic in Bosnia.

Ireland can no longer afford, financially or morally, to go along with the EU’s current hopeless policy in Bosnia. A reassessment of the EU’s Bosnia policy and the development at long last of a coherent international strategy, the goal of which would be a Bosnia which could serve its citizens and ultimately meet the EU’s legitimate conditions for membership, is long past due. Maintaining the current policy is untenable; it will not survive honest scrutiny. For our own interests and values, Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore must demand this discussion with his EU peers.

Patrick Nulty is Labour TD for Dublin West.

Lady Margaret Thatcher 1925-2013 (Courtesy bio.truecom)

was a Revolutionary. As the first female Prime Minister she emerged as a truly transformational figure both on the domestic and foreign front and soon challenged the entrenched interests with a stance that promoted freedom and economic liberty. She stood on principle and thus became a lighting rod for the continuing scorn of the collectivist left and the former Soviet Union who dubbed her “The Iron Lady.” She died at 87 in London.

In 1979 when her Conservative Party was voted into office in an electoral landslide, Britain was the “Sick Man of Europe.” Thatcher inherited a Britain in decline; economically, militarily and psychologically, not unlike the USA at the time.

She would soon turn the tide through a resolute belief not only in her philosophical values but the courage and conviction to pursue them. She stood for something, and would righteously and often controversially push forward to achieve the freedom agenda whether it would be against Britain’s paralyzing trade union powers, standing up to the Soviet Union, or defending the remote Falkland Islands from an Argentine invasion.

Not unlike today, the world was mired in moral relativism and a political log-jam.

Nicholas Jones, longtime BBC labor correspondent opined, “Margaret Thatcher’s demolition job on the industrial might of the British trade union movement helped generate an economic revolution.” During the 1970’s, strikes paralyzed the country. By the end of her premiership in 1990, stoppages had dwindled to a fraction.

Later her “popular capitalism” movement saw the sale of lumbering state-owned industries and the shift of 900,000 jobs to the private sector. A million often run-down “Council Housing” units were sold to their inhabitants who became homeowners and thus had a personal stake in the survival of their neighborhoods. Her policies fostered entrepreneurialism and the opportunity it creates versus socialist stagnation.

Gerry Grimstone, formerly in charge of privatization told the BBC, that firms like British Airways, British Telecom and Jaguar were taken from the government sector as a start. He recalls, “Britain was a very, very socialist country.”

Nothing was stronger than the revived special transatlantic relationship with the U.S. and President Ronald Reagan, her philosophical soul mate. As committed disciples of economic freedom and global liberty, both Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan challenged the lurking dragons of entrenched interests and then thawed the permafrost of the Cold War.

Margaret Thatcher in 1982 (Courtesy photo archive)

In 1979 the geopolitical chessboard in Central Europe appeared locked. But a Polish Pope John Paul II had been elected, and would soon unexpectedly challenge the Soviet bloc and their local rulers with a philosophical and religious challenge which would emerge as a political movement for freedom throughout the East Bloc.

Radek Sikorski, Poland’s Foreign Minister who himself lived in Britain during Warsaw’s communist rule opined, “For those behind the Iron Curtain, she was a member of the anti-communist ‘Holy Trinity’ consisting of John Paul II, Ronald Reagan and herself,” who changed the fate of the West.

Her role in opposing the Soviet imperium in Eastern Europe earned her a nickname from the Russians, “The Iron Lady.” Mrs. Thatcher wore the title proudly.

Half a world away in the depths of the South Atlantic, she was confronted by another challenge; the unprovoked Argentine invasion of the British Falkland Islands in 1982.

The unfolding of the Falkland Conflict was a diplomatic and military showdown in slow motion. Against most advice, Thatcher decided to fight back and send a Royal Navy task force 8,000 miles away to confront the Argentines. I recall the UN deliberations at the time where diplomacy ticked on while the Task Force plowed the waves into the South Atlantic. Britain retook the islands; my column headlined, “The Empire Strikes Back.”

The deal over the fate and future of Hong Kong was another matter. Deng Xiaoping’s reformist China was pressing for a return of the British Crown Colony to Chinese sovereignty. A 1984 agreement saw Mrs. Thatcher agree to the formal end of British rule in 1997 but with the important legal caveat for the preservation of the former Colony’s freedoms and way of life for another fifty years.

Her UN speeches had an uplifting and magisterial tone not unlike Ronald Reagan’s. Her eleven year tenure at 10 Downing Street left an extraordinary legacy.

In an age where statesmanship and leadership is so sadly lacking. In a period where principle is bent on the anvil of moral relativism. And, in a time of unexceptional popular culture, her saga is inspiring.

Lady Thatcher, the grocer’s daughter, will have an unprecedented state funeral not seen since the passing of Sir Winston Churchill. This is most fitting.

Margaret Thatcher put the Great back in Britain.

John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He writes weekly for WorldTribune.com.

President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso (left) and President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy (Photo courtesy of europa.eu)

(Webpublicapress/New York) -- Amid the EU’s lack of a strong central government to enforce common fiscal policy, a “shadow state” has emerged – a patchwork of agencies that is facing growing criticism as undemocratic and illegitimate. Which cruel ruler is continually forcing new rounds of austerity measures on the Greeks? And which dark power managed to break the resistance of Cypriots in just a few days? The answer is not Germany. It is the eurozone’s shadow state.

It sounds like something from science fiction or fantasy, the Star Wars saga or Lord of the Rings. But the term “shadow state” in reference to the euro crisis does not come from a conspiracy theorist, but rather a well-known economist: senior Deutsche Bank advisor Thomas Mayer.

Conspiracy theory

“Within this euro shadow state is a shadow government, the European Council,” Mayer said at a recent lecture at the Academy for Civic Education in Tutzing, southern Germany. “There’s a shadow executive, the Eurogroup. And there’s a task force to implement discipline that was grossly infringed upon. That’s the troika.” Corruption, last-minute withdrawals and illegal write-downs? Cyprus’ President Nikos Anastasiades has promised to investigate those “responsible” for the crisis. But will he, too, be engulfed by the accusations? (02.04.2013)

The euro would not be viable without this shadow state, Mayer says, because there are only two ways to organize a monetary union. The first is to create a central bank that is truly independent and tasked with nothing but maintaining the stability of the currency. In this case, the member states are sovereign but adhere to agreed-upon rules. That was the original idea behind the Maastricht Treaty, which established the euro as the currency of the European Union.

The end of independence

President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy (Photo courtesy of europa.eu)

In reality, no one adhered to the rules, leaving only the second path to a currency union. Under this model, the European Central Bank (ECB) is no longer an independent currency guardian, but rather a political agent. That was made clear when it refused to grant banks in Cyprus further emergency funding until the government in Nicosia could come up with a plan to partially finance its own bailout. It was also made clear upon the earlier announcement of ECB President Mario Draghi that the bank would buy unlimited amounts of government debt from countries hit hard by the euro crisis.

“If the crisis-hit countries don’t recover and win back their competitiveness, then the risk premiums will rise regardless of Draghi’s promises,” said Friedrich Sell, economics professor at Bundeswehr University Munich. “In that case, Draghi will eventually have to negotiate – that’s when things will get exciting.” Exciting, because the ECB would have to pump so much money into the market that inflation would inevitably increase.

The ECB has become a political central bank financing the debts of its members, and the euro has become “public debt money.” For these reasons, according to Thomas Mayer, the ECB needs its own state to fulfill its duties. “If it doesn’t have a state, and unfortunately that’s the situation in the eurozone, then they could end up constructing a euro shadow state,” he said.

Shadow state faces growing resistance

People in Cyprus are unhappy with the EU

That’s exactly what Mayer argues has occurred in recent years. The basis for the euro shadow state comes from treaties that many Europeans have never heard of. Does anyone know what the “two-pack” or “six-pack” agreements are? Is anyone sure of exactly what the “fiscal compact” does? “This network of treaties diminishes national sovereignty and imposes a degree of discipline on states so that they can operate in the system of public debt money,” Mayer said.

Yet the shadow state and its rules are coming up against increasing resistance. The government of Cyprus strongly opposed the conditions of its bailout, indirectly threatening the eurozone with its own bankruptcy – although it eventually relented. And Italy recently voted out a government that was never elected in the first place – a rejection of the shadow state, Mayer said, and its representative Mario Monti.

Since those elections in Italy, there has not been a clear majority coalition in parliament, making the country essentially ungovernable. Unemployment in the eurozone is increasing, the economy is shrinking and protests against austerity measures are a near-daily occurrence in Greece, Spain and other debt-burdened countries.

Forerunner to eurozone in Russia?

Mayer said the eurozone’s problem is that it is functioning in a system with public debt money and a central bank, but no functional state to go with it – a problem with a historical precedent set in the former Soviet Union.

After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the former Soviet republics attempted to keep their common currency, the ruble. However members of the “ruble zone” failed to agree on a supra-national governance structure that would keep their economic and fiscal policies in line with each other. States then began to compete in extracting credit from their national central banks, resulting in high inflation. The ruble zone began to collapse in 1992 as the Baltic states became the first to abandon the common currency. Russia’s own exit a year later solidified the currency union’s ultimate failure.

“If we don’t manage to uphold the authority of the shadow state, then we’re threatened with the fate of the ruble zone,” Mayer said. This is also why Brussels prevailed against Cyprus’s reluctance in agreeing to harsh bailout terms, Mayer added, and why a showdown with Italy – the eurozone’s third-largest economy – could spell the end of Europe’s common currency.

Source: DW and agencies

Aleksandar Vucic (left) Cathryn Ashton and Ivica Dacic (Courtesy of RFE)

(Webpublicapress/New York) – ”Over the past six months I have met Prime Minister Dačić and Prime Minister Thaci eight times, sometimes in sessions that lasted more than thirteen hours,” the statement reads, and adds:

“At the beginning we set ourselves a clear timeframe, so that the dialogue would stay focused and take into account the European Council’s desire that Serbia and Kosovo move forward by the summer. I pay tribute to the two prime ministers and their teams for their hard work.”

“After several rounds of discussions I believe that all the elements for an agreement on northern Kosovo are on the table. This needs to be an agreement between the two sides, it is not for the European Union to impose it. I regret the decision of the Serbian government to reject the proposals and call on them to make a last effort to reach an agreement, for the benefit of their people,” the EU foreign policy chief’s statement said.

“I believe in a bright future for Serbia and Kosovo and I know that, however difficult the process has been, it unlocked the potential for people – especially in northern Kosovo – to have a better life. I hope that Kosovo and Serbia will not miss the opportunity to put the past behind them and move forward into the future. I hope I will be leading the discussion in the EU over the next few days in support of a real step forward by both Serbia and Kosovo towards their European future,” the EU official concluded in her statement.

*

The hope was there, and it is still possibility, but Kosovo and Serba are still and odds on how to finalize their dialogue in order both of them to be satisfied.  No agreement was reached between Belgrade and Pristina in the 8th round of the dialogue in Brussels, which lasted 14 hours. The bone of contention being the powers of the Serbian Municipalities, though much was achieved at normalising relations. Pristina wants to integrate Serbs within its borders and in accordance with European standards of human rights for minirities. Some 40.000 ethnic Serbs  live in the North of Kosovo.Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said just after midnight, following completion of the hardest and longest round of negotiations so far, that the powers of the future Alliance of Serbian Municipalities, and the police and judiciary, remain the bone of contention, news agencies reported.

“Despite the long meetings we have had on a number of occasions, we have no agreement at this time. We have a little more time to arrive at a solution and review our impressions of these long talks,” Dacic told reporters.

He said the talks were difficult, not by “their tone but by what one gets or loses by them,” and added that the First Serbian Deputy Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vucic, even offered his resignation due to the seriousness of the situation, but that his offer was rejected by Prime Minister Ivica Dacic. It should be also seen as a part of political internal political power struggle in Belgrade,

Dacic said that this round is not the end of the dialogue and that Belgrade will analyse and discuss all that has transpired.

Cathryn Ashton waiting for a Belgrade’s response (Courtesy photo)

Pristina representative Hashim Tachi told reporters that there is no agreement at the moment, but added that another meeting might be held next week if “Serbia accepts some basic principles from the dialogue.”

Yet, everybody seems to agree that there is no D-day fo another round of negotiation, and that Belgrade and Pristina will continue to challenge its wills and push with their polarized interests, until the agreement is reached.

Pope Francis love the crowd (Courtesy photo — edu. only)

(Webpublicapress/New York) — As many news agencies report – the new Pope’s first Easter in Rome, shows he has broken with tradition in a number of ways. Many faithful seem to be delighted, while Catholic conservatives have expressed displeasure. Protocols and formalities seem to matter little to the Jesuit from Argentina, whose unassuming demeanor has been the focus of much discussion. His encounters with the faithful are often spontaneous, creating quite a headache for his security detail. But the new head of the Catholic Church refuses to distance himself from the people: As their pope, he wants to be amongst them.

So after celebrating his first Easter Mass in Rome, Francis had himself driven across St Peter’s Square, where around 250,000 people had gathered for the service, in an open-topped Jeep. He greeted the faithful, accepted the gift of a football shirt, and blessed large numbers of children. He spent an unusually long time with a young disabled boy, whom he embraced and kissed on the cheek. Particularly eye-catching posters and banners were given a hearty thumbs-up, in between the customary gestures of blessing. The new pope is certainly unconventional.

Peace for the Middle East, Africa and Korea

The new pontiff then proclaimed his Easter message. He condemned egotism, greed for profit, and human trafficking, and called for an end to the violence in the Middle East, in Africa, and on the Korea peninsula. “Christ is our peace,” he said, urging peace for the Middle East, “and particularly between Israelis and Palestinians, who struggle to find the road of agreement, that they may willingly and courageously resume negotiations to end a conflict that has lasted all too long.”

Pope Francis spoke with concern of turmoil in Africa, which he said was still the scene of bloody conflicts that threatened the lives of innocents. The Korean Peninsula, he continued, was another flashpoint where differences must be overcome and a new spirit of reconciliation needed to develop. He also called for “peace in Iraq, that every act of violence may end, and above all for dear Syria, for its people torn by conflict and for the many refugees who await help and comfort. How much blood has been shed!” Thoughtful words, which Francis has repeated many times in the past few days.

The Pope in prison

The new pope did not celebrate the Lord’s Supper service on Maundy Thursday in the Basilica of St John Lateran, as is customary. Instead, he spent time in the Roman young offenders’ institution Casal del Marmo. Alongside prisoners there – 38 men and 11 women – he recalled Jesus’ Last Supper. Pope Francis does not shy away from contact with social outcasts: As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he regularly spent Maundy Thursday with prisoners, the sick, or the poor.

During the Mass, the Pope followed Jesus’ example by washing the feet of twelve young prisoners of different nationalities and religious affiliations. Two girls were also among those selected. Women do not normally take part in the ritual washing of feet.

The Pope broke with tradition

The previous pope, Benedict XVI, usually selected priests for the performance of this duty. Francis chose to ignore this precedent, immediately attracting criticism from conservative circles. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi eventually intervened in a conciliatory role and emphasized that this had been an exception.

Procession at the Colosseum

On Good Friday, during the traditional Via Dolorosa procession at the Roman Colosseum, Francis commemorated the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. Tens of thousands of people lined the route of the procession, which marks the fourteen Stations of the Cross. Wearing a simple soutane beneath a white coat, Francis followed the two-hour ceremony humbly, lost in thought. At the end, he told the faithful that Christians should respond to evil with good, by taking up the Cross, as Jesus had done.

In his first celebration of the Easter night in St Peter’s on Saturday night, at which four young men received from him the sacraments of baptism and confirmation, the Pope also encouraged people not to be afraid of the unknown and the new, telling his followers that God always has surprises in store for them.

The Pope’s blessing was delivered only in Latin and Italian

‘Urbi et Orbi’ on St Peter’s Square

At the traditional Easter blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and to the world) on Easter Sunday, it was, once again, the Pope himself who surprised observers. Unlike his predecessors, Francis did not pronounce the Easter blessings in many different languages, but simply in Italian: “Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, Happy Easter! Happy Easter! What a joy it is for me to announce this message: Christ is risen! I would like it to go out to every house and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest, in hospitals, in prisons,” the Pope declared from the loggia of St Peter’s Cathedral.

Over the course of the Easter week, Pope Francis has made it very clear, through numerous gestures and fresh emphases, that what he wants is a new church: a church of preaching and modesty instead of self-referentiality and egotism. And Francis sets store by messages of faith that are easy to understand, like his message on Easter Sunday: “Christ died and rose once for all, and for everyone, but the power of the resurrection, this passover from slavery to evil to the freedom of goodness, must be accomplished in every age, in our concrete existence, in our everyday lives.”

DW.DE

Istanbul images 2012 (Photo by Webpublicapress)

By David L. Phillips – Turkey wants to solve its Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)  problem once and for all, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will have to do more than guarantee the cultural identity of Kurds. Democratization and development can drain the swamp of support for the PKK, building momentum towards a grand bargain. The PKK will not, however, agree to disarm and demobilize without an amnesty arrangement.

Turkey’s civil constitution is a big step towards eliminating the root causes of conflict. Not only will it enshrine human rights for all citizens, but it will also include measures to protect and promote the rights of minorities. The civil constitution will have the added benefit of harmonizing Turkey’s governance with European standards, thereby advancing the goal of Turkey’s EU membership.

Negotiating the new constitution will take time. Meanwhile, the government can establish momentum for reform by repealing regressive laws that have been used to limit freedom of expression.

The Anti-Terror Law provides too broad a definition of terrorism and should also be scrapped.  Regressive legislation, such as Article 301 of the Penal Code making it a crime to denigrate Turkishness, should be scrapped. So should Articles 215, 216, 217 and 220, which have been used to limit freedom of expression.

For Kurds to more fully participate in national politics, they must feel that their interests are being represented by the political mainstream. For years Kurds were called “Mountain Turks.” Kurdish language media and education were forbidden. Treated as instruments of the PKK, Kurdish civil organizations operated in fear.

The government has taken significant steps to liberalize the expression of Kurdish identity. Today Kurds can celebrate Nevruz and other cultural festivals. Kurdish-language media is widespread. Despite progress, more can be done through executive order to expand the use of Kurdish language in education as well as judicial proceedings.

Turkey’s dramatic economic development has positively affected the quality of life for Turks nationwide. In the Southeast, the government can achieve sustainable economic growth through investments in transportation, electricity and water infrastructure. Expanding social services, such as health care, would also send a “message of care” to marginalized Kurds.

Democracy and development can moderate Kurds, but Turkey will never solve its PKK problem without an amnesty arrangement. For sure, amnesty will be a bitter pill to swallow. Violent conflict has touched many lives, polarizing society.

The ‘repentance plan’ and nationalists

Soon after taking office in 2003, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) floated a “repentance plan.” However, nationalists killed the idea. Conditions are different today. Not only has Turkey’s political class evolved but civil society is tired of war; it wants to realize the rewards of peace and prosperity.

An effective amnesty program must distinguish between new recruits and senior commanders. Amnesty eligibility should be offered to new and lower-ranking PKK members who joined after 2002. Initial applicants could be low-ranking members with no command responsibility. Many rank and file tea boys have never pulled a trigger.

More challenging are senior commanders who have been given “red notice” by Interpol.  It is inconceivable that Turks would simply let bygones be bygones and welcome them home. Most Turks want the PKK’s senior commanders to stand trial in Turkey.

Senior commanders may be prepared to withdraw from the battlefield, following PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s instructions in the short term. They are, however, unlikely to accept an amnesty arrangement unless there’s something in it for them. Senior commanders can become spoilers, undermining the amnesty process unless the arrangement addresses their fate as well.

There is a solution. Senior commanders should be declared ineligible for amnesty in Turkey. They could, however, apply for asylum

Istanbul – view from Galata bridge (Photo by Webpublicapress)

in their country of residence. Iraq’s President Jalal Talabani has said their asylum applications would be treated favorably.

Turkey should also consider a truth and reconciliation process. Truth-telling represents an alternative to punitive justice, building confidence, breaking the cycle of violence and entrenching the rule of law. While a lot can be learned from the experience of other countries, truth and reconciliation must be adapted to Turkey’s culture and unique circumstances. Soul-searching is not selective. Truth-telling must address the legacy of violence involving the PKK, the military, as well as village guards.

Öcalan’s cease-fire announcement is welcome. But it is not the first time that the PKK has pledged peace. To realize a grand bargain, the government must do more than support the expression of Kurdish identity. It must also address the legacy of conflict through amnesty and truth-telling.

*David L. Phillips is director of the Program on Peace-building and Rights at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio Of Buenos Aires elected new Pope (Photo file)

By Jaweed Kaleem – Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio Of Buenos Aires, has been elected to be the 266th pope of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Francis. Francisco appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at Wednesday more than an hour after white smoke was released from the Sistine Chapel chimney at 2:05 EDT (7:05 p.m. CET) to signal that a new pope had been selected.

Speaking from the balcony, he gave his first address as pope, the traditional Urbi et Orbi (to the “City and the World”), as crowds waved, cried and cheered for the new leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.

He prayed for the church, the papacy and for his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

Francis, a Jesuit priest, was elected to the papacy after two days of conclave meetings with a total of five ballots cast. Voting in the conclave, which began Tuesday afternoon, is confidential and cardinals were sworn to secrecy, but Francis received at least 77 votes, which is the minimum two-thirds required to become pope. There were 115 cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave. All were under 80 before Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s retirement, as required by Vatican rules. In 2005, when Benedict was elected, it took two days and four votes to elect him.

Francis, whose papacy is effective immediately, will be formally installed in the coming days. It’s unclear when the installation Mass will happen, but Vatican spokesman Fr. Frederico Lombardi said earlier on Wednesday that Tuesday, March 19, the feast of St. Joseph, is a possible date. He spoke before white smoke signalled news of a new pope, and it was unclear if he expected a decision on Wednesday. Lombardi also said in the same interview that the new pope would likely celebrate Mass with cardinals the morning after his election.

The date of a papal installation typically begins with a visit with cardinals to the grottos of St. Peter’s Basilica, where the first pope, St. Peter, is said to be buried. There, the new pope is expected to say, “I leave from where the apostle arrived” before a procession to the square and an installation Mass (the Mass lasted two hours for Benedict’s installation in 2005).

At the installation Mass, Francis is expected to receive the Fisherman’s Ring made for his papacy (the one Benedict wore was given up when he retired on Feb. 28 and purposefully damaged by Vatican authorities per tradition) as well as the pallium, the woolen stole that’s a symbol of his authority.

When Benedict was elected, 12 church representatives knelt in front of him at the installation: three cardinals, one bishop, a priest, a deacon, a married couple, a nun and man from a religious order, and two young people who have had their confirmations — a key sacrament of the faith. A similar group is expected to kneel in front of Francis as a symbolic pledge of obedience.

After the Mass, the new pope customarily is driven around St. Peter’s Square to greet groups of priests and laypeople from around the world who have come to see him. In the days after, he is expected to visit the three main Roman basilicas aside from St. Peter’s: St. Paul’s, St. John Lateran’s and St. Mary Major’s. The first visit is usually to St. Paul — outside the Vatican City walls.

For his first few weeks as pope, Francis will live in a temporary apartment away from the official papal residence. Vatican spokesman Lombardi previously showed reporters a video of new pope’s short-term home, which has a study, a sitting area and a carving of Jesus Christ’s face on the headboard of the bed. Francis will stay there while the official papal apartment is renovated. The apartment was sealed after Benedict’s resignation and church rules say it can’t be reopened for any reason until there is a new pope.

(Source: Huff.Post)