New Democratic Peoples Front

Ivory Coast elects a new parliament Sunday in a poll boycotted by the party of former strongman Laurent Gbagbo, who is awaiting trial in The Hague for crimes against humanity. With Gbagbo sitting in an International Criminal Court (ICC) cell, the coalition backing President Alassane Ouattara is widely expected to gain a majority of the 255 seats in the new assembly. The vote comes only a year after the poll that brought the West African country to the brink of civil war in a conflict that claimed some 3,000 lives. And it follows a week of campaigning that left five people dead.

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The Democratic Republic of Congo's election standoff has intensified after a team of international observers reported that incumbent Joseph Kabila's win is so flawed it lacks credibility. Kabila, in power since 2001, was on Friday named the winner of the November 28 poll, but runner-up Etienne Tshisekedi immediately rejected the result and declared himself president. Violent protests and looting erupted in Kinshasa when Kabila's win was announced, but a heavy security force presence including police, presidential guards and some 20,000 soldiers deployed to the capital had largely restored a tense calm on Sunday.

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Italy's Catholic Church has shifted gears and shown a willingness to revisit its tax-exempt status amid renewed criticism that much of its vast real estate holdings isn't subject to local property taxes. The criticism has grown recently since Premier Mario Monti's proposal to restore a property tax on first and second homes as part of his sweeping austerity measures to help rein in Italy's debt. With citizens being asked to make sacrifices, the church is coming under fire to do its part and give up what some consider an unfair privilege.

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The United States on Sunday vacated a Pakistani airbase following a deadline given by Islamabad over Nato air strikes last month that killed 24 soldiers, officials said. Pakistan’s military said in a statement that the last flight carrying US personnel and equipment had left Shamsi airbase, in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, completing a process that began last week. “The control of the base has been taken over by the Army,” the statement said. The base was widely believed to have been used in covert CIA drone attacks against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda commanders in northwest Pakistan’s tribal areas, which border Afghanistan.

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On ideological grounds, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ remains no longer the Chairman of Unified Maoists’ Party, so said Party secretary C.P. Gajurel while addressing a press meet in Nawalpur of Sarlahi District, December 10, 2011. “Dahal has already abandoned the ideology charted by the peoples’ revolt. He adheres to the socialist ideology. How Dahal could continue claiming that he holds significant position in the party”, asked Gajurel and said, “He has no space in the party.” Chairman Dahal being taken to task by his own former NOIDA exposed hibernation colleagues.

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Justice and equality have not been ensured for the people of the North despite the war having ended several years ago, said the Movement for People’s Struggle. Speaking to the media in Jaffna yesterday (Dec. 10), MPS convener Chameera Koswatte said every segment of the society has now become victims of repression. Students, farmers, state and private sector workers, fishermen, labourers and others are all being repressed in a society devoid of any democracy, while the education, health and other basic services have collapsed, he charged.

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An organizer of the Movement for People’s Struggle, formed by JVP dissidents, and another individual are reportedly missing since yesterday. Their whereabouts are unknown since leaving to make arrangements for a press conference to be held in Jaffna today, National Organizer of the movement and DNA MP Ajith Kumara said. The organizer, Lalith Kumara Veeraraj, who had set out from Vavuniya yesterday in order to reserve a location for the press conference had arrived at the residence of Kugan Muruganandan in Awarangal, Jaffna. Both Veeraraj and Muruganandan had left the house on a motorbike at around 5pm, according to Muruganandan’s spouse. That was the last time they were seen, MP Ajith Kumara said adding that a complaint has been lodged with the Jaffna Police regarding the incident.

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