French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to Britain is viewed with interest as the French president is keen to forge a new Franco-British "brotherhood". In Pakistan, Yousuf Raza Gilani was sworn in as the prime minister of the country.
His appointment heralds a new era in coalition politics in the Islamic republic which, of late, was in a state of turmoil. Tiny Bhutan created history when it ceased to be a kingdom and held elections for the first time as a democracy. These events were contemplated, analysed and commented on. We present here excerpts of editorials from the regional and the international press.
Sarkozy's visit
In a high-profile two-day visit to Britain, France's President Nicolas Sarkozy stressed on the need for the two neighbours to work together and for closer relationship between them. Addressing both houses of the Parliament, Sarkozy said France and Britain have "never been so close".
Commenting on Sarkozy's visit, The Independent said: "The presidential visit is not just a potentially significant staging post in Britain's erratic European journey. A stronger Anglo-French relationship could have wider consequences. Britain and France remain permanent members of the Security Council.
They are nuclear powers, the only significant military forces in Europe to the west of Russia. They are two of the largest economies in the world. It is better for Britain, France and for the rest of the world if the two countries are working closely together rather than damaging themselves by feuding from a distance."
New Pakistan PM
Pakistan has a new prime minister. Yousuf Raza Gilani, the nominee of Pakistan People's Party and a Benazir Bhutto loyalist, was sworn in as the leader of the legislative body. Although his elevation to the coveted post was rather smooth, Arab News felt that the new prime minister had daunting tasks before him.
"This is a government of national unity at a time when, as never before, Pakistan's politicians need to present a united front to terrorism. It therefore behooves Gilani to avoid a confrontation with President Pervez Musharraf at this time. Restoring the judges Musharraf fired, including Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, is an inevitable first step for the new premier.
The return of the men who challenged the legitimacy of Musharraf's presidential candidacy will be the final humiliation for the president whose own party was soundly beaten in the elections," it added.
Remarking on Gilani's decision to order the release of the chief justice who was under house arrest, Dawn termed the move as "judicious".
"The ruling coalition parties have made their disparate positions clear on the issue of the judges' restoration to their pre-November 3 positions. The Pakistan People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have, under the Bhurban Declaration, committed themselves to work on the matter through parliament.
The presidency, for once, has also resisted the temptation to show a hurried reaction to the move. All these are sobering thoughts, which must continue to inform the interim period, pending the legislature's formal take-up of the matter," it stated.
However, it said: "Let parliament decide the future of the sacked judges through a consensus among all stakeholders, by all means; but let it also not miss the bigger picture, and put in place a democratically agreed upon mechanism to ensure the appointment and independence of the judges henceforth.
It is imperative that a deliberation-based, and not a majority-vote bulldozing of legislation, approach is applied to the various amendments made to the Constitution at the behest of a president in military uniform."
'Democratic' Bhutan
In Bhutan, history was created when the landlocked kingdom held its first election after the king ushered in reforms and proclaimed the country as a democracy. Looking "beyond the ballot", Times of India was a bit cynical about the whole exercise.
It commented that for many looking for a refuge from globalisation, the tiny kingdom of Bhutan looked like a modern Shangri-La. Yet even the land of the thunder dragon is a kingdom no more.
It remarked: "Bhutan's cautious tango with democracy may indicate a siege mentality. But even India, with a fuller panoply of democratic institutions, commits some of the same mistakes. Raj Thackeray drives out north Indians from Mumbai - supposedly India's most cosmopolitan city - in full public view.
The Left delays the inevitable as it jousts with globalisation ... Even if there are evident dangers to globalisation it's safe to say that the genie is out of the bottle and won't just go back in."
