Zimbabwe Votes | Indian Citizen List | Italy's Conte in Washington

Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. July 30, 2018 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA Zimbabwe Votes in First Post-Mugabe Election Turnout appeared high as Zimbabweans headed to the polls (BBC) to elect their next president, eight months after longtime President Robert Mugabe was ousted in a military coup. It is the first time since the country’s 1980 independence that Mugabe is not a candidate. Twenty-three candidates are on today’s presidential ballot (Al Jazeera), including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who came to power following Mugabe’s ouster last year. Alongside Mnangagwa, of the ruling ZANU-PF party, forty-year-old opposition candidate Nelson Chamisa is viewed as a frontrunner. Voters will also cast ballots for parliamentary seats and local offices. ANALYSIS “ZANU-PF has been desperate to paint the picture of a nation holding credible elections for the first time, but little has actually changed from previous votes marred by widespread irregularities,” Simukai Tinhu writes for African Arguments. “Although some international actors may be satisfied to bless an election if it is merely nonviolent, Washington should stand with the people of Zimbabwe by holding their government to its own standards, clearly articulated in Zimbabwe’s constitution,” CFR’s Michelle D. Gavin and Todd Moss write for Foreign Affairs. “As if reading from the same script [as Mnangagwa], the main opposition candidate Nelson Chamisa has also promised to open Zimbabwe up to foreign investors, as well as to remedy the economic malaise that spread like a virus during the Mugabe era,” Gift Mwonzora writes for the Conversation. PACIFIC RIM U.S., Australia Call Out ‘Flawed’ Cambodian Election Prime Minister Hun Sen, in power for thirty-three years, claimed victory in a Sunday election that excluded a prominent opposition party (AP). The White House and Australia’s foreign ministry called the vote a setback to democracy in the country. In World Politics Review, CFR’s Joshua Kurlantzick discusses Hun Sen’s grip on power. NEW ZEALAND: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she will return to work (Guardian) from maternity leave in about a week. Last month she became the second head of state ever to give birth while in office. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Millions in India’s Assam Excluded From Citizen List Some four million people in the border state of Assam who applied for citizenship (Hindustan Times) were not included on a draft national citizen register, prompting fears that authorities plan to deport or detain Bangladeshi migrants. PAKISTAN: Imran Khan, head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, said he will take office (Dawn) as prime minister on August 11. Khan’s party won the largest share of votes in last week’s election but fell short of an outright majority. CFR’s Alyssa Ayres discusses Pakistan’s expected foreign policy under Khan. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Dozens of Pro-Morsi Protesters Sentenced to Death An Egyptian court sentenced to death (CNN) seventy-five people, some of whom were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, for assault, resisting authorities, and possession of weapons during a 2013 protest in support of ousted President Mohammed Morsi. YEMEN: The Saudi-led coalition seeking to restore exiled President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power in Yemen carried out air strikes (DW) against critical water facilities in the port city of Hodeidah, according to the United Nations. The body said the attack could exacerbate “the world's worst humanitarian crisis.” In Foreign Affairs, Daniel Byman argues that the United States should end its support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Eritrea, Somalia Restore Diplomatic Ties Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, meeting in the Eritrean capital of Asmara over the weekend, agreed to open embassies (VOA) in each other’s capitals. The countries have not had diplomatic relations for fifteen years. EUROPE Italy’s Prime Minister to Visit White House Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who leads a coalition of far-right and antiestablishment parties, said his meeting today with U.S. President Donald J. Trump will underline a “historic alliance [and] new friendship.” Trump hailed Conte (WaPo) for coming to power on what he called strong immigration policies. SERBIA: The country’s bar association condemned the killing (RFE/RL) of a prominent criminal defense lawyer who served on the team representing former President Slobodan Milosevic during a war crimes trial in the early 2000s. The lawyer was shot near his Belgrade apartment on Saturday. AMERICAS Mexico’s AMLO Lays Out Oil Sector Plans President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, commonly known as AMLO, proposed putting $4 billion (FT) into state oil company Pemex to help it boost exploration and build a refinery in Tabasco State to reduce reliance on U.S. imports. Pemex is the world’s most indebted oil company. In Foreign Affairs, CFR’s Shannon K. O’Neil discusses AMLO’s victory and the future of Mexican democracy. NICARAGUA: Humberto Ortega, a former defense secretary and brother of President Daniel Ortega, called on his sibling to stop pro-government paramilitaries (BBC) that have been blamed for violence against demonstrators in recent months of unrest. UNITED STATES Manafort Trial to Begin Tomorrow Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for President Trump, is charged with concealing $30 million (NYT) he received from Ukraine to promote a pro-Russian leader in the country. The trial is the first stemming from the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.         Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. Forward This Email | Subscribe to CFR Newsletters | Unsubscribe - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  

From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org

Date: July 30, 2018 at 10:04PM