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Swiss Politics

Parliament gives thumbs up to official cabinet mouthpiece

This content was published on Mar 22, 2000 Parliament has approved the idea of an official cabinet spokesperson. It is one of a series of changes in the law relating to the organisation of the government. The new law basically rubber stamps the status quo, even though a similar proposal was turned down by parliament in 1993. The de facto cabinet spokesman was,…

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Moratorium on naturalisation requests in town of Emmen

This content was published on Mar 22, 2000 The authorities in the central Swiss town of Emmen have placed a moratorium on processing any new naturalisation requests, following harsh criticism from within Switzerland and abroad of its system of allowing residents to vote on citizenship applications. The authorities have reacted to the criticism by suspending the applications of another 250 foreigners living in…

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Swiss Politics

Maurer plays down party divisions

This content was published on Mar 21, 2000 The Swiss People’s Party president, Ueli Maurer, is playing down internal political differences, following the decision by two former leading officials to turn their backs on the party. Maurer said he regretted the moves but indicated the two people concerned were not important members of the party. In an interview with German-Swiss television, Maurer said…

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Swiss Politics

Switzerland favours positive engagement with countries accused of abusing human rights

This content was published on Mar 21, 2000 Switzerland favours positive engagement with countries accused of abusing human rights. The Swiss foreign minister, Joseph Deiss, has unveiled several proposals for improving human rights, at the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission. However, he shied away from strongly condemning countries with poor records. He proposed new protocols on two existing treaties, as well…

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Swiss Politics

Land route opened for returning Kosovo refugees

This content was published on Mar 21, 2000 Nine European countries have signed an accord allowing refugees who fled Kosovo during last year’s war to return home by an overland route, without a visa. Switzerland is among the signatories. The accord was signed in Berlin by Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary and Switzerland. The Swiss justice ministry said the agreement…

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Swiss Politics

Clinton and Assad to meet in Geneva

This content was published on Mar 20, 2000 President Clinton is to meet his Syrian counterpart, Hafez al-Assad, in Switzerland on Sunday in an effort to revive Syrian-Israeli peace talks, which broke off in January over disagreements over the fate of the Golan Heights. The two men last met in Geneva in 1994 (picture). Speaking in Bangladesh on the first day of a…

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Swiss Politics

People’s Party crisis deepens

This content was published on Mar 20, 2000 The right-wing People’s Party is in crisis following the eruption of internal differences into the open. In the latest blow to the party, its former secretary-general, Max Friedli (pictured), has suspended his membership. Friedli, who’s now head of the federal transport office, said he no longer saw eye-to-eye with much of party policy, and accused…

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Swiss Politics

People’s Party racked by internal strife

This content was published on Mar 20, 2000 The right-wing People’s Party appears to be in disarray following a torrent of criticism of its style and policies from within the party itself. In the latest blow, Myrtha Welti (pictured) is the second former secretary-general, along with Max Friedli, to leave the party on Monday. Welti said she was resigning because of the party’s…

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Swiss Politics

Blocher under fire on home-ground

This content was published on Mar 18, 2000 The populist right-wing politician, Christoph Blocher, has come under fire from within his own party. Lisbeth Fehr, a member of the House of Representatives for Blocher’s home territory of Zurich, has launched an all-out attack on his political stance. Fehr said the party now showed totalitarian tendencies and had distanced itself from its original principles.…

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Swiss Politics

Ogi defends arms for Swiss peacekeepers

This content was published on Mar 18, 2000 The president, Adolf Ogi, has been defending the controversial idea of arming Swiss peace-keepers abroad. He told army officers at a meeting in Sarnen, in canton Obwalden, that such a step would not compromise Swiss neutrality, nor did it have anything to do with a possible entry into Nato. Ogi, who is also defence minister,…

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