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De Villepin the Wiretapper: Chirac Names New Prime Minister
Following Defeat Over EU Constitution
Gay Marriage in Native America
Energy Exploitation and the Ban on Uranium Mining in Navajo
Country
De Villepin the Wiretapper: Chirac Names New Prime
Minister Following Defeat Over EU Constitution
French President Jacques Chirac has named Dominique de Villepin
as prime minister following the government defeat in Sunday's
vote on the European Union Constitution. We speak with journalist
Doug Ireland who says, "[Villepin] is a very traditional
defender of French national interests and indeed prerogatives
in its former colonial empire."
French President Jacques Chirac has named Dominique de Villepin
as prime minister following the government defeat in Sunday's
vote on the European Union Constitution.
Villepin is the former interior and foreign minister and
a close ally of Chirac. In the run-up to to the US invasion
of Iraq, Villepin led France's opposition to the war. He replaces
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who tendered his resignation minutes
earlier.
On Sunday, French voters decisively rejected ratification
of the new European constitution, plunging Chirac's government
into chaos and casting uncertainty on the future of Europe's
integration drive. The "non" vote was 55% and the
turnout was around 70%. France, a founding member of the European
Union, is the first country to reject the constitution which
can only take affect if all 25 member states ratify it. On
Wednesday, the Netherlands holds a non-binding referendum
on the constitution and it is widely expected that it will
be rejected by voters in that country as well. Meanwhile,
British Prime Minister Tony Blair hinted that he may postpone
the referendum planned for next year in Britain calling for
a "time of reflection" on the text.
- Doug Ireland, a longtime journalist and who lived in
France for a decade writing on European politics and culture.
He has been a columnist for The Nation magazine, Village
Voice, the New York Observer and the Paris daily Liberation.
He is also a contributing editor of POZ, the monthly for
the HIV-positive community.
Read Doug Ireland's
blog.
Gay Marriage in Native America
We look at gay marriage legislation in Native America and
issues of of tribal sovereignty, cultural tradition, and legal
rights. We speak with the president of the Navajo nation and
a Cherokee woman who is fighting for legal recognition in
the tribal courts.
The debate over gay marriage continues to divide the nation
and in the last year, many states have passed laws prohibiting
the recognition of same sex marriages. However, at the same
time, some states have moved forward in granting legal rights
to gay and lesbians couples. Connecticut recently joined Vermont
in legalizing "civil unions," which are designed
to afford the same legal protections, rights, and responsibilities
as marriage. And Oregon could soon become the third state
to legalize civil unions.
The gay marriage debate has been playing out in Indian country
as well, touching on issues of tribal sovereignty, cultural
tradition, and legal rights.
The Navajo Indian Tribe is the largest tribe in the United
States. It extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, covering
over 27,000 square miles. In April, the Navajo tribal council
passed the Dine Marriage Act of 2005, which banned same-sex
marriages. Earlier this month, however, the president of the
Navajo nation, Joe Shirley, vetoed the legislation calling
it discriminatory. The tribal council is planning to try to
overturn the Shirley's ban.
Meanwhile, in Cherokee nation, which is the second largest
tribe in the U.S and encompasses 14 counties in Northeast
Oklahoma, the tribal council also banned same sex marriages.
But the ban was passed after a lesbian couple had already
obtained a tribal marriage application.
- David Cornsilk, member of the Cherokee nation. He lives
in Tulsa Oklahoma.
- Joe Shirley, President of the Navajo Nation.
- Dawn McKinley, she and her girlfriend, both members of
the Cherokee nation, married last year. They are now fighting
for legal recognition in the Cherokee tribal courts.
Energy Exploitation and the Ban on Uranium Mining
in Navajo Country
The president of the Navajo Nation approved legislation
last month banning uranium mining and processing on Navajo
territory. We host a debate on energy exploitation with Navajo
President Joe Shirley and Earl Tully of Dine Care, a Navajo
environmental organization.
President Joe Shirley approved legislation last month banning
uranium mining and processing on Navajo territory. There is
currently no mining on the Navajo reservation but Hydro Resources
Inc. has been working with the Federal Nuclear Regulatory
Commission for years to try to get approval for mining near
the Navajo communities of Crownpoint and Church Rock, New
Mexico. The company estimates nearly one-hundred million pounds
of uranium exists on those sites.
Companies mined land in Navajo country for forty years and
the impact is still felt. Navajos have suffered from high
cancer rates and respiratory problems. Their land has been
dotted with contaminated tailings and abandoned mines.
- Joe Shirley, President of the Navajo Nation.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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