Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Mon., Dec 4, 2006
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 12-4-06
PRSS Channel: A67.7
Chavez Re-Elected For Third Presidential Term in Landslide
Victory
Lebanon Political Crisis Continues As Anti-Government Protests
Enter Fourth Day
Report: Bush's Program to Combat HIV Abroad Fails Countries
Struggling With the Pandemic
Chavez Re-Elected For Third Presidential Term in
Landslide Victory
In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez won re-election by a
wide margin on Sunday, securing a third six-year term in office.
With most of the ballots counted, Chavez had won over 60%
of the vote, more than 20 points over rival Manuel Rosales.
We go to Caracas to get a report. [includes rush
transcript]
Minutes after the results were announced, Chavez appeared
on the balcony of his presidential palace in Caracas singing
the national anthem. He told cheering supporters his "Bolivarian
revolution" had triumphed and vowed to boost social programs
that have won him support among Venezuela"s poor.
Chavez also mocked President Bush calling his re-election
"another defeat for the empire of Mr. Danger" and
he sent out a "brotherly" salute to Cuban President
Fidel Castro.
Challenger Manuel Rosales later conceded defeat but vowed
to remain in opposition. Sunday's election saw a high turnout
and the poll was monitored by hundreds of international observers.
- Greg Wilpert journalist and sociologist living in Venezuela.
He the author of the new book, "Changing Venezuela
by Taking Power: The History and Policies of the Chavez
Government." He is also the editor of the website Venezuelanalysis.com.
He joins us on the line from Caracas.
Lebanon Political Crisis Continues As Anti-Government
Protests Enter Fourth Day
Thousands of demonstrators remain camped in the center of
Beirut in an attempt to bring down the pro-western government
of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. We go to Beirut to speak
with Newsday's Middle East bureau chief Mohamad Bazzi and
Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, author of "Hizbu'llah: Politics and
Religion." [includes rush
transcript]
Lebanon's political crisis is continuing as demonstrators
remain camped in the center of Beirut in an attempt to bring
down the government. Thousands of supporters of Hezbollah
and other opposition forces are on the streets calling for
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government to go.
Siniora is refusing to step down to make way for a government
that would include more of Hezbollah's allies. The protest
started on Friday when hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah
supporters staged a massive rally in the center of Beirut.
Demonstrators blocked the entrance to Siniora's offices. More
protestors joined the sit-in over the weekend and have vowed
to stay there until Siniora and his ministers resign. On Sunday,
Siniora denied that his government was under siege.
- Fouad Siniora, Prime Minister of Lebanon: "Under
siege? No, we are not under siege. No, no. The sit-in is
fine. They are sitting there. They are expressing their
right of expression. We respect them, and this is their
right. At the same time, there are plenty other Lebanese,
plenty, much more, who have a different opinion. We have
to do our best in order to reconcile."
Many of the demonstrators accuse Siniora of being too pro-Western
and anti-Syrian and of failing the Lebanese people.
- Ali Naser, Lebanese protester speaking in Beirut.
The head of the Arab League, Amr Musa, is visiting Beirut
to offer to mediate between the government and the opposition.
Tension has been building in Lebanon since six government
ministers aligned with Hezbollah resigned and a seventh minister,
Pierre Gemayel, was assassinated two weeks ago. There were
clashes between Shia and Sunni Muslims in Beirut on Saturday
in which one man was killed and at least 12 others were wounded.
The United States has denounced the protests and accused Syria
and Iran of instigating them.
We go to Beirut to get analysis from two guests:
- Mohamad Bazzi, Lebanese-born journalist and Newsday's
Middle East Bureau chief.
- Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, Visiting Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment
for International Peace's Middle East Center in Beirut.
She is the author of "Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion."
Report: Bush's Program to Combat HIV Abroad Fails
Countries Struggling With the Pandemic
A new report released by the Center for Public Integrity
is the first of its kind to examine the policies, politics
and goals of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
known as PEPFAR. The report finds that PEPFAR's faith-based
ideology - including promotion of abstinence - often trumps
science. The report states that PEPFAR is, "failing to
help lead the world to stop this deadly disease. Instead of
empowering people we are restricting them." [includes
rush
transcript]
A new report released by the Center for Public Integrity
finds that President Bush's $15 billion dollar initiative
to combat HIV abroad has failed countries struggling with
the pandemic.
The report, titled "Divine
Intervention," was released as countries across the
globe observed World AIDS day on Friday. It is the result
of a year-long investigation and is the first of its kind
to examine the policies, politics and goals of the President's
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief known as PEPFAR. The center
worked with reporters in eight countries who found that PEPFAR's
faith-based ideology - including promotion of abstinence -
often trumps science. The report states, "PEPFAR is failing
to stop the global spread of AIDS and failing to help lead
the world to stop this deadly disease. Instead of empowering
people we are restricting them. We have a flawed framework
with flawed policies."
- Marina Walker Guevara, investigative reporter with the
Center for Public
Integrity. She traveled to Ethiopia to report on the
local effects of PEPFAR policies.
- Sarah Fort, investigative reporter with the Center for
Public Integrity. She traveled to Haiti to report on the
local effects of PEPFAR policies.
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.
|
Listen
to the show
Help
whole
show
