Kyrgyzstan

Voters head to polls amid ballot tension

Kyrgyzstan chose a new parliament Sunday, with some opposition figures and prominent politicians disqualified from the ballot in a country once seen as an island of democracy in former Soviet Central Asia.

President Askar Akayev is prevented by the constitution from seeking a third term, but opposition forces have suggested Sunday’s vote would be manipulated to ensure a compliant parliament that would amend the constitution to allow him to run again.

Preliminary results were to be announced today. Preliminary nationwide figures showed a turnout of just under 50 percent, the elections commission said. No minimum turnout was necessary to make the voting valid.

Voters were selecting all 75 members of the single-chamber Jogorku Kenesh, which is being reconfigured from a 105-member bicameral legislature for the Central Asian country.

Jerusalem

Israel: No peace moves until militant crackdown

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon threatened Sunday to freeze peace efforts if the Palestinian leadership does not crack down on militant groups after a weekend suicide bombing in Tel Aviv killed four Israelis and wounded dozens.

At a Cabinet meeting, Israel decided to suspend a plan to turn control of five West Bank towns over to the Palestinians and free 400 more prisoners. Those gestures were agreed upon at a Feb. 8 summit in Egypt, where Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared a truce.

The attack and the Israeli measures underlined the fragility of the truce and its vulnerability to violence by extremists who oppose any accommodation.

A familiar pattern appeared in danger of re-emerging: a truce, a Palestinian attack, Israeli retaliation, another Palestinian attack — and ultimately the end of the truce and rekindled violence.

Taiwan

Clinton’s visit draws warning from China

Former President Clinton, visiting Taiwan despite China’s warning his trip could violate Washington’s “one-China” policy, urged the rivals Sunday to set aside their differences and work closer together economically.

China and Taiwan split in 1949 during civil war, but Beijing considers the democratic, self-ruled island to be Chinese territory. Chinese leaders balk at any actions that they believe lend support to Taiwan’s government, and Beijing repeatedly has threatened war if Taiwan moves toward formal independence.

China warned that Clinton’s one-day visit could violate a policy under which the United States agrees to have no diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognizes Beijing as China’s sole government.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said last week that Clinton, as former president, should be familiar with “China’s solemn position on the Taiwan question.”

Though this was Clinton’s first trip to Taiwan since being elected president in 1992, he visited the island four times as Arkansas governor and many Taiwanese are fond of him.