Pakistan elections 2024: How the voting works
EXPLAINER Pakistan will vote on February 8 for national and state legislatures amid political fluidity and steep economic challenges. On Thursday, 128 million Pakistanis will get to elect their country’s next government, and also the legislatures of the nation’s four provinces. These are Pakistan’s 12th general elections — and the country’s latest attempt to deepen democratic roots. Pakistan’s powerful military establishment has ruled directly for more than three decades of the country’s journey as an independent nation since 1947. And it has influenced and intervened in politics even when not directly in power — a fact acknowledged by former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa in November 2022. Those allegations against the military’s involvement in politics have been amplified in recent weeks, amid a crackdown on former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Khan is in jail, unable to contest, while the PTI has been denied the use of its electoral symbol, the cricket bat. Yet, at least officially, civilian leaders have now ruled directly for the past 16 years — the longest such stretch in independent Pakistan’s history. So how will the elections on February 8 work? The when, where and what of voting Despite the lukewarm campaign season for the elections, the polls will elect a government that will be responsible for bringing stability to a country racked by a volatile political landscape, increasing incidents of violence, and an economy in turmoil. Voters will also elect legislators to their provincial assemblies. So in effect, each voter can cast two votes — one for the National Assembly, and another for the provincial assembly. The voting process is scheduled to begin at 8am (03:00 GMT) and will continue, without a break, till 5pm (12:00 GMT). Those already in the queue to vote at 5pm will be allowed to vote even if that extends the process. If some polling stations witness violence or other disruptions, officials can extend voting to allow voters to cast their ballots. The counting will begin soon after voting closes, with tentative results expected to emerge within a few hours. How are the National Assembly seats distributed? Based on the results of the national census conducted in 2023, the constituencies went through a delimitation process. The boundaries of many constituencies were altered, and the number of seats changed — coming down from 272 in total to 266 in the National Assembly. The northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province saw an increase of seats from 39 to 45. Punjab, the largest province by population, retained 141 seats. With more than half of the National Assembly seats, Punjab becomes the biggest battleground on February 8. Sindh, the second-most populous province, and Balochistan, the country’s largest but most impoverished province, both retained their previous National Assembly seats at 61 and 16, respectively. The Islamabad Capital Territory has three seats, as it did previously. In addition, 60 seats are reserved for women and 10 for minorities, which are allotted on the basis of 5 percent proportional representation in the National Assembly. What about the upper house of parliament? The Senate, the upper house of Pakistan’s parliament, has 100 seats. But unlike the National Assembly, the Senate is not elected directly. Its members are picked by the provincial assemblies. While the National Assembly has a tenure of five years, the Senate’s tenure is six years. Elections to the Senate are staggered and held every three years. The Senate, the National Assembly and the country’s provincial assemblies combine to form the electoral college, which in turn elects Pakistan’s president. What about provincial elections? In addition to electing the National Assembly, the assemblies of the four provinces – Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh – will elect representatives, who will in turn vote in a chief minister. Proportionate to Punjab’s representation in the National Assembly, it also has the largest legislature with 371 seats. Sindh’s assembly has 168 seats, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 124 seats and Balochistan with 65. As in the National Assembly, some of the seats in the provincial legislatures are reserved for women and minorities. These are distributed proportionately to parties based on their representation in the legislature. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump wasn’t on the ballot, but Haley loses Nevada’s Republican presidential primary
LAS VEGAS – Former President Donald Trump wasn’t on the ballot in Tuesday’s Republican presidential primary in the early voting state of Nevada. But his absence wasn’t enough to help secure a victory for his last remaining major rival for the 2024 GOP nomination – Nikki Haley. Voters casting ballots in the state-run Republican nominating contest couldn’t write in Trump’s name, but they could vote for a “none of these candidates” option. And the Associated Press projected that the “none of these candidates” option would defeat Haley in a primary where no delegates to this summer’s Republican convention were at stake. Trump supporters Fox News spoke with at polling stations said they were casting a ballot for “none of the above.” BIDEN HITS THE JACKPOT IN NEVADA’S DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY While her name was on the ballot, the former two-term South Carolina governor who later served as U.N. ambassador in the Trump administration ignored the Nevada primary. Haley didn’t campaign in Nevada ahead of the primary and hasn’t been in the state since speaking in late October at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership conference. “In terms of Nevada, we have not spent a dime nor an ounce of energy on Nevada,” Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankney told reporters on Monday. “So Nevada is not and has never been our focus.” While Trump, the commanding front-runner for the 2024 GOP nomination as he makes his third straight White House run, wasn’t on the primary ballot, his name will be listed on Thursday in a presidential caucus being run by the Nevada GOP. The confusion over having two competing contests dates to 2021, when Democrats, who at the time controlled both Nevada’s governor’s office and the legislature, passed a law changing the presidential nominating contest from long-held caucuses to a state-run primary. WHAT NIKKI HALEY TOLD FOX DIGITAL ABOUT WHAT SHE NEEDS TO DO TO KEEP RUNNING The Nevada GOP objected, but last year their legal bid to stop the primary from going forward was rejected. In a twist, the judge in the case allowed the state Republicans to hold their own caucuses, where all 26 delegates will be up for grabs. The state GOP ruled that candidates who put their name on the state-run primary ballot could not take part in the caucuses. Haley and some of the other now-departed Republican presidential candidates viewed the Nevada GOP as too loyal to Trump and decided to skip a caucus they believed was tipped in favor of the former president. Nevada GOP chair Michael McDonald and both of the state’s members of the Republican National Committee are supporting Trump. “We made the decision early on that we were not going to pay $55,000 to a Trump entity that, you know, to participate in a process that was rigged for Trump,” Ankney argued. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP While the GOP presidential candidates had to choose either the caucus or primary ballot, registered Republicans in Nevada can vote in both contests. And Trump’s campaign has been working to get the message out to supporters in Nevada that if they want to vote for the former president, they need to show up at the caucuses. “Your primary vote doesn’t mean anything. It’s your caucus vote,” Trump said at a rally in Las Vegas late last month. “So in your state, you have both the primary and you have a caucus. Don’t worry about the primary, just do the caucus thing.” Trump is expected back in Las Vegas on Thursday, for a caucus celebration. This week’s contests are just an appetizer for Nevada, which as a key general election battleground state will see plenty of campaign traffic this summer and autumn. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Biden wins Nevada Democratic presidential primary as he moves closer to showdown with Trump
President Biden hit the jackpot in Nevada, with a third straight ballot box victory in the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination race. The Associated Press on Tuesday projected that the president would win Nevada’s Democratic primary, with the news service making its call a little over 90 minutes after the polls closed in the Battle Born State at 7 p.m. local time. The projection came as no surprise, as Biden was expected to trounce long-shot Democratic primary challenger Marianne Williamson, the best-selling author and spiritual adviser who’s making her second straight White House run. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, another Democratic primary rival who faces a steep uphill climb to win the nomination, was not on the ballot in Nevada because he announced his candidacy in late October, after the state’s filing deadline. TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, BUT IS STILL A WINNER IN NEVADA’S GOP PRIMARY Thirty-six pledged delegates were up for grabs in Tuesday’s primary. With nearly two-thirds of ballots counted, Biden was winning 90% of the vote. “I want to thank the voters of Nevada for sending me and Kamala Harris to the White House four years ago, and for setting us one step further on that same path again tonight,” the president said in a statement after his victory was projected. Biden emphasized to supporters that “we must organize, mobilize, and vote. Because one day, when we look back, we’ll be able to say, when American democracy was a risk, we saved it — together.” Biden’s victory in Nevada comes three days after a massive victory in South Carolina’s Democratic primary, where he captured over 96% of the vote against Williamson and Phillips. And it comes two weeks after he captured 64% of the vote as a write-in candidate in New Hampshire’s unsanctioned Democratic presidential primary. HALEY, TRUMP, TRADE SHOTS OVER WHO’S STRONGER AGAINST BIDEN Biden’s second place finish to Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in the Nevada primary four years ago helped the then-former vice president rebound after dismal four and fifth place finishes in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Biden’s landslide victory in the next contest – the South Carolina primary – boosted him towards the Democratic nomination and eventually the White House. The president campaigned in the Las Vegas area on Sunday and Monday, holding a rally, a fundraiser, and meeting with leaders and rank-and-file members of the powerful Culinary Union, which struck a tentative agreement with several casinos to avert a strike just days before the Super Bowl is held in the city. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Biden is all-but-certain to easily win renomination and will likely face off in a rematch in November’s general election with former President Donald Trump, who is the commanding front-runner for the GOP nomination. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
US Republican-led Israel-only bill fails; Ukraine-Israel-border bill shaky
The United States House of Representatives has rejected a Republican-led bill to provide $17.6bn in assistance to Israel as a wider bipartisan bill that would also help Ukraine and ensure more money for border security looked to be in trouble as well. The Tuesday vote on the Israel bill, which needed a two-thirds majority to advance, was largely along party lines. Aid for Israel – one of the largest recipients of US foreign aid – has traditionally received strong bipartisan support. However, the bill’s opponents said it was a Republican ploy to distract from their opposition to the $118bn Senate bill combining an overhaul of US immigration policy and new funding for border security – measures Republicans had demanded – with billions of dollars in emergency aid for Ukraine, Israel and partners in the Asia Pacific. House Democratic leaders called the Israel bill a “nakedly obvious and cynical attempt” to undermine the larger package, hammered out at the weekend after months of negotiations by a bipartisan group of senators. Support for that bill has dwindled among Republicans with former President Donald Trump – who is likely to be the Republican candidate for November’s presidential election – pressuring them to avoid handing President Joe Biden, his probable Democrat rival, a legislative victory ahead of the poll. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said the Senate bill was “dead on arrival” in the chamber even before it was introduced. Senate Republican leaders said on Tuesday they did not think the measure would receive enough votes to pass. “It looks to me and to most of our members that we have no real chance here to make a law,” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters. Biden, who supports the Senate bill, had promised to veto the House’s Israel-only measure if it were passed. On Tuesday, he urged lawmakers to back the wider bill, saying the clock was “ticking” for Ukraine two years since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of his country’s neighbour. He called on them to “show some spine” and stand up to Trump. Out of funds, the Pentagon is sending no more arms shipments to Kyiv even as Ukraine is struggling with ammunition and personnel shortages as Russia mounts relentless attacks. “Every week, every month that passes without new aid to Ukraine means fewer artillery shells, fewer air defence systems, fewer tools for Ukraine to defend itself against this Russian onslaught,” Biden said. “We can’t walk away now. That’s what Putin’s betting on,” Biden said. “Supporting this bill is standing up to Putin. Opposing this bill is playing into his hands.” The immigration portion of the legislation, Biden added, included the “toughest set of reforms to secure the border ever”. ‘Necessary resources’ The Israel bill’s supporters insisted it was not a political stunt, saying it was important to move quickly to support the country, which launched an offensive on Gaza after members of the Hamas armed group launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking dozens captive. The Israel-only bill was criticised for not providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza [Mohammed Abed/AFP] At least 27,585 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli onslaught, with thousands more injured. “This bill simply provides necessary resources to our closest ally in the region and our own military,” said Republican Ken Calvert, who introduced the measure. Some Democrats also condemned the House bill for failing to provide humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians. Members of Congress have been struggling for months to reach an agreement on sending security assistance overseas, particularly to Ukraine. Biden has twice sent Congress requests for emergency spending bills, most recently in October. The Republican-majority House passed an Israel-only bill in November but it was never taken up in the Democratic-led Senate. Negotiators had worked on Biden’s request for a broader emergency security package and Republican demands that any security assistance be combined with changes in immigration policy and security at the border with Mexico. The failed Israel House vote was the second in quick succession for Johnson’s Republican majority on Tuesday. It came immediately after the chamber voted against impeaching Biden’s top border official, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Adblock test (Why?)
In legal no-man’s land, refugees in Malaysia struggle to eat, pay rent
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – It is late afternoon in Kuala Lumpur and in the harsh heat, Zabi* concludes his third visit to the doctor in a month, still unsure of what is causing his excruciating stomach aches despite all his reports being normal so far. He worries about paying for the doctor as, being a refugee, he does not have much money or any medical benefits. When Zabi came from Afghanistan to Malaysia as a teenager five years ago, he had no choice but to fend for himself. His family had only enough money for one of them to flee. “I know it’s illegal for a refugee to work in Malaysia. But I have no choice as an orphan, as I have no trace of my family at the moment. I work around 18 hours a day and I hardly get paid four ringgit ($0.88) an hour,” the 18-year-old told Al Jazeera. Zabi is working as a housekeeper in a Malaysian-owned hotel in Kuala Lumpur but because he is a refugee and not officially allowed to work, he has no written contract. He has had a series of other jobs – as a security guard, in restaurants and in customer service – and lives a precarious existence, struggling to make enough money to pay his 500 Malaysian ringgit ($106) monthly rent. “After extremely exhausting long working days, Maggi instant noodles are something I eat most days,” he said. Malaysia has no formal framework for refugees, which means they are left in a legal no-man’s land where they are vulnerable to exploitation by those who do employ them. Under Malaysian law, refugees are also no different to undocumented migrants who are often targeted in official crackdowns. Malaysia has cracked down on undocumented migrants in recent years [File: Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters] Asked about refugees at the United Nations last month, the Malaysian representative defended the government’s approach and indicated that there was no room for change. “Who is the deserving refugee? Who is a deserving asylum seeker? Who is an economic migrant? Who is to determine them as such?” Foreign Affairs Ministry Deputy Secretary General (multilateral affairs) Bala Chandran Tharman told the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva, according to the Malay Mail. Lack of legal protection While Malaysia is a member of the UN, it has never signed the 1951 Refugee Convention and there are no laws (PDF) in place to recognise and provide for those fleeing persecution and conflict. Refugees also have no right to work, attend school or access medical care. Registration with the local office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provides some measure of protection and support, including limited access to healthcare, education and other services provided by the UN and its partners. “This is only an identity document and has no formal legal value in Malaysia,” the UNHCR website notes of the card given to all those registered with it. In 2022, the Malaysian government said all asylum seekers and refugees would need to register under the government’s Tracking Refugees Information System (TRIS), which was launched in 2017. The TRIS website talks about safety and the risk of social problems linked to the influx of refugees but suggests registration may allow cardholders to work in some, mostly unskilled, areas. “The lack of legal protection forces refugees to work illegally, and most of the jobs that they find are 3D jobs, the ‘difficult, dangerous, and dirty’ kind of work that Malaysians try to avoid,” said Jana Stanfield, the co-founder of Together We Can Change the World and founder of the Refugee Film School in Kuala Lumpur. More than 100 Rohingya refugees escaped from an immigration detention centre in Bidor this month. The UNHCR has not been able to visit the centres since 2019 [Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters] Without legal protection and proper contracts, many do not receive Malaysia’s national minimum pay (introduced in May 2022) of 1,500 Malaysian ringgit ($329) per month or 7.21 Malaysian ringgit ($1.64) an hour. Zabi, who spent five months learning English after arriving in Malaysia in 2018, says the boss at the security firm where he once worked had agreed to pay him about 1,000 Malaysian ringgit ($219) a month but never did. Even now, he is forced to do overtime, which is unpaid, and work in other roles to meet his employer’s needs. He told Al Jazeera he has to agree to these conditions, having no alternative. ‘Win-win’ More than 70 percent of the 185,000 refugees in Malaysia registered with the refugee agency are of working age. According to information gathered from refugee communities, most make a living in restaurants, retail and other service jobs as well as agriculture and construction. “It is a ‘win-win’ for Malaysia, as it would take into consideration both the humanitarian needs of refugees, whilst also benefiting the Malaysian economy as it recovers from the social and economic impact of the pandemic,” UNHCR spokeswoman Yante Ismail said in a statement to Al Jazeera about allowing the community to work legally. Malaysia has allowed certain groups of refugees to join the workforce in the past. In 2015, some Syrians were allowed to work and send their children to school under a scheme based on an initiative in the early 1990s for Bosnians fleeing the Balkan wars. “Malaysia can allow refugees to exercise their right to work under an existing legal framework … and then this can be expanded to include education and healthcare,” said Mahi Ramakrishnan, an investigative filmmaker and activist based in Malaysia. “The question is whether the government has the political will to do so.” Malaysia has millions of foreign workers who usually travel to the country on government-sponsored schemes to fill low-skilled jobs [Mohd Rasfan/AFP] In 2017, a pilot project allowed about 300 Rohingya refugees with UNHCR cards to work legally in the plantation and manufacturing sector, but was not adopted. In October, the Human Resources Ministry said refugees might be allowed to work officially in the so-called “3D jobs” amid shortages of workers
New Zealand calls on Papua rebels to release pilot kidnapped a year ago
Phillip Mehrtens, a commercial pilot with Susi Air, was taken captive from an airstrip in the troubled Indonesian province. New Zealand has called for the immediate release of pilot Phillip Mehrtens who was taken captive by fighters in Indonesia’s troubled Papua province a year ago. Mehrtens, who was flying a single-propeller plane for Indonesia’s Susi Air, was snatched from his aircraft on February 7 last year by a group of fighters from the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN-PB) who said he would only be released if Papua was given its independence. The group, led by regional commander Elias Kogoya, later released images and videos showing Mehrtens surrounded by rebels – some armed with guns and others with bows and arrows – in remote forested areas. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the New Zealander had been providing “vital air links and supplies to remote communities” at the time he was kidnapped. “We strongly urge those holding Phillip to release him immediately and without harm. His continued detention serves the interests of no one,” Peters said in a statement to mark a year since the pilot was taken. The incident in the remote highlands region of Nduga, one of the most restive areas of the province, drew renewed attention to one of the world’s least-known and longest-running conflicts. Papua, whose people are ethnically Melanesian, occupies the western half of the island of New Guinea – just 200km (124 miles) north of Australia – and shares a land border with Papua New Guinea (PNG). A low-level battle for independence has been under way since Indonesia took control of the resource-rich former Dutch colony after a controversial referendum in 1969. Peters said New Zealand had been working with Indonesian authorities and others towards securing Phillip’s release. “Let me be absolutely clear,” he said. “There can never be any justification for hostage taking.” Peters’s statement came after the TPN-PB, the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), said they had asked Kogoya to release Mehrtens, although they gave no timeframe for when that might happen. “We plan to proceed with the release based on humanity,” TPN-PB spokesperson Sebby Sambom was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. “We believed that most Australians and New Zealanders support Papua’s independence,” he added. “We don’t want to be blamed by international community if the pilot dies while he is being held hostage by our fighters.” Peters said Mehrtens had been able to contact some friends and family before Christmas and had assured them that he was well. New Zealand was “exploring all avenues” to bring the pilot home, he added. Indonesia deployed police and soldiers into the highland district in an attempt to rescue Mehrtens shortly after he was taken captive and there have been a number of clashes since. Outsiders, including foreign journalists, international organisations and diplomats require special permission from Jakarta to visit the region, which is the location of one of the world’s largest gold and copper deposits. There has been a surge in violence in Papua since 2018 when rebels killed 24 Indonesian men who were building a major new road to connect the coast with the highlands. United Nations human rights experts have expressed concern about the deteriorating situation. Adblock test (Why?)
Former Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby found guilty of 1 count of mortgage fraud
Former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby has been convicted of one count of mortgage fraud, after testifying that she unintentionally made false statements on loan applications to buy two Florida vacation homes. The Associated Press reported that the split verdict was announced Tuesday evening after jury members deliberated for most of the day, finding Mosby not guilty on a second mortgage fraud charge. In November, Mosby was convicted of two counts of perjury by a federal jury after she falsely claimed financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to withdraw money from the city’s retirement fund. She has not been sentenced in either case and faces up to five years for each count. Federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against Mosby after allegations that she claimed a pandemic-related hardship to pull money from her retirement account then used the money as down payments on two Florida properties. FORMER BALTIMORE PROSECUTOR MARILYN MOSBY FOUND GUILTY ON 2 COUNTS OF PERJURY Prosecutors claimed she repeatedly lied on the mortgage applications. While Mosby’s mortgage fraud trial was slated to take place in Baltimore, it was ultimately moved to Greenbelt, Maryland because of concerns potential jurors may be biased by media coverage of the case. Once the trial started, both Mosby and her ex-husband, Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby, provided testimony, with the latter saying he lied about their federal tax debt because he was embarrassed. BALTIMORE’S FORMER TOP PROSECUTOR MARILYN MOSBY HAS TRIAL DELAYED AFTER ENTIRE DEFENSE TEAM QUITS Marilyn Mosby told the courts she did not make any false statements intentionally and signed the loan applications in good faith. But it was her failure to disclose the debt on her applications that contributed to the mortgage fraud charges. Prosecutors alleged during the trial that Mosby lied about getting a $5,000 gift from her husband at the time, which helped her get a lower interest rate. FORMER BALTIMORE PROSECUTOR MARILYN MOSBY FACES POSSIBLE DISBARMENT AMID ONGOING LEGAL BATTLES The gift is what led to the conviction, the Baltimore Sun reported, as prosecutors traced it back to her account. Prosecutors had to prove Mosby knowingly made a false statement that affected the mortgage application process, in order to get a conviction. Having been found guilty of mortgage fraud, Mosby now faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years for the single count. Mosby gained a national profile for prosecuting Baltimore police officers after Freddie Gray, a Black man, died in police custody. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to why Rep. Blake Moore flipped from Yea to Nay on impeaching Mayorkas
There were four Republicans who voted no tonight against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Ken Buck (R-Colo.) and House Vice Conference Chairman Blake Moore (R-Utah) – a member of the Republican leadership. But Moore’s “nay” vote against impeaching Mayorkas deserves an asterisk. He’s not really against impeaching Mayorkas. Moore voted no so the Republican effort to impeach Mayorkas could live to fight another day. FOUR HOUSE REPUBLICANS VOTE AGAINST IMPEACHMENT OF ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS To wit: Moore was on the board as a yea in favor of impeaching Mayorkas. But the GOP miscalculated how many yea votes that they had – as well as how many Democrats present and available to vote no. The current breakdown in the 431 member House is 219 Republicans to 212 Democrats with four vacancies. Republicans can only lose three votes. But that’s if all of their members are present. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) has not voted all year due to cancer treatments. Scalise tells FOX he will be back soon. So as soon as the Mayorkas impeachment vote went to 215-215, the gig was up for impeaching Mayorkas. At least on Tuesday night. By rule, a tie vote loses in the House. So the Mayorkas impeachment effort was going down to defeat. Only on one occasion before has the House ever defeated articles of impeachment. In December 1997, the House only adopted two of the articles of impeachment leveled against former President Clinton. WHY DID THE HOUSE FAIL TO IMPEACH MAYORKAS? So what were Republicans to do in order to salvage their impeachment gambit? House rules enable any member on the PREVAILING side of a roll call vote (in this instance, the NAYS) to “move to reconsider” a vote. In other words, demand a re-vote. Moore was a yea – but on the losing side. Gallagher, McClintock and Buck certainly weren’t going to move to order a re-vote. So, it fell to a member of the House GOP brass. Moore changed his vote to no. Not because he opposes impeaching Mayorkas. But now he was on the “winning” side.” This preserved the option for House Republicans to summon the vote again. Perhaps when Scalise is back. Or if Republicans win the special election on Long Island next week. The GOP hopes that Republican nominee Mazi Melesa Pilip defeats former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) for the seat vacated by expelled former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.). Then Republicans might have some reinforcements to impeach… Of course, that presumes that other Republicans aren’t absent that day. As I always say, YOU try to get more than 400 people in the same room at the same time. Members are always away for random reasons. Illness. Family commitments. Funerals. Events in the district. You name it. TOP REPUBLICAN SAYS DEMS ‘WILL ANSWER’ AT BALLOT BOX FOR NOT BACKING MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT Of course, impeachment resolutions are “privileged.” That means any member could just put forth an impeachment plan again right away and the House would have to take it up. But by preserving the impeachment investigation, committee report and other documents, the maneuver by Moore enables the Republican leadership to preserve the impeachment gambit launched by the Homeland Security Committee – and try again. Maintaining that more exhaustive impeachment plan will also give the GOP more credibility if and when they present their impeachment articles to the Senate for a possible trial. Moreover, having a key member change their vote to potentially order a re-vote in the House is rare. It happens with some degree of regularity in the Senate. Over the years Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and the late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) would often be compelled to change their votes from yes to no – in order to call for a re-vote on a failed issue. Moore’s effort was not unprecedented in the House. But something seen more often across the Capitol dome in the Senate.
‘I don’t agree that…’: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi affirms INDIA bloc unity amid political shifts
Speaking on the alliance dynamics, Rahul Gandhi noted that while some members like Nitish Kumar have departed to join the BJP, the core essence of the INDIA alliance remains intact.
Indian student chased, brutally attacked by 4 men in Chicago
A viral video on social media showed the student bleeding heavily as he described the horrific incident.