Page 8 - aruba-today-20191123

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 23 November 2019
UK party leaders grilled by wary voters on Brexit and more

By JILL LAWLESS its manifesto Friday, calling
Associated Press for billions of pounds (dol-
LONDON (AP) — Britain's lars) in new investment in
Dec. 12 vote has been renewable energy to cre-
dubbed the "Brexit elec- ate "tens of thousands of
tion," dominated by the green-collar jobs."
country's stalled exit from Plaid Cymru — Welsh for
the European Union. But the Party of Wales — op-
political parties are also try- poses Brexit. It's calling for
ing to win over voters more a new referendum on Brit-
worried about the U.K.'s ain's EU membership and
stuttering economy and backs an eventual vote on
frayed social fabric. Welsh independence. The
The electorate remains party held four seats in the
deeply skeptical of politi- last Parliament.
cians' promises, if a tele- The broadening focus of
vised question-and-answer the election means even
session on Friday is any indi- the Brexit Party, led by vet-
cation. eran euroskeptic Nigel Far-
The leaders of Britain's four age, published a list of pol-
biggest parties — Prime icy pledges on Friday that
Minister Boris Johnson, went far beyond leaving
main opposition Labour the EU.
Party leader Jeremy Cor- Nigel Farage, Leader of Britain's Brexit Party speaks on stage at the launch of their policies for the The party, which wants Brit-
byn, Nicola Sturgeon of the General Election campaign, in London, Friday, Nov. 22, 2019. ain to make a sharp break
Scottish National Party and Associated Press with the 28-nation bloc,
Jo Swinson of the pro-EU however they voted in the endum offering British vot- energy utilities and postal is also calling for a "politi-
Liberal Democrats — faced referendum in 2016." ers a choice between leav- system; cap rents; hike the cal revolution" in the U.K.
questions from a studio au- Johnson pushed for Brit- ing the EU on those terms or minimum wage; abolish It wants a written constitu-
dience selected to reflect ain to hold the December remaining. university tuition fees and tion, the abolition of Parlia-
the level of the parties' sup- election, which is taking The election's focus has give everyone free internet ment's unelected House of
port. place more than two years broadened beyond Brexit access if it wins the Dec. 12 Lords, more public referen-
Corbyn, the first to be early, in hopes of winning a this week as the parties un- election. dums and a cut in immigra-
quizzed on the BBC show, majority and breaking Brit- veiled their detailed policy Corbyn said the measures tion to below 50,000 people
faced tough questions ain's political impasse over platforms. Such manifestos in the party's "manifesto of a year, less than a quarter
about his party's left-wing Brexit. are a British election staple hope" would be paid for by of Britain's current rate.
policies — branded reck- Johnson says if voters give and their publication is a increasing taxes on corpo- Founded earlier this year,
less and terrifying by one the Conservatives a major- major campaign event for rations and high earners. the Brexit Party currently
questioner — and drew ity he will "get Brexit done" each party. Johnson has labeled La- has none of the 650 seats
groans when he declined by getting Parliament to The Labour Party published bour's policies "ruinous." up for grabs in the House
to say whether he support- ratify his Brexit divorce deal its wide-ranging manifesto Johnson's Conservative of Commons in the De-
ed leaving the European and taking the U.K. out of on Thursday, setting out Party and the Scottish Na- cember vote. It is running
Union or remaining. the EU by the current Brexit plans for a radical expan- tional Party have not yet in almost 300 seats but has
Corbyn said he would re- deadline of Jan. 31. sion of public spending and published their own mani- withdrawn from 317 Con-
main neutral because "my Labour says it will negotiate state ownership. festos. servative-dominated con-
whole strategy has been a better Brexit deal with the Labour promised to na- The Welsh nationalist party stituencies to avoid splitting
to bring people together, EU, then hold a new refer- tionalize Britain's railways, Plaid Cymru also released the pro-Brexit vote.q

Poland approves controversial judges to constitutional court

by opposition lawmakers, years that the European sparked numerous street
raising concerns about the Union says erode judicial protests in recent years by
court's independence. independence. Piotrowicz Poles who fear they pose a
Parliament voted the judg- lost his seat in parliament in threat to democracy.
es in late Thursday during a October elections. Prime Minister Mateusz
heated session that includ- Law and Justice often jus- Morawiecki defended Pi-
ed calls of "Disgrace!" by tifies its overhaul of the otrowicz this week, saying
opposition lawmakers. The justice system by saying it he "behaved decently"
president must still swear is cleaning up corruption with the cases he handled
them in. The Constitutional and purging remnants of during the communist era.
Tribunal's responsibilities in- the communist system that Piotrowicz has also faced
clude ensuring that legisla- ended 30 years ago. The criticism for appearing to
tion conforms with the con- party has faced accusa- protect a priest found guilty
Poland's President Andrzej Duda, akes the oath of office from
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and members of the new stitution. The most disputed tions of hypocrisy for mak- of sexual abuse of minors.
government in power, at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, of the three judges is Stani- ing a former communist The other disputed nomi-
Poland, Friday, Nov. 15, 2019. slaw Piotrowicz, a former prosecutor the face of its nee is Krystyna Pawlowicz,
Associated Press communist-era state pros- reforms. Some say his role a jurist and former lawmak-
By VANESSA GERA elected three ruling party ecutor and the architect of is an indication that the er whose hard-right rheto-
Associated Press nominees as judges to the laws pushed by the conser- changes actually amount ric at one point prompted
WARSAW, Poland (AP) constitutional court, includ- vative ruling Law and Jus- to a power grab. Law and Justice to say she
— Poland's parliament ing two widely denounced tice party over the past four The judicial changes have would leave politics. q