BRICS calls for global trade growth, stronger multilateralism
Johannesburg, July 26 : Member states of the BRICS economic bloc on Thursday called for sustainable growth of global trade and expressed determination to work together to strengthen multilateralism.
"BRICS economies continue to support global economic expansion and outlook," said the Johannesburg Declaration issued following the 10th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit here.
"We advocate continued use of fiscal, monetary and structural policies in concert, to forge strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth," it stated.
In what can be seen as a stinging indictment of US President Donald Trump's protectionism measures by getting into tariff wars with other countries, the BRICS nations expressed concern over some macro-economic policies "adopted by some advanced countries".
"We express concern at the spill-over effects of macro-economic policy measures in some major advanced economies that may cause economic and financial volatility in emerging economies and impact their growth prospects adversely.
"We call on major advanced and emerging market economies to continue policy dialogue and coordination in the context of the G20, FSB (Financial Stability Board) and other fora to address these potential risks," said the statement.
While China is locked in a trade war with the US, which accuses Beijing of dodgy business practices, New Delhi last month decided to hike tariffs on 30 US products in retaliation to Trump's decision to slap more taxes on Indian steel and aluminum.
The BRICS nations stressed "the importance of a favourable external environment for sustained growth of global trade".
According to the 23-page Johannesburg Declaration, the five member-states reinforced their commitment to upholding multilateralism and to working together on the implementation of the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals "as we foster a more representative, democratic, equitable, fair and just international political and economic order".
"We reiterate our determination to work together to strengthen multilateralism and the rule of law in international relations, and to promote a fair, just, equitable, democratic and representative international order," it said.
"We recommit our support for multilateralism and the central role of the United Nations in international affairs and uphold fair, just and equitable international order based on the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, respect for international law, promoting democracy and the rule of law in international relations, and to address common traditional and non-traditional security challenges," it stated.
In his interventions during the day's proceedings, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the challenges faced by multilaterilism and rules-based international order.
"The Prime Minister emphasised that the objective of preserving multilateralism and the multilateral world order is not to maintain the status quo.
"He reminded the leaders that BRICS came together 10 years ago for change and for reform of the world order," said T.S. Tirumurti, Secretary, Economic Relations, in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, at a media briefing.
"Therefore, he said, what we need today is reformed multilateralism, not going back to the status quo of multilateralism."
As in past summits, the BRICS also condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations "wherever committed and whosoever", called for concerted efforts to counter it under the UN auspices on a firm international legal basis and expressed conviction that a comprehensive approach is necessary to ensure an effective fight against it.
"We recall the responsibility of all States to prevent financing of terrorist networks and terrorist actions from their territories," said the Declaration.
he BRICS nations also called for expeditious finalisation and adoption of the India-initiated Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) by the UN General Assembly.
According to Tirumurti, Modi also recalled the BRICS common understanding reached on countering terrorism adopted during the various past summits and referred to terrorism and extremism as the biggest threats.
Keeping with the event's theme of "BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution", the Declaration said that the Summit commended the establishment of the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR).
In his address at the plenary session earlier in the day, Modi said that India wants to work with other BRICS nations to prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
"The PartNIR aims at deepening BRICS cooperation in digitalisation, industrialisation, innovation, inclusiveness and investment, to maximise the opportunities and address the challenges arising from the Fourth Industrial Revolution," the Declaration said.
The Summit also acknowledged the importance of infrastructure development and connectivity in Africa and recognised "the strides made by the African Union to identify and address the continent's infrastructure challenges" to support "industrial development, job creation, skills development, food and nutrition security and poverty eradication and sustainable development".
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Balendra Shah's RSP makes history, registers landmark victory in Nepal elections
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Kathmandu (PTI): Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah's RSP is all set to form the next government in Nepal after securing sweeping victory in crucial general elections on Saturday, decimating the established parties in the politically fragile nation.
Popularly known as Balen, the 35-year-old prime ministerial candidate of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) defeated four-time prime minister KP Sharma Oli, the chair of Nepal's legacy party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) -- CPN-UML -- by a huge margin of about 50,000 votes in Jhapa-5 constituency.
Balen, 35, secured 68,348 votes against 74-year-old Oli's 18,734, the Election Commission (EC) said.
He is expected to be the next prime minister of Nepal, reflecting a public mood of rejection of established parties. The RSP, which was formed in 2022 by Ravi Lamichhane, has won 72 seats out of the 90 seats for which results were declared by 9:30 pm, according to the Election Commission (EC).
RSP's seats include a clean sweep in all 10 constituencies of Kathmandu district even as it is leading in 52 seats across the country, the EC data showed.
Legacy parties failed to convince voters for whom the major issues included fighting corruption and an end to nepotism apart from a generational change in political leadership of the Himalayan nation.
The Nepali Congress (NC) won 10 and was leading in eight seats; the CPN-(UML) won just four seats and is leading in eight; the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) won two seats and is leading in five, the Shrama Shakti Party (SSP) was leading in three seats, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) won one seat, the EC data showed. Among the winners is one independent.
Nepal witnessed about 60 per cent voter turnout during the March 5 elections to the House of Representatives. The counting of votes started late Thursday night and as of 9:30 pm Saturday, counting was in progress in the remaining of the total 165 constituencies, the Election Commission said.
The election was being closely watched by India, which is hoping for a stable government in the politically fragile Himalayan nation to take forward the developmental partnership between the two sides.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated the people and government of Nepal for the successful conduct of elections. “It is heartening to see my Nepali sisters and brothers exercise their democratic rights so vibrantly. This historic milestone is a proud moment in Nepal's democratic journey,” Modi said in a post on X.
Modi also said that as a close friend and neighbour, India remains steadfast in its commitment to working closely with the people of Nepal and its new government to scale new heights of shared peace, progress and prosperity.
Oli, who too was projected as the PM face of the CPN-UML, wished Balen for a full five year tenure for his government in the Himalayan nation that has seen 14 governments in the last 18 years.
“Balen babu, congratulations for the victory. I wish your five year tenure be trouble free, successful and hearty congratulations,” Oli wrote in his social media post and attached a 2022 photo showing him gifting a tabla to Balen after the rapper-turned-politician won Kathmandu mayor's election as an independent.
The RSP, which projected Balendra Shah 'Balen' as its prime ministerial candidate and had organised its first election campaign in Janakpur in Madhesh, is heading towards a clean sweep of the province.
‘Balen’, as he is popularly known, projected himself as the “son of Madhesh” during the campaign, with the party launching the campaign with 'Ab ki bar Balendra Sarkar' (This time there will be Balendra’s government) tagline.
Of the total 32 seats in eight districts of Madhesh province, the RSP has won eight and is leading in 22 other constituencies, the EC said.
The party is also making a clean sweep in the Kathmandu Valley winning all 10 seats of Kathmandu district and two in Bhaktapur and two in Lalitpur district.
The party is also leading in the remaining one seat of the Kathmandu Valley with a huge margin, possibly as a result of a massive road show led by Balen in all 15 constituencies on the last day of the election campaign.
RSP chairman Lamichhane won with a huge margin from Chitwan-2 constituency, marking his third consecutive victory with 54,402 votes against his nearest rival NC's Mina Kumari Kharel, who received 14,564 votes.
According to the Election Commission, former prime minister and NCP leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda won from Rukum Purba district by securing 10,240 votes against his rival Lilamani Gautam of CPN-(UML), who got 3,462 votes.
RPP's Gyanendra Shahi won from the Jumla constituency of Karnali province by defeating his closest rival Naresh Bhandari of the NCP and became the only candidate of the pro-monarchist RPP to have secured a seat in the House of Representatives.
The election also saw 10 women candidates win, nine of them from the RSP while one from NC.
Meanwhile, the RSP is also leading in proportional voting system with the party bagging 474,266 votes followed by Nepali Congress with 160,384. The CPN (UML) has received 127,841, Nepali Communist Party 65,363, the RPP 34,154, and Shrama Shakti Party 17,437 votes till now.
Out of a total of 275 members of the Parliament, 165 are being elected through direct voting, while the remaining 110 through a proportionate method.
Around 3,400 candidates were vying for 165 seats under direct voting, and 3,135 candidates for 110 seats through proportionate voting.
The Gen Z youth, through their two-day intensified protests on September 8 and 9 last year, ousted Prime Minister Oli of the CPN-(UML), who was heading a coalition government with the backing of Nepali Congress that enjoyed nearly two-thirds majority support.
Though Balen was a popular choice to lead the interim government after Oli's ouster, he declined to lead the interim administration, saying he would prefer to contest the parliamentary election for a full term.
In January, he joined the RSP and was soon declared the party's prime ministerial candidate.
The major issues raised by Gen Z before and during the election campaign were anti-corruption, good governance, an end to nepotism, generational change in political leadership, etc.
Sunil Babu Pant, former MP and a political analyst, said, “The victory of Rastriya Swatantra Party in the March 5 elections and the expectation that Balen Shah could emerge as Nepal's next Prime Minister reflects the people's deep rooted frustration with the old political order and their hope for a new direction.”
“As Balen assumes the country's leadership, his first responsibility must be to demonstrate that corruption will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” he said.
Balen will also face a complex geopolitical challenge, Pant said, adding, “He must prove that he is not a puppet of any external power, western or otherwise. Nepal's leadership must carefully balance relations with all global actors and pursue an independent foreign policy that prioritises the national interest.”
