• Pakistani Prime Minister Elected
• Bhutan Holds First Ever Elections
• Death Tolls Don't Just Include US

Pakistani Prime Minister Elected

Today in Pakistan, the coalition government headed by slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto elected a new prime minister who immediately issued orders to release of detained judges. detained Devin Theriot-Orr reports from Lahore, Pakistan.

Yousaf Raza Gillani is the new Prime Minister of Pakistan following confirmation today by over two-thirds of Pakistan's national assembly. Gilani is the Vice-President of the Pakistan People's Party and a former speaker of the National Assembly under Benazir Bhutto. The new Prime Minister is a vociferous opponent of President Pervez Musharraf. He spent over 5 of the last 7 years in jail on corruption charges; charges which his supporters claim were intended to coerce him into leaving the PPP. It remains to be seen whether GIlani will serve for the full five- year term. There is widespread speculation that Benazir's widower and current co-chair of the PPP, Asif Zardari, would like the post for himself. At the moment, however, Zardari is not eligible because he is not a member of parliament. But with several vacant seats remaining to be filled in special elections, that could change. For his part, Zardari has stated that Gilani will serve the full five-year term. Within minutes of taking office, Gilani signed an order for the release of all judges held under house arrest, including the deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Tomorrow, Gilani will receive the oath of office from as Pakistan begins a tense transition to democratic rule. For FSRN in Lahore, this is Devin Theriot-Orr reporting.

Bhutan Holds First Ever Elections

Seventy Two percent of voters in Bhutan cast ballots today voters in the first ever multi party poll to elect a parliament ending its 100 year old absolute monarchy. PC Dubey reports from Darjeeling, India.

In accordance with the new constitution, the Parliamentary democracy will not jettison monarchy, but rather turn it into a constitutional monarchy with clout and sway. Political observers, however, say the prospective governing body will just barely usher a limited democracy. The two parties that have been allowed by the Bhutanese election commission to join the political process are thoroughly royalist and their leaders have been hand picked prime ministers of the monarch in the past. They further say that the democracy would have no secular contours because the country would remain a Buddhist theocracy with little leeway for religious freedom. But Bishop Stephen Lepcha, the catholic bishop of the north Indian diocese of Darjeeling which technically shepherds Bhutan, believes the election was indeed historic. Bishop Lepcha says the Bhutanese constitution allows only freedom of conscience, not freedom of religion, but with the election “definitely in the future there is a hope.” From Darjeeling in India, I am PC Dubey for FSRN.”

Death Tolls Don't Just Include US

The U.S. death toll increases to 4000 in spite of U.S. and Iraqi announcements claiming that the security situation in Iraq is improved. Hiba Dawood has more.

According to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, the U.S. death toll hit 4000 as four Multi-National Division soldiers were killed and one was wounded last night when an improvised-explosive devise detonated during a U.S. patrol south of Baghdad. 96 US personnel have died since January. According to Iraqi Body Count, 89,867 Iraqis have died since as of the end of last year, although some say the true toll is much higher. During the month of March alone, more than 646 Iraqi forces and civilians died throughout Iraq. Yesterday alone, about 74 Iraqi civilians died in various violent attacks. More than 29, 320 U.S. forces have been wounded since the U.S.-led invasion started in 2003. Yesterday, mortar shells were launched at the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad said to be directed from the direction of Sadr City, a Shiite majority area in Baghdad. This week, President Bush will decide whether to withdraw more troops from Iraq beyond his planned draw down after the troop "surge" ends this summer. The draw down comes as a sign of the QUOTE “improvement” in the security situation in Iraq. In the meantime, US Forces requested a British presence in Basra due to a deteriorating security situation, a move of which Iraqi officials don’t approve. Hiba Dawood reports for FSRN.