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Assignment given by: Prepared by:

Swati Ma’m Irfan Pathan
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SAARC AND COUNTRY MEMBERS

What is SAARC?
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an economic and
political organization of eight countries in Southern Asia. In terms of population is the
largest of any regional organization: almost 1.5 billion people, which combines the
combined population of its member states. It was established on December 8, 1985 by
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan. In April 2007, at
the Association's 14th summit, Afghanistan became its eighth member.

SAARC COUNTRY MEMBERS :

1) POLITICAL HISTORY OF SRILANKA :
1935
Sri Lanka Leftist movement was started. They fought for gaining full freedom. They
organized strikes to fight the British imperialists. Their members were mainly from
Plantation Tamil Community.

Lanka Samamaja party was established with 3 principles, which were focused on
winning freedom from British.

First Rajaya Mantharan Sabha was desolved and an election was held.
W Doresami became the President of Rajaya Mantharan Sabha, leader of the house
and Minister of local affairs was Sir D B Jayatilaka.

1943
British said that they will give consider to give a parliamentary system after the Second
World War.
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1944
Solbary Commission sent from England for hearing for Freedom.

The system proposed contained Governor, Cabinet and manthrees (members of

parliament). Parliament select 15 members for senate and governor appoint 15 for the
senate making a senate of 30 members. This was made active in first parliament
election in 1947.

1946
UNP was formed by Lanka jathika Sanagamya, Sinhala maha Sabhawa, All Ceylon
Muslim Congress, Lanka Yonaka Sangamaya, A Mahadeva Jaffna, S Nadesan
Kankasanturai Together.

Party proposal was proposed by S nadeshan MP Kankasanture TB Jaya Seconded it. D

S Senanayaka became the Leader of the Party.

Sr.
Name of Members Department
No
1 S W R D Bandaranayake Health & Local Administration
2 Lalithabhaya Rajapaksha Justice
3 John Kotalawala Roads & Industry
4 J R Jayawardena Finance
5 T B Jayah Labour
6 Dudley Senanayake Agriculture & Lands
7 E A Nugawela Education
8 G Sithtampalam Industry Research & Fisheries
9 A Ratnayaka Food and Cooperative
10 E A P Wijeyratna Local Affairs
11 H W Amarasooriya Trade
12 E A Gunasingha Karya Niyamayak Nomathi Amathi

Other Detail :-
A.F.Molamure became Speaker of the parliament
D.J.Wijeykoon was The Leader of the Senate
Dr. N M Perera was the Leader of the Opposition.

Dr. N M Perera was the Leader of the Opposition.

Prince of Gloster opened the parliament.

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Solbary Sami was made the Governor.

A meeting of foreign ministers and prime ministers of common wealth was held in Sri
Lanka. Indias Javahallar Neru came to Sri Lanka. Foreign Ministers from England,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Minister of Common Wealth participated.

SAARC COUNTRY MEMBERS:

2) POLITICAL HISTORY OF MALDIVES :
A 1968 referendum approved a constitution making Maldives a republic with executive,
legislative, and judicial branches of government. The constitution was amended in 1970,
1972, 1975, and 1997 and is again under revision.

There were fresh protests on August 13, 2004, (Black Friday), which appear to have
begun as a demand for the release of four political activists from detention. Up to 5,000
demonstrators were involved. After two police officers were reportedly stabbed,
allegedly by government agents provocateur, President Gayoom declared a State of
Emergency and suppressed the demonstration, suspending all human rights
guaranteed under the Constitution, banning demonstrations and the expression of views
critical of the government. At least 250 pro-reform protestors were arrested. As part of
the state of emergency, and to prevent independent reporting of events, the government
shut off Internet access and some mobile telephony services to Maldives on August 13
and 14, 2004.

The Assembly (Majlis) has 50 members, 42 members elected for a term of five years in
two-seat constituencies and 8 members appointed by the President.

On a national level, Maldives elects a head of state - the president - and a legislature.
The president is elected for a five year term by parliament and confirmed in a
referendum by the people. In this referendum on 17 October 2003, 90.3 % voted in
favour of present-day president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (turnout 77 %). At the last
parliamentary elections, 22 January 2005, only non-partisans have been elected. Until
2005 (after the election), no legal parties existed.

The Maldivian parliament voted unanimously for the creation of a multiparty system on
June 2, 2005. Prior to June 2005, the Maldivian political system was based around the
election of individuals, rather than the more common system of election according to
party platform. In June 2005, as part of an ongoing programme of democratic reform,
new regulations were promulgated to formally recognised political parties within the
framework of the electoral system. The Maldivian Democratic Party was already active.
New parties include the Maldivian Peoples Party, the Islamic Democratic Party and the
Adhaalath Party.
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On October 8, 2008, the country held its first ever multi-party presidential election.

SAARC COUNTRY MEMBERS :

3) POLITICAL HISTORY OF PAKISTAN
Present Indian Union, Pakistan and Bangladesh were one under British India
prior to August 14-15, 1947.

The disastrous effect of the Second World War on British economy and politics was
enormous, and the government in London under the people’s pressure had to leave the
subcontinent. But while leaving, the British colonialists divided Indian subcontinent into
two separate countries, namely India and Pakistan, on communal line. Later on the
former East Pakistan also broke away in 1971 from Pakistan for economic and political
deprivation. Now, the subcontinent is divided into three parts namely India, Pakistan
and Bangladesh, Which are still under the grip of neo-colonialism, dominated by the
United States of America because of its economic and military power.

• POLITICAL PARTIES HISTORY:

Before the partition of the Indian subcontinent, the Communist Party of India (CPI) was
the main political vanguard of the working class of this undivided country. After the
creation of the Pakistan, some old stalwarts of the Communist Party of India formed the
Communist Party of Pakistan in 1948, and started its political activities under the very
hostile political environment, caused by McCarthyism, which let loose reign of terror in
this newly born country, with the active collaboration of pro-imperialist ruling cliques of
Pakistan. Frightened of utter failure of the ruling oligarchy and the scope of Spread of
anti-imperialist democratic struggle in which Communist Party of Pakistan played a key
role, the Party was banned in 1954 under American instructions to the Pakistani rulers
and its several top leadership including Sajjad Zaheer, Secretary General of CPP and
the world fame poet and Lenin Award winner, Faiz Ahmad Faiz were arrested and
imprisoned in the so-called Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case.

• PAKISTAN PEOPLE’PARTY:
Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), the parliamentary wing of the
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was founded in 1967, on November 30 by Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto who became its first chairman and later Prime Minister of Pakistan. Pakistan
Peoples Party is the largest political party of Pakistan. This party has been active in
Pakistani Politics after the separation of East Wing from the rest of Pakistan. The party
gained much popularity and support from masses in era of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The party
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won the 1971 elections on socialist mandate of "Roti, Kapra, Makan" (bread, clothes,
shelter). PPP took control of the country after the Indian supported Civil War of 1971.
After the first parliamentary term, PPP secured a landslide victory in 1977 elections to
rule for further five years.

Opposition parties claimed that the election was heavily rigged by PPP. Tensions
mounted and despite the agreement was reached between opposition and PPP, martial
law was imposed in the country by Gen. Zia ul Haq. Bhutto was hanged in 1977 after a
very controversial trial in which he was found guilty of murder of a political opponent.
His daughter Benazir Bhutto was elected twice as the prime minister but her
government was dismissed both times on corruption charges, none of them proven in
the court despite many years of proceedings.

• PAKISTAN MUSLIM LEAGUE (N):

Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML "Nawaz group") is a centrist conservative party that
has been led from Saudi Arabia by Nawaz Sharif. It currently holds 19 seats in the
national assembly and 4 seats in the senate. Although twice elected as Prime Minister,
Nawaz Sharif was criticized for wide-spread corruption and extra-judicial killings. In the
Angus-Reid pre-election polls of 22-December, the PML/N was in second place, with
about 25% of the vote. It is strong in Punjab province.

• PAKISTAN MUSLIM LEAGUE (Q):

(PML "Quaid-i-Azam group"), the party supporting past president, Pervez Musharraf),
and officially called Pakistan Muslim League. PML/Q is a centrist conservative party that
forms the current national government. It currently holds 142 seats in the national
assembly and 43 seats in the senate. The PML/Q formed from the split of the PML
following the arrest and exile of PML leader and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The
PML/Q absorbed some minor parties through power-sharing agreements.

Although initially popular, Musharraf has been criticized for supporting the US invasion
of Afghanistan and suspension of legal rights. In the Angus-Reid pre-election polls of
22-December-2007, the PML/Q was in third place, with about 23% of the vote. It is
strong in urban areas of the two large provinces (Punjab and Sindh). It forms the
provincial government in Punjab.

• MUTTAHIDA QAMI MOVEMENT (MQM) :

It is previously known as Mohajir Qaumi Movement. The party was formed firstly as
student's organization in University of Karachi as the All Pakistan Muhajir Student
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Organization (APMSO) in 11 June 1978. This student organization was founded when
the thousands of Mohajir students (Urdu-speaking immigrants from India after partition)
were deprived of their rights and jobs in both private & government organizations. The
students were faced with harsh quotas introduced by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto which deprived
Mohajir students of their seats in Universities and higher educational institutions. That
led to the formation of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement in 1984. The name was changed to
Muttahida Qaumi Movement in 1997 in order to fight for the rights of 98% oppressed
people in Pakistan. Altar Hussain is the head of this political organization. MQM
currently holds 25 seats in the national assembly and 7 seats in the senate. It is the
official opposition in Sindh province.

• MUTTAHID-E-AMAL
It is a coalition of six religious parties consisting of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam (F) (Assembly of Islamic Clergy, Fazl-ur-Rahman Group), Jamiat Ulema-
e-Islam (S) (Assembly of Islamic Clergy, Sami-ul-Haq Group) Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan
(Assembly of Pakistani Clergy), Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan, Jamiat Ahle Hadith and a few
more. The religious alliance forms the government in Northwest Frontier Province. It
currently holds 6 seats in the national assembly and 21 seats in the senate.

SAARC COUNTRY MEMBERS :

4)POLITICAL HISTORY OF AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan is a culturally mixed nation, a crossroads between the East and the West,
and has been ancient focal point of trade and migration. It has an important
geostrategical location, connecting South Asia, Central Asia and Middle East together.
During its long history, the land has seen various invaders and conquerors, while on the
other hand, local entities invaded the surrounding vast regions to form empires to
themselves Since the late 1970s, Afghanistan has suffered continuous and brutal civil
war, which included foreign interventions in the form of the 1979 Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan.

In recent years the politics of Afghanistan have been dominated by the 2001 invasion of
Afghanistan, by the NATO forces and the subsequent efforts to stabilise and
democratise the country. The nation's new constitution has been adopted and an
executive president democratically elected in 2004. The parliamentary elections took
place the following year, in September 2005.

The current president Hamid Karzai became the first ever democratically elected head
of state in Afghanistan on December 7, 2004. He has begun the process of rebuilding
his nation. The National Assembly is Afghanistan's national legislature. It is a bicameral
body, composed of the House of the People and the House of the Elders. The current
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legislature was elected on September 18, 2005. The members of the Supreme Court
were appointed by the president to form the judiciary. Together, this new system is to
provide a new set of checks and balances that was unheard of in the country. Also, the
system is quite new, implementation of which began only 2004, just after decades of
war between different factions and warlords. The remnants of the warlords are almost
non-existent. The United Nations and other governments and organizations play a vital
role in rebuilding this new democracy's political.

SAARC COUNTRY MEMBERS :

POLITICAL HISTORY OF NEPAL
Important years in Nepal’s Life:
Age/Year Monarcy/Democratic
Description
Political Issue
The warrior king Prithvi Narayan
Shah unified many princely states, After 18th Century, the country has been
18th Century
bringing the country to its present ruled by 13 kings.
shape and size.
1847 Ranas The king ruled for 104 years
He gave freedom to people ad make
1951 Ranas freedom
country democracy
First time in Nepal history elected
Government came to rule.
1959 Election
B. P. Koilara became the first Prime
Minister
Because of him democracy came to an
end and introduced part-less panchayat
rule
1961 King Tribhuvan
In this Panchayat Law, Political
Governments are banned. It continued
to 30 years.
Students launched a political movement
1980 King Birendra
against King Birendra
Panchayat System was thrown out and
new multi political party democracy was
welcomed.
1990 King Birendra
Within a year democratic constitution
was introduced and people became
sovereign.
In this decade, many movement and regime came in power but lost their
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Age/Year Monarcy/Democratic
Description
Political Issue
identity.
He took over absolute state powers and
assumed the role of the Chairman of the
1st February cabinet, a cabinet that he had himself
King
2005 nominated. This led the political parties
to form an alliance with the Maoist
rebels.
In, a 12-point agreement was signed by
the seven political parties and the
November Maoists. This agreement provided the
Agreement of Democracy
2005 Maoists an opportunity to suspend the
armed movement and participate in a
peaceful democratic movement.
Later on movement turned into people’s
movement. The people finally forced the
king to relinquish state control on.
April 24, 2006 Democracy The success of the People's Movement
II left king Gyanendra powerless.
The Maoists have become a part of the
Parliament.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal-Prachanda, chief
of Maosits was declared Prime Minister
August 15,
on. He defeated his opponent, Nepali
2008
Election and Result Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba
by 465 votes, against 113.
August 18,
He was sworn .
2008.

SAARC COUNTRY MEMBERS :

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POLITICAL HISTORY OF BHUTAN

Introduction:-
Bhutan's political history is intertwined with its religious history. A dual theocratic system
evolved in which religious institutions were administered by the je khempo, or Head
Abbot, while civil power was retained by a high officer known as the tiruk desi.

Important years in Nepal’s Life:

Age/Year Monarcy/Democratic
Description
Political Issue
During the centuries the country
encountered constant political strife that
undermined the authority of the high
18th-19th
Rigional Governors officer and increased the power of
Century
regional governors.

The high officer sought aid from China

to crush the power of the governors, but
Ugyen Wangchuuk and his British
In 1885 one of the regional governors, Ugyen
Support
Wangchuk, turned to the British for
support.
Ugyen Wangchuk had consolidated his
Ugen wangchuk, first hereditary
By 1907 power enough to be named Bhutan's
king
first hereditary king.
Bhutan and the United Kingdom signed
a treaty allowing the United Kingdom to
In 1910, Treaty with United kingdom "guide" Bhutan's foreign affairs,
providing British India would not
interfere in the internal affairs of Bhutan.
Bhutan made the same arrangement
in 1949 Treaty with India with independent India in a treaty
signed.
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SAARC COUNTRY MEMBERS :

POLITICAL HISTORY OF INDIA
Introduction:-
15th August 1947, India got independence with grief of partition of Pakistan. Many
people migrated from Pakistan to India and India to Pakistan. Near 3.5 million Sikh,
Muslim and Hindus, migrated fearing from the Muslim-Pakistan.

In 1949, India recorded close to 1 million Hindu refugees flooded into West Bengal and
other states from East Pakistan, owing to communal violence, intimidation and
repression from Muslim authorities. The plight of the refugees outraged Hindus and
Indian nationalists, and the refugee population drained the resources of Indian states,
who were unable to absorb them.

1950s and 1960s

India held its first national elections under the Constitution in 1952, where a turnout of
over 60% was recorded. The Congress Party won an overwhelming majority, and
Jawaharlal Nehru began a second term as Prime Minister. President Prasad was also
elected to a second term by the electoral college of the first Parliament of India.

State’s dilemma And The Formation of States reorganization Act

Potti Sreeramulu's fast-unto-death, and consequent death for the demand of an Andhra
State in 1953 sparked a major re-shaping of the Indian Union.

Nehru appointed the States Reorganization Commission, upon whose

recommendations, the States Reorganization Act was passed in 1956.

On May 1, 1960, the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat were created out of the Bombay
state. The creation of Punjabi Suba on November 1, 1966, an exclusively Punjabi
speaking state of Punjab (India), occurred after a long struggle.

India has fought a total of four wars/military conflicts with its rival nation Pakistan, two in
this period. In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 fought over Kashmir, Pakistan occupied
one third of Kashmir (which India claims as its territory), and India occupied three fifths
(which Pakistan claims as its territory).
ppoppop
In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 India attacked Pakistan on all fronts after attempts by
Pakistani troops to infiltrate into Indian controlled Kashmir.
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In 1960, after continual petitions for a peaceful handover, India invaded and annexed
the Portuguese colony of Goa on the west coast of India. In 1962 China and India
engaged in the brief Sino-Indian War over the border in the Himalayas. The war was a
complete rout for the Indians and led to a refocusing on arms build-up and an
improvement in relations with the United States. While China withdrew from occupied
lands in the northeast, it continues to occupy Aksai Chin in Kashmir.

INDIAN EMMERGENCY:-
Economic and social problems, as well as allegations of corruption caused increasing
political unrest across India, culminating in the Bihar Movement. In 1974, the Allahabad
High Court found Indira Gandhi guilty of misusing government machinery for election
purposes. Opposition parties conducted nationwide strikes and protests demanding her
immediate resignation. Various political parties united under Jaya Prakash Narayan to
resist what he termed Mrs. Gandhi's dictatorship. Leading strikes across India that
paralyzed its economy and administration, Narayan even called for the Army to oust
Mrs. Gandhi. In 1975, Mrs. Gandhi advised President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to declare
a state of emergency under the Constitution, which allowed the Central government to
assume sweeping powers to defend law and order in the nation. Explaining the
breakdown of law and order and threat to national security as her primary reasons, Mrs.
Gandhi suspended many civil liberties and postponed elections at national and state
levels. Non-Congress governments in Indian states were dismissed, and opposition
political leaders and activists imprisoned. Strikes and public protests were outlawed in
all forms.

JANTA DAL:-
V. P. Singh led the Janata Dal coalition to a majority. He was supported by BJP and the
leftist parties from outside. Becoming Prime Minister, Singh made an important visit to
the Golden Temple shrine, to heal the wounds of the past. He started to implement the
controversial Mandal commission report, to increase the quota in reservation for low
caste Hindus. The BJP protested these implementations, and took its support back,
following which he resigned.

1990s AND RAJIV GANDHI ASSISINATION:-

On May 21, 1991, while Rajiv Gandhi campaigned in Tamil Nadu on behalf of Congress
(I), a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) female suicide bomber killed him and
many others, setting off the bomb in her belt by leaning forward while garlanding him. In
the elections, Congress (I) won 244 parliamentary seats and put together a coalition,
returning to power under the leadership of P.V. Narasimha Rao.

This Congress-led government, which served a full 5-year term, initiated a gradual
process of economic liberalisation and reform, which has opened the Indian economy to
global trade and investment.
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ERA OF COILATION :-

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged from the May 1996 national elections.
Under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the BJP coalition lasted in power 13 days. A
14-party coalition led by the Janata Dal emerged to form a government known as the
United Front. A United Front government under former Chief Minister of Karnataka H.D.
Deve Gowda lasted less than a year. The leader of the Congress Party withdrew his
support in March 1997. Inder Kumar Gujral replaced Deve Gowda for Prime Minister of
a 16-party United Front coalition.

In November 1997, the Congress Party again withdrew support for the United Front.
New elections in February 1998 brought the BJP the largest number of seats in
Parliament (182), but this fell far short of a majority. On March 20, 1998, the President
inaugurated a BJP-led coalition government with Vajpayee again serving as Prime
Minister.
st
Entry in the 21 Century

Soaring on popularity earned following the successful conclusion of the Kargil conflict,
the National Democratic Alliance - a new coalition led by the BJP - gained a majority
andVajpayee came as Prime Minister in October 1999. The NDA government's
credibility was adversely affected by allegations that the Defence Minister George
Fernandes took bribes over the purchase of coffins for soldiers who died in the battle.
The Tehelka scandal exposed the BJP party chief taking unaccounted contributions in
return for promised favours, and the CBI chargesheeted senior BJP leaders for inciting
the demolition of the Babri mosque.

In 2002, 59 Hindu activists died returning from the site when a train carriage took fire a
month later, in Godhra, Gujarat. This sparked off the 2002 Gujarat violence, leading to
the deaths of thousands of Hindus and Muslims. The BJP-led state government, and its
chief minister Narendra Modi were accused of not doing enough to stop Hindu mobs in
attacking Muslims.

The Congress Party-led alliance won an upset victory in elections held in May 2004.
Manmohan Singh became the Prime Minister, after the Congress President Sonia
Gandhi, the widow of Rajiv Gandhi declined to take the office, in order to defuse the
controversy about whether her Italian birth should be considered a disqualification for
the Prime Minister's post. The Congress formed a coalition with socialist and regional
parties, and enjoys the outside support of India's Communist parties. Manmohan Singh
is the first Sikh to date to hold India's most powerful office.