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Swiss nix citizenship rule
By a vote of 64 per cent, Swiss voters rejected an initiative that would have made it more difficult for foreigners to obtain Swiss citizenship.
The vote, held on June 1, turned down a proposal from the nationalist Swiss Peoples’ Party that would have restored the right for voters in a local community to be the final arbiters on who gets Swiss citizenship. Every canton except Schwyz, in the heartland of Swiss conservatism, turned down the initiative.
Under Swiss law, local communities have held referenda to decide who should be allowed to become a Swiss citizen. The Swiss Supreme Court overturned the practice because there was no right of appeal against the vote and no reason given for rejection. The ruling sparked the referendum.
To apply for Swiss citizenship, an immigrant must live in Switzerland for 12 years and speak one of the country’s official languages.
Seven Nigerian states sue federal government for oil revenues
Seven of Nigeria’s 36 states are demanding a refund from the federal government of some 546 billion naira – about US$4.7 billion. In May, the states filed their lawsuit in Nigeria’s Supreme Court, claiming this amount as their rightful share of unremitted revenue from 2004 to 2007.
The revenue in dispute includes money the states allege the federal government wrongfully deducted from the common pool known as the Federation Account, which is largely funded by oil revenues.
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice were reportedly told by President Umaru Yar’Adua to explore a possible of court settlement with the governors. The states that filed the lawsuit are Abia, Bauchi, Benue, Niger, Ogun, Oyo and Osun.
Nepal to decide on powers of its president
Abolishing the monarchy, which Nepal did on May 28, was the easy step. Deciding on the powers of a new post of president is the more difficult one.
The newly-elected Constituent Assembly is in the process of writing a constitution for the new republic, but drafters have not yet completed the passages of the constitution that describe the powers of the president. The Maoist party, which won the largest number of seats in the 601-member assembly, wants the office of president to include strong political powers, similar to the U.S. Other parties want a more ceremonial president, with only the power to dissolve the parliament after a vote of non-confidence. 
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