Army proposes Magna Carta

General Ansumane Mane, the supreme commander of the self-styled Military Junta that ousted Joao Bernardo Vieira from power, has proposed a “Magna Carta” that would oblige political leaders to consult the Junta on key appointments to the government, news reports and sources said. The document, described by one local analyst as a pseudo-constitutional amendment, requires the president and parliament to consult the military before appointing the prime minister, secretaries of state and of ministries, as well as cabinet members. The prime minister would have to inform the president and military on affairs dealing with internal and foreign affairs. The meeting to consider the proposal, involving the Junta and political leaders, that was to have taken place on Wednesday has been rescheduled to Friday. Mane is in Cape Verde where, an information source said, he had gone to thank the government for its support for the Junta.