Indian anti-graft party snookered by its pledges

A reader says the AAP's generous pledges during the election will prove costly in government. Other views: Turks remain loyal to Ataturk's vision and not to political parties; Dubai rent price rises push families to move to Sharjah and beyond, and child-rights laws require exceptions to be made.

The Indian anti-corruption Aam Admi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, in glasses, will lead the state government in New Delhi, but a reader questions whether the party can make good its lavish election plShow more

With reference to your news story, Kejriwal's anti-graft party to form Delhi government (December 23), the Aam Aadmi Party has, after prolonged talks, decided to form a government with support from the Congress Party, which ruled the Delhi legislative assembly for 15 years.

Because the AAP was unable to make up its mind whether to form the government in the absence of a clear mandate, it resorted to a referendum, the results of which opted in favour of getting into power.

The real test begins now. It is one thing to sell dreams and it is another to turn those dreams into reality.

The AAP, in its election manifesto, had promised the moon in the form of electricity at 50 per cent of the present tariff and free water supply for the first 700 litres. Both will be impossible to fulfil.  The overzealous leader of the AAP, Arvind Kejriwal, also promised Delhi voters to put the former chief minister, Sheila Dikshit, and her party members in the cabinet behind bars on charges of corruption.

The AAP will need support from the Congress for these plans. It is anybody’s guess if the AAP can complete this tightrope walk.

Unwittingly, the AAP has walked into a trap set up by the Congress and dug its own grave.

Either a divorce from Congress or a complete dilution of the AAP’s manifesto appears to be imminent. There will be no need for the referendum in that case.

C S Pathak, India

Ataturk is still the Turks’ role model

With regard to your opinion piece, Turkey's seculars see an opening as Islamists break rank (December 16), any person who reads the article and does not know otherwise might conclude that today Turkey is divided between Erdogan's followers and Gulen's followers.

However I believe this is completely wrong.

Anyone well informed about Turkey’s political, economic, religious and educational preferences would say Turks retain their enthusiasm for the example set by modern Turkey’s founding father, Ataturk, as opposed to prime ministers, who come into the scene and then later leave it. Ataturk spent all of his time and energy in order to constitute a modern, contemporary and secular Turkish republic, even though he could have nominated himself as the one and only ruler.

This is why we love Ataturk.

The massive anti-Erdogan protests in Gezi Park in Istanbul and which spread across Turkey shows that Turks in general and young people in particular will never slavishly support Erdogan or Gulen.

I hope that true followers of Ataturk will be in the government after the next election and they will repair the damage done in the last few years.

Dilara Akay, Turkey

Why I moved to a flat in Sharjah

I'm an example of the people who have had to move out of Dubai because of rising rents. (Dubai residents searching for cheaper properties as rents rise, December 24).

We had to relocate to Sharjah almost two years ago because even then rents were much higher in Dubai than Sharjah.

The cost of a studio apartment in Dubai is enough to rent a luxurious two-bedroom apartment in Sharjah.

However this means Sharjah is also affected by increase in rental prices in Dubai. As more people move here, the rents have gone up to match.

Our two bedroom apartment costs us Dh55,000 for a unit that was rented for Dh38,000 two years ago. While the rent has risen drastically, our salaries have remained the same.

If this trend continues, a time will come when people will soon be compelled to move out to Ajman and other emirates to escape the soaring rents.

I believe the authorities should take the plight of the working class into consideration.

The situation is even worse for those who have their families living with them.

Fatima Suhail, Sharjah

I can understand the reason for the new rent rule, but I think what is also needed is tighter regulation on estate agents for over-inflating prices in the market.

Claire Grainger, Dubai

In itself, this law seems to be good, but it shouldn’t be taking the current market price as a reference because I believe it’s inflated.

Because of that, I don’t think this rent rule will work the way it’s intended.

Name withheld by request

Child rights law needs exceptions

The proposed breastfeeding law (Mothers need clear advice, not laws, December 19) is honourable but it needs exceptions.

I could not breastfeed after my kids were born, despite multiple experts being involved. This law would have brought me despair and depression, since I wanted to but I couldn’t.

Christie King Eckardt, Abu Dhabi