Emad Mekay

ANALYSIS Libyan leader's brutal crackdown on protesters proves he's determined not to leave without a bloody battle.

Activists wrote a letter to be sent to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong asking him to roll back the warning and allow full access to the groups during the Sept 19-20 meetings.

Despite being international institutions that preach good governance, decision-making in the IMF and the World Bank is far removed from the principle of one country-one vote.

Critics say Paul Wolfowitz, a key Bush lieutenant, was placed in this position to disempower and discredit governments that choose to place the priorities of citizens over transnational corporate interests.

None of the 25 democratic nations studied on government accountability gets top scores in stopping or checking corruption. Every one of them, including the United States, is susceptible to abuses.

The institution also warns that its assessment is fraught with 'geo-political risks', including possible terrorist attacks, tensions in the Middle East and US-occupied Iraq and fluctuating oil prices.

Both allies and adversaries were taken to task for failing to protect religious freedom, a charge the US itself has faced since launching its 'war on terror'.

It's a sign that the US is prepared to act alone again and global bodies will be shoved aside if they do not toe Washington's line.

Poorer nations are demanding a redistribution of board seats and votes in the IMF and World Bank to guarantee that all member countries are equitably represented.

As the US-led strike o­n Iraq progresses, another major casualty that is more apparent every day is the free flow of information. However, what's worse is the press' willingness to be muzzled and become a lapdog of Washington.

Civil society activists claim the World Bank Group continues to fund projects around the globe which include highly polluting incinerators, while it maintains that it is pouring money into plans to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases.

The World Bank's recent study on the role of the mass media concludes that developing countries need free and independent newspapers, radio and TV stations to boost their economic development.