'Republicans welcome new Indo-US relationship, N-deal'

Washington, Aug 28 (PTI) The ruling Republican party in
the US has reaffirmed faith in the civil nuclear accord with
India and the shared commitment to deal with common security
concerns, according to the working draft of its platform.

White House hopeful John McCain's party, which is
fine-tuning its political agenda ahead of its national
convention in Minneapolis between September one and four,
hailed the "new" Indo-US relationship in a yet to be titled
working draft submitted to its Platform Committee.

"The US is a Pacific nation, and our historic ties to
Asia will grow stronger in the years ahead," the working draft
of the Platform said.

"We welcome America's new relationship with India,
including the US-India civil nuclear accord. Our common
security concerns and shared commitment to political freedom
and representative government can be the foundation for an
enduring partnership," said the working draft of the party
platform as posted by National Review on line.

Unlike the elaborate presentation of the Party Platform
in 2004, this time the document is going to be much shorter
and is likely to be finalised in the next day or two by the
Platform Committee, leaving the possibility of further changes
at the Convention process itself.

On Pakistan, the working draft is equally brief stressing
that the US supports the efforts for democratic governance and
appreciates the country's essential role in the war on terror.

"We must expand our ties with the government and the
people of Pakistan. We support their efforts to improve
democratic governance and strengthen civil society, and we
appreciate the difficult but essential role Pakistan plays in
the fight against terror," the yet to be finalised document
said.

The Republican Party worked its Platform this time
through an interactive process where people could get to it
through a message plank on the convention site.

The Republicans, who have come under attack on the
subject of outsourcing especially as it relates to corporate
tax handouts, have taken the effort to see that their version
of the issue finds a place in the national platform.

Under the section of "Keeping Good Jobs in America", the
working draft says that America's producers can compete
successfully in the international arena as long as there is a
"level" playing field.

"Today's tax code is tilted against them, with one of
the highest corporate tax rates of all developed countries.
That not only hurts American investors, managers, and the US
balance of trade; it also sends American jobs overseas.

"We support a major reduction in the corporate tax rate
so that American companies stay competitive with their foreign
counterparts and American jobs can remain in this country,"
the working draft said. PTI SK