NEWS 2A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 4, 2004 Disney ousts Eisner as chairman NEWS IN BRIEF HADLNSFO RONSH OL + F ( f ... y. . _ .-.y _.... i 1_... ' ... Diney board unanimouly votes to name member George Mitchell new chainnan PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Walt Disney Co.'s board voted late yesterday to split the roles of chairman and chief executive, hours after share- holders delivered a stinging rebuke by withholding 43 percent of their votes for CEO Michael Eisner's re-election to the board. Disney directors voted unanimously at the company's annual meeting to make board member George Mitchell the company's new chairman even as they voiced their continuing approval of Eisner's management and the com- pany's strategy. Stockholders have been grumbling that Eisner has mismanaged the enter- tainment company and presided over a slump in profits. The size of the no- confidence vote was larger than many had expected, and represented a victo- ry for Stanley Gold and Roy Disney, former board members who have been leading a shareholder revolt against Eisner and have called for his ouster. Eisner is running for re-election unopposed, so his job was in no imme- diate danger. But the depth of shareholder dissat- isfaction could lead to other steps, company simply to split the roles of chairman and CEO. "Michael Eisner must leave now," Gold said. "We see today's meeting as a first step toward saving the company.... We are seeking real and meaningful change." Several major pension funds repre- senting millions of Disney shares joined the disaffected camp and said they would withhold their approval from Eisner and several board mem- bers. Eisner defended his management team. "Disney's record of creating value is indisputable. ... We are a very well-managed company," he said. Disney executives noted the compa- ny's stock has risen more than 40 per- cent in the past year, and the company has said earnings per share will rise 30 percent this year and by double digits through 2007. Charles Elson, director at the Center for Corporate Governance at the Uni- versity of Delaware, called the 43 per- cent figure against Eisner a "phenomenal number." Disney is under intense pressure from state pension funds and proxy advisory firms to split the chairman and CEO jobs. Meanwhile, Comcast Corp., the cable television giant that -last month made an unsolicited bid for Disney, urged the board to take a new look at the takeover offer. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Haitian rebels promise to disarm forces Rebel leader Guy Philippe said yesterday his forces would disarm as U.S. Marines fanned out in the capital - rifles at the ready - to help bring order amid Haiti's bloody uprising. Earlier, Washington warned the rebels, who overthrew President Jean-Bertrand Aristide after seizing the northern half of the country, to disarm and disband. "Now that there are foreign troops promising to protect the Haitian people ... and they have given the guarantee to protect the Haitian people ... we will lay down our arms," Philippe told a news conference. In their first reconnaissance sweep since arriving Sunday, a convoy of Marines in Humvees and armored vehicles rumbled out of the presidential National Palace as troops on foot moved onto surrounding streets. They patrolled an area stretching 30 blocks, pushing old burned-out cars from the road. The Marines met no resistance and then returned to the palace. Despite the rebel vow to disarm, a gun battle erupted yesterday between rebels and militant Aristide loyalists in their stronghold, the seaside La Salines slum. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Israeli forces kill three members of Hamas An Israeli helicopter fired two missiles at a car driving through the Gaza Strip yesterday, killing three members of the Hamas militant group. The army said all three passengers were senior Hamas militants who had recently carried out many terrorist attacks against civilian targets and were plan- ning more. The car was traveling along a Palestinian road not far from the Jew- ish settlement of Netzarim. "A missile from the sky hit the car," said Ahmed Asmat, 35, a farmer who was working about 100 yards from the explosion. Flames engulfed the vehicle and intense gunfire rang out from the direction of the settlement, about 500 yards away. Palestinians ran to the car, throwing sand on the burning wreckage and beat- ing the flames with coats and scarves. One man used a blanket to lift a charred, decapitated body out of the car and heave it onto a stretcher. Some in the crowd lashed out at Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority. "I spit on' the Palestinian Authority and those who brought them here," one person at the scene screamed. Roy Disney, nephew of Walt Disney, enters a news conference after shareholders voted to withhold support of Disney chairman and CEO Michael Eisner. a such as a separation of the chairman and CEO roles, both of which he cur- rently holds, or possibly his ouster. In his opening remarks, Eisner defended his 20-year record at Disney's helm. "I love this company," Eisner said. "The board loves this company. And we are all passionate about the output of this company." Eisner acknowledged the perform- ance at Disney's ABC network was "disappointing," but said Disney has "the management skills and creative talent to continue its growth path." Gold and Roy Disney went slightly over the 15 minutes they were allotted to present their case against Eisner, saying it was not sufficient for the Oregon coun issues gay marnage icenses PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A new front in the battle over same-sex marriage opened yesterday in Portland, where county officials issued dozens of licenses to gay couples after deciding that Ore- gon law allowed the unions. New York's attorney general, meanwhile, said gay weddings in that state are illegal, even though he personally would like to see the law changed. His opinion didn't deter a second mayor in the state from announcing not.only that he would conduct gay marriages, but that he intends to marry his own same-sex partner. Mayors and county officials in four states have allowed gay marriages, including thousands in San Francisco, which started the wedding march Feb. 12. The marriages have met with fierce opposition and calls for a constitutional amendment banning the unions. In Portland, more than 150 gay couples lined up to get marriage licenses after Multnomah County officials decided it would be unconstitu- tional to deny them. Among those getting licenses was Christine Tanner, who won a landmark Oregon court rul- ing in 1998 ordering state and local govern- ments to offer benefits to their employees' same-sex partners. BAGHDAD,-Iraq Shiites and Sunnis rally together in Iraq Shiite clerics joined Sunni preachers in a march of thousands of mostly black-clad men yesterday, trying to keep sectarian passions in check after a horrific attack on Shiite pilgrims that raised fears of civil war. U.S. and Iraqi officials disagreed over how many people died in Tues- day's bombings in Baghdad and Kar- bala - the deadliest here since the fall of Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi Governing Council said' 271 people were killed. U.S. officials put the toll at 117. The attacks --- at some of the holi- est shrines of Shiite Islam and on the most sacred day in the Shiite calen- dar - threatened to turn Shiites against Sunnis if the bombers were found to have been Iraqi Sunni extremists. Stephen Knox, left, and Eric Warshaw of Portland, Ore. hold their children after the couple's marriage yesterday. Multnomah County began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples yesterday. tions about McVeigh's whereabouts on certain dates that were left unanswered by his public statements and the evi- dence, the officials told The Associat- ed Press. The plan was scrapped when the government couldn't resolve who would attend the interview or how it would be conducted. Officials also became distracted by the belated discovery of some 4,000 pages of documents that had not been turned over to McVeigh's defense dur- ing his trial. CRAWFORD, Texas Parents boycott Girl Scouts over sex ed Some families are boycotting Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos and other Girl Scout cookies. Troop 7527 is down to just two members after the other girls were withdrawn by their parents. And Brownie Troop 7087 is no more. Why are folks in this conservative Texas town where President Bush has his ranch so mad at the Girl Scout organization? Planned Parenthood and sex education. The furor was started a few weeks ago by the leader of the anti-abortion group Pro-Life Waco, who sent out e-mails and ran ads on a Christian radio station urging people to boycott Girl Scout cookies because of the "cozy relationship" between the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood. - Compiled from Daily wire reports TOP 5 REASONS FOR MICHIGAN STUDENTS TO ATTEND THE MICHIGAN VS. MICHIGAN STATE HOCKEY GAME AT JOE LOUIS ARENA: 5 Watch the Wolverines dominate the Spartans.. . Just like in football! 4 To see Sparty cry as Michigan State loses in hockey once again. 3 Because contrary to popular belief, "The Cold War" is not over! 2 Go hoarse singing "Hail to the Victors" as the Wolverines pile up goals. I To see why Sports illustrated called the U of M vs. MSU game the "Fiercest rivalry on ice"!F ff. Fr headscarf WASHINGTON banp assesFBI says interview with McVeigh failed 1 As the clock ticked toward Timot A McVeigh's execution, senior FB thy BI PARIS (AP) - A law banning Islamic headscarves in France's pub- lic schools was overwhelmingly adopted yesterday in the Senate despite protests by many French Muslims that the measure is discrim- inatory. The 276 to 20 vote mirrored simi- lar support by the National Assembly, the lower chamber of parliament, which passed it 494 to 36 on Feb. 10. President Jacques Chirac must now formally sign it into law within 15 days. He had said such a law was needed to protect the French principle of secularism.' The law forbids religious apparel and signssthat "conspicuously show" a student's religious affiliation. While Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses would also be banned, author- ities have made clear that it is aimed at removing Islamic headscarves from classrooms. The measure is to take effect with the start of the new school year in September. There are an estimated 5 million Muslims in mostly Roman Catholic France - the largest Muslim popula- tion in Western Europe. There was never any doubt the measure would be passed. The Senate, which like the lower house is controlled by conservatives such as Chirac, still had to dismiss 23 proposed amendments raised in two days of debate. The amendments were offered mainly by the left. The law is to be re-examined after a year in force to see whether "conspic- uous" should be replaced by "visible." The opposition Socialists had argued during the lower house debate that "visible" is a less- ambiguous term that would make the law easier to apply. agents pressed behind closed doors for permission to interview the convicted Oklahoma City bomber, but the plan never materialized amid internal dis- agreements, officials say. The agents wanted to resolve ques- WWW.MICHIGANDAILY.COM The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily's office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $105. Winter term (January through April) is $110, yearlong (September through April) is $190. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscrip- tions must be prepaid. 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