Obama gets down to business

New US President Barack Obama wasted no time in getting down to the business of governance today, setting out his priorities and making a number of policy decisions.

In the early hours of the morning it was announced that trials at Guantanamo Bay were to be suspended – a prelude to closing the base.

Meanwhile, the President’s first round of international phone calls was to leaders in the Middle East, pledging commitment to working towards a peace plan.

Domestically, Mr Obama ushered in “a new era of openness”, promising to clean up politics in Washington and turn the White House into the “People’s House”.

Considering the 47-year-old former senator was out until the early hours of the morning at events celebrating yesterday’s historic inauguration, it was a whirlwind start to the presidency.

News that controversial military trials at Guantanamo Bay were to be halted for 120 days was the first policy change to emerge.

The US military has charges pending against 21 men at the detention camp in Cuba and officials had indicated that they were to charge dozens more.

Pre-trial hearings in two cases – the trial of five men charged in the 9/11 attacks and Omar Khadr, a Canadian accused of killing a US soldier in Afghanistan – were due to take place this week.

In suspending the hearings, Mr Obama appeared to be honouring a pledge to shut Guantanamo Bay, a centre which has done much to tarnish America’s image overseas.

Later in the day it emerged that a draft executive order has been prepared for the new President, calling for the closure of Guantanamo Bay within a year.

In an indication that reviving the failed peace process in the Middle East is to be a priority in the new administration, Mr Obama made a round of phone calls in the first hours of his presidency to key players involved.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were both contacted, as were President Hosni Mubarek of Egypt and Jordan’s King Abdullah.

A White House statement regarding the phone calls read: “President Obama used the opportunity on his first day in office to communicate his commitment to active engagement in pursuit of Arab-Israeli peace from the beginning of his term, and express his hope for their continued co-operation and leadership.”

The statement suggested that the new administration would seek to boost the Palestinian Authority in Gaza while putting the squeeze on Hamas.

It read that Mr Obama was determined to “work to help consolidate the ceasefire by establishing an effective anti-smuggling regime to prevent Hamas from rearming, and facilitating in partnership with the Palestinian Authority a major reconstruction effort for Palestinians in Gaza”.

It is widely expected that Mr Obama will appoint respected former senator George Mitchell as his Middle East envoy. Mr Mitchell has vast experience in conflict resolution, being credited for his role in brokering the Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Obama was also due to meet high-ranking military officials during his first day in office to discuss Iraq.

On domestic issues, Mr Obama announced a pay freeze on senior White House staff and stricter rules concerning lobbyists in a bid to restore faith in government.

Ahead of swearing in presidential aides, he said: “During this period of economic emergency, families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington.

“That is why I’m instituting a pay freeze on the salary of my senior White House staff.”

He said people “deserve a government that truly is of, and by, the American people”, adding: “We need to make the White House the People’s House.”

As such, he announced that he is to sign an executive order on ethics, which he described as “a clean break from business as usual”.

The new rules will tighten restrictions on lobbying. Lobbyists entering the administration will not be able to work on the area they lobbied on, while those leaving government will not be able to lobby for the duration of President Obama’s administration.

A ban on gifts from lobbyists was also announced.

All staff will also receive an ethics briefing in a bid to make government responsible and accountable, the new president said.