Bright idea: Ask people

Whether the people built upwards from local elections to more representative bodies, Albright added, there was 8216;8216;no other way than getting a vote on it, whether you call it a plebiscite or a referendum8217;8217;.

Albright also defended her decision to criticise India8217;s nuclear tests, saying she was 8216;8216;accused of being arrogant and a hypocrite back then8217;8217; but she hadn8217;t changed her mind.

Reminded after the conference that she had said after the nuclear tests that India had 8216;8216;dug itself into a hole8217;8217;, Albright said she maintained it was a wrong thing for India and Pakistan to go nuclear.

Nevertheless, Albright seemed to have changed her mind on supporting India8217;s claim to permanent membership of the Security Council. She pointed out that although Europe should ideally get one seat how the Italian foreign minister at the time, realising that the US was only pushing for Germany and Japan, came up to her and said: 8216;But we lost the war too8217;, she did not believe that either France or the UK would give up their veto.