The word 'countermand' is correct and usable in written English.
It means to cancel or revoke a previous order or instruction. One can use the word 'countermand' in situations where a previous order needs to be changed or canceled. For example, "The president countermanded his previous executive order, causing confusion among government officials."
The blame, rightly, lands on the politicians, and in particular on the formidable Mrs Thatcher (as she then was), whose commitment over Pergau in 1988 to her Malaysian counterpart, Mahathir Mohamad (pictured), no yes-minister bureaucrat or cowed minister afterwards dared countermand.
Though embarrassed by the interior ministry's aired intention to build Jewish houses in East Jerusalem, he did nothing to countermand it or to scold the minister.
Angry citizens are resorting to protests and referendums to countermand the decisions of a political class for which they have little respect.
This week Mr Gephardt promised that as president he would use executive orders to countermand "any wrong thing that the Supreme Court does".
Again, the pensions bosses protested, and a fresh regulation was issued that seemed to countermand the original.
An official announced that it would halt eradication of coca (the raw material for cocaine), which is increasingly being cultivated, only for Mr Humala to countermand him days later.While the previous president, Alan García, hogged the headlines, constantly presenting plans and inaugurating public works, Mr Humala has closeted himself in the presidential palace, issuing occasional Tweets.
The army, which had got wind of the orders, countermanded them.
It denounces financiers for causing the crisis, but has backed arguments against Ireland burning its bank creditors.More than once, Mrs Merkel has countermanded Mr Schäuble.
Rumours fly, decisions are taken blind and countermanded after they have been carried out.
(In the recent Germanwings tragedy, such a system might have decided that descending over mountainous terrain with no immediate airfield available was so odd as to be countermanded).
It appears that orders issued by the new prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, are already being countermanded by ZANU-PF, formerly the sole ruling party, still bent on keeping the upper hand.
