Stories about Elections from September, 2006
DRC: Tshisekedi Should Save the Nation by Supporting Mbemba
On UDPS Liege, Florent Mukonkole writes(Fr): “Any Congolese with any sense of nationalism should rally around Mbemba [in the upcoming runoff against Kabila]to save the nation.” He then asks Etienne Tshisekedi, leader of opposition party UDPS, to do the same and implies that a recent press release by the leader...
Belarus: Protest Diaries and Opposition Leader
Ivan Lenin of Rush-Mush reports that the online diaries of a Belarusian protester Dasha Kostenko have been published in Moscow. He also criticizes the opposition leader Milinkevich: “It's a big shame that the brave Belarusians who were risking their health, their freedom, and their very lives didn't have a better...
Brazil: Dear Globo: Love, Lula
Colin Brayton translates a letter to Globo from Lula politely declining to participate in last night's debate.
Chile, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil: Poll Numbers
More fascinating numbers from throughout Latin America in Boz's Friday poll numbers.
Serbian Blog Roundup
A house at the Golija Mountain – by Bogdan Cirovic At English section of Serbiancafe discussion board, Toshiba blogs out: Village of Rudno at Golija mountain is at altitude of 1200 meters. You would need four hours from Belgrade to get here by car. Beauties of one region are not...
Zambia: candidates capitalize on anti-chinese sentiment
“Many Zambians are angry about Chinese petty merchants who are outcompeting local retailers and the poor or unsafe working conditions of Chinese-owned mines,” writes AfricaBeat, noting that anti-Chinese sentiment has become a useful tool for election campaign in Zambia.
Venezuela: Elections and Crime
Oil Wars dissects and criticizes the anti-crime platform of opposition candidate Manuel Rosales.
Tajikistan: Free & Fair Elections
Alexander Sadikov says that Tajikistan's upcoming presidential election will be free and fair because the sitting president faces no real opponents.
Poland: “The Polish Watergate”
The beatroot has posted three entries so far about the beginning of a major corruption scandal, already labeled the “Polish Watergate”: one, two, and three. “It looks very bad for a government that has fashioned itself as the ‘anti-corruption’ government.”
Ecuador: Undecided
Less than three weeks from elections, Ecuador remains undecided says Boz. There is also an interesting comment on last night's debate between Correa, Roldos, and Viteri.
Hungary: Candidate Withdraws From Local Election
Pestiside.hu writes about the upcoming local election and one of the candidates who decided not to run: a “Roma eccentric […] whose key election promise was to build a condom factory.”
Gambia 101
Gambia 101, via African Shirts: “After the 1981 coup attempt, the confederation of Senegambia was established with Senegal. The union didn't last too long, but made a lot of sense. Gambia is the smallest country in Africa, a tiny strip of land around the River Gambia less than 50km wide....
Gambia: Jammeh wins presidential election
And the winner of 2006 Presidential election in Gambia is…
Poland: Early Election in November?
The beatroot writes that Poland may be “on the verge on an early election. Again.” Even though things may still change, “it’s a brave person to bet on anything in the weird and whacky world of Polish politics.”
Estonia: “Election Eve Post”
Giustino of Itching for Eestimaa posts an “election eve” entry, in which he tries “to sum up a lot of big thoughts in a few modest paragraphs. Such is the Estonian way.”
Nigeria: former military dictator to run for presidency?
A cancer to return to the heart of Nigeria?, asks Black Star Journal: “I guess this begs the question: is the development of democracy in Nigeria so stunted that in a country of 130 million inhabitants, the only people qualified to seek the federal republic's highest office are ex-military dictators...
Kenya: voters guide
A blogger's voters guide to Kenya's next general election.
Blogs debate over Brazil's latest electoral scandal
In the last days before the October 1 vote, the Brazilian electoral process was shaken again by the latest event in a string of scandals tainting the ruling Workers Party (PT). The PT has been accused of paying 1.7 million reals (790,000 dollars) for a smear campaign that attempted to...
Notes on Montenegro and Transnistria
In his yesterday's Balkans Blog Roundup, Ljubisa Bojic quoted this passage on Montenegro by a Serbian blogger: […] I know how things operate down there. Its also a privatised state – I wonder how long it will be before the Europeans become intolerant of all those Russian businessmen who own...
Russia: Countering Media Stereotypes
Yuri Mamchur of Russia Blog, in an attempt to provide “accurate and fair reporting and analysis—without fear or favor” – of Russia, comes up with a list of “10 Western Media Stereotypes About Russia” and offers alternative views on each item.
Balkans Blog Roundup
On September 11, Viktor of Belgrade Blog writes: […] [Serbia] just won the water polo European championship, and here's a short video with the atmosphere from the streets of Belgrade (Kolarceva street, more precisely). It's like this, after all major successes in sports, but this is the first time we...
