Stories about Elections from January, 2009
Georgia: Opposition Unites, Kind Of…
Dateline Tbilisi comments on news that twelve opposition parties have agreed to unite to call for Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili's resignation. The blog says the party believes Saakashvili will be forced to resign by the end of 2009 but points out some of the many factors which will determine if...
Madagascar: The mayor proclaims himself president
A dispute between the president of Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanan, and the mayor of the capital, Andry Rajoelina, thrust Malagasy citizens into violent rioting and looting last week, and has now escalated into a power struggle for the presidency itself.
Latvia: Protest and Changes
Baltic writes about political changes taking place in Latvia due to the crisis. Free Speech Emergency in Latvia posts a video from a silent protest in Riga.
Ecuador: Finding a Candidate to Face Correa
The opposition in Ecuador is having a tough time finding a suitable candidate to face current President Rafael Correa writes La Voz de Guamote [es].
Cuba: Hope and Change
On hearing the news that two black Cubans were arrested “after they were heard making favorable comments” about the Obama presidency, Uncommon Sense has these words for the new president: “Please do not let their faith in you, and their faith in real hope and change for their country, be...
France, Guadeloupe: Obama Appointment?
Indiscrétions and RCIgp [Fr] wonder if the appointment of former LCI journalist (Guadeloupean-born Christine Kelly) at the CSA is as a result of the Obama effect.
Latvia: Snap Election?
All About Latvia thinks the country is “heading for snap elections” and this may be a good thing: “While the IMF sees an election as a liability because it ushers in an uncertain future, for the people of Latvia an election under new updated election laws appears to be a...
Jamaica: Local Obama?
“Jamaicans should ask for nothing but the best from those who would aspire to lead”: Abeng News Magazine‘s Trevor Dawes thinks it might be time for a Jamaican Obama.
Azerbaijan: Democratization Under Siege
Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines comments on the state of democracy in Azerbaijan and wonders about the country's future now that foreign radio broadcasts have effectively been banned and a referendum to remove the two-term restriction on the presidency is scheduled for March.
Colombia: President Uribe's Prospects for Re-Election
Marsares of equinoXio takes a look at some of the prospects for a re-election of Colombian president Álvaro Uribe.
Japan: Obama vs. Aso
Like every other country in the world, Japan, one of the strongest of America's allies in Asia, followed closely the election of President Obama. His speech has been broadcast, translated and commented on in all kinds of ways by the Japanese media and local TV shows. So it was natural that many bloggers drew a comparisons between the American President and the Japanese Prime Minister, Tarō Asō.
Armenia: No PACE Sanctions
Life in the Armenian Diaspora comments on yesterday's decision by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe not to suspend Armenia's voting rights in the influential body. The blog says that promises to amend two articles of the Criminal Code remind it of moves to change legislation in Turkey...
Armenia: Council of Europe Reprieve
Yesterday's meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) gave Armenia one last chance to avoid sanctions following last year's clashes between opposition supporters and security forces in the aftermath of a bitterly contested presidential election. Armenian bloggers react to the news.
Azerbaijan: Parliamentary Deputy Blogs
The USAID Internet Access and Training Program (IATP) blog reports that it has helped five deputies from the Azerbaijani parliament set up their own blogs. The blogs in Azeri are at kamranramazanov.blogmilli.com, mmehdi.blogmilli.com, mmfirdovsi.blogmilli.com, rafikismayilov.blogmilli.com, and vuqarqaracayev.blogmilli.com.
Madagascar: “History repeats itself…as a farce” in recent unrest
On blogs and forums, reflections on the sources of the current unrest and the history of Madagascar's turbulent democracy.
Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.A.: Bye Bye Bush
Notes from Port of Spain has a few parting shots…um…thoughts on former President George W. Bush.
Haiti, U.S.A.: Obama & Abortion
Haitian diaspora blogger Finian says: “This is where Obama loses my support. I believe abortion on demand is wrong.”
Armenia: Voting Rights
As the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) gathers to consider the possibility of withdrawing Armenia's voting rights in connection with the arrest of opposition supporters and unfulfilled resolutions against the country following last year's presidential election, The Armenian Observer comments on news reports that sanctions will most...
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Inauguration Thoughts
Jamaican Annie Paul features Washington D.C.-based activist Shani Jamila's musings on the inauguration of Barack Obama.
Bolivia: Final Unofficial Results of Constitutional Referendum
Miguel Centellas of Pronto* has unofficial final results of the Bolivian Constitutional Referendum.
Bolivia: Referendum Coverage on Twitter
As the polls close across Bolivia for the Constitutional Referendum vote, many of the country's users of Twitter have been hard at work sending messages about their experiences from their cities. In order to centralize the information, they are using the #referendum tag.
