Stories about Elections from March, 2011
Nigeria: Buhari leads in mock online polls
Nigerian presidential candidate Mohammadu Buhari leads in mock online polls: “There are now several platforms online that allow Nigerians with access to the Internet to vote for their favourite presidential aspirant and share their preference on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.”
Macedonia: Early Elections Scheduled for June 5
The biggest Macedonian opposition party announced [MKD] today that they will participate in the early elections in spite of the failure of negotiations with the government on the conditions that would ensure fairness. About two hours later, the Prime Minister responded [MKD] that the ruling party would suggest to the...
Zimbabwe: Exhuming bodies for votes?
Using the dead to win votes: “The beleaguered ZANU (PF) political party is at it again, now by trying to buy political mileage out of the discovery of bodies in the Mashonaland region, yet they continue to neglect the massacres carried out in Matabeleland in the 1980’s.”
Nigeria: What Are Nigerian Bloggers Saying About the 2011 Elections?
As the 2011 Elections in Nigeria draws near, Nigeria bloggers are busy talking about the elections and the future of their country but is anyone listening?
Peru: Analysis of Latest Election Poll Results
Silvio Rendon from Gran Combo Club [es] analyzes the latest election poll results. The latest poll from March 27 shows candidate Ollanta Humala in the lead with Alejandro Toledo and Keiko Fujimori close behind him: “Humala's growth, the collapse of Toledo and Fujimori's stagnation follow a trend seen previously,” Silvio...
Guatemala: Should Inmates be Allowed to Vote?
Blogger Luis Figueroa [es] wonders if inmates should be allowed to vote in the upcoming elections. Guatemala's Tribunal Supremo Electoral (Supreme Electoral Tribunal) is considering installing polling stations in prisons to allow inmates to vote.
Peru: 2 Weeks Before the General Election
Carlos A. Quiroz in Peruanista writes a thorough post on the political climate in Peru two weeks before the general elections. He includes a short review of the use of social media during the campaign.
Côte d'Ivoire: Where Are the African Personalities When They Are Needed?
A few months ago, Marième Jamme asked Bono and Bob Geldof to take less prominent roles as speakers for Africa in the media and leave space for Africans to speak for themselves. Today on the Africa Rising blog, bloggers wonder where have the African personalities gone when they are actually needed to get the world's...
Haiti: Awaiting Results
As election results continue to be tabulated in Haiti, The Latin Americanist suggests that “the real victors are the Haitian electorate who supposedly turned out in large numbers to some voting centers.” Toussaint on Haiti also weighs in.
Singapore: Doctors as politicians
At least three public sector doctors may stand as local candidates of the ruling party in the coming elections in Singapore.
Guatemala: Presidential Couple to Divorce to Allow First Lady's Presidential Bid
As previously reported, Guatemalan First Lady Sandra Torres announced her candidacy for president; a bid that violated the constitution which forbids that the president's relatives become president. As a result, the presidential couple will get a divorce, and Mike from Central American Politics argues that their decision “is another example...
Peru: The Presidential Campaign in Videos
Juan Arellano gathers several videos from this year's presidential campaign in his blog Globalizado [es].
Haiti: Was Wyclef Shot or Cut by Glass?
Early on Sunday 20 March, 2011, while Haitians headed to the polls for the second round of a historic and controversial presidential election, a story about Wyclef Jean, the Haitian-born hip hpp star, being allegedly shot in the hand monopolized the mainstream media news cycle about Haiti for a good portion of the day.
Latin America: Website Tracks Progress in Electronic Voting
Juan Arellano in Globalizado [es] writes about the Observatorio del Voto-E en Latinoamérica (Observatory of E-Voting in Latin America) which seeks to track the progress of electronic voting in Latin American countries.
Zambia: Opposition Leader Risks His Political Neck Over Gays
Leader of Zambia’s biggest opposition party, the Patriotic Front, Michael Sata is in political hot water because of an interview he allegedly gave to a Danish newspaper in which he stated that Zambian laws in fact recognise homosexuality.
Nigeria's Golden Opportunity for a Social Revolution Through the Ballot Box
Oluniyi D. Ajao speaks with ‘Gbenga Sesan about his involvements with several non-partisan initiatives around the forth-coming 2011 Nigeria General Elections and the role of social media in the general elections. ‘Gbenga runs a social enterprise called Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, which connects Nigerian youth with ICT-enabled opportunities.
Haiti: Aristide’s return, the word “house” and today’s election
To say the twice exiled President Aristide is a mythic figure in the Haitian imagination is an understatement. To say he evokes strong emotions from Haitians, even less so. So what effect might his return have on today's elections? Bloggers discuss the possibilities.
Haiti: The Entertainer, or The Professor?
According to the reports on Twitter regarding today's presidential election runoff in Haiti, the lines at polling stations are long, and voters at certain pollin were unable to find their names on voter lists. But many are also speculating on the outcome.
Côte d’Ivoire : Terror in Abidjan
Abidjan a connu avant le début de la guérilla qui sévit depuis quelques jours une série de violences inédites, des attaques contre les domiciles privés des adversaires politiques de Laurent Gbagbo. De plus des actes de lynchage ont été pris en vidéo dans la commune de Youpogon. Ces actes de violence publiés sur le web ont provoqué de vives réactions.
Haiti: Election Morning in Pictures
Today, March 20, Haitians go to the polls to decide who will be the Caribbean nation's next president. This runoff election is being contested by Mirlande Manigat and Michel Martelly, the two candidates deemed to have received the highest number of votes in the controversial general election held last November. Reports posted this morning by Twitter users on the ground in Haiti pointed to delays in the opening of polling stations, while many outside the country fixated on an incident in which Haiti-born rap star Wyclef Jean, a Martelly supporter, was shot in the hand. Here's a selection of photos posted on Twitter of the scenes in Haiti as the polls opened—or tried to—this morning.
Haiti: As the polls open
Miami Herald journalist Jacqueline Charles, covering the Haiti elections runoff today, notes the lack of a police presence outside candidate Michel Martelly's house, expresses skepticism that the vote will be able to proceed uninterrupted, in spite of what the officials say, and reports that the opening of at least one polling...
