Stories about Elections from March, 2012
Slovakia: Paying More Due to Corruption in the Area of State Tenders
Tibor Blazko highlights the ongoing public debate on corruption in the area of state tenders in Slovakia.
Brazil: Irregularities Denounced in the Council of Representatives of Emigrants
Founded at the end of 2012, the Conselho de Representantes de Brasileiros no Exterior [Council of Representatives of Brazilians Abroad], or the CRBE, linked to the Ministry of External Affairs, has provoked the indignation of expatriate Brazilians owing to allegations of irregularities in the election process for its representatives.
Guinea-Bissau: Constitutional Limits on the Presidential Elections
Claims of widespread fraud during the presidential elections in Guinea Bissau, on 18 March, allows for the possibility that the April ballot will take place with a single candidate – Carlos Gomes Jr. His concurrent Kumba Ialá, refuses to participate in the second round, and the Constitution doesn't allow the replacement of candidates.
Ghana: Social Media Use in 2012 General Eelections
As Ghanaians are getting ready for presidential and parliamentary elections that will be held on 7 December 2012, BloggingGhana community has lauched a social media initiative that seeks to train activists, political groups and students to use social media tools for election monitoring and reporting.
South Korea: Politician Ridiculed for Twitter Account “Explosion” Accusation
In South Korea,a politician's ridiculous comment that his Twitter account was "exploded" by the opposition has come under fire. The politician's remark and the governing conservative party's rhetoric have drawn numerous jokes and sneers online.
Moldova: 917-Day Marathon to Elect the President is Over
After two and a half years of repeated failures to elect the head of state, the Moldovan politicians finally managed on March 16 to give the country its new president, Nicolae Timofti. But will this former judge become a true leader of the nation?
This Week in the Caribbean Blogosphere
Again this week, the regional blogosphere was dominated by talk of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Cuba. With reports of repression at an all-time high, Cuban bloggers were dismayed by the outcome of the trip.
Senegal and Neighboring Nations Celebrate Peaceful Elections
An historical ending to a tense electoral period took place in Senegal on March 25. Senegalese celebrate peaceful elections which have permitted the political alternative to express itself. Citizens from Senegal and neighboring countries have voiced their approval, and in some cases, envy.
Hong Kong: Citizens Say No to Undemocratic City Mayor Election
Among the 1,200 Hong Kong Chief Executive Election Committee members, 689 elected Leung Chun-ying to be Hong Kong's next city mayor on March 25. When the result was released, thousands of demonstrators protested against Beijing's manipulation of the election process.
Slovenia: Family Code Referendum (and Other “Election Season” Updates)
Sleeping With Pengovsky has been covering Slovenia's referendum on the Family Code (here and here), the mayoral by-elections, and the upcoming presidential election.
Algeria: 2012 Election Watchdog launched by Internet Activists
With the upcoming Algerian Legislative Election scheduled for May 10, 2012, one of the many elections taking place in 2012 [fr] within the continent of Africa, a collaborative website called Nahrag [ar] has just been launched by internet activists. Putting the case for more transparency in an election threatened with...
Armenia: US Ambassador urges free, fair and credible elections
Ambassador Heffern's Video Blog's comments on the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia. Posted on the U.S. Embassy's YouTube Channel, the American diplomat stresses the need for free and fair elections, details some of the changes introduced in the electoral code, and urges the government, opposition and civil society to ensure...
Russia: Kenyans at Pro-Putin Rally Identified As Moscow Circus Acrobats
A month ago, the video of a group of anonymous Kenyan men, who allegedly participated in a pro-Putin rally, received much attention on the RuNet. One blogger recognized the Kenyans as the acrobats who had been brought to Moscow by the Russian circus authorities, to hone their skills and have them later perform here.
Trinidad & Tobago: Bloggers Question Relevance of “Congress of the People”
The Congress of the People began as a break-away party from the United National Congress, but the two entities came together to contest the 2010 parliamentary elections - and won. But with the recent defection of San Fernando Mayor Marlene Coudray to the UNC camp, two political bloggers in Trinidad and Tobago are questioning the continued viability of the Congress of the People as a separate entity.
Senegal: The Provisional Tally of the Presidential Elections
The provisional tally of the second round of the presidential elections were published on March 27: The incumbent candidate Abdoulaye Wade is projected to have obtain 999,556 votes which is about 34.2% of the votes. Macky Sall was elected with about 1,909,244 votes which amount to 65.8%. The percentage of...
Armenia: Ushahidi deployed for parliamentary elections
Georgia was the first country in the South Caucasus to deploy a bespoke crowd-sourcing and crisis mapping platform for its local elections in May 2010, but Armenia will be the first to use Ushahidi to monitor the conduct of national elections in the form of the upcoming May 2012 parliamentary...
Egypt: The Abou Ismail Poster Frenzy
Preparations are in full swing for the presidential elections in Egypt, set for May 23 and 24, 2012, with candidates' election posters already up on the streets. But when it comes to Hazem Salah Abou-Ismail, he sure beats all the rest in the poster frenzy. His posters are almost seen almost everywhere. Netizens grasp the opportunity to make fun of the poster bonanza.
Ghana: #GhanaDecides Launched
Ghana Decides is a BloggingGhana initiative meant to introduce NGOs, Civil Society Organisations, students (especially first time voters), political groups and the general Ghanaian public to the importance and benefit of use of social media tools in elections in Ghana.
China, Taiwan and Hong Kong: What Story can the Number of Votes Tell?
Jimmy from Tea Leaf Nation translates the micro-blog conversation of Hong Kong Chief Executive Election. Netizens compared the number of votes needed for each region to get into leadership position – Taiwan: 6.89 Million Votes, Hong Kong: 689 Votes, Mainland: 9 Votes!
Senegal: Wade Warned New President Sall of Shortage in Public Funds
M. Ndiaye reports [fr] that Wade warned newly elected president Macky Sall that the State will not be able to pay public servant salaries if he is not re-elected. Furthermore, P. Faye adds that Wade also stated before election Day that infrastructure construction in the city of Matam and Podor will stop...
Australia: Mining Magnate's Bizarre Claim of CIA Coal Conspiracy
In a “bizarre” outburst, mining magnate Clive Palmer joined the ranks of the CIA conspiracy theorists this week during the Queensland State election campaign. Australian bloggers have revelled in his accusations that the CIA funds Green candidates and organisations such as Greenpeace.
