Stories about Elections from May, 2012
Lesotho: Peaceful Elections You Did Not Hear About
Lesotho, a tiny landlocked country in Southern Africa, held peaceful parliamentary elections on Sunday, but the polls drew very little mainstream media attention.
Malaysia: Petition for Free and Fair Access to Media
Bersih, an election reform movement in Malaysia, identifies key reforms that the government can implement to ensure free and fair access to media during elections
Ukraine: Homophobic Legal Initiatives in Sync with Public Attitudes
Ukraine's first Gay Pride Parade ever failed to take place on May 20 due to perceived threats of violence against its participants; one of the organizers was attacked and beaten by a group of masked men. Meanwhile, Ukrainian MPs representing various political forces seem for once united in their attempts to ban "homosexual propaganda" in the country.
Egypt: The Resurrection of Ahmed Shafiq
The initial results of the first stage of the Egyptian presidential election indicate that Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq will take part in the runoff vote. There has been widespread shock at the reemergence of Shafiq, one of the “feloul”, or “remnants” of Mubarak's regime.
Egypt: No, the Revolution is Not Over
On May 23 and 24, the eyes of the whole world were once again on Egypt as the country held its first presidential election after the huge popular uprising that brought down Hosni Mubarak a year and a half ago.
Mexico: #YoSoy132, the Beginning of the Mexican Spring?
The visit of presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto to the Iberoamericana University was marked with protests by students who rebuked the candidate in several occasions. This, along with the media coverage of the event, unleashed an explosive mixture that first found an outlet in social media and has now taken its energy to the streets of major Mexican cities.
Mali: A President Assaulted, a Nation in Turmoil
A rapidly escalating crisis has taken over Mali, including a recent assault on the interim president in his palace. All indicators seem to point towards a prolonged situation, although voices are calling for unity.
Russia: Q&A with Tina Kandelaki
Tina Kandelaki is a Russian journalist, a TV celebrity and producer, a widely read blogger, and -- more recently -- a visible presence in Russian politics. Be it on the cover of Russian Maxim magazine or in her endorsement of Vladimir Putin, Kandelaki has aroused the interest and sometimes the ire of other prominent RuNet actors. Ms. Kandelaki recently spoke to GV about her public life.
Mali: Coup Leader Sanogo To be Sworn in as New Interim President
Various online reports state [fr] that coup leader Captain Sanogo will be sworn in as new interim president after former interim president D. Traoré got injured following protests earlier in the week.
Egypt: First Free Presidential Election Underway
Egyptians are voting in the country's first free presidential election. While large queues have formed at some polling stations, the turnout seems to be lower than for the parliamentary elections in November 2011. This may reflect a disillusionment with the candidates felt by many.
Guadeloupe: “Political Manipulation”
In a post entitled “On Kalkil Politik” [Cr], Guadeloupean blogger Gwakafwika explains his complete distrust in the recent appointment of 1 Guianese and 2 Guadeloupean-born Ministers in the new socialist French government. He calls it a political manipulation.
French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique: Ministers Appointed for Skills or as Tokens?
With a great majority of voters for candidate Hollande in the French presidential elections hailing from the overseas regions, French-Caribbean bloggers were impatient to see which French Guyanese, Martinican or Guadeloupean politicians would be assigned a key government ministry.
Bahamas: Bringing Balance to the “Corruption Narrative”
An interesting read on the Bahamas “Corruption Narrative”, here.
Mexico: Blogger Posts Final Open Letters Addressing Presidential Candidates
As we reported earlier, Global Voices contributor and blogger Juan Tadeo began an open letter [es] campaign to encourage citizens to write to the current presidential candidates. He recently finished writing his letters to all four candidates. His latest two are for Andrés Manuel López Obrador [es] and Enrique Peña...
Lesotho: 2012 General Election Date Set
Lesotho will hold general elections on 26 May, against a backdrop of political violence. The Lesotho Political Parties Leadership Forum claims that there is a “hit squad” that has been assigned to kill prominent people ahead of the general elections.
Greece: New Interim Government
After the 6 May general elections in Greece and the failure of political parties to form even a coalition government, the interim government to be sworn on May 17 under Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos will lead the country to election again on June 17. Netizens are commenting on these events...
Russia: State TV Justifies May 6 Police Violence, Cites Spanish Bill Criminalizing Online Protest Organization as Example
In the final segment of the report [ru] on the May 6 protest in Moscow, which ended in clashes with riot police, the Russian state-owned Channel 1 mentioned, among other things, a Spanish draft law [en] criminalizing online organization of public protests, as an example of the “much tougher” treatment...
Singapore: Importance of the Hougang By-Election
For many netizens in Singapore, the Hougang by-election next week is going to test the popularity of the ruling party. National issues like train breakdowns, wage gaps, and migration policies are expected to be discussed in the local campaigning.
Egypt: The Questions Missing from the Presidential Debates
Following Egypt's first ever presidential debate, and with interviews being held every day with presidential candidates, political analyst Mohamed Seif Eldawla has written on his blog Zakerat Aloma about the questions missing from the presidential debates [ar].
Egypt: How do the Presidential Candidates’ Posters Compare?
About ten days remain before the presidential elections in Egypt. A few days ago we witnessed the first presidential debate in the country's history, but the candidates' posters will also play a big role in the final decision of the voters.
Ukraine, France: The Future of Franco-Ukrainian Relationship
Odessablogger comments on the statements made by Ukrainian political scientists regarding the future of the Franco-Ukrainian relationship following the election of François Hollande as the President of France.
