Stories about Elections from March, 2013
Prime Minister Resigns, as Lebanon Remains a “Sinking Ship”
Lebanese Prime Minister resigns as the country faces ongoing chaos.
Venezuela Gears Up for Upcoming Elections
After the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, online conversations are focusing on the country's next political episode: the April 14 presidential elections. Although electoral campaigns have not officially kicked off, candidates and their supporters are already on the move.
Hong Kong's Democrats Have Radical Plans
To pressure Beijing to grant Hong Kong genuine universal suffrage, democratic activists have begun discussing civil disobedience as a viable tactic .
Peru: NO Vote Straddles Victory and Defeat in Lima's Recall Election
Last Sunday's municipal recall election in Lima has had unexpected results: the Mayoress gets to keep her job, but appears to have lost most of her councillors. The social networks are putting it in perspective.
Nepal’s Politics in Crisis Once Again
Nepal’s political parties have again failed to respect the people's mandate to elect a prime minister and instead have installed Chief Justice (CJ) Khila Raj Regmi as the head executive (chairman of the interim electoral council of ministers). Shiromani Dhungana at United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal writes about...
Panamanian Opposition Parties Elect Presidential Candidates
The two main opposition parties in Panama have already elected their presidential candidates for the 2014 elections. It's heating up and the Panamanians are demanding strong proposals via social networking sites.
Guinea-Bissau is Second Worst Democracy
The Democracy Index 2012 from The Economist Intelligence Unit, published on March 19, 2013, places Guinea-Bissau second to last in the ranking, just before North Korea. The same day a coalition of civil society organizations released a roadmap with concrete proposals for the restoration of constitutional order following the military...
How Russian Villagers Can Terrify the Kremlin
The ploy was simple: Andrei Turinov, a town councilman from Novouspenskii, posted to the Internet an open letter addressing Dmitri Medvedev, declaring the exit of 60 United Russia members from the party. The timing was perfect, and for a brief moment one small village in Krasnoyarsk had the attention of the nation's political elite.
Italy: Grillo's Party Takes the Lead in Political Stalemate
Social media played an influential role in the success of M5S, leading to one of the youngest Parliaments in Europe -- but Italy's political stagnation is far from over.
Peru: Exit Polls Say Villarán Remains Lima's Mayor
Even though the first official results of Sunday's recall referendum have not been published, exit poll results [es] indicate that mayor Susana Villarán will not be revoked. According to Ipsos Apoyo the ‘No’ received 52.6% of the votes and the ‘Yes’ 47.4%. Datum reports that the ‘No’ got 53.2% of...
Peru: Controversy Ahead of Lima's Recall Referendum
Lima will hold a recall referendum tomorrow, March 17, to decide whether Susana Villarán keeps her post as mayor of Peru's capital. The last surveys showed the 'Yes' ahead of the 'No' by 8%, but a recent debate where some of the 'Yes' representatives didn't show up could change things.
Moldova Without Government: What's Next – East or West?
On March 5, Moldova’s Parliament passed a no-confidence motion, dismissing the country's pro-European three-party coalition government led by Vlad Filat. Just a few weeks earlier, Moldova seemed to be the greatest hope on the European Union’s Eastern borders. Now, it is headed for a serious political crisis. Diana Lungu reports.
Former Brazilian Minister's New Party Mixes Sustainability, Social Media
Former Brazilian presidential candidate and famous environmentalist Marina Silva is pushing for the creation of a new political party in the country, one that seeks to use the Internet as a tool for action on sustainability issues.
Chavez’ Legacy & How His Death Could Affect the Caribbean
The death of former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez on Tuesday has elicited a wide range of reactions throughout the blogosphere – in Latin America, to be certain – but now across the Caribbean as well.
Kenyans Flood Polls Despite Election Day Violence
Machete-wielding separatists left at least 13 dead in Kenya as millions of people turned out in historic numbers to cast their votes on March 4, 2013 in one of the most watched general elections in Africa since the country's elections in 2007 ended in ethnic bloodshed. Sporadic acts of violence marred the otherwise peaceful election.
Thailand: Surprise Opposition Victory in Bangkok Governor Race
Sukhumbhand Paribatra of the opposition Democrat Party was re-elected as Bangkok governor despite exit polls predicting his defeat in the elections.
Violence Holding Youth Hostage in Guinea
Diallo Thierno Sadou [fr] analyzes the political situation in Guinea where violence erupted between police forces and the opposition since February, 27. The fightings has led to multiple casualties and lootings in the capital city Conakry. The current governor of the city, officer Sékou Resco Camara [fr], was charged in...
