· April, 2013

Stories about Elections from April, 2013

Impartial Justice Wanted in Côte d'Ivoire

  28 April 2013

Human Rights Watch reports that there is still work to do to achieve impartial justice in the post-2010-11 elections crisis in Côte d'Ivoire: The ICC’s one-sided approach has legitimized the same approach by Ivorian judicial authorities and undermined perceptions of the ICC’s impartiality.  

Surprise Candidates for Madagascar Elections

  28 April 2013

Update:  Here is the full list of the 49 candidates [fr] for the presidential elections. It does not include the current president of the transition. As the deadline to submit candidacies for the Malagasy presidential elections ends today (28/04), a few surprising candidates have allegedly come forth. While the earlier candidates...

Japan's Next Election Campaign will be Tweeted, Emailed and Blogged

  23 April 2013

Japan has approved a bill that will allow political candidates to tweet and blog during their election campaigns. Up until recently Japanese electoral candidates had to cautiously navigate their Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and blogs to avoid breaking the country's strict election laws which banned all online political activity.

Horacio Cartes Elected President of Paraguay

  22 April 2013

Horacio Cartes is Paraguay's new president, winning 46% against Efrain Alegre's 37%. Cartes faces major issues from the past: the legacy of Colorado Party rule, the ongoing challenges related to Lugo's impeachment and removal from regional groups, and questions about his own background. Boz from Bloggings by boz lists five...

Venezuela: The Start of Reconciliation?

  22 April 2013

In the midst of the confusion and clashes that set the standard in the streets and on the Internet after the elections on 14th April, citizen media were also the stage of much reflection.

South Korean Spy Agency's Political Meddling

  22 April 2013

The latest police investigation found that at least two agents from the South Korean National Intelligence Service have illegally posted online comments to influence the presidential election. An online petition was posted [ko] on Daum Agora site in support of one police woman who bravely revealed that she has been pressured...

What Malaysians Expect in the General Elections

  21 April 2013

With the 13th General Elections drawing closer, many Malaysians have turned to the internet for news and other information, as well as posting their thoughts on the election. Malaysians are mostly concerned about the economy, the rising cost of living, as well as more government transparency

Malaysian 2013 Elections Alphabet

  20 April 2013

Art Harun gives a primer on Malaysia's 13th General Elections by listing and explaining some keywords that define Malaysian politics. For example, letter A refers to Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the Opposition; while letter N refers to Najib Razak, the incumbent Prime Minister

Russian Journalist and Election Observer Speaks about Her Arrest

RuNet Echo  19 April 2013

Earlier this week, RuNet Echo published an article about Svetlana Lokotkova, a Russian journalist and election observer who was arrested and removed from an overnight train for alleged intoxication. Lokotkova later contacted RuNet Echo, and agreed to outline what happened on the train and in the police station in her own words. She also spoke about social media as a tool for political activism.

Venezuela's Election Results Show Weakened Chavismo

  17 April 2013

The results of the presidential election held on April 14 made it clear that Chavismo is starting to wear down. The small difference of just two percentage units and the huge number of diverse complaints about irregularities have led Henrique Capriles to not recognize the results until an audit as well as a manual vote recount are carried out.

Private Guards for Pakistani Candidates

  17 April 2013

Chowrangi blog reports that considering the deteriorating law and order situation and pre-election violence the Election Commission of Pakistan has allowed candidates to keep five civilian bodyguards with licensed arms during the ongoing Election 2013 campaign.

Venezuela's Post-election Tension Escalates

  16 April 2013

As Nicolás Maduro was being declared the new President of Venezuela, the social networks were calling for public protests and an election recount. Incitement to action on both sides of the political landscape is expected to increase.

Beer & Twitter Prove Toxic Mix for Russian Journalist

RuNet Echo  16 April 2013

Trains are a cheap and reliable way to get around Russia, particularly compared to the country's famously poor roads. Russia is a big country and journeys between cities can take hours (or even days). Given these difficulties, it is not uncommon for some passengers to have a drink or two to pass the time. Sometimes people—even journalists—can overdo it.

Madagascar's Presidential Candidates

  14 April 2013

The presidential elections are set for July 24, 2013 in Madagascar. According to Ben from mada-tribune.com, the first candidates to have submitted their dossiers [fr] to the special electoral court are: Hajo Andrianainarivelo, Jean Lahiniriko et Roland Ratsiraka are the first to have filed their candidacies. Dr. Jean-Louis Robinson, Pierrot...