· July, 2007

Stories about Elections from July, 2007

Senegal: Do we elect kings now?

  18 July 2007

Blog politique du Senegal writes of Karim Wade, the President's son, and his intention to run for president (Fr): “In theory, Karim Wade [has the right to] run for president, like any other Senegalese” but “the privileged, not to mention abusive, position that Karim Wade occupies in the state apparatus...

Turkey is Typing…Moving: The Physical and Political

With six days until the parliamentary elections in Turkey, Turkish bloggers this week are avidly watching the news outlets; speculating on the political future of the republic. And while the country prepares for a new political move many seem to be moving themselves as our coverage of the past week of the writings of Turkey illustrate.

Caribbean: West Indies Cricket Board Elections

  17 July 2007

“You might think that the position is so blighted that no one wants it, or you may think it just odd that only one name apiece was tossed into the circle for the posts of president and vice-president of the West Indies Cricket Board.” Vaneisa Baksh at CaribbeanCricket.com weighs in...

Jamaica: Mad Season

  17 July 2007

“The violence is so entrenched in our political culture I just don't see it changing anytime soon.” Stunner returns home from vacation to find himself in the midst of Jamaica's “mad season”.

Zimbabwe: 2008 election rigging has started

  16 July 2007

Sokwanele blog reports that 2008 election rigging in Zimbabwe has started: A reliable source in the Ministry of Home Affairs has revealed that while frustrated Zimbabweans queue in their thousands to obtain their birth certificates, identity and passport documents, Government has hijacked the process and is clandestinely handing out documents...

Jamaica: Election Campaign

  16 July 2007

In the wake of reports of violence in the lead-up to Jamaica's general elections, Jamaica Elections 2007 Blog links to a TV advertisement by the Electoral Office of Jamaica which states, “It's foolish to fight over elections.”

Armenia: Presidential candidate

On the 2008 Presidential Election Monitor, Onnik Krikorian says that US-born Raffi Hovannisian might have good chances in next year's polls as he is one of the most popular and cleanest politicians in the country. The problem is, however, that Hovannisian only received his Armenian citizenship in 2001 and might...

Trinidad & Tobago: Political Alliance

  11 July 2007

Keith in Trinidad toys with the idea of titling his post “Lost Credibility Day”, while Club Soda and Salt thinks that the newly-announced political alliance among several “irrelevant” parties is the “Silly Act of the Week”.

Cuba: Election Fever

  10 July 2007

Child of the Revolution has his eye on Cuba's upcoming elections, which he thinks “will provide some guidance, for want of a better word, on the future role of Fidel Castro within the regime.”

Japan: Responses to the Kyuma A-Bomb Statement

  9 July 2007

Two weeks ago, then-Defense Minister Kyuma Fumio made a famous statement referring to the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as something that "couldn't be helped". Despite later attempts to qualify this statement, Kyuma was ultimately forced to resign amid public outcry and political opposition. Bloggers also had a lot to say on the topic of the controversial statement.

South Korea: Fake stream, fake river, fake island

  9 July 2007

Matt blogs about the various construction projects kicked off by the former Seoul Mayor and the present presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak: pretty much every single endeavour Lee has undertaken has involved the construction industry, so simply moving everyone off their land may not be quite the handout of taxpayers’ money...

Russia: “The Other ‘Other Russia'”

Along with Gary Kasparov and Eduard Limonov, Mikhail Kasyanov was a leading member of the Other Russia coalition, until he quit last week because of the failure to reach consensus on a single presidential candidate from the opposition. According to media reports, he is planning to run for the presidency himself. Eight months remain before the 2008 vote, and it looks like there are going to be a number of sequels to the June 27 Global Voices translation about the Russian opposition's lack of unity. Here's the first one.

Bahrain: Wearing Hijab Part-Time

There is one subject that unites everyone living in Bahrain: traffic congestion. In the last few years, the roads on the island have become clogged by the weight of traffic, and roadbuilding to relieve that congestion in the long term is making it far worse in the short term. Every single person has a story of frustration to tell, writes Ayesha Saldanha. Wearing a part-time Hijab, professionals ending up in the wrong jobs and the perks people get in summer are other topics discussed.