· August, 2008

Stories about Elections from August, 2008

Angola: Electoral campaign fails to excite voters

After 16 years without the right to vote, Angolans have been savouring the taste of the election campaign for almost a month now. Contrary to expectations, there is a lukewarm atmosphere around the capital Luanda. Clara Onofre shows why electors are not impressed.

20 August 2008

Egypt: Parliament on Fire

Egyptian bloggers are in a daze, after the country's iconic Parliament Building, went up in flames earlier today. And while an official reason has yet to be announced for the cause of the fire in the 19th century palace, which houses the lower parliament or Shura (consultative) council, bloggers are seething - though not lost for words.

20 August 2008

Paraguay: Following Lugo's Inauguration on Flickr

Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo started the use of Flickr in January 2008 as a way to document his appearances during the campaign. After being sworn in as the new president of his country on August 15, he continues to use this citizen's media tool. Nearly 2,500 photos later and all licensed under Creative Commons, Lugo hopes to share his presidency with Paraguayans at home and abroad.

19 August 2008

Angola, Brazil: A culture shock divide

Angola and Brazil's special relationship means that business between the two former Portuguese colonies is booming - as well as migration both ways across the Atlantic. But, how are these two sibling peoples getting on? This post offers the perspectives of both an Angolan and a Brazilian blogger living in Luanda.

17 August 2008

Ecuador: The Use of Media During Constitutional Referendum Campaign

The media in Ecuador is frequent criticized for its content and its role in society. However, as the Referendum for the approval of the new Constitution fast approaches, the government is also a target of criticism for the amount of money spent for the campaign. The amount is at levels never seen in recent history.

13 August 2008

Brazil: Olympics, war and elections

"I confess that I am the biggest fan of the Olympics and that I woke at 5 am on Saturday to see the Gymnastics competition. But every once in a while it is good to look further and see what is beyond an event as large as this", says a 16 year old blogger.

12 August 2008

Brazil: Blogging the importance of voting

A new collective aims to educate Brazilian electors through blogging: “We ask your help to bring about the beginning of this change. Let's get together and scream so loudly that...

12 August 2008

Angola: Getting ready for the elections

Edmundo Galiza Matos [pt] reports that 12,000 voting offices workers have been trained in preparation for the legislative elections of September 05. “Up to 22nd of this month it is...

11 August 2008

South Ossetia: Georgia, Russia and the U.S. Presidential Election

With the massive deployment of Russian forces in Georgia, the small South Caucasus country's conflict with Moscow over the breakaway region of South Ossetia has obvious political ramifications thousands of miles away in the United States where presidential elections will be held on 4 November. With some alleging that the crisis reflects a struggle between the West and Russia, where the U.S. Presidential candidates stand on the matter is fast becoming a significant campaign issue.

10 August 2008