Stories about Elections from January, 2009
Madagascar: Devastating tropical storm makes way for a political one
A few days after passing Madagascar, the official toll from the damages caused by Cyclone Fanele have finally come in. President Ravalomanana president flew to one of the affected areas to assess the extent of the devastation. Cyclone citizen media initiative While the BGNRC (department of risk and disaster management)...
Azerbaijan: Referendum
Thoughts on the Road updates its readers on the referendum to be held in Azerbaijan in March. Seeking to remove the two-term restriction limit for the president, the blog says that despite voter apathy and a boycott by the opposition for last year's presidential election, opponents of the move are...
Azerbaijan: The Big Picture
Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines comments on the referendum to be held in March to remove the presidential two-term restriction and questions whether the legal procedures ahead of the vote have been adhered to by the authorities. In a second post the same blog details the arrest of a group...
Afghanistan: Election Holdups and Insurgency Holddowns
Patrick Frost analyzes the outcomes of US Assistant Secretary Boucher's visit to Kabul and what it means for the Taliban’s resurgence and governance in Afghanistan, including the issue of possible delaying of this years Presidential election.
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China: Obama, can you?
Obama has been sworn in as the first African American president, with a popular support peaking at its high. His inauguration summoned as many as two million people, and his address occasionally interrupted by thunder-like claps and acclaims. The rhythmic incanting “O-ba-ma!” oftentimes burst out of the packed and vital...
Egypt: Bye Bye Bush
“I admit…it feels very good that George W. Bush is no longer President of the United States of America,” writes The Arabist, from Egypt.
Africa: Africans Welcome Support for Democracy
Africans are ready for democracy support from Obama administration, reports AfricanLoft.
Bolivia: The Situation After the Referendum
The campaign for the Constitutional Referendum has ended across Bolivia and Sunday's vote is eagerly awaited. After months of a tension-filled campaign from both supporters and opponents of the draft Constitution, many are left wondering what will happen after the vote. Some other bloggers reflect on some of the problems that will still remain regardless of the vote's outcome and who is to blame for the country's predicament.
Indonesia: Questions for President Obama
Between January 20-21, there were 27,968 blog entries that mention the word ‘Obama' in Indonesia. Furthermore, almost all national TV stations broadcasted live the inauguration last night.
Turkey: Obama Trepidation
Istanbul Calling says that the Turkish media has greeted the inauguration of Barack Obama as U.S. President with some trepidation. In particular, the blog says there are concerns that Obama will do what his predecessors have failed to follow through with in the past — fulfill campaign promises to recognize...
Azerbaijan: Black January
As much of the world celebrated the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, Azerbaijan mourned the 19th anniversary of an event which ultimately led to its independence from the former Soviet Union. At least 130 people were killed and 700 wounded in what is now known as "Black January," a day which marks a defining moment in the rebirth of the former Soviet republic.
Bangladesh: The Local Elections Without Interference
An Ordinary Citizen lauds the new government of Bangladesh for not interfering with the processes of the upcoming local elections.
Fiji: Bloggers debate PM’s absence at Pacific Forum meeting
Bloggers and forum posters are analyzing the decision of Fiji’s self-appointed Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama to miss a January 27 special Pacific Islands Forum meeting which had been called because the leader has refused to hold a once-promised election in March 2009.
Peru: 2011 Elections Not So Far Away
Perú Político [es] writes that the Peruvian presidential elections in 2011 are so far, yet so close and that 30% do not have an idea who they would vote for.
India: Predictions for The 2009 Elections
Rajesh Jain at Emergic predicts the outcomes of the 2009 elections in India in contrast with the 2004 elections.
Jamaica, U.S.A.: One Love?
Bob Marley's One Love was played at Barack Obama’s Opening Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, prompting Abeng New Magazine to say, despite the ironies: “We are proud that the USA can borrow from us at a critical moment when the president-elect sells the idea that ‘anything is possible in...
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Political Comparisons
As America gears up for the inauguration of President Barack Obama, diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp is reminded of “the euphoria that many Jamaicans experienced when Michael Manley was elected as Prime Minister in 1972.”
El Salvador: Irregularities on Election Day
Victor of Alta Hora de la Noche [es] provides some early reporting on the day's elections in El Salvador. He writes that there have been irregularities all across the country, including some polling places that did not allow observers and conducted the ballot counting behind closed doors.
Bolivia: Loyola Guzmán Supporting the “No” Vote
With a week to go before the Constitutional Referendum, Miguel Centellas of Pronto* profiles one unlikely opponent of the new document. Loyola Guzmán was a Constitutional delegate representing the government's MAS party, as well as a member of Che Guevara's guerrilla group. She is now coming out and supporting the...
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Pre-Inauguration Poem
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp pens “a simple lyric, for Barack Obama”.
Azerbaijan: Civil Society, Opposition Groups Unite as Referendum Approaches
Better known for their bitter divisions and rivalries, civil society and opposition groups in Azerbaijan are slowly uniting as a national referendum aimed at removing the presidential two-term limit approaches. Perceived by many as a threat to democratization in the former Soviet republic and accompanied by a ban on foreign broadcasting in the country, blogs and social networking sites are being used to protest the impending vote.
