· January, 2009

Stories about Elections from January, 2009

Azerbaijan: Referendum

  24 January 2009

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...

Azerbaijan: The Big Picture

  24 January 2009

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...

China: Obama, can you?

  22 January 2009

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...

Bolivia: The Situation After the Referendum

  22 January 2009

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

  21 January 2009

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

  21 January 2009

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...

Azerbaijan: Black January

  21 January 2009

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.

Fiji: Bloggers debate PM’s absence at Pacific Forum meeting

  21 January 2009

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.

Jamaica, U.S.A.: One Love?

  20 January 2009

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...

Jamaica, U.S.A.: Political Comparisons

  19 January 2009

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...

Azerbaijan: Civil Society, Opposition Groups Unite as Referendum Approaches

  16 January 2009

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.