Stories about Elections from August, 2009
Sri Lanka: Peaceful Elections
Some are framing the results recent council elections in Northern Sri Lanka as as a victory for LTTE supporters or loss for the government. However, Indi.ca opines that: “Having elections at all is a victory against the Tigers. [..] As long as people are voting and not killing each other...
Moldova: Post-Election Politics
At OpenDemocracy.net, Louis O'Neill writes about the post-election politics in Moldova: “All Moldovans should be proud of what they have done with these elections. Let us hope they can be equally proud of their leaders in the next months and beyond.”
Brazil: Bolivia expels Brazilian citizens
Evo Morales' government claims that recent expulsions of Brazilians from its territory is focused on matters of sovereignty, but some Brazilian bloggers suggest it is to settle government supporters in their place.
Egypt: Gamal Mubarak Intices Youth Involvement
In an attempt to win their support, Egyptian president's son Gamal Mubarak launched an open online forum, Sharek, where he promises to address all the questions posed by young internet savvy Egyptians himself.
Mauritania Experiences First-Ever Suicide Bombing
Mauritania suffered its first-ever suicide bombing attack on Saturday, wounding one Mauritanian and two French citizens. Bloggers and Twitter users react to the incident.
Sri Lanka: Provincial Council Election Results
Lanka Libertarian posts the updated election results of the UVA provincial council, the Jaffna municipal council, and the Vavuniya urban council.
Trinidad & Tobago: The Spin Factor
B.C. Pires is following the Commission of Enquiry into Trinidad and Tobago's construction sector and notes that: “The legal costs of UdeCott and Calder Hart are being met entirely by taxpayers” and “presumably include full page, self-serving advertisements…that do nothing more than allege the Commission must be biased since it...
Haiti: Honduras Parallels
Wadner Pierre posts an article by Haiti Liberte which examines the “uncanny similarity between the June 28, 2009 coup d'état against Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and that of February 29, 2004 against Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.”
Bermuda: Challenging the Status Quo
“Why is it that when it comes down to that final vote Bermudians get scared and stick with the status quo?”: 21 Square examines the island's political climate, while Bermuda Jewel wonders if white Bermudians are politically irrelevant.
UK, EU: Ignorance and Voting Preferences
Wu Wei recounts a conversation about the EU that she had with a young British mover during preparations for a move to Lithuania.
Syria: Lebanon's Unity Cabinet
“As Lebanon moves closer to announcing its unity cabinet, a lot of people are complaining about the length of time it has taken to get this far,” notes The Syria News Wire.
Moldova: Farewell to Voronin?
A Fistful of Euros writes on the aftermath of Moldova's repeat election: “[…] We’ve probably — ohhh, not certainly, but probably — seen the last of Vladimir Voronin. And that’s just wonderful.”
Aruba: Quiet Election Season
“Could it be that the recession has hit the political parties and they're less inclined to print up flags and such? Are people still undecided and have therefore refrained from putting a sticker on their cars?”: Arubagirl notices that all is quiet on the election front.
Kyrgyzstan: Presidential Elections Are Over
Tolkun Umaraliev says the opposition candidates claim the election in Kyrgyzstan to be illegal. There is a confusion among media, both local and foreign, that candidates Nazaraliev and Atambaev have withdrawn their candidacies. However, both Nazaraliev and Atambaev have several times stated that according to the law on elections, they...
Afghanistan: Government shuts down anti-Karzai websites
Nick Fielding says that the Afghan interior ministry has blocked at least five internet sites, four of which feature the name of President Hamid Karzai and one named after the current interior minister.
Kyrgyzstan: Bakiev’s Success and Disappointment of Observers
Elena reports in detail on the outcomes of the presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan.
Afghanistan: Taliban and the Election
Joshua Foust reports that the Taliban has vowed to disrupt the Afghan election next month, for the first time showing genuine concern by the election.
Tunisia: Tunisian President's Re-Election Site
Tunisian blogger Sami ben Gharbia [Ar] traces the Tunisian President's reelection campaign site – which was set up in 2004 by a diplomat based in Washington DC. According to Fikra, this particular diplomat has around 80 domains related to Tunisia registered under his name.