Stories about Elections from December, 2010
Haiti: Ballots Video
prophet N posts a video which, “according to unconfirmed sources…was filmed by UN peacekeepers in Cite Soleil” and may point to inconsistencies with regard to electoral ballots.
Sudan: Southern Sudanese to vote in eight countries
Southern Sudanese in eight countries around the world will be able to participate in Southern Sudan Independence Referendum: “The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) is organizing “Out of Country Voting” in eight countries, so that Southern Sudan’s undeniably far-flung (think Australia to California to the UK) diaspora population.”
Cote d'Ivoire: Massacre in Abidjan
Alex Angwete discusses the volatile political situation in Cote d'Ivoire: “Yesterday, northern politicians Alassane Draman Ouattara and his PM-designate Guillaume Soro sent their “unarmed” supporters in the streets to attempt and seize the buildings of the national television station…The death toll was quite staggering: 30 dead demonstrators and bystanders.”
Bermuda: By-Election Results
Bermudian bloggers are not in the least bit surprised at the results of the country's by-election.
Côte d'Ivoire: Shots Fired and at Least 3 Killed during March in Abidjan
The citizen media platform Womzomai and its facebook page posted photos from the violence that broke out today in Abidjan during the march. BBC Africa reports that at least 3 people were shot and killed.
Kenya: ICC Prosecutor Names 2008 Post Election Violence Suspects
The International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Louis Moreno Ocampo on Wednesday 15 December, 2010 named 6 top Kenyan personalities believed to bear the most responsibility for the post election violence in 2008. Discussion about Ocampo's list of six dominated both Twitter and the Kenyan blogosphere for the better part of the day with sharp reactions being witnessed.
Brazil: The vote for human rights
Marcelo Salles, writing [pt] for the blog Escrevinhador (Scribbler, pt), balances out votes in the state of Rio de Janeiro won by elected politicians concerned with human rights, against those opposed. The results are 547,492 and 278,425 respectively.
Haiti: update on unrest after elections
While back in Haiti to finish shooting a Web documentary project on the unheard voices of reconstruction, web-reporter Giordano Cossu provides a personal account on the on-going unrest after the controversial elections: “Much of this is in the hands of the Electoral Committee now. The population has already decided what...
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Gonsalves Re-Elected
Bloggers from St. Vincent and the Grenadines comment on the outcome of the country's general election.
Sudan: Low turnout for female voters
What is the reason behind a low female turnout to register for the January 9 referendum?: “At the Dr. John Garang Mausoleum in the heart of Juba, under a baking morning sun, two dozen or so men wait patiently in line to be registered to vote. A separate line for...
Kenya: Vote to save your favourite ICC suspect
Collins urges his followers to vote to save their favourite suspect by texting Ocampo @ Projct Hague. The International Criminal Court named six Kenyan leaders Wednesday suspected of organizing violence after the disputed 2007 election.
Czech Republic: Present and Future of the Far-Right
Dr. Sean's Diary analyzes the present and the future of the Czech far-right.
Belarus: More Insight on Upcoming Election
More insight on this coming Sunday's presidential election in Belarus – at OpenDemocracy.net (here and here), and at Democratist.
Slovenia: Referendum Results
Sleeping With Pengovsky writes about the “disastrous” results and the implications of the referendum on Slovenia's public TV law: “The law was nixed with 72.64 percent votes against and only 27.36 percent in favour, with a criminally low voter turnout.”
Haiti: After Elections
“The situation here is like a volcano that has been building pressure for a very long time. The massive earthquake, the million homeless people and 300,000 dead, Hurricane Tomas, the Cholera epidemic…a biased election…all contribute to the people's frustration”: Pwoje Espwa provides updates on Haiti, along with photos, here, here...
Côte d'Ivoire: Skirmish between Gbagbo's and Ouattara's supporters at Hôtel du Golfe
According to L'Intelligent d'Abidjan and Diaby Mohamed, a blogger who visited l’ Hôtel du Golfe where Ouattara holds his HQ, a skirmish occured between Gbagbo's Security and Defense Forces (FDS) and Ouattara's New Forces (FN). This caused dissemination of many rumors but @ourmaninafrica reports that calm has returned , except for roadblocks...
Tanzania: The promising future of social media
Proches Tairo is the founder of Bongoline, a new online community for Tanzanians. I conducted an interview with him about the use of social media in Tanzania with particular reference to 2010 Tanzania General Elections. He contends that although the majority of Tanzanians are not currently using social media, the future looks promising.
Haiti: More Than Politics
As the wrangling continues after Haiti's controversial elections, prophet N asks: “How will these political solutions fix something that has become about so much more than politics?”
Côte d'Ivoire: Anger and Sarcasm in Citizen Media after the Elections
After a hopeful start, the presidential elections in Cote d'Ivoire took a dramatic turn that led the country in a seemingly hopeless political stalemate. While the crisis persists, the Ivorian blogosphere seems to be split between either taking the events with a hint of humor and sarcasm or debating passionately the political and legal implications of the latest events. Julie Owono explains:
Kyrgyzstan: Coalition building, Machiavelli style
Niccolo Machiavelli, the Florentine renaissance era political philosopher, had an especially bleak view of human nature. Exiled in his native Italy and publically denounced by popes and politicians in the centuries since his death, his eminent treatise ‘The Prince’ is nevertheless still devoured secretly – and compulsively – by diplomats,...
Haiti: After the Elections
Haitian bloggers continue to monitor post-election developments.
