Stories about Elections from October, 2011
France: Tunisian Diaspora Open “The Blue Finger Club”
The three-day anticipated vote for Tunisian living abroad is now over and has established a new "blue fingers club" on social media networks. Tunisian voters in France flaunt their ink-stained fingers - proof that they are part of the select club of early voters in the historical Tunisian constituent elections.
Tunisia: A Crowdmap to Monitor the Elections
The Independent Tunisian electoral commission has set up a crowdmap to monitor the voting process in Tunisia, in French and Arabic. Citizens are encouraged to report irregularities they may witness during the October 23 constituent elections. The crowdmap is also accessible from the official homepage of the electoral commission.
Tunisia: It is Election Day!
Tunisians embark on an historic day today. It is election day where they will head to the polls to elect a national constituent assembly, which will be responsible for writing a new constitution, and forming a new government. Here are some thoughts from election eve.
Cameroon Reacts to Presidential Election Results
Humour, outrage, allusions to Muammar Gaddafi's demise and calls for peace have dominated online reactions to the official results of the Cameroon presidential election, which won by the incumbent, Paul Biya.
Oman: Statute of State Amended Following Shura Council Elections
A Royal Decree by the Sultan of Oman has announced amendments giving the Shura (Consultative) and State councils a say in the way the country is run. The laws give both houses new legislative and monitoring powers. Bloggers react to the results and what they see as tribal influences.
Cameroon: An Open Letter to the President
An open letter to the President of Cameroon from opposition presidential candidate Ayah Paul Abine: “Mr. President, You would have known by now that of the seven candidates who signed the Yaounde Declaration demanding the cancellation of the recent presidential election, four are Anglophones and three are from the West...
Cameroon: Election Irregularities Noted by US Ambassador in Yaoundé
Robert Jackson, the United States (US) Ambassador in Cameroon, stated in a declaration made public by AFP [fr] that US observers of the October 9, 2011, presidential election noted “irregularities at every level” of the electoral process, and “technical difficulties by Elecam [Cameroonian Electoral Commission] in its management of the...
France: Blue Fingers and Tears of Joy as Tunisian Diaspora Vote
Tunisians living in France went to the polls today, ahead of the October 23 election in their country. Voters are voting freely and democratically for the first time in 50 years - just nine months after the first of the Arab revolutions - and are showing off their inked-stained blue fingers with pride.
Cameroon: Biya Tipped to Win After Temporary Results Are Leaked
Weekly newspaper Le Messager has published a leak of Cameroon's temporary presidential election results in an article, which tips current incumbent Paul Biya to win. Julie Owono reports on netizens' reactions and the fear of post-election violence.
Bangladesh: EMV And Bangladesh Elections
An Ordinary Citizen reports that the introduction of electronic voting machine is drawing sharp criticism from the oppostion and they will oppose any attempt to introduce it in the next Bangladesh election.
France: Tunisian Diaspora Set to Vote
Tunisian residents in France will vote ahead of their compatriots, from Thursday, October 20, until Saturday, October 22, whereas polls in Tunisia open on Sunday 23 October. There are an estimated 600,000 Tunisians living in France. Les cahiers de la liberté (Notebooks of Freedom,) [fr, ar] has published a guide to the...
Cameroon: Retrospective on the 2011 Presidential Election Candidates
So much has already been said about the recent presidential election in Cameroon: too many candidates, strange promises, unflattering political slogans, and so on. Philippe Menkoue provides a retrospective of the candidates prior to the results being announced.
France: The Twittosphere Pokes Fun at the Presidential Election Campaign
As can be seen on social networking sites like Twitter, the 2012 presidential campaign is well and truly underway in France. The left wing Primaries have animated the media landscape over the last couple of weeks, and resulted in François Hollande being named the Socialist Party (PS) representative. On Twitter, many Trending topics make reference to the up coming elections and are provoking amused reactions.
Jamaica: New Prime Minister
Jamaican bloggers talk about the swearing-in of the country's new Prime Minister, which is scheduled to take place this Sunday.
Tunisia: Democratic Test for Tunisians on October 23 Election Day
Tunisians will head to polls on October 23 to elect a national constituent assembly which will write a new constitution for the country that was the spark of the so called Arab Spring. Though, the election is much anticipated, about half of Tunisian voters are still undecided, and there are fears of a low turnout rate.
Malaysia: #cleanbefore13 hashtag
The twitter hashtag #cleanbefore13 refers to the campaign to pressure the Malaysian government to implement immediate electoral reforms before the 2013 general elections.
Malaysia: Proposed Electoral Reforms
Bersih 2.0 is pressing the Malaysian government to implement eight electoral reforms in preparation for the next general elections. Bersih organized a massive demonstration last July which evolved into a formidable political reform movement.
Russia: Facebook Bots Massively Vote for Putin
Russian online magazine “Slon” exposes [ru] significant increase in activity of Facebook fake accounts who vote for Putin in online opinion polls. The bots are active not only on Facebook but also on online media websites that allow to use Facebook profiles for voting.
Poland: Election Results Signal Imminent Generation Shift
Poland's parliamenary election results seemed to be a relief to many and a surprise to everybody. The current PM Donald Tusk has become the first Polish prime minister to be elected to a consecutive term, but the real dark horse of the election is the anticlerical and libertarian Janusz Palikot, whose party has gained 10 percent of votes.
Bolivia: A Judicial Election Without Campaigning
For the first time in its history, Bolivian citizens will elect judges and magistrates to five different courts and tribunals. However, this election also prohibited public campaigning causing many to wonder for whom to vote. Some also feel that the election is set up to benefit the ruling party, and plan to vote null as a way to send a message.
Zambia: Netizens Bay for Ex-President's Blood
When Zambia’s defeated president in the September 20 elections, Rupiah Banda said in his farewell speech that he never knowingly abused state funds but simply did what was best for Zambia, what citizens did not know was that the revelations and extent of the alleged abuse would come thick and fast.
