Stories about Elections from January, 2012
Russia: Glasnost 2.0 and a White Revolution
Gordon M. Hahn of Russia: Other Points of View discusses the current thaw in Russian media, why it might result in a Glasnost 2.0, and whether this could cause a White Revolution in the country.
Moldova: New Presidential Candidate Enters the Scene
Zimbru of Morning in Moldova draws attention to the candidacy of centre-left politician Oazu Nantoi for the post of President of Moldova – a post which is indirectly elected by parliament and has proven impossible to fill since the 2010 parliamentary elections, leaving the country with merely acting presidents.
India: The Curious Case of Draping Statues to Ensure Fair Elections
Netizens react to the recent order by the Indian Election Commission that all statues in the state of Uttar Pradesh of current Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati and her party symbol, the elephant, be draped by Wednesday 11 January, 2012.
Global Voices in French: Translators’ Choice 2011
In 2011, volunteer translators at Global Voices in French translated hundreds of articles and updates on world events and we'd like to say "'Merci!". We've asked them which translation struck them most, during this epic year. Here is the French translators' selection!
Nigeria 2011: A Year of Small Victories and Great Challenges
2011 will go down in Nigeria's history as the year of the nation's third presidential election since independence. For the first half of the year, the blogosphere was abuzz with discussion of the election: protests, campaigns, debates, the role of technology, preparations for the polls, election day itself.
Russia: Legal Immunity for Artistic Freedom?
Vadim Nikitin of Foreign Policy Blogs posts a thought-provoking piece on Russian art group Voina, which has been found not guilty by a Russian court for setting fire on a police car on New Year's Eve, despite overwhelming evidence that this was the case, at the same time as protestors...
Russia: Return to Photoshop Politics
Catherine Fitzpatrick of Minding Russia and Bruce Chapman of Russia Blog draw attention to a “kompromat” photoshop scam directed against opposition activist Aleksei Navalny, and how this false photo now repels against its pro-Putin initiators.
Russia: A Liberal Use of the Western Toolbox?
Leoš Tomíček of Austere Insomniac addresses the chances of Russia's liberal opposition against the backdrop of a US diplomatic cable leaked in 2008, and ponders upon what use the liberals might have of a western toolbox in the political struggle.
Belarus: Running for Office or Not
Sergei Balykin at Belorusski Partizan discusses [ru] the pros and cons of running for public office in the authoritarian regime of Lukashenko's Belarus, based on his own campaign experience from local elections in the Minsk region.
South Korea: Anger and Suspicion Grows Over Election Rigging
A political scandal is brewing in South Korea over alleged election rigging, despite the police's conclusion that the nation's election commission website was disconnected due to a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack.
Libya: Draft Electoral Law Criticized
A few days ago, the Libyan government released a draft of a new election law for public debate. The aim was for citizens to discuss it and find out the opinion of the majority of Libyans about it. This draft, the first in Libya's post-Gaddafi era, is the first of its kind in a country that had no elections in four decades. The elections are slated for June and the new parliament will be charged with writing the country's constitution.
Zimbabwe: The “E” Word and Future of Democracy
Beven Takunda talks about the “E” word and the future of democracy in Zimbabwe: “Election continue to haunt Zimbabweans to the point that when any politicians mention the “E” word, people start to quiver and shake. There is no sense of celebration that should come with exercising our democratic rights....
Eurozone Crisis: 2011 Citizen Media Responses
The year 2011 will be remembered for the European debt crisis and its impact on the global economy, but also for its hard consequences on everyday lives. We sum up Global Voices coverage and citizen media responses to the Eurozone crisis in the past year.
Jamaica: “Official” Languages
Under the Saltire Flag is proud of the job his uncle has done as Chairman of Jamaica’s electoral committee, following the country's recent general elections, noting that he “made one unfortunate comment leading up to the elections. He said that all electoral officers should speak ONLY in English”. The blogger...
Zambia 2011: Two Events That Shook the Country
Two events in Zambia will go down as having shaken the country to its core in 2011. The first was the death of Second Republican President Frederick Chiluba and the second was the defeat of the ruling MMD after clocking 20 years in power.
Occupy Wall Street Demands Release of the South Korean President's Vocal Critic
The OWS (Occupy Wall Street) set up a special Facebook page calling for the release of Chung Bong-ju who was jailed for raising allegations against the South Korean President. Mr. Chung is also the host of Naggomsu, the nation's most popular podcast lampooning the president and the ruling party.
South Korea: Students Protest Against Election Rigging
As suspicion and anger grow over the ruling party's election rigging, students from South Korea's major universities gathered together to release a joint statement calling for a thorough reinvestigation of the case. One net user posted photos of the student protest in Daum Agora, the nation's biggest public forum.
Jamaica: Portia in Power
Jamaica Salt says of the outcome of the recent national elections: “It’s not surprising she won after the debacle of the one term Bruce Golding JLP government”, while B.C. Pires quips that God is the new Jamaican Prime Minister.
Africa: 2012: Africa's Election Trail
Jemilla looks at Africa's election trail in 2012: “Youssou Ndour – world renowned Senegalese musician – just announced his candidature for Senegal's presidential election on February 26, 2012! I'll admit, the first person I thought of when I read the news was Wyclef Jean who put in a similar bid...
China 2011: From Jasmine Crackdowns to Grassroots Uprisings
From the crackdowns on any Jasmine revolution and grassroots uprisings, to debates about future development models, 2011 was another eventful year for China. Oiwan Lam rounds up.
Bermuda: Wishing for Change
“This year will be an eventful one. We will have our elections as will our American friends. The power of the people to make progressive change was demonstrated with fervor last year and this year shows no sign of abating”: Respice Finem hopes for change in 2012.