Stories about Elections from April, 2012
Overhyped Elections in Myanmar?
The world rejoiced after Myanmar election officials announced the victory of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi in the recent by-elections in the country. But according to some netizens and political observers, the euphoria over the opposition victory must be tempered by the fact that the junta-backed party is still the dominant force in the local politics.
Serbia: May 6 Parliamentary Vote Roundup
Bill Kralovec posts a short roundup on the upcoming parliamentary elections in Serbia, scheduled for May 6, and shares his “political platform,” asking Serbian readers to help him “match which party most resonates with [his] opinions.”
Russia: An Interview With Two Astrakhan Protesters
At OpenDemocracy.net, a translation [en] of Svetlana Reiter's Esquire.ru interviews [ru] with two activists who have spent the past month hungerstriking in Astrakhan, protesting the results of the disputed mayoral election together with ex-candidate Oleg Shein. (An earlier GV text is here.)
Mexico: Children in Viral Video Shake Up Presidential Campaign
A video showing everyday examples of corruption, violence, and other scenes acted by children, has sparked mixed reactions in Mexico. The message of the video is that the country has "hit bottom," and it invites candidates to work for the country and not for political parties.
French Presidential Candidate's Video to Attract Minorities
François Hollande, the left wing candidate in the French presidential elections recently posted a video on youTube showing him walking in the French suburbs surrounded by minorities to the music of “Niggas in Paris” by Jay-Z and Kanye West. Commenting the video, AfroEurope writes: “After appearing on YouTube on Tuesday,...
Egypt: The Fall, Rise and Fall of Omar Suleiman
On April 6 Omar Suleiman, Egypt's former vice president and intelligence chief, announced his candidacy for president. On April 13, tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square to protest. Then, in a surprising turn of events, on April 14 it was announced that Suleiman was one of ten candidates barred from standing in the elections.
Egypt: The Drama of the Presidential Race
It's hard to predict the results of the presidential elections in Egypt, due to the dramatic events taking place every day. This post tries to shed light on the political situation, and the status of the major candidates so far.
This Week in the Caribbean Blogosphere
It has been another interesting week in the Caribbean blogosphere, with netizens discussing everything from crime to upcoming elections…
Russia: Ilya Varlamov, Omsk's Blogger-Mayor?
In the city of Omsk, a local activist group has arranged online primaries for opposition candidates, in order to nominate one for the city's June mayoral election. Popular Muscovite photoblogger Ilya Varlamov has emerged as the contest's front runner, but what impact could his candidacy have on regional politics?
Guinea-Bissau: Coup d'Etat and the Angolan Military Mission
At nightfall on April 12, the military started yet another coup d'etat in Guinea-Bissau. In recent weeks, allegations of "generalized fraud" in the presidential elections, and the announcement of the withdrawal of the Angolan military mission in the country, had raised the tension levels in the military and political arenas.
Indonesia: Jakarta Governor Race Heats Up
Indonesian netizens discuss the local elections in Jakarta and many are expressing their views about the reelection bid of the incumbent governor.
Russia: Astrakhan Becomes Opposition's New Rallying Cause
Astrakhan mayoral candidate Oleg Shein's cause is becoming the biggest rallying point for an anti-Kremlin opposition that has spent the last month struggling to rediscover its direction. Today, a hunger strike by Shein and several of his supporters is entering its fourth week, with rumors flying that participants' lives are in danger.
Grenada, Barbados: The Fallout over Journalist's Firing
Rawle Titus -veteran journalist and president of the Media Workers Association of Grenada since 2008- was dismissed from his post as editor of the Grenada Advocate after he refused to retract or apologize for a front-page story. As yet another regional journalist pays the price for standing by his story, bloggers are wondering about the state of press freedom in the Caribbean.
France: Pirate Party Fields Candidates in Legislative Election
The Pirate Party, which was started in Sweden in 2006, has since spread to other countries in Europe. In Germany, the local elections of Sunday, March 25, 2012, allowed the party to enter the parliament of Saarland after an earlier victory admitted it to the Berlin Parliament. This result has...
Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood versus SCAF – the Fall of the Masks?
“A million men march to demand the fall of Ganzouri's cabinet” read the official newspaper of the Freedom and Justice Party after events that have left the Egyptian population baffled. How did the close relationship between Egypt's military council and the nearly controlling political majority lead to a “bad breakup”?
Netizens’ reactions to China Election Monitors to Myanmar
Joe from ChinaSMACK translated netizens’ reactions to Chinese government's election monitor tour to Myanmar. Many comments mocked at the hypocrisy of China monitoring a foreign election when China itself has no direct elections.
Georgia: Forbes magazine accused of self-censorship
The Transparency International Georgia blog examines the case of the Georgian edition of the influential Forbes magazine following the resignation of its editor-in-chief who alleges that the magazine's publishers are practicing self-censorship ahead of parliamentary elections to be held later this year.
Ghana: Tourism Sector Urged to Speak Against Violence
MadinGhana urges Ghanaian tourism sector to speak out against election violence. Ghanaians will go to the polls this year: “It is time business leaders in the private sector speak out, especially those in the tourism/export services sector which would be one of the most devastated if election violence erupts.This sector...
Uzbekistan: Presidential elections postponed until 2015
Nathan Hamm writes that Uzbekistan’s parliament decided to delay the next presidential election from December 2014 to March 2015, a move that experts see as president Karimov's preparation for a future in which he is no longer the President of Uzbekistan.
Myanmar: Reflections on Election Results
Myanmar voters celebrated in the streets while netizens on Facebook are expressing their elation over the by-election results which saw an unprecedented landslide victory for the opposition.The world rejoiced over the victory of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi but for many young voters in Myanmar, another reason for celebration is the election victory of one of the country's hip-hop music pioneers.
Russia: Online Petition Seeks to Increase Controls on Foreign-Funded NGOs
In late March 2012, less than three weeks after Putin's re-election to the Russian presidency, an online petition emerged, calling for stricter controls on foreign-funded Russian NGOs. Kevin Rothrock reports.
