Stories about Elections from April, 2007
Nigeria: texting election observations
If you are in Nigeria, you can text your observations of the presidential elections: “The number to text to is 0808-4032739. Note that number and tell everyone you know!”
Nigeria: smelling gunpowder
While Nigerians vote in the presidential elections, Nkem writes, “We need to wake up and smell the gunpowder…”
Nigeria: where are the ballot papers?
Akin on the Nigerian presidential election: “However, what leaves me breathless like I have just been punched violently in the belly is the response of the Chairman of INEC to the rumour that a truckload of ballot papers marked in favour of the ruling party had been seized.”
Armenia: HayPost Election Mailing
Oneworld Multimedia reports on the Armenian Postal Service's massive, computerized direct mail campaign to reach every voter with a voting notice card, a campaign that may just help rejuvenate the postal service.
Armenia: From the Campaign Trail
Onnik Krikorian files another report from the campaign leading up to Armenia's parliamentary vote, this time covering Orinats Yerkir.
Bangladesh: Two parties and a Military strongman
Mash on political developments in Bangladesh. “The military strongman who has taken control of Bangladesh, Lt. General Moeen U Ahmed, is systematically purging the two most popular political parties in Bangladesh. Together these two parties enjoy overwhelming support in Bangladesh and have both held power after close elections during the...
Sarkozy on French Minorities
Patrick Lozès looks back at French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy's history of controversial public statements about Africans and Berbers (Fr). He wonders if, given unprecedented levels of voter registration among French minorities, Sarkozy's strategy of playing to the far right will backfire.
Ukraine, Romania: Political Similarities
Transatlantic Politics finds similarities between the current political situation in Ukraine and in Romania – here and here: “The ‘orange revolution’ in Ukraine and the ‘orange elections’ in Romania are ending in very similar ways: an anti-reformist majority in the Parliament is backing the Premier and trying to impeach the...
Virginia Tech, rumors and change: the Bangla blogosphere spans it all
Bangla blogs join the rest of the world in mourning the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings. Probashi raises the issue of gun control and points out that had a gun not been accessible to the mentally unstable Cho, he would not have been able to wreak such havoc. He...
East Timor: Run-off Elections Confirmed
Diligence has the latest figures from East Timor's elections that confirm the need for a run-off elections between the two leading candidates.
Malaysia: Ethnicity of Election Candidate
Susan Loone comments on the influence of ethnicity on Malaysian elections. “Political parties should be really choosing candidates who can negotiate, speak out and understand policy making, instead of those who are only apt at inciting racist sentiments.”
Nigeria: Blogging the historic election (Part 1)
It's election time in Africa's most populous country – Nigeria. Nigerian bloggers have been blogging their sentiments and observations of the election. This round-up gives a brief overview of election reports and views shared by Nigerian bloggers before, during and after last Saturday's gubernatorial election. Pre-election Yomi Says blogs about...
Nigeria: state of emergency to be declared?
Will the state of emergency be declared in Nigeria?: “So just like I wasn’t surprised with the handling of the (s)elections last weekend, I will not be staggered in the slightest if a STATE OF EMERGENCY is declared. But lets get one thing straight…It will be the beginning of the...
Lusosphere Reports The First Round of East Timor's Elections
Timor-Leste is holding its first national election as an independent nation, and the vote counting now indicates the need for a second round to decide the next President. The voting occurred on April 9 and the counting process has generated some perplexing news, which should be expected in a country with no previous electoral experience. Less expected was the fact that the spokesman for the National Electoral Commission (CNE), Father Martinho Gusmão, delivered his press conferences in four languages one after the other -- Tetum, Portuguese, Indonesian and English. After raising serious concerns by personally expressing doubts about 'illogical' outcomes from the ballot processing, Father Gusmão was removed and explanations were presented by other officials. See what Portuguese sources are reporting...
Election Ploy: Sarkozy Plans to Add Toussaint Louverture to the Pantheon
Alain Mabanckou reposts an article by Haitian radio station Kiskeya discussing French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy's promise to add the names of Toussaint Louverture and Léopold Sédar Senghor to the Pantheon (Fr) in Paris, resting place of French luminaries like Volatire, Marie Curie and Napoleon, if elected. The addition of...
Nigeria: chaos continues after elections
Chaos continues after state elections in Nigeria last Saturday: * Opposition kicks against PDP’s landslide victory * Protests rock Edo, Benue, Osun, others * Mob razes palace in Nasarawa * Half-clad women march against ‘falsification’ of Ondo results * Police teargas Oshiomhole, others in Edo
France: A War of Memory
French Congolese poet Alain Mabanckou posts some reflections by Abdourahman Waberi (Fr), a French Djiboutian writer, on the upcoming French presidential elections. Waberi had thought France had “finally woken up” to the concerns of its non-white citizens, but that from the banlieues to the overseas departments rage and resentment remain...
Armenia: Parliamentary Election Monitor
Onnik Krikorian says that whispers of revolution are in the air in Armenia, and his latest parliamentary election monitor takes a look at the likelihood of such a revolution and the rest of the latest developments in Armenia's parliamentary election campaign.
Nepal: The Elections
United We Blog! on the deferral of the Constituent Assembly elections. “What is the primary objective of the CA Elections? Are political leaders clear about it? If so, have they made it clear to their party cadres and their supporters in general public?”
Nigeria: whither democracy?
Black Looks on Nigerian elections: “Nigeria went to the polls on Saturday for the first leg of the elections – the second leg voting for the President and national assembly is next Saturday. Today the Supreme Court ruled null and void the INEC’s (Electorial Commission) disqualification of Vice President Atiku...
Nigeria: post-election video
State elections in Nigeria last Saturday were marred by chaos, violence, and irregularities. Greenlight Nigeria posts a post-election video on YouTube.
