Stories about Elections from January, 2009
Bolivia: Convincing Others to Vote “No” on New Constitution
Bolivians will head to the polls on January 25 to decide whether or not to approve the draft of the new Constitution. With ten days go, early polling indicates that the "Yes" side will emerge victorious, partly because it has the full weight of the national government. However, the opposition, led by the governors of 4 states, as well as some other unlikely opponents, are doing everything they can to convince others to vote "No."
El Salvador: Metrobus Proposal by ARENA Mayoral Candidate
Rafael Monge is very intrigued by the Metrobus program proposed by ARENA mayoral candidate Norman Quijano in San Salvador [es], which would help alleviate traffic issues in the capital.
Israel: Arab parties banned from participating in elections
Elections will be held in Israel on 10 February 2009, and the Central Elections Committee has voted to ban two Palestinian (Arab) political parties from participating. In this post we hear the reaction from bloggers within Israel and outside.
India: Who Will Be The Next Prime Minister?
Indian Elections 2009 has some tips on the probable candidates for the post of Prime Minister of India.
Ghana: Is ‘largely’ free and fair enough?
Belle of Catalyzing Change wonders why irregularities during the recent Presidential elections in Ghana have been overlooked: “Of all the media I have seen and heard though; both African and broader international, there has been little mention of any irregularities. This bothers me because it is not as if there...
India: L. K. Advani, The Blogger
Soumyadip at Cutting the Chai reports that a veteran & powerful Indian politician has started to blog: “BJP's prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani is attempting to reach out to the electorate via his newly set up blog on his website.”
Chile: Videoblogging daily life
From Chile, Paloma Baytelman brings us snippets of daily life and other not-so-common events through her videoblog. Santa driving a bus, voting, and harrassment by costumed characters are only part of what she has uploaded on her site.
Bangladesh: Women In Power
Maskwaith Ahsan at Voice of Bangladeshi Bloggers writes on the new cabinet of Bangladesh which includes five women in key positions including the Prime Minister: “It's no longer a dream. Breaking centuries of silence, the women of Bangladesh have finally stood up to contribute to society alongside men.”
Bangladesh: Reactions To A New Cabinet
Awami League and the Grand Alliance, the winner of the recent Bangladesh national polls, have formed a new 32 member cabinet today. E-Bangladesh is hosting a live discussion of Bangladeshi bloggers on the reactions to the appointment of ministers.
Bangladesh: Fuzzy Maths
Shada Kalo blog debunks the defeated party's claims of poll rigging in Bangladesh explaining it with statistics.
Guyana: The Politics of Dual Citizenship
“How come no media house has raised the issue of dual citizenship…?” Guyana 360 says that “it's a debate taking place throughout the Caribbean” and thinks that the discussion should be at the forefront of Guyanese politics.
Mongolia: New Year Hopes and Celebrations
Bilguun writes about New Year celebrations in Ulan-Baatar, the capital city of Mongolia, and briefly opines on the expected new minerals law and upcoming presidential elections.
Armenia: Fugitive Activist Blog
Via Tzitzernak2, a blog has been established dealing with fugitive newspaper editor and opposition activist, Nikol Pashinyan. Currently on the run from the authorities following the 1 March post-presidential election clashes in Yerevan, Armenia, the blog, Nikol Pashinyan, is in Armenian.
Azerbaijan: Foreign Broadcasts Banned Ahead of Constitutional Referendum
As the country prepared to see in the New Year, Azerbaijan's National Council for Television and Radio banned international radio stations from broadcasting on national frequencies. The decision was effective from 1 January 2009 and affected three radio stations broadcasting on the FM frequency. In a region where tight government control defines the media, the ban was seen by some as an attack on the last remnants of free speech in Azerbaijan.
Ghana: President announced
Kent's diaries reports that the results of the Presidential runoff election in Ghana have just been announced, with opposition candidate John Atta Mills winning the tight race. The blog also offers a profile of the new President.
Armenia: Trial of Seven
Tzitzernak2 reports from the trial of seven prominent opposition members and activists. The blog also posts a YouTube video from the court case by A1 Plus, a pro-opposition TV station deprived of its broadcasting frequency by the authorities in 2002.
Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina Up Close
Tulip Siddiq was on the campaign trail of (ex-prime Minister) Sheikh Hasina, whose party Awami League achieved a landslide victory in the recently concluded Bangladesh parliamentary election. Read her blog to learn more about the campaign as she posts analysis, video and photos of the election.
