Stories about Elections from October, 2011
Jamaica: New Prime Minister Designate
As Jamaica prepares to swear in a new Prime Minister, Girl With a Purpose says: “It is expected that the government of Jamaica will call an early election this year. This is so that they can capitalize on the upsurge in popularity of the JLP since electing a new leader-designate...
Cameroon: Diaspora Fail to Participate in Elections
Seven million Cameroonian voters were called to elect their next president on October 9, 2011. However, the question of the abstention seems to be the great winner of this ballot, in particular that of Cameroonians living abroad. Julie Owono reports.
African Bloggers Review the French Primary Elections
Mengue M'Eyaà review the proposals [fr] outlined by the French presidential candidates towards the African continent during the primary elections. She notes that all the proposals centered around how France can exit the Françafrique paradigm and that the candidates have a more nuanced understanding of several African issues such as...
Slovenia: Notes on the Dec. 4 Early Elections
Dr. Filomena writes that Janez Janša, “the man considered most likely to form Slovenia’s next government,” has blocked her as well as a few journalists on Twitter, but hopes that Janša's SDS party wins in the Dec. 4 early parliamentary elections: “[…] For three years, these people have spared no...
D.R. of Congo: Consolidating Democracy or Deepening the Confusion?
Is the Democratic Republic of Congo consolidating democracy or deepening confusion?: “Thus, the main questions today are: will the 2011 elections add something to the embryonic democracy which came out of the 2006 elections, and will the Congolese state be capable of managing the potential violence and instability? The least...
Sri Lanka: Local Election Results
Indi.ca provides updates of results of the recently concluded Municipal Council elections in Sri Lanka.
Paraguay: Referendum Backs Right to Vote Abroad
For the first time in history, Paraguay held a referendum to decide whether Paraguayans living abroad can vote in the general election. Campaigns for the "yes" were persistent but several people voiced their opposition to the referendum on Twitter.
Liberia: Liberian Elections 2011
Liberians voted today for the presidency as well as all seats in the House of Representatives and half of the seats in the Senate. The African Elections Project has set up a platform to monitor incidents of violence and irregularities.
Poland: Parliamentary Election Roundup
Raf Uzar writes that the Oct. 9 parliamentary election “will be a true test of Poland’s democratic calibre.” Polandian writes about a Lublin candidate “willing to court controversy in order to gain attention for some votes”: Katarzyna Lenart, 23, whose striptease video had over 410,000 views as of Oct. 8....
Poland: Facebook Initiative Puts Pressure on Politicians
For the past two months, a Facebook initiative with more than 60,000 fans has been crowdsourcing ideas to improve Polish legislation. Ahead of the October parliamentary elections, the organizers promised to endorse political parties who would support the most popular of the netizens’ proposals.
Bolivia: Spoil Vote Campaign for Upcoming Judicial Elections
Miguel A. Buitrago blogs about a campaign to promote the spoiled vote as a way to protest the upcoming judicial elections, which will be held on October 16.
Cameroon: Questions and Doubts Over Upcoming Election
On October 9, Cameroonians will be called on for the sixth time in the country's history to choose a president for the Republic. The election is characterized by the large number of candidates and voters - and by questions about the practices of the commission responsible for organizing elections.
Cameroon: Controversies Around the Electoral Campaign
The Central African Republic of Cameroon has entered the last week of the presidential campaign. While international election monitors arrived in the country to observe the elections, the electoral campaign activities failed to convince most Cameroonians of the importance of what is at stake.
Nicaragua: Sony Music Tells Ortega to Stop Using Song in Campaign Ad
President Daniel Ortega's campaign jingle is causing controversy abroad, as Erwin C. reports: “The use of ‘Stand by Me’ […] did not sit well with Sony Music, which reportedly sent a cease and desist letter to the head of Ortega’s party in the legislature. […] The statement also claimed that...
Cameroon: Anglophone Nationalism Pops-up Ahead of Elections
As presidential candidates campaigned ahead of the 9 October polls in Cameroon, supporters of English-speaking separatist movements attempted a protest on 1 October in Buea the former capital of British-controlled Southern Cameroons.
Jamaica: On Golding's Resignation
Jamaica Woman Tongue weighs in on the possible reason's behind the Prime Minister's resignation, while Girl With a Purpose is concerned that while Golding “has set the stage for Jamaica to undergo transformational leadership…it is doubtful that this can truly happen with our present crop of politicians and those who...
Cameroon: English Bloggers Analyze Cameroon Elections 2011
The 2011 presidential election in the Republic of Cameroon will take place on October 9. This is a roundup of posts written by Cameroonian English bloggers discussing the elections.
