Stories about Governance from August, 2006
Trinidad & Tobago: Independence Day
“Does anyone really ‘celebrate’ our Independence as a nation?” wonders Elspeth Duncan, as Trinidad and Tobago observes the 44th anniversary of its independence from Great Britain.
Guyana: Face of the nation
By analysing the facial expressions of Guyana's incumbent president Bharrat Jagdeo, Andy is “100% confident that he is the new president-elect of Guyana“.
Guyana: Ministerial reconstruction
Guyana's “ministries [of government] and their portfolios are outmoded, irrelevant and obscure,” says MediaCritic three days after the country's general election, as he reconstructs government and puts forward his own ministerial wish list.
Ethiopia: Ethiopian Politician hospitalised
Tale of corruption and official high-handedness is re-echoed by Ethio-Zagol, who seems rather pleased that Bereket Simon, “one of the most detested EPRDF politicians” in Ethiopia, is defraying the cost, via divine punishment, having been rushed to hospital in Israel. Even in a close shave with death their kleptomaniac fingers...
India: Linux and Coke
Nanopolitan on the recent move in Kerala on promoting open source and Linux in public institutions and how the issue is being fused with a rather disconnected one of the ban on Coke and Pepsi in the state.
Bermuda: Education & sustainable development
Christian S. Dunleavy congratulates an old schoolfriend on his decision to repay the scholarship funds granted him a decade ago; and questions the Bermuda government's decision to pave over a piece of parkland to create a location for a hospital.
Bahamas: The future in health
Sidney flashes forward to 2012, after the Bahamas’ government has implemented the National Health Plan towards which they are “proceeding with undue haste.”
Bahamas: Flat-earth policies
Riffing off of Thomas Friedman's bestseller, The Earth is Flat, Larry Smith discusses the Bahamas’ unpreparedness for participation in the current and future world order.
Pakistan: Internet governance
Tee Emm's Window to Pakistan on internet governance in the country.
Venezuela: Expropriation of Golf Courses
Miguel Octavio, Daniel Duquenal, Feathers McGraw, Katy, and Publius Pundit on the expropriation of two Caracas golf courses by Mayor Juan Barreto. EGG says (ES), “while at least I never liked golf,” though he remembers that Che Guevara did.
Argentina: History of Utility (Companies)
Robert Wright has a fascinating reflection on the history of utility companies in Buenos Aires: “Wouldn’t it be great to see 3-D city maps (á la Google Earth) based on each particular utility? Eliminate everything but electric lines & take a look. Or just see gas lines. Or only water...
Russia, Ukraine: “Managed Oligarchy,” Lazarenko Case
Moscow has more billionaires than NYC, but in Putin's era, they are no longer “oligarchs” but “mere tycoons,” writes Vilhelm Konnander. In another post, he discusses the trial and the verdict of Ukraine's Pavlo Lazarenko.
Poland: A Competition in Populism
Poland is having local elections soon, and the populists are becoming more audible, reports Warsaw Station.
Iran: Rising housing prices & confused authorities
Lahzeh says rising housing prices is a hot topic in Iran and everybody has an opinion about it. The blogger says that according to the Iranian President, the price rose between 20 and 30 percent, while the Head of Social Commission in Parliament talks about 25 percent and the head...
Dog attack opens up a can of worms
AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD boy, mauled by a pack of stray dogs, told of the attack in an exclusive interview yesterday and demanded that strays be cleared off the streets. - Brunei Times, 30th August, 2006 Will the Government policy makers succumb to the wishes of this little boy? It...
Cuba: Between the lines
The Cuban news daily Granma reports that a Syrian ministerial delegation has been received in Cuba by Raul Castro — and Luis M. Garcia (and, presumably, other watchers of the Castro regime) try to figure out what it means: “We are a sad, pathetic bunch, I know … A bit...
Serbia: Unemployment and Low Salaries
While Serbian citizens are preoccupied with bare survival, the country's media and politicians focus on the need to extradite individuals wanted by the Hague tribunal. A few days ago, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica announced he would not put up with people like Mladic, who is accused of committing atrocities...
Bolivia: Petrol and YouTube
Jim Shultz announces the gas and oil brief from the Democracy Center while Miguel Buitrago takes a look at Bolivia's presence on YouTube.
Kyrgyzstan: Fear of the Police
Tolkun Umaraliev writes about the low reputation and public fear of the police in Kyrgyzstan, and he solicits comments from readers about their opinions on the police.
Georgia: Gangster's Paradise
Carpetblogger reports on Batumi, the capital of the Georgian region of Ajaria, saying that autonomy was far from kind to the city.
Rwanda: Public Transportation Problems in Kigali
From Rwanda, expat blogger Guillaume is worried about the state of public transportation in Kigali now that motorcycles are scarce (Fr): “To my great surprise (I only thought it partially possible), there are no more motos downtown nor on any of the main highways of Kigali since last monday. Secondary...