· May, 2007

Stories about Governance from May, 2007

Bolivia: A Country Unites Behind FIFA Ban on Stadiums at High Altitudes

Stadiums located at 2500 m above sea level are no longer able to host international football matches according to a recent FIFA ban. This move sent the Bolivian government into a full-fledged campaign to overturn this decision, which would jeopardize the Bolivian National Team's chances to qualify for the next World Cup. Bloggers from all across Bolivia and of all political ideologies joined the cause.

31 May 2007

Zimbabwe: inflation exceeds 10,000%

“The Zimbabwe opposition Movement for Democratic Change’s economics spokesperson, Eddie Cross, says that judging from his own bakery business in Bulawayo the country’s inflation rate now exceeds 10 000%. In...

30 May 2007

Oman: Shura Questions

Omani blogger Sleepless in Muscat discusses the affairs if the Sultanate here. “Then there is the other side of the story that has so many questions and queries to ask...

30 May 2007

Oman: Minimum Wage and Omanisation

Omani blogger Suburban questions the effectiveness of setting an Omanization quota for corporations in order to reduce the reliance on expatriate labour and provide greater work opportunities for Omani national...

30 May 2007

Japan: “Thought Check” Screening for Citizen Judges

While news in Japan this week has been understandably fixated on the sensational suicide of Agriculture Minister Matsuoka Toshikatsu, another story revealed in a blog entry by Diet member Hosaka Nobuto slipped by with little fanfare last weekend. In the post, Hosaka outlines the latest step in moves by the government to implement a "citizen judge system" in Japan. This step, he claims, would allow the prosecution to effectively disqualify, through a "thought check" screening process, all citizens judge candidates who express doubt about the trustworthiness of police investigations.

30 May 2007

Hong Kong: Migration of Websites

Duke of Aberdeen comments on the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority's advice of the suspected “indecent” photo at inmediahk.net, and points out that one of the consequence is a migration...

30 May 2007

Hong Kong: Censorship Bureaucrats

Roland Snoog has translated the article from Inmediahk.net on the author's encounter with the staff from the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (TELA) who gave an “advice” to the website...

30 May 2007

Panama: Political Season Heating Up, The Return of Noriega, and Crime in Panama: a Love Story

Presidential elections in Panama are not scheduled until May 2009, but bloggers are already keeping a watchful eye out for any developments. Another interesting turn of events that will arrive sooner than the elections is the expected release of former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. Finally, in addition to blog entries about visas, travel and food, one blogger's hopeful encounter with a beautiful woman turns out to be something more unexpected and less appealing.

30 May 2007

Ukraine: Internal Troops

“When Ukrainians send Troops to suppress protestors they never – thank God – seem to arrive. In Russia (and the remainder of the CIS) they always arrive and, as in...

29 May 2007

Corruption in Senegal

Le Blog Politique du Senegal posts data on the incidence of corruption in Senegal and reminds us that the definition of corruption differs around the world; in Senegal, the practice...

29 May 2007

Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome

If you read nothing else in Global Voices today read this post. I mean it. Everything is here from going to schools in a war zone, review of the latest political scene in Iraq, must-see video blogs, stories of extreme bravery and extreme pathos, a $1000 KFC meal, and if you read to the end, how gays cruise in Amman.

29 May 2007