Stories about Governance from September, 2007
Ukraine: “Who's Who in Political Advertising”
Taras of Ukrainiana has collected videos of campaign advertising by seven Ukrainian blocs and parties – and has translated their messages into English. An invaluable resource for anyone who would like to experience the 2007 parliamentary election campaign the way ordinary Ukrainians have.
Iran: Ahmadinejad's Speech at Columbia University
Iranian President,Mahmoud Ahmadineajd’s speech at Columbia University in New York and university president Lee C. Bollinger’s criticism and tough words during his introduction remarks on Monday 24 September have become a hot topic in media throughout the world. Several Iranian and American bloggers have reacted to the incident. NikAhang Kosar,a...
Sri Lanka: Failed States and Colonialism
Tiny Little Fractures on the case for colonialism resting on claims of a failed state.
Bahrain: Corruption Index
Bahrain's ranking in the Corruption Index slips again, writes blogger Mahmood Al Yousif. Countries with a significant worsening in perceived levels of corruption in 2007 include Austria, Bahrain, Belize, Bhutan, Jordan, Laos, Macao, Malta, Mauritius, Oman, Papua New Guinea and Thailand.
Ghana: Did God save the Akosombo Dam?
We start off this week’s review with Ghana’s electricity crisis, which started in August 2006, but has seen a considerable improvement almost a year later. Could it be because priests prayed for the Akosombo Dam to fill up?
Honduras: Corruption Perceptions
Aaron Ortiz of Pensieve reflects on Honduras’ score in the current Transparency International's corruption perceptions index.
Philippines: Corruption scandal reaches the presidential palace
A $330 million national broadband network deal between the Philippine government and ZTE firm from China. Critics describe the contract as overpriced, unnecessary and disadvantageous to the Philippines. Tales of bribery, corruption and harassment have surfaced which could implicate the First Family.
Iraq: Seventeen Ministries without Ministers
“The NYT has a report on the troubled government of Nouri Al Maliki. The story says that 17 ministries now are without a minister and those ministers who are left are in many cases doing double duty, making it difficult to improve the performance of the agencies,” writes Iraq Pundit.
Moldova: Transnistria 2
Douglas Muir of A Fistful of Euros posts the second installment on Transnistria.
Ukraine: For Sale on eBay
Orange Ukraine reports on how someone tried to sell Ukraine on eBay – and about the Sept. 30 vote: “The undecided, the casting of votes to smaller parties, the votes “against all”, will decide Ukraine's future.”
Ukraine: Political Mess
Foreign Notes roundups a few news reports that reveal “the mess the country is in, which could endanger its democratic development.”
Ukraine: Unresolved Cases
Mark MacKinnon writes about two unresolved cases that don't do any good to president Yushchenko's image at home and abroad: the 2000 murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze and Yushchenko's 2004 poisoning.
India: Elasticities of Corruption
Urbanomics on the elasticities of corruption and the consequences of regulation.
Trinidad & Tobago: Oil Spill
“If it takes the Environmental Management Authority a week to take notice of an oil spill, how can we trust them to monitor the daily emissions coming from a plant?” asks Rights Action Group T&T, as it calls for “an immediate introduction of proper emergency response mechanisms to be put...
Bahrain: Top Notch Intelligence
“Our intelligence machine is the most sophisticated in the world, no expenses spared, the latest technology of smart cards and biometric identifying systems as well as the latest in surveillance technology. I don't know about you but I boast about this everywhere I go,” writes Babbling Bahrania from Bahrain.
Ukraine: Agrarian Marketing Project
Ukraine List links to a resource that explains why, among other things, Ukraine's lettuce market is “weak” and this year's carrot supply is insufficient.
Russia: Nashi
Darkness at Noon writes about the pro-Kremlin youth movement Nashi and the impact they may have on Russia's political development.
Venezuela: Personal Constitutional Reforms
Luis Carlos Díaz of Periodismo de Paz [ES] provides his own version of Constitutional reforms with 40 brief and straight to the point articles open for debate.
Africa: Ibrahim Index of African Governance
Extra Extra's reaction to the Ibrahim Index of African Governance: “I’m afraid did not fall out of my chair when I saw that the Democratic Republic of Congo is ranked at 47 out of all 48 African countries, just ahead of Somalia.”
China: Government Subsidy
DANWEI translates a news from local newspapers announcing that the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau would give 230,000 low-income citizens 20 yuan per month starting from next month to deal with inflation.
Moldova: Transnistria Photos
Scraps of Moscow links to a photo project devoted to Transnistria and writes about the problem of “passportization” of the Transnistrian population.
