· July, 2008

Stories about Governance from July, 2008

Israel: Olmert to Resign Following Kadima Primary

Ehud Olmert said yesterday that he will not stand for the Kadima primary in September. According to Al Jazeera English, Olmert said: “I have decided I won't run in the Kadima movement primaries, nor do I intend to intervene in the elections.” Bloggers had a strong reaction to Olmert's resignation.

Hungary: Bomb Scare

Hungarian Spectrum writes about bomb scares in Budapest and the response and reactions to the latest one, caused by the discovery of a 2-ton “monster of a bomb.”

Ukraine: “No Place in the EU”?

A Fistful of Euros critiques a “wince-inducingly stupid article” on Ukraine written by “Richard Wagner, a Transylvanian German writer. (Well, former Transylvanian. Like most T-Germans, he emigrated from Romania as soon as he could get out.)”

Barbados: Setting Standards

  31 July 2008

As the government is granted a US$5 million International Development Bank loan to upgrade the national standards system, Barbados Free Press continues its call for standards to be adopted with regard to public accountability and transparency.

Dominica, U.S.A.: Politics & People

  31 July 2008

Chris at Dominica Weekly has “taken a strong interest in the US Presidential Election”, which leads him to consider the state of politics in his own country: “Perhaps the most effective thing we can do is speak our truth to power, speak up for what we need, and demand certain...

Italy: A National Registry for Roma People?

Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's new right wing Cabinet recently launched plans to carry out a national registration of all Roma people in Italy, including fingerprints of all children. Italy is home to an estimated 150,000 Roma and Sinti people (often referred to as Gypsies). The ensuing, heated public debate over whether this measure amounts to racial discrimination is overflowing in the online space of Italy and beyond.

Serbia: More on Belgrade Rally

Eric Gordy of East Ethnia writes about yesterday's pro-Karadzic rally in Belgrade: “Meanwhile the only element of the meeting that made news was the violent confrontation between skinheads and police, who this time around did not have orders to let the hooligans destroy anything they wanted.”

No to Kuwait's New Internet Law

  30 July 2008

Kuwaiti bloggers are angry at a proposed new Internet Law, which they claim would make their days as free bloggers numbered, after Attorney General Hamad Al Othman announced that a new law dealing with Internet crimes will be issued soon. Abdullatif Al Omar takes a closer look at the Kuwaiti blogosphere and their reactions to the impending law.

Russia: An Expat Exodus?

Copydude follows up on an earlier story, on increasing difficulties for foreigners to stay on in Russia, and partly supports his claim with statistics, and Russia Blog picks up and develops the story.

China: All shook up by the torch relay

  30 July 2008

It's a double-edged Olympic torch. Veteran sports journalist Guan Jun shares a short sketch on his Beijing Olympics blog of how disruptive preparations for the torch relay proved to be for those living alongside the road chosen for the relay route.

Bermuda: Party Over People?

  30 July 2008

A Bermudian government senator declares his unequivocal support for the party's leader, causing Politics.bm to exclaim: “I could never say that my loyalty to any organisation, whether political or not, was ‘undividable and not partial’. That makes you subservient to someone else's agenda.”

Iran: Cleric's Protest Walk Ends in Jail

An Iranian cleric named Ali Reza Jahanshahi was arrested about two weeks ago, shortly after beginning a 960 kilometer (590 miles) protest walk from the southern Iranian city, Sirjan to Tehran. The cleric was protesting corrupt land appropriation in Sirjan, and complained the government was not doing enough to stop...