· April, 2010

Stories about Governance from April, 2010

Trinidad & Tobago: Election Issues

  30 April 2010

Both KnowTnT.com and Trinidad diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch comment on “the resignation of High Court judge Herbert Volney and early retirement of Acting Senior Magistrate Ramraj Harripersad in order to run for political office in this year's General Election as potential UNC candidates.”

Bermuda: Campaign Finance

  30 April 2010

“I agree that political funding in Bermuda needs reform but doubt that our politicians – in any of the three tribes – have the stomach to tackle it”: Vexed Bermoothes thinks it's “because the disclosure of campaign contributions is just scratching the surface…”

Bangladesh: Media In Despair

  30 April 2010

Maskwaith Ahsan at Voice Of Bangladeshi Bloggers discusses about the shutting down of a private TV channel in Bangladesh by the government and issues relating to it.

Russia: The 2009 Killing of Umar Israilov

  29 April 2010

Robert Amsterdam writes about Ramzan Kadyrov's alleged involvement in the 2009 murder of Umar Israilov in Vienna, and links to C.J. Chivers’ New York Times investigative piece, whose opening paragraph has reminded him of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, a collection of Vietnam War short stories.

Russia: More Commentary on Sex Video Scandal

RuNet Echo  29 April 2010

A Good Treaty comments – here and here – on the sex video scandals involving members of the Russian opposition, notes an increase in blog traffic (“nothing brings visitors to a website like the promise of nudity”), and responds to Julia Ioffe‘s Foreign Policy piece on the scandal.

East Timor: Connecting Civil Society

  29 April 2010

Providing internet access to civil society has been a key priority of the few information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives that exist in East Timor so far.

Thailand: Online censorship amid protests

  29 April 2010

As Red Shirt protesters in Thailand continue to press their demand for the resignation of the Prime Minister, the government is also doing everything to weaken the protests, including the use of emergency powers to block TV stations, community radio stations, and websites that broadcast “subversive” stories.

Ukraine: Chaotic Ratification of the Gas-for-Fleet Deal

  29 April 2010

Below is some of the Anglophone blog commentary on the ratification of the Ukrainian-Russian gas-for-fleet deal, which took place in a chaotic environment on April 27 in Kyiv. Among other things, security guards were forced to employ two umbrellas to shelter the parliament speaker from the eggs hurled at him by opposition members.

Bermuda: Lack of Governance

  28 April 2010

Vexed Bermoothes calls the extension of a hotel's lease to 120 years “stunning”, adding: “This is a failure in governance and in accountability.”

India, Pakistan: Please Discuss

  28 April 2010

Adil Najam at All Things Pakistan urges the prime ministers of India and Pakistan, who are in Bhutan to attend the SAARC Summit, to start bilateral talks and to keep talking.

India: Drinking Water Problem In Uttar Pradesh

  27 April 2010

Ram Banshal at India In Peril gives a real life example showing that the priority of the government of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh “is not to tackle problems of the poor in a sympathetic way but to make huge expenditures on the display of alliance with the poor.”