Stories about Governance from November, 2012
The Surreality of Russian eDemocracy
The Coordinating Council of the Russian Opposition met for second time on November 24, 2012. In keeping with the its online origins, participants and audience members actively tweeted updates and excerpts from the four-hour-long meeting. RuNet Echo has translated an excerpt of the minutes, featuring eDemocracy in action.
Tajikistan Blocks Popular News Website
The higher the walls they are building, cutting people off from the outside world, the more willing people are to destroy the walls and bury those who build them under the bricks.
Trinidad & Tobago: Kublalsingh's Hunger Strike Continues; So Does the Debate
Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh's ongoing hunger strike to protest the proposed route of a highway in south-western Trinidad is raising questions of transparency, good governance and the approach to political debate. Some bloggers feel that the current administration is out of touch with the needs of the people and they are concerned about the way in which the government is dealing with dissident voices.
“My Vote Under Arrest” Support for Iran's Opposition Leaders
Iranian former presidential candidates and Green Movement leaders, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, and Mehdi Karroub have been under house arrest for around 650 days. A group of Iranian netizens have turned to social media to raise awareness and push for their release.
Ten Years after Attempt on Ex-President's Life, Rumors Linger in Turkmenistan
In November 2002, the then Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov survived an assassination attempt that was blamed on Russian-supported opposition. Ten years after the incident, in the country starved of reliable information, many people still don't trust the official version of the event.
Time for Civil Rule in Mauritania
Mauritanian blogger Ahmed Jedou calls [ar] says it is high time his country had civil rule. He blogs: “Today it is obvious that the military look at us as if we are a ball they are playing with. Our war should be for the establishment of a civil state which...
Hundreds Rally Against Anti-Semitism in Hungary
On Nov. 27, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Parliament in Budapest (photos) to protest a Hungarian far-right MP's call “for Jews to be registered on lists as threats to national security.” Some of the protesters wore yellow Stars of David. The rally took place despite the removal...
Spotlight on China's ‘Re-education Through Labour’
Ren Jiayu, a former village official in Chongqing, who was sentenced to re-education through labour for criticizing the government was released and put under the spotlight of state-controlled media. Many believe it is a showcase for upcoming reform in China after the 18th National Chinese Communist Party Congress.
Mauritania: February 25th Movement says “No to Guardianship” of France
Mauritania is undergoing a period of great political uncertainty due to the evacuation for medical reasons of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz after he was shot on October 13, 2012. While Mauritania was preparing for his return, many citizens were left wondering what political role France would play in the current situation.
Impunity Prevails over State of Law in Guinea
Arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, rigged trials and executions are not difficult to find in Guinea's history. The impunity enjoyed by the officials guilty of these crimes is reviewed by different observers from Guinea.
Captivated by Japan's ‘Daidougei’ – Street Performance Art
Charmed with “Daidougei”, a type of street performance, an amateur photographer has spent years capturing images of the art form. His blog is titled “ I shoot nothing but Daidougei, I myself don’t know why.” Let’s take a look at his work.
Trinidad & Tobago: No Simple Highway
University lecturer and environmentalist Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh, who began his hunger strike on November 15 outside the Prime Minister's office as a protest against the construction of one part of a billion dollar highway project in southeastern Trinidad, has the blogosphere talking about much more than a road - many netizens see his dissidence as a plea for transparency in the use of public funds and a demonstration against the cavalier manner in which the electorate's concerns are managed by those in public office.
Côte d'Ivoire: Online Campaign Says No to Holding Multiple Public Offices
Ivorian bloggers have initiated a campaign for a real public debate on the issue of parliamentarians simultaneously holding multiple elected offices in Côte d'Ivoire. Tired of seeing parliamentarians also being mayors or presidents of local councils, these netizens are using social media and organizing a petition.
Ukrainian Football Fans Rally in Support of the Pavlichenko Family
Dmytro Pavlichenko and his son Serhiy, fans of FC Dynamo Kyiv, were found guilty of the murder of a Kyiv judge. In the past few months, Ukrainian and European football fans have organized a series of unprecedented actions in their support.
Why Are Government Jobs in China So Popular?
More young people sat the National Public Servant Exam this year in China than ever before. Some believe young people seek job security while others worry the private sector is getting less competitive, threatening the country's economic development and reform.
Mistresses – China's New Corruption Warriors
In the past week, two corruption cases have been exposed, not by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China (CCP), but by the mistresses or second wives of the corrupted officials.
Are Japan's Upcoming Elections Unconstitutional?
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda dissolved the lower house of the Japanese parliament on November 16, 2012 and set general elections for December 16, 2012. However, according to a group of lawyers, the value of one vote varies in constituencies and because of this vote value disparity, these planned elections are actually unconstitutional.
Deadly Factory Fire in Bangladesh Raises Questions of Worker Exploitation
The recent tragic fire at a clothing factory building in Ashulia, near Bangladesh Capital Dhaka, that killed more than 110 garments workers, has raised many questions. Bangladeshis are expressing their anger on poor working conditions and exploitation of workers.
Documenting New Bike Lanes in Macedonian Capital Skopje
Na tochak (On a Bycicle), a group of cyclists organizing the Critical Mass movement, used video and photos to document the experience of riding in the bike lanes of several Skopje boulevards, reconstructed and widened ahead of the local elections scheduled for March 2013.
Trinidad & Tobago: Alternate Highway Proposal
Environmental activist Wayne Kublalsingh, who is currently on a hunger strike, explains the alternate proposal for the Debe to Mon Desir section of the San Fernando to Point Fortin Highway in a new video.
Legal Framework in Madagascar Not Adequate for Size of New Gold Mines
Total Bemolanga Watch reports that [fr] awyers in Madagascar estimated that the legal framework of the mining code was not conceived to apply to the shear size of the new gold mining exploitations [mg] that have been developping in Ambatondrazaka, Madagascar. The World Bank and the IMF have just implemented a new fund...
