Stories about Governance from December, 2023
Unveiling the most read articles about Africa on Global Voices in 2023
From exploring membership in the BRICS bloc to examining regional conflicts and scrutinizing visa policies, these stories resonated widely with readers eager to comprehend the complex dynamics influencing Africa.
Looking forward to 2024: A year of crucial elections in South Asia
In 2023, pre-election implications were evident in certain South Asian nations as repressive laws stifled free expression and targeted critics. Opposition leaders faced arrests and judicial harassment, reflecting a concerning trend.
Key geopolitical shifts in 2023 influencing Africa's position
As 2023 draws to a close, African nations stand at a compelling inflection point influenced by global realignments, emerging south-based alliances and growing demands for historical redress.
After a year in power, Malaysia’s Madani government falters on reform agenda
"The current government still attempts to restrict alternate views and the independence of media through the use of law and arbitrary practices."
Will organized crime survive the government onslaught in Central Asia?
Organized crime groups in the region are retreating, but the question remains whether the government onslaught will succeed in eliminating their influence.
In Azerbaijan, an entire village was vacated for the President's son-in-law
Ten families were forced to relocate from their ancestral lands so that Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev's son-in-law could build an agrocomplex. Much of the project was funded by state financing.
Azerbaijan to host next UN Climate Summit
Azerbaijan’s relationship with environmental protesters has been complicated in the past year.
Turkey bans access to 16 VPN providers
Pundits say, the goal of the recent ban is to prevent access to already blocked news websites in the country that were only accessible with VPN services.
Kazakhstan’s ‘foreign agent’ list threatens NGOs
After the list was published in September, at least one NGO was singled out for extra financial scrutiny.
Head of Azerbaijan's Presidential Security Service implicated in corruption scandal
Baku's InterContinental hotel has a suspicious history. When the land around the hotel was put up for auction, the details of the land's address and size were purposefully blacked out.
Georgia embarks on a journey toward EU membership
The December 14 decision comes amid a growing rift between Georgia's ruling government and Western allies, as well as the local civil society groups that insist the government has failed to fulfill 12 priority conditions.
Kyrgyzstan’s parliament approves changing the national flag
The president has provided eyebrow raising explanations for changing the flag.
In Turkey, even the head of the Central Bank cannot afford the skyrocketing rents
The high inflation, declining purchasing power, and other factors continue to make it difficult for average income earners to find suitable housing.
Khurram Parvez, wrongfully incarcerated, completes two years in prison in India
In Kashmir, the "policies of the Indian government have proceeded at an extraordinary speed, choking and diminishing any remnants of free space and expression."
Kazakhstan’s ex-president releases a controversial memoir
Nazarbayev confirmed the long-stading rumors and admitted having an extramarital affair with Asel Isabayeva.
How Indonesia’s ‘illiberal cyberlaw’ undermines free speech and human rights
"We regret that the Indonesian Parliament has passed the amendment to the ITE Law, which contains problematic articles that undermine freedom of expression and freedom of the press."
Azerbaijan to hold a snap presidential election
What triggered the decision to call for an early snap election?
As COP28 launches a Loss and Damage Fund, devastating rains highlight Caribbean islands’ increasing vulnerability to climate change impacts
The picture in Jamaica is similar to elsewhere in the Caribbean, where there are fears about food security as a result of repeated “natural disasters” caused by human-induced climate change.
Turkmenistan remains unsafe for women
One in every six women experienced violence from their current or former partner, according to the first-ever national survey of domestic violence in 2020.
In Azerbaijan, five journalists arrested in ten days
The authorities failed to produce any evidence on the charges leveled against four Abzas Media journalists and in the case of arrested Kanal 13 journalist Aziz Orujov.
