Stories about Governance from March, 2006
Bahamas: Condi's visit
Sir Arthur Foulkes is satisfied with comments made by US Secreatary of State Condolezza Rice during her brief visit to the Bahamas, and believes they “should help to correct the myopic vision of those Bahamian isolationists who believe that the Bahamas should have as little as possible to do with...
Bangladesh: Elections
Salam Dhaka muses on election time decisions. On what basis is the government judged, and what cards are played to maximum effect?
Haiti: Army
Hayti outlines the reasons certain parties think Haiti should re-instate its army, and why others think the opposite.”Whether it is an army, a national police force, or a combination thereof, it is the poor of Haiti who are the best gauge as to whether it is a good idea for...
Armenia: MCA
Onnik Krikorian notes that the US plans to release significant aid to Armenia despite the Armenian government's failure to demonstrate a commitment to democratic reforms.
Kyrgyzstan: A Year After
Writing from Bishkek, David Read discusses the muted public reaction in Kyrgyzstan on the first anniversary of last year's revolution and the lack of notable progress under the new government.
Hong Kong: Private Information Uploaded
Simon World‘s namesake criticizes the Hong Kong government for continuing to remain silent two weeks after the discovery earlier this month of the accidental posting online of the names, ages, addresses and ID numbers of the approximately 20,000 people who filed complaints with Hong Kong police from 1996 to 2004.
Indonesia: the military's business empire
Indonesia Today says the armed forces is so powerful that it has amassed its own business empire that include interests in luxury hotels, golf courses and commercial banks. The military has promised to divest itself of such interests. The sale of its share in one of these banks is valued...
India: Bangalore calls
Kamla travels around Bangalore and comments on the infrastructure, politics and issues that are crucial for Bangalore as it grows at breakneck speed.
This week in Israel: today is election day
Voting in the Israeli elections. Tel Aviv, March 28. (Photo by Lisa Goldman. Click to enlarge.) Israelis go to the polls to elect a new government today. The media have been screaming since 10 a.m. that voter turnout is at an all-time low, even though the polls don't close until...
Nigeria: Starting from the top
Grandiose Parlor comments on “the anomalies of the Nigerian psyche: we all want to start from the top of the leader. Even when we can hardly crawl, we want to not climb the ladder but sit at the very top!
Barbados: Friends in high places and Human Rights Treaty
Barbados Free Press reports that a friend of a government minister has been receiving lucrative contracts for consulting on dance and choreography, and is concerned that the new Human Rights Treaty being drafted by CARICOM promotes an agenda that is primarily economic.
Belize: An oil producer?
Melody reports that oil has been discovered in commercial quantities in Belize. Her report also quotes the measured and practical responses of government spokespersons to the discovery.
Sudan: Row over Sharia
Sudan Watch reports on a row brewing in Sudan between the two partners in government (the North and the South) over whether the capital, Khartoum should be subject to Islamic law, Sharia -
Cameroon: Political system
Africa Unchained points to a review of the Undercover Economist by Tim Harford in which he describes the Cameroonian political system…..” one that is controlled by a rapacious and unaccountable ruling class that under-develops the country by continuously “eating the state”, and promoting widespread corruption in order to survive…”
DRC: Kabila's Rwandan Ties Questioned
Renouveau Congolais posts (FR) a picture in which DRC transitional president and presidential candidate Joseph Kabila allegedly stands to the right of Rwandan General Paul Kagame during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Kabila was allegedly General Kagame's bodyguard during the genocide. Blogger Dr. Francois Thsipamba Mpuila and several readers debate whether...
Africa: We Can't Blame Everything on the West
Le Pangolin writes (FR): “So long as we fail to entertain critiques of our destructive ways, we will always be dominated by the West. Imagine for a moment all Africans living in Europe creating investment funds; they could then purchase on [various] stock markets the very companies that determine the...
11 Quakes Hit Southern Iran
Early Saturday morning (at approximately 07 GMT), an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8, struck in Southern Iran, as measured by the USGS. With the given depth of 44 km there were no fatalities expected, but it was said that a few people could have been injured. At the time...
Cuba: Castro's quirks?
Does Fidel Castro really incinerate his underwear? And exactly how partial is he to pata negra Serrano ham? Pondblog comments on a Miami Herald article in which a former aide to “El Lider Maximo” spills the beans on Castro's alleged personal habits and other matters.
Bermuda: A New Vision?
Both Sean and the Limey attend the New Vision rally of the United Bermuda Party. Both gentlemen leave the event duly impressed.
Nigeria's census – nearly over but could do better
There are great pictures of Nigerian census-takers on Edward Popoola's Jangbalajugbu-Homeland Stories but he feels the operation, while necessary, could be better organised. “We do not use the social security number system in Nigeria and I am not sure our births and deaths are perfectly monitored and well documented. It...
Belarus: Post-Crackdown Belarus
Ivan Lenin – formerly of Minsk, now of New York – translates a post by LJ user lipski, a Minsk resident, on who benefits from the Oktyabrskaya Sq. crackdown, and shares his thoughts on the country's future: “If anything, the West should engage Belarus as much as possible. Isolation would...
