Stories about Governance from October, 2009
India: Climate Policy
“India’s climate policy must be founded on the development needs of the majority of its population and the needs of India’s future development,” opines Prabir Purkayastha at Roger reports.
Azerbaijan: Blogger trial dilemma
Following yet another postponement in the trial of detained video blogging youth activists Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, In Mutatione Fortitudo offers its opinion on the case so far. The blog says the authorities in Azerbaijan face a dilemma. If the two detainees are imprisoned it will result in significant...
Thailand: New law on rallies
The Cabinet of Thailand is proposing a new bill that would govern the conduct of public assemblies and rallies in the country.
Hungary, Serbia: Tragedy At The Border
A group of 19 Kosovo Albanians tried to cross the Hungarian-Serbian river border illegally on Oct. 15; fifteen of them are now reported missing; three bodies have been found by divers. Marietta Le reports on some of the reactions in the Hungarian blogosphere.
Myanmar: PM Said Electoral Law Coming “Very Soon”
The Irrawaddy reported that Myanmar Prime Minister said that his government would soon announce an electoral law for 2010 Elections.
Russia: Medvedev's critical questions
CrisisCrunch comments on some critical issues about Russia raised by the country's president, Dmitry Medvedev, in a recent article.
Sri Lanka: Stop The Exodus
Serendipity opines that many in Sri Lanka want to leave the country for various reasons and the government is doing nothing to stop this exodus.
Bangladesh: Doctors Need To Be Disciplined
Syed ABM Ashrafuzzaman thinks that in Bangladesh the existing laws relating to medical profession are anti people. The blogger urges that the doctors need to be disciplined by banning all their trade union like organizations.
India: Poor Performance In Hunger Index
CyberGandhi analyzes the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2009 and the India State Hunger Index (ISHI). The blogger is appalled at the poor performance of India in those indexes.
Bermuda: PATI Problems
Vexed Bermoothes says that Bermuda's draft freedom of information law “is a rather opaque transparency law. It also misses a singular opportunity to protect whistleblowers…”
Nepal: What Next?
Ujjwal Acharya at The Radiant Star comments on the recent political deadlock between the Maoists and the other political parties of Nepal: “if Maoists decide to launch a nationwide movement against the government, it could be a bad decision. If they fail… Then what next?”
Kyrgyzstan: New Prime Minister Discussed by Internet Users
One of Kyrgyzstan’s wealthiest men, the prominent government official Daniyar Usenov, was appointed the republic’s Prime Minister. President Kurmanbek Bakiev has already signed the appropriate orders. Daniyar Toktogulovich was among a list of possible candidates. Possible, but, to be honest, undesirable. At least, this is what the overwhelming majority of...
Kyrgyzstan: Administrative reform
Aravanski reports that the Kyrgyzstan President announced extensive reforms in public administration system, including a massive reduction of the number of officials.
Kazakhstan: economic paradoxes, sexism and the decline of science
Kazakhstan’s bloggers continue to discuss topics of social relevance Last week, online discussions touched on various subjects. The blogger Lord-Fame was visited by tax authorities, who found his company to have an insufficient number of employees, below the “industry average” [ru] What moron came up with this rule? How stupid...
Morocco: A Lenient Sentence
In September, we learned about Zineb Chtit, the young Moroccan girl who was severely beaten while working as a maid. Last week, it was announced that Zineb's attacker Nawal Houmin, the wife of the couple who had hired her, was to be punished for the crime with a sentence of 3 years imprisonment and a $13,000 fine. Jillian C. York shares reactions from the blogoma.
Thailand, Cambodia rift evident in ASEAN conference
absolutelybangkok.com provides a backgrounder and update to the continuing rift between the top leaders of Thailand and Cambodia who are both attending the annual conference of Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Japan: Latest survey on poverty destroys the prosperity myth
One Japanese in six is living in poverty says the latest Welfare Ministry report [en]. According to OECD figures [en], Japan has one of the highest poverty rates in the developed world and is 4th after only Mexico, Turkey and the U.S. In September, Makoto Yuasa, Secretary-general of Anti Poverty...
Philippines: Relief Goods Rotting in Government Warehouses
Ella's Blog from the Philippines posts photos of donated goods intended for typhoon victims rotting in government warehouses. The expose has sparked fears that the goods might be misused to support administration candidates in next year's elections. The original site shows a “404 Not Found error” when it is accessed...
Singapore plans to require bloggers to reveal sponsors
Singapore is thinking of drafting a new guideline that would require bloggers to reveal if they receive gifts or money for their articles. Bloggers react to this proposal
Bhutan: Smooth Transition To Democracy
Tshering Tobgay, the Leader of the opposition party in the National Assembly of Bhutan, comments that: “the transition to our democracy has, indeed, been uniquely smooth. So smooth that most of us weren’t even paying attention.”
Nepal: The Maoist Insurgency
Neil’s Nepal, a Maoist expert, posts an analysis of the implications of the present Nepali conflict from the perspective of the US military.