Stories about Governance from July, 2011
Russia: Policeman that Promised to “Rob and Kill” Dismissed
A policeman that was caught on camera saying that if he would be dismissed he would “go to the streets to rip, rob, and kill” (video [ru]) was dismissed, lenta.ru reported [ru]. The dismissal (result of a bloggers’ activity in spreading the word about the case), however, didn't solve a...
China: Chengguan kill handicapped street vendor in daylight
Jing Gao from MInistry of Tofu collects information about a mass incident happened in Guizhou province on July 26, in which two men and one woman from the Chengguan squad, killed a handicapped street vendor in daylight and riot police used tear gas to drive speculators away.
China: Prominent ‘Independent Candidate’ Denounces Upcoming Elections
Nearly 100 people have now declared themselves independent candidates in upcoming legislative elections in China, but this week alone has seen one of the more prominent would-be politicians announce his withdrawal, and another accuse one city of trying to keep voters away from polls.
Russia: Bloggers Find Street Shooter
Bloggers across the Russian Internet were quick to respond with posts and information after well-known photo-blogger Dmitry Ternovsky was shot at recently on a highway in the southeast of Moscow. Ashley Cleek details the story.
Iran: Campaign to Free Last Two Jailed American Hikers
Sarah Shourd spent 410 days in solitary confinement in Tehran, Iran, on charges of "espionage". She now calls on the world to speak up for her two friends, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, who are still in prison in Iran since all three were arrested while hiking in July 2009.
Should Singapore Nationalize its Transport System?
The petition of Singapore’s private transport operators for a fare increase has sparked a debate on whether it's time to nationalize the country's transportation system. Bloggers react to the proposal to create a National Transport Corporation
Tunisia: Time to Register for Elections
Registration for electoral lists in Tunisia started on July 11 and will be closed on August 2, but statistics have shown that Tunisians are reluctant to register on the lists. A group of Tunisian bloggers have launched an online campaign to urge people to register for the October elections.
Barbados: Where's the Integrity Legislation?
Barbados’ new government promised Integrity Legislation within 100 days of taking office; 1000+ days later, Barbados Underground is still waiting…
Russia: Upsides to Tandemocracy
Edward Lozansky at Russia Blog argues that so called Tandemocracy – power sharing – between Russia's President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin, on the whole has had positive effects for the country, not least in foreign policy.
Afghanistan: How aid ends up financing mansions in Dubai
Nick Fielding reviews a new Afghanistan reconstruction report, which investigates the scandal of large US currency exports from Afghanistan to private bank accounts due to ineffective aid coordination, inconsistent Afghan cooperation and insufficient cash controls.
Bangladesh: Leadership Issues?
Kazi Rubaiat Imam at The Lunatic On The Grass is troubled by a lot of recent happenings in Bangladesh and blames the lack of intent or inability of leaders and common people to respond to them.
Serbia: Government Officials and Social Networks (Interview)
Some Serbian government officials are eagerly embracing Twitter as a way to engage with their audiences, while others have found the challenge of fake satirical accounts difficult to accept. Find out more in this interview with former Minister, Jasna Matic.
Russia: Medvedev's Judicial Reform
Gordon M. Hahn of Russia: Other Points of View argues that, despite the Khodorkovsky case, the Russian legal system is improving as a result of President Medvedev's judicial reform work.
South Korea: Women-Only Subway Car Meets Strong Opposition
As the subway sexual harassment is on the rise, especially during rush hours and late nights, Seoul city government has decided to launch women-only subway compartment to cut down the crime rate. However, the move has prompted fierce debate amongst South Korean netizens.
Sri Lanka: Anti-Government Websites Will Be Blocked
Freedom Of Expression In Sri Lanka reports that a special operations unit has been set up in Sri Lanka with the aim of controlling and banning anti-government websites.
India: Resolving The Mumbai Potholes Problem
Ugich Konitari at Gappa has a solution to the pothole problem on Mumbai roads.
Haiti: Wikileaks & Fr. Jean-Juste
“Father Gerry Jean-Juste, a Haitian priest, was a friend of…mine. For those who follow Haitian politics, the rest of the Father Gerry story is known”: Now, Dying in Haiti republishes Wikileaks cables that “[reveal] how the Haitian Interim Government and the US Embassy were very involved with the fate of...
Barbados: Still Waiting on Integrity Legislation
According to Barbados Underground, “it is only naïve Barbadians who expect politicians to proclaim integrity legislation in this century or the next.”
Bermuda: Nickels & Defecit
“Every nickel of deficit translates to more debt. The costs of the PLP Government are a noose around the Bermuda economy’s neck”: Vexed Bermoothes points out what he considers to be the elephant in the room.
Russia: “Double-Entry Bookkeeping” in Moscow State University
Blogger Vladimir Varfolomeev writes [ru] about strange occurrences during the entry exams to the prestigious Journalism Department of the Moscow State University. Varfolomeev brings up a story of the entrant who received the highest possible mark for the interview. After the interview, however, the mark was significantly reduced by a...
Russia: Envisioning the “Cloud Democracy” Utopia
'Cloud Democracy' is the title of the new book written by Leonid Volkov and Fyodor Krasheninnikov, two political bloggers from the Urals region of Russia. The book displays the authors' vision on how a system of 'future' democratic governance can be built with the help of online tools.
