Stories about Governance from June, 2012
Trinidad & Tobago: Bloggers Discuss Warner & Cabinet Reshuffle
The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago has been alluding to some major changes in government ministers' portfolios for some time now; last night, details of her Cabinet reshuffle finally came. Netizens have been sharing their thoughts on their blogs as well as on Twitter and Facebook: the most heated discussion appeared to be over the new appointment to former FIFA Vice-President Austin “Jack” Warner as Minister of National Security.
China: NGOs Struggle Under the ‘Big Government’
A TV host's comment on the Hunan education authority's uncooperative attitude towards a rural teacher training program has turned into a national debate on whether or not the Chinese NGOs sector should be more independent from the state.
Hungary: New Freedom of Information Tool
Vastagbőr blog [hu] is promoting the use of atlatszo.hu's new website KiMitTud [‘WhoKnowsWhat’], which allows users to send freedom of information requests to any institutions responsible for spending public funds in Hungary. Vastagbőr wrote: “Those who have ever asked themselves these questions, ‘I wonder how much this cost?’ or ‘Who...
Belarus: Views From the Ground
Below is a selection of some "views from the ground" - recent posts by Belarusian bloggers about the situation in the country and what it is like for ordinary people to live there.
Paraguay: President Fernando Lugo is Removed from Office
As we reported earlier, the Paraguayan Senate voted to impeach President Fernando Lugo. Netizens have been actively reacting to today’s developments; while some defend this impeachment process as legal and constitutional, others are denouncing a coup.
Paraguayan Senate Ousts President Lugo
On Friday, June 22, the Paraguayan Senate voted in favor of removing President Fernando Lugo from office. Lawmakers brought President Lugo to an impeachment trial after 17 people died in a land dispute last week. Netizens followed the trial throughout the day, posting their impressions and reactions on Twitter using...
Bolivia: Police Mutiny Over Higher Wages
Tension escalated today, Friday, June 22, in Bolivia as more than 4 thousand low-ranked police units joined a mutiny that began the day before demanding higher wages. Netizens are reporting from different Bolivian cities on Twitter under the hashtag #MotínPolicial [es].
Brazil: Is There A Clear Foreign Policy for the Middle East and Africa?
The twenty-first century has brought important changes to the balance of power which had been in place until then, with obvious ramifications for the international economy and politics. In this context, Brazil has come to dispute its influence in recent years in two regions which were formerly dominated by the central countries: the Middle East and Africa.
Paraguay: President Fernando Lugo Faces Impeachment
Latin America News Dispatch reports that today, Friday, June 22, “the Paraguayan Senate will decide whether Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo should be impeached for his handling of a violent land conflict that left at least 17 people dead.” Lugo is currently a worldwide trending topic on Twitter.
El Salvador: Has the gang truce worked?
Mike from Central American Politics looks at the results of the first 100 days of the “peace treaty” between the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs: “As a result of the truce, the country's homicide rate has dropped from approximately 13 per day down to around five. At the same time,...
Nagorno Karabakh: Opposition Presidential Candidate Interviewed
CivilNet posts a video interview with Vitali Balasanyan [AM/EN], a former military commander and candidate running against the incumbent and defacto president of the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh in an election scheduled for 19 July. Although the vote is not recognized by the international community as legitimate, in another...
China: Space Missions or Social Development?
On June 16, China successfully launched its Shenzhou-9 capsule into space. Some netizens have criticized the government's excessive spending on a space mission whilst basic social needs are still lacking in many parts of the country.
Azerbaijan: British Embassy Awards 4,000th Facebook Page Member
The British Embassy in Azerbaijan has awarded the 4,000th member of its Facebook page with a certificate and a small prize. With the British Embassy in Armenia and Georgia boasting 1,526 and 2,581 likes respectively at time of writing, the announcement shows how diplomatic missions in the Caucasus are increasingly...
Somalia: Deep Divisions Over New Constitution
Somalia, which has not had a central government controlling the entire country since 1991, is drafting a new constitution that will end the current transitional administration and elect a new president. Here is a roundup of debate and conversation taking place online about the draft constitution.
Thailand: Reconciliation Bills
Aim Sinpeng links to an unofficial translation of the four versions of the important articles of the proposed reconciliation bills which are being tackled now in the Thailand parliament.
Greece: New Prime Minister Makes First Official Facebook Comment
Newly elected Antonis Samaras posts his first message [el] as Greek Prime Minister on his official Facebook page, asking for Greek people to “show patriotism and unbreakable national unity and trust”. He also underlined that “with God's help, they will do everything possible to get the country out of crisis...
Armenia: Army Doctors Beaten In Oligarch's Restaurant
Unzipped comments on the severe beating of three army doctors dining out at a restaurant owned by notorious oligarch MP and Armenian Football Federation President Ruben Hayrapetyan. Better known by his ‘Nemetz Rubo’ nickname, the blog notes that the violent assault, allegedly by his bodyguards or security guards, is not...
Bolivia: “We want a democracy of participation”
Peter Lackowski from Upside Down World interviewed Oscar Olivera, “an activist, thinker, and writer based in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He was a leader during the uprising in 2000 in Cochabamba in which the people of the city threw out Bechtel, the multinational corporation that had privatized all the water in the...
Journeys Through Latin America
Thanks to a collective of bloggers who are traveling through Latin America, readers from all over the world can get a glimpse of the many facets of this vast region. Here's a summary of the route so far.
China: Africans Protest a Suspicious Death in Police Custody
Chinese public opinion has been highly divisive following a protest involving hundreds of African residents of Guangzhou this week, sparked by the suspicious police station death of a member of the southern Chinese city's large African community.
Iran: Songs of Freedom
United4Iran, a non-profit organization campaigning for human rights in Iran has created an online music compilation designed to revive hope for freedom for Iranians.
