· May, 2011

Stories about Governance from May, 2011

Russia: Medvedev and Press Freedom

Vadim Nikitin of Foreign Policy Association's Russia blog writes that while the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev “had no problems embracing iPad and Twitter,” he “seems to be a late adopter when it comes to good old fashioned press freedom.”

Russia: EU’s Roma to Move to Russia?

Window on Eurasia wrote in early May that “rising tensions between the Roma and the titular nationalities of the European Union have sparked reports in Moscow that some of this often-despised community are about to be moved to the Russian Federation, either on their own or from a deal between...

Greece: A Proposal to Reform the Police

  23 May 2011

Greek blogger Leonidas Irakliotis proposes several measures [el] to reform the police and restore public trust, in light of recent police violence and failure to deal with a wave of anti-immigrant attacks in Athens. “As long as we tolerate this incompetence, we will suffer from an under-performing police force; resulting...

Barbados: Code of Ethics for Elected Officials

  23 May 2011

The irony of the acting Prime Minister “ha[ving] the audacity to lecture the Barbados news media on ethics and the purpose of journalism” in the absence of a “code of ethics for elected and appointed government officials” is not lost on Barbados Free Press.

Technology for Transparency: Final Report

  22 May 2011

The Technology for Transparency Network is proud to announce the release of its final report, "Global mapping of technology for transparency and accountability". The report is being published by the Transparency and Accountability Initiative (@TAInitiative) along with a over a dozen other reports on the global transparency movement.

Kenya: The Judiciary Kenyan Are Dying For

  22 May 2011

Kenyans may soon have the judiciary they deserve: “With the nomination of Dr. Willy Mutunga and Ms. Nancy Baraza to serve as Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice respectively, Kenyans are seeing an opportunity for them to be served with justice.”

Ecuador: Citizen Reflections on Referendum Results

  22 May 2011

Ecuador's latest referendum results, which among other things gave President Rafael Correa more powers over the media and the judiciary, sparked a debate about the campaign and prompted reflections by all sectors within Ecuadorian society about the implications of the results.

Sri Lanka: Transparency Regarding ‘Boot Camp’ For Youth

  20 May 2011

Serendipity discusses about the issues surrounding the latest “Boot Camp” initiative for A level students in Sri Lanka, which is an in house 3 week course at an army camp. The actual program and plan has not been publicized leaving scope for speculations and rumors.

Bhutan: Another Royal Wedding

  20 May 2011

Bhutanese Member of Parliament Sangay Khandu informs in a blog post about the royal address of His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (31), in which he declared his wedding with Jetsun Pema.

Portugal: Uncovering Transparency in Parliament

  20 May 2011

With the backdrop of prolonged economic crisis, which contaminates social and political life, portuguese citizens demand for public governance transparency. Today an important step was taken in this direction, with the launching of Demo.Cratica, a website that lets you learn about portuguese MPs and all their discussions in the parliament.

Mexico: President Felipe Calderon´s Twitter Use

  19 May 2011

Pepe Flores [es], writer for ALT1040 [es], reflects on how President Felipe Calderon has used Twitter since he first joined. He points that the Presidency sees sees this medium as a way to inform citizens [es], but not to initiate or participate in conversations that are critical of his performance.