Stories about Politics from July, 2009
Russia: Riot Police Break Up Opposition Rally
Some 100 protesters gathered for an unsanctioned opposition rally in central Moscow on Friday. At 6 PM, hundreds of riot police broke up the rally, detaining 47 people, some of whom were said to be journalists and passerby.
Iran: Mourning the Victims of Protest
Thousands of Iranians gathered in Behesht Zahra cemetery in Tehran on Thursday to commemorate Neda Agha-Soltani and the victims of the protest movement. Dozens have been killed and hundreds jailed.
Cuba: Political Prisoners
Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense reports that while one former political prisoner has started a blog, another Cuban human rights activist “faces up to 8 years in prison if convicted of trumped-up charges of assault and receiving stolen property.”
Chinese NGOs: reading political signs in the fate of Gongmeng
David Bandurski from China Media Project translated an article written by Qian Gang which comments on the recent crack down of Gongmeng, a corporate registered citizen rights NGO, by the Beijing government.
Barbados: Corruption Legislation Needed
“It doesn’t matter how many tens of millions of dollars are missing at the end of a major project, no one ever goes to jail”: Barbados Free Press suggests that part of the problem is that “Barbados lacks the laws and the codified standards necessary to prosecute public officials for...
Trinidad & Tobago: Media Meekness
B.C. Pires recalls a radio show he used to host in the context of falling journalistic standards in Trinidad and Tobago: “From that thin end of the wedge we have reached this stage, where the Prime Minister can make the most foolish statements completely unchallenged – and the Media Association...
Jamaica: Capturing Pellew
Concerned about plans by private owners to develop Pellew Island, Snailwriter has a plan: “The Tainos ‘owned’ Jamaica until the men in Columbus’s ships took it…I figure I have as much right to do some capturing as anyone. So I’m gonna invade Pellew Island…I know my invasion will be symbolic...
Gabon: Presidential Candidate Uses Social Media in Historic Election
As Gabon prepares for its first election since the death of Omar Bongo, one candidate, whose rivals who include the current prime minister, Jean Eyeghe Ndong, and Bongo's own son, is using social media to level the playing field.
Fiji: President announces retirement
Forum posters and bloggers are reacting to the announcement that Fiji’s president will step down. Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda announced his retirement after nearly nine years in office. At 88, he leaves office as the world’s oldest statesman.
Russia: Vasily Krima, aka the “Volgograd Obama”
Sean's Russia Blog writes about Vasily Krima, “the first Afro-Russian to run for public office” – here and here.
Moldova: Election Updates
Notes on Moldova's repeat election – at Scraps of Moscow, Eternal Remont and Robert Amsterdam's Blog.
The Balkans: Mladic Update
Foreign Policy Association's War Crimes blog posts an update on Ratko Mladic.
Ukraine: Q&A with Hryhoriy Nemyrya
EurActiv.com visits Kyiv and talks to Hryhoriy Nemyrya, Ukraine’s vice PM, in charge of relations with Europe: questions are here, Nemyrya's responses – here, a shorter summary – here.
Russia: Activists Appeal To Iranian Opposition
On July 26, LJ user dobrokhotov wrote (RUS) about a rally in front of the Iranian embassy in Moscow, organized by the Russian democratic youth movement “We” in support of Iran's opposition: “[…] The main thing is we'd like the Iranian opposition to go on chanting ‘margbar putin’ – but,...
Brazil: Fighting for more recycling with the Electronic Waste Manifesto
In Brazil, a bill regarding the disposal of solid residuals has been amended to exclude electronic waste. As a first step to fight this change, an Electronic Waste Manifesto has been created to gather netizens' support for more recycling of electronics.
Iran: Mourning the Green Movement's Victims
Several Iranian bloggers and news sites reported that several thousands people commemorated the protest movement's victims when the police attacked them. Here is a video of today's gathering in Behesht Zahra Cemetery in Terhan. Watch the photos here.
Bangladesh, India: Tipaimukh Dam And Transparency
The controversy surrounding the Tipaimukh Hydroelectric Project currently continues to dominate the politics, media, and intellectual and civil society’s discourse in Bangladesh.
Haiti: Secret Funeral
Haitian blogger Wadner Pierre reports that Kenel Pascal, “who appears to have been gunned down by UN occupation troops”, was given a secret funeral “because the priest and family were fearful of UN and Haitian government reprisals” and goes on to write another post examining the circumstances surrounding the death...
Trinidad & Tobago: PM vs. the Media
As the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago declares that the media is against him, KnowProSE.com says: “My olive branch for the Prime Minister would be, ‘You fix the government, we'll fix the media.’ But the point is that he isn't fixing the government…”, while This Beach Called Life sums...
Nepal: The Strike Culture
Continuity writes about the Bandh (strike) culture in Nepal: “Bad security? Bad wages? Bad hair day? Lack of landfill sites? Microbuses getting torched? Food prices too high? All of these things are acceptable reasons for strikes here in Nepal.”
Moldova: Repeat Elections
Updates and resources on the repeat election in Moldova – at Scraps of Moscow, here and here.
