Stories about Politics from April, 2006
Palestine: Mob like mentality?
In deviantART, the Palestinian artists simply cannot select their country from the dA country list. “Free-Palestine” community asked deviantART to add “Palestinian territories” to the country list. The answer was: “deviantART does not tolerate Mob like mentality…“. dA then banned “Free-Palestine” members, and deleted all of their content, EP said.
Iraq: Where is the opposition?
While the Iraqi government is still under-establishment, Omar remind us that he once was offended when he heard that although the democratic elections toke place, yet democratic government is not established. Omar began to see a lot of truth in these words. But, what about the opposition? For healthy democracy...
Belarus: Milinkevich Arrested and Sentenced
Belarus bloggers react to the news of Aleksandr Milinkevich's arrest: Andrei Khrapavitski points out that “today practically all the key names of the Belarusian oppositions have appeared on prison rolls;” TOL's Belarus Blog sees this as “the biggest test for Belarusian people after the falsified presidential election;” and br23 blog...
Hong Kong: Japanese retailer leaving
With Hemlock's Diary this week comes reminiscing of times gone by with Hong Kong's last Japanese-owned department store, Mitsukoshi, announcing plans to leave the Special Administrative Region. “The name brings back memories of a bygone era—the time before Causeway Bay collapsed under the weight of vehicle emissions and Mainland tourists,”...
Cuba: Female dissident beaten
Pondblog links to an Aljazeera news piece reporting that Cuba's most prominent female dissident, 60 year-old Marta Beatríz Roque, was beaten at her home by a pro-government mob this past Tuesday. The article states that Roque, who leads the Assembly for Promoting Civil Society, was about to leave her home...
Ethiopia: Post Election investigation
Weblog Ethiopia reports that a Commission has been set up to investigate the recent post-election violence in the country.
Zimbabwe: MDC renewed determination
Zimbabwean blog, Enough is Enough, comments on the MDC's leader Morgan Tsvangirai renewed determination to restore “Zimbabwe to what it should be”
Nigeria: Civil War
Naijablog comments that Nigeria has failed to reach its moment of “genius” mainly because it has so far refused to acknowledge the depths of its suffering – “the civil war, the 40 years of rule by an elitist cabal, the brutality and brutalism of everyday experience for the masses”.
Belarus: Charnobylski Shlyakh Arrests
Iryna of TOL's Belarus Blog writes about more arrests and detentions in Belarus, following yesterday's protest rally “Charnobylski Shlyakh.” She also quotes Syarhei Kaliakin, an opposition activist: “20 years ago Chernobyl disaster has taken place. 10 years ago a political Chernobyl has happened, when the legally elected parliament was disbanded...
Russia: Kateryna Chumachenko's 1983 Letter
Michael Averko, a Diaspora Russian contributing to Russia Blog, writes about the letter that Kateryna Chumachenko, a (formerly) Diaspora Ukrainian wife of president Yushchenko, wrote to the Washington Times 23 years ago. In it, Chumachenko wrongly suggested “that Russian-Americans didn't petition to have Russia listed as a captive nation.” A...
Russia: American Votes For Yavlinsky
Raffi Aftandelian of maaskva: nashimi glazami writes (in English and in Russian, as always) about an American who went to the polling station instead of her apolitical Russian friend and voted for Grigoriy Yavlinsky: “I think even if given the chance I would never have voted for Yavlinsky. I was...
Mexico: Paticia Mercado “Wins” First Presidential Debate
Eduardo Arcos live-blogged last night's presidential debate in Mexico (ES). Arcos says it was leftist outsider (and blogger), Patricia Mercado who won the debate. Goleech agrees (ES), but says that Felipe Calderón of the conservative PAN party also left in good shape. Boz says that “By not participating in the...
DRC: Report Says Ruling Party Received Illegal Corporate and State Funds
NIZA, a Dutch NGO, published a report alleging President Kabila's party (PPRD) is illegally funded by private enterprises of the Katanga region and has received government funds, says (FR) Le Blog du Congolais.
Belarus: Chernobyl and Charnobylski Shlyah
br23 blog writes about how he, then a 10-year-old son of two physicist parents, learned about the accident at the Chernobyl power plant 20 years ago. Ivan Lenin writes about today's protest rally in Minsk, and TOL's Belarus Blog links to Radio Liberty's photos from the rally.
Nepal: MPs and legal status
Legal News From Nepal on the legal status of the MPs in Nepal in the context of the changing political environment.
Caribbean: CSME provides chance for success
The Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) may not “grab us”, says Francis Wade, but it may be the best shot the region has at a successful future.
Nepal: Treading cautiously on democratic grounds
After almost three weeks of protest, King Gyanendra of Nepal has agreed to restore parliament. The King had dissolved the lower house of the Parliament in 2002 because the then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's government had apparently failed in the peacetalks with the Maoists . Events unfold in Nepal...
Kenya: Ministerial perks
You missed this writes on Kenyan ministers whose perks have been increased and asks “what the MPs are going to do with all the extra tax-payers money that they are eager to line their pockets with.”
Venezuela: Can Chavez be beat?
Both Boz and Miguel Octavio believe that there is a slight chance Chavez might lose in this year's presidential election. Daniel Duquenal is equally ambiguous. He says that the opposition has been wasting time, but “still, this is such an atypical electoral period that who is to say if the...
Bolivia: Morales’ First Trip to the U.S.?
Would new Bolivian president, Evo Morales come to the US to play a game of football? Eduardo Ávila explains.
USVI: Condo protest
Frank Barnako reports that demonstrators protesting condominium development were barred from attending a ceremony marking the opening of the port in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
