Stories about Politics from April, 2010
Japan: Remove the U.S. Marine Base From Ginowan
Martin from Kurashi blogs about the recent protest in Tokyo calling for the Japanese Parliament to remove the U.S. marine air base from Futenma, Okinawa in the city of Ginowan.
Malaysia: Hulu Selangor by-election
anilnetto shares his views about the recently concluded by-election in Hulu Selangor, Malaysia
Bahamas: Public Education
Weblog Bahamas‘ Rick Lowe wonders if there's hope for the country's public education system.
Barbados: Parliament Action
Barbados Underground reports on the goings-on in the country's Parliament, saying: “The display of disorder…this morning would have saddened all who witnessed or heard it.”
Algeria: Since 1989
“James D. Le Sueur’s Algeria since 1989: Between Terror and Democracy (Zed: 2010) provides for the most up-to-date reading on the Algerian Civil War since Algeria: Anger of the Dispossessed by John Philips and Martin Evans,” writes Algerian blogger The Moor Next Door, who reviews the book.
India: Drinking Water Problem In Uttar Pradesh
Ram Banshal at India In Peril gives a real life example showing that the priority of the government of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh “is not to tackle problems of the poor in a sympathetic way but to make huge expenditures on the display of alliance with the poor.”
Ukraine: Russian Black Sea Fleet Stays On in Crimea
236 Ukrainian MPs (UKR) have voted in favor of the ratification of an agreement allowing the Russian Black Sea Fleet to extend its stay in Crimea until 2042. Ukrainska Pravda posts a selection of photos and video (UKR) of fighting and egg-throwing inside the parliament building this morning. On Twitter,...
Trinidad & Tobago: Bedtime Stories
Tattoo couldn't care less about the domestic practices of the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister's wife, saying that the talk on the election platforms has nothing to do with “any of the pressing issues that have been raised in the campaign thus far such as: governance, corruption and legal reform.”
Cuba: On Elections
Repeating Islands focuses on the Cuban elections here and here, while Generation Y explains why she has adopted “abstention as a form of protest.”
Guyana: More than bravado
Signifyin’ Guyana thinks the actions of the country's President have something endearing about them, adding: “I hope it turns out to be a lasting positive part of his legacy…”
Kyrgyzstan: Ousted president denies resignation
Akmal writes that Kyrgyzstan’s former president, who left the country and found haven in Belarus, now declares that he does not recognize his resignation.
The Balkans: Thoughts on Slavenka Drakulić's 1993 Book
Filip Stojanovski shares his thoughts on Slavenka Drakulić's 1993 book, How We Survived Communism & Even Laughed.
Sudan: What do we make out of Sudan's elections?
The Sudanese voting period ended on April 15, but while the actual voting process has come to an end, a debate about election transparency and credibility has started. The debate involves political parties, international observers and citizens in and outside Sudan.
India: Twittering Minister Forced To Resign
Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Dr. Shashi Tharoor was forced to resign from his post over allegations of corruption and misuse of office. He gained popularity and at the same time was often subject to controversy because of his open views on state affairs in his Twitter account (followed by over 738000 people).
Guyana: Jagdeo Wins Environmental Award
Repeating Islands notes that Guyana's President “was one of the six recipients of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEDP) 2010 Champions of the Earth award—the UN’s highest awards for environmental leadership.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Magistrates called to Measure
Jumbie's Watch is “aghast at the audacity of the judiciary in Trinidad and Tobago.”
Cuba: Journalist Reportedly Detained
Human Rights Cuba says that “Dania Virgen García, independent journalist and member of the group who march in support of the Ladies in White, was detained and taken to the Police Station in Guanabacoa, accused of an arbitrary offense without probable cause.”
Russia, Ukraine: Gas/Black Sea Fleet Deal
Leopolis comments – here and here – on the gas/Black Sea Fleet lease extension deal signed by the Russian and Ukrainian presidents on April 21.
Russia, Poland: The Truth About Katyn
Steve Bandera of Kyiv Scoop writes about Andrzej Wajda’s 2007 film Katyń, which has been shown twice in Russia in the past few weeks (reactions from the Russian blogosphere are here) – and comments that the truth about the massacre is “only coming out now in the former Soviet Union...
US, Russia: Views on START
A Good Treaty reviews shortcomings and advantages of the newly-signed US-Russia Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), as perceived by various political groups in the United States and Russia.
Russia: Medvedev Twitter Accounts
Profy writes about the soon-to-be-launched official Twitter account of the Russian president – and the recently suspended fake one: “The thing is that this Twitter account misbehaved on the day of last week’s terrorist bombings in Moscow: a comment was published that looked very much like the first official comment...
