· April, 2011

Stories about Politics from April, 2011

Iraq: Is Saddam Still Alive?

Saddam Hussein is making the rounds on social media, with a new recording claiming that the Iraqi dictator is alive and well and that his double Mikhail was the one executed on December 30, 2006. Many netizens are quick to describe the video as phoney and assure readers that Saddam is dead and gone. Had he been alive, the former Iraqi dictator would have turned 74 today.

Cuba: Bloggers Reflect on Reforms at Communist Party Congress

  28 April 2011

The sixth congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), which was recently held in Havana, may have marked a major turning point for the Cuban economic system, and for Cuban society at large. Bloggers in Cuba, and those who follow Cuba from other parts of the world, offered a diverse range of reactions.

Uganda: Opposition Leader Arrested Again

  28 April 2011

Rosebell Kagumire reports from Uganda: “After spending Easter in a jail, Uganda’s opposition leader Dr.Kizza Besigye was granted bail with ridiculous conditions that he would not participate in walking to work [protest] for seven months. As it would turn out Besigye’s freedom was short-lived as the military and police blocked...

Poland: Decrease of corruption

  28 April 2011

Michael Dembinski of W-wa Jeziorki notes that corruption in Poland continues to decrease in contrast to many other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, according to a recent article in The Economist.

Russia: New round in the TNK-BP row

RuNet Echo  28 April 2011

Streetwise Professor points to the parallel buyout of a partner in TNK-BP oil company by the Russian state oil company Rosneft and British Petroleum, with the abolition of a tax release, possibly resulting in decreased company value for the upcoming sale.

Zimbabwe: Revolution has no blueprint

  28 April 2011

Upenyu Makoni- Muchemwa from Kubatana.net writes: “Rumours of a revolution in Zimbabwe have been greatly exaggerated. Filled with hope but little practical knowledge, several unidentified groups took to Facebook in an attempt to replicate the Egyptian revolution here.”

Hungary: Hungarian-Roma Tensions Result in Clash in Gyöngyöspata

  27 April 2011

Last night, four people were injured in a clash between ethnic Hungarian members of the far-right group Véderő and members of the Roma community in the village of Gyöngyöspata. Contradictory accounts have been published in the Hungarian media about how exactly the fight started - and neither of the communities has taken responsibility for the clash.

Egypt: Gigi Ibrahim on The Daily Show

The appearance of Egyptian political activist Gigi Ibrahim on The Daily Show brought a wave of support and protests from fellow tweeps, who covered the Egyptian revolution. Gigi spoke about the Egyptian revolution and how she was introduced to politics, mocking hypocritical US foreign policy towards the Middle Eastern uprisings and how Egyptians and Arabs are perceived in the media. Here are some reactions from Twitter.

Cuba: Right to the Internet

  27 April 2011

“Any ‘supposition’ about what a farmer should do on Google, or in the furrow, is called control over the free actions of another, personal choice and individual freedom”: Octavo Cerco wonders “why it’s a problem to assume access to the Internet as a 21st Century human right.”

D.R. of Congo: Donors wary of involvement in elections

  27 April 2011

Donors are wary of involvement in elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “With only seven months to go before elections in the Congo, donors are trying to calibrate their political and financial involvement in the polls. One forum where this is playing out is the UN Security Council, which...

Russia: Communist Party Leads Social Networks Activity Rating

RuNet Echo  27 April 2011

Nikolay Podosokorskiy analyzes [ru] activity of Russian political parties in the social networks. According to his brief research, ruling party “United Russia” is one of the closest and inactive parties online, while the most active is the Communist Party of Russia with more than 73,000 members at Vkontakte groups and...

Nigeria: Women Protest in Abuja

  27 April 2011

Nigerian women say no to violence: “Nigerian women in Abuja protesting against the post election violence in the north of the country. Nigerian women have always at the forefront of anti-violence protest in the country. Last year hundreds women from the Jos region gathered in Abuja in a day of...