Stories about Politics from August, 2011
China: Don’t rush to celebrate the post-Gaddafi era
Samuel Wade from China Digital Times has written a roundup post about different reactions in China, from official China Daily to bloggers and netizen, to the end of Gaddafi era in Liyba.
Saudi Arabia: A Special Twitter Hashtag for the King!
A Saudi hashtag entitled #tal3mrak which literary translates into “May god prolong your life” or “your majesty” if translated into a Western context, took Twitter by storm today. The hashtag came as a surprise to those who never thought Saudi netizens would have the courage to address their authorities via social media.
Central African Republic: Violence Marks Lead Up to Elections
The Central African Republic is set to hold partial parliamentary elections on September 4, yet tensions have arisen after an opposition party rally was marred with violence. The country is still recovering from violent conflicts that started in the late 1990s. Lova Rakotomalala reports.
Nepal: A New Prime Minister
United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal reports that Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has been elected the 35th Prime Minister of Nepal. The previous Prime Minister Mr. Jhala Nath Khanal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) resigned on August 15th after serving...
Egypt: Omar Soliman Facebook Army
A poll conducted by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces on their Facebook page to see how much support each of the potential Egyptian presidential elections candidates had on the ground yielded 'fishy' results. Here are reactions online after news emerged that a Facebook army was hired to tweak them.
Madagascar: Minister of Population Ramaroson and 10 others Drown in a Boat Accident
Minister of Population and Social Affairs Nadine Ramaroson and 10 other people died on Sunday in a boat accident near the island of Saint-Marie (North East of Madagascar) during a whale watching event. Although not always in agreement with her political stand, Blogger Aryel Elyah pays tribute to Mrs Ramaroson's...
Puerto Rico: New Cultural Magazine
The School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Communications of the Universidad Metropolitana (Umet) has launched Revista Cruce [es] focused on contemporary sociocultural critique.
Singapore Elects New President
Dr Tony Tan was elected Singapore's seventh president on August 27 with a winning margin of only 7,269 votes. This was enough to beat the three other candidates in Singapore’s first presidential election in 18 years.
Iran: Protests to Save Lake Urmia Reignited
Once again protesters have poured again into streets of Tabriz and Urmia in Iran's Azerbaijan region on Sunday to call on the Iranian government to save the dying Urmia Lake.
Pakistan: Praying For Shahbaz Taseer
Shahbaz Taseer, the son of slain Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, was kidnapped in the broad day light in Lahore. Many Pakistani netizens are sharing their shock and are joining in prayers for his return; but one wonders, will prayers work for the young Taseer?
Moldova: Twenty Years of Independence Marked with Parade and Disillusion
Moldova's bloggers have marked the country's 20th anniversary of independence with criticism and disillusionment rather than with enthusiasm, Diana Lungu reports.
Bangladesh: The Rivalry Between The Ruling Party And The Opposition
Kazi Rubaiat Imam portrays the intense rivalry between the ruling party and the opposition which is causing deep scars in the progress of Bangladesh.
Puerto Rico: Tropical Storm Irene Leaves Heavy Rain and Damages
Tropical storm Irene hit Puerto Rico on August 21st leaving wind damage, floods, constant rain, and the evacuation of entire communities. This is the same storm, now a hurricane, that is hitting the United States east coast. The online community has posted videos of the aftermath of tropical storm Irene in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico: The Secret Lives of Politicians
Law professor and blogger Erika Fontánez analyzes the public debate [es] that has ensued after the revelation of intimate details of two prominent politicians: the “out-of-wedlock” daughter of the president of the Senate, Thomas Rivera Schatz [es], and the photos of a naked man posted on a gay site that...
Zimbabwe: On Libya, Gaddafi and Mugabe
As news of the fall of Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi lit up the web, the Zimbabwean blogosphere was not left behind. Meanwhile, rumours have been circulating that the man deposed after four decades in power is in Zimbabwe.
Cuba: Woman Evicted
Pedazos de La Isla highlights the case of Mercedes Reyes, who was evicted from her home, allegedly for the purpose of turning the property into a Civil Registry Office, saying: “Another victim of eviction and injustice turns to the Cuban resistance to channel their denouncements, their complaints. And the world...
Trinidad & Tobago: “The Real Reason” for SoETT
Jumbie's Watch reveals that he has been privy to “the real reason” behind Trinidad and Tobago's State of Emergency, saying: “Until an explanation is presented (promised at the opening of Parliament), I will just continue to support the actions being taken as very necessary at this time.”
Barbados: Wait & See for SoETT
From Barbados, B.C. Pires sees how Trinidad and Tobago's State of Emergency is playing out, and says: “One is reluctant to pre-judge anything; but to every charge of, ‘O, ye of little faith!’ there is, sadly, that it is actually We of Much Experience. But let us wait and see.”
Cuba: Pseudo-Transparency
Without Evasion considers Raul Castro's pledge “to develop a new brave, honest and transparent journalism during the Sixth Congress of the CCP”, saying: “If the coverage of what happened in Libya is an example of what our reformist General considers information transparency, we can clearly intuit how little faith we...
Jamaica: Disrespecting Garvey
President Barack Obama may have lost at least one vote in his re-election bid based on “the White House[‘s] disrespect [for] Marcus Garvey, a national hero of Jamaica”. Geoffrey Philp explains, here and here.
Russia: Cigarettes Branded for Young Women Spark Controversy
A recent advertising campaign and carton redesign by one of Russia’s largest tobacco manufacturers has riled Russan bloggers and sparked a debate on responsible marketing and advertising. Ashley Cleek looks into the issue.
