Stories about Politics from November, 2011
Egypt: The Country Votes
Egyptians are voting in parliamentary elections on November 28 and 29, and despite calls for a boycott, it seems that most people have chosen to participate.
Trinidad & Tobago: Assassination Claim Red Herring?
Trinidadian bloggers weigh in on news of the alleged assassination plot against the Prime Minister, here, here and here.
Cuba: Entrepreneurship & Home Ownership
Generation Y wonders whether the country's new wave of entrepreneurs will survive, while Laritza's Laws is concerned that “the housing regulations, recently enacted by the government of Cuba…leave intact regulations that impede the full exercise of the right of ownership.”
Jamaica: Bad Medicine?
The Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica and the government are at loggerheads following an interview in which the President of the association expressed concern about “the acute shortage of qualified pharmacists in the system”. She was sent on half-pay leave soon after. Active Voice says: “We await further developments with bated...
Guyana: Election Day
Guyana: Freedom Under The Law asks his compatriots to “VOTE intelligently on issues and right reason NOT RACE” in today's elections, while Guyana-Gyal explains why, despite the “thin thread o’ fear been tightening ‘round town since election date announce”, she isn't scared.
Morocco: Islamist PJD Victory in Post-Reform Parliamentary Election
Moroccans took to the polls on Friday 25 November, to elect a new parliament. It is the first election since a constitutional referendum in July approved a series of amendments introduced by King Mohammed VI.
Madagascar: Exiled President Returns as a Government of National Unity Forms
Andrianjorar reflects on the recent return of exiled former president Ratsiraka in Madagascar [fr]. In the meantime, a government of national unity headed by PM Beriziky has been formed [fr] but its final composition is still disputed regarding the attribution of several key ministries.
Greece: 1973 Uprising Newspaper Headlines
‘Third Day for Polytechnic School Occupation by Protesters’, ‘Athens Surrounded’, ‘Tanks Emerge’, ‘Dozens of Injuries From Both Sides’, ‘Tanks Descend to Town’, ‘Thousands Remain Inside Polytechnic School’, ‘1,500 Inside Polytechnic School’. On the 17 November, 2011 – the anniversary of the 1973 Polytechnic school uprising in Greece – youth portal neolaia.gr [gr] uploaded...
India: Advani Should Exit Gracefully
Atanu Dey opines that NDA leader L. K. Advani should scrap his ambition to be the next Prime Minister of India and exit gracefully.
Malaysia: Opposition to Peaceful Assembly Bill
An online campaign was launched to pressure members of Parliament of Malaysia to reject the proposed Peaceful Assembly Bill which activists believe will curtail freedom of expression and the people's right to organize in the country
Zambia: Cash Dug Out From Ex-Minister's Farm Shocks Nation
Zambia’s investigative units recently dug out nearly US$ 466,000, buried in the ground at a farm belonging to former minister, Austin Liato. Zambians on various social networking sites have reacted to these and other disclosures of suspected corrupt activities with a sense of shock and anger.
India: Youth Slaps Minister Over Price Rise and Corruption
On 24 November, India's Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, was slapped on the face by a youth as he was leaving a government building. Harvinder Singh was apparently fed up with the growing inflation, corruption and graft cases in the country and decided to hit out in protest.
DR of Congo: How Will the Elections Unfold?
The presidential elections in the DRC are scheduled for November 28. The stakes are evidently high, given the history of civil conflict. Many observers have highlighted the major events during the campaign, and attempted to forecast how the elections will unfold.
Mali, Niger: Tuareg Voices Barely Heard Over the Sounds of War
Since the start of the war in Libya, many security and political experts have warned against potential Touareg threats in Mali and Niger. Is it a real threat or mere speculations? For the moment, the only place to hear the voices of the Tuareg is on the internet.
South Korea: Judge's Facebook Post Criticizing Free Trade Deal Went under Fire
A judge's Facebook post criticizing the current President and the free trade agreement with the United States went under fire. The Supreme Court has decided to refer him to the ethics committee for violating political neutrality. Some citizen journalists have secured the judge's deleted post [ko] in their blogs.
Russia: “Anti-Gay” Bill Postponed Till Nov. 30
Siberian Light reports that the second reading of the “anti-gay” bill in the St. Petersburg City Duma has been postponed till Nov. 30 – “to allow time for a face-saving review of the legislation’s wording.” The AllOut.org's petition calling “leaders around the world to reach out to their counterparts in...
Russia: Siberian Light's This Week in Russia Blogs #1
Andy of Siberian Light presents This Week in Russia Blogs #1, a revamped version of Russia Blog Roundup weekly series. Anglophone posts highlighted in the current edition include A Good Treaty's take on the efficiency of the RuNet activism and Putinania‘s analysis of the United Russia’s prospects for the Dec....
Bahamas: Male Violence Against Women
Womanish Words would like the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women to be called what it really is – the International Day for the Elimination of Male Violence Against Women, and posts a rant poem in an “honest attempt to contribute to the naming and defining of...
Trinidad & Tobago: Netizens Sceptical about Assassination Plot
“It seemed that the majority of online readers, if you read the comments following the Express’ first article on the alleged assassination threats, chose not to believe the government of Trinidad and Tobago”: Guanaguanare thinks that “the lack of evidence helped to destroy the credibility of this latest threat to...
Cuba: News, 24/7
Cuba will apparently soon have a 24-hour news channel; Regina Coyula says: “Despite so much supposed information, we are the most disinformed people in the world.”
Egypt: Summing up the Second Wave of Protests So Far
Miran Hosny sums up the recent second wave of protests in Egypt. The death toll is allegedly just shy of 40 and Central Security Forces and police have reportedly continued their attack-and-retreat dance with Egyptian protestors, blasting them with tear gas and other chemical gases that are as yet unidentifiable.
