Stories about Politics from August, 2012
Zambia: President’s Salary Secretly Hiked Twice in Three Months
Earlier this year Zambian President Michael Sata’s salary was discreetly increased by nearly 100 per cent together with those of other constitution office holders. No media organisation picked up the story until three months later when the citizen news website, Zambian Watchdog, got wind of it.
Tanzania, Ethiopia: Meles Zenawi ‘Tweets’ from Grave
"@zittokabwe please be better than I was. Not fun up here I am preparing 2 pay for some of this." A post-death tweet from Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to Tanzanian Member of Parliament Zitto Kabwe causes a stir.
Iran: Detained Green Movement Leader Moved to Hospital
Mir Hossein Mousavi, a key Iranian Green Movement leader, who was a reformist candidate in the 2009 presidential elections and eventually the leader of the opposition in the post-election unrest, has been moved to the hospital for "heart problem." Mousavi has been under house arrest for about 520 days.
Tunisia: Former Presidential Advisor Faces Military Trial Over Army Criticism
Ayoub Massoudi, a former advisor to Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, faces a military trial over his declarations regarding the extradition of former Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi Mahmoudi (under Gaddafi). He described the extradition as "treason against the State".
India: Social Media Blamed for Fueling Assam Unrest
'A temporary ban was put on bulk SMS and MMS. Local police swung into action and began arresting people forwarding ‘hate' SMS examples. Social media sites were warned to monitor and remove inflammatory content. About 310 webpages were blocked.'
Arab World: Scenes of Eid from Syria, Palestine and Bahrain
Eid Al Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim month of fasting - Ramadan, was commemorated with three days of celebrations across the Arab world, or so goes the tradition. Instead, celebrations were muted as Syria buried its dead and Bahrain laid to rest a 16-year-old teenager killed by police.
Syria: Ali Farzat Insults Al Arabia Anchor for her Sect
Al Arabiya correspondent Alia Ibrahim was allegedly insulted by famous Syrian cartoonist Ali Farzat for her sect. What happened saddened Syrian activist Mohammed Al Abdallah [ar] who apologized on the behalf of Farzat. Asa'ad Abu Khalil blogged about Farzat, saying: “The man has now exposed himself to be a petty,...
Kazakhstan: Trial of Opposition Leaders Draws Pussy Riot Comparisons
“A Pussy Riot of our own” is how Kazakhstani netizens are referring to the judicial drama involving three opposition leaders accused of active participation in the Zhanaozen oil-strike that turned violent in December 2011. The trials of Vladimir Kozlov, Aizhanat Aminov and Serik Sapargaly started on August 16, and are expected to end within the next two weeks. Kazakh netizens do not believe that the three defendants will get a fair trial.
Morocco: Is the ‘Allegiance Ceremony’ a Thing of the Past?
The bay'a is the name of an annual ceremony of "allegiance" to the King of Morocco. Activists are planning to stage a counter-manifestation today to pledge "Allegiance to Dignity an Freedom". The debate has been raging online.
Vibrant Maldives Eid Celebrations – Despite the Political Wrangling
When the Ministry of Islamic Affairs of the Maldives announced that the 2012 morning Eid prayers in the capital Malé were to be celebrated in an open space, it created much controversy and debate. The news was met with skepticism from people who saw it as a political publicity stunt to show numbers, as support for the ruling government.
Benin: Fear and Loathing as State of Emergency is Declared
Justin Yarga reacts [fr] to the statement issued by the government of Benin on alleged large-scale terrorist plots and planned national strikes [fr] to destabilize the country. A state of emergency has been declared [fr] but many wonder whether such measures are justified.
Puerto Rico: Social Media's ‘No’ Campaign Wins Big in Referendum
"140 characters focused so hard on raising awareness among people that today they broke the machinery put together by money. The NO won!!!" - A netizen reacts to the campaign's success in a referendum to amend the country's constitution.
Ethiopia: Rage and Sorrow as Meles Zenawi's Death Confirmed
The official confirmation of the death of Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia’s prime minster, has stirred both rage and sorrow online. Zenawi disappeared from public view immediately after the G20 meeting in Mexico in June. He even failed to attend the 21st Ordinary Session of the African Union which was hosted in Addis Ababa in July, leaving Ethiopians at home and abroad asking, "Where is Meles Zenawi?"
Togo: Police Clashes with Thousand of Protesters in Lomé
Today (August 21), the association ” Sauvons le Togo” has posted photos on its twitter and Flickr account that illustrate clashes between police and thousand of protesters who demand reforms in the electoral process.
Guyana: Social Media Plays Role in Linden Solidarity Protests
The protests in Linden have spawned other protests in solidarity, both in Guyana and overseas - and social media, in the form of blogs, online videos and Facebook - have been helping to spread the message.
Blogs Blocked in Vietnam
Aaron Joel Santos, a blogger in Vietnam, writes about the blocking of numerous blogs in the country: “A lot of blogs seem to be blocked in Vietnam at the moment. And mine is among them. Not for anything said or posted or alluded to or hinted at. Mine is simply...
Vietnam: Human Rights Lawyer Attacked
Le Quoc Quan, a human rights lawyer based in Hanoi, Vietnam, was beaten by a group of armed men. Quan believes the attackers could be plainclothes police who wanted to silence him for his activism.
Graffiti in Times of Crisis
In the current economic crisis, graffiti in several cities is rife with social messages. Here is a sample of some urban artwork.
Zimbabwe: Politician Lashes Out at Zuma Snub
“Anyone who undermines the Supreme Court by making a determination on a pending issue is violating Zimbabwe’s laws and Constitution,” says Zimbabwe's Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara after the SADC-appointed mediator South African President Jacob Zuma refused to meet him during his recent visit to Harare.
United States: Significance of Paul Ryan for the Hispanic Population
From the day that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney chose Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate, there has been extensive media coverage in favor and against the decision. Little has been said, however, with respect to the effect that it will have on the Hispanic population in the United States.
Jamaica: Garvey's Nerve
Jamaica Woman Tongue reminds us why Marcus Garvey is a national hero.
