Stories about Elections from November, 2012
The Surreality of Russian eDemocracy
The Coordinating Council of the Russian Opposition met for second time on November 24, 2012. In keeping with the its online origins, participants and audience members actively tweeted updates and excerpts from the four-hour-long meeting. RuNet Echo has translated an excerpt of the minutes, featuring eDemocracy in action.
Mauritania: February 25th Movement says “No to Guardianship” of France
Mauritania is undergoing a period of great political uncertainty due to the evacuation for medical reasons of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz after he was shot on October 13, 2012. While Mauritania was preparing for his return, many citizens were left wondering what political role France would play in the current situation.
Japan's Live Streaming Platform to Host Cross Party Talks
Japan's popular live streaming platform Nico Nico Douga will host cross party talks on November 29, 2012. Niwango, the company that runs Nico Nico Douga invited the presidents of 14 different political...
Côte d'Ivoire: Online Campaign Says No to Holding Multiple Public Offices
Ivorian bloggers have initiated a campaign for a real public debate on the issue of parliamentarians simultaneously holding multiple elected offices in Côte d'Ivoire. Tired of seeing parliamentarians also being mayors or presidents of local councils, these netizens are using social media and organizing a petition.
Bermuda: Elections & Social Media
Social media is providing lots of undercurrents to the 2012 Bermuda election. Vexed Bermoothes explains.
Candidates Gear up for Ecuador's 2013 Presidential Election
While the reelection of [President] Rafael Correa may seem to be a foregone conclusion, the eight candidates competing for the office point to the ongoing fragmented and volatile nature of...
Are Japan's Upcoming Elections Unconstitutional?
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda dissolved the lower house of the Japanese parliament on November 16, 2012 and set general elections for December 16, 2012. However, according to a group of lawyers, the value of one vote varies in constituencies and because of this vote value disparity, these planned elections are actually unconstitutional.
Ivorian and Russian Bloggers Make Light of the Electoral Fiasco for the Presidency of the French Conservative Party
Ivorians should abstain from bombing the Head Quarters of the UMP (The main Conservative Party) in France and help them move forward with the recount. Notre Vision in Côte d'Ivoire...
Beloved Presidential Candidate in South Korea Bows Out
With the presidential election just a month away, South Koreans were surprised when the top contender suddenly dropped out of the race. This unprecedented political move was made by South Korea's beloved entrepreneur-turned-politician, Ahn Cheol-soo, who is widely seen as the most apolitical and least corrupt candidate in the nation's recent political history.
Spain: Minor Beaten by Catalonia's Police, Call for Minister to Resign
The use of force by Catalonia's police force, during November 14, 2012's general strike has brought about a wave of online condemnation. The events, which took place in the middle of an historic electoral campaign, has caused four of the region's political parties to petition for Catalonia's Interior Minister Felip Puig, to resign. One of the more controversial cases is of two minors who were attacked by the police.
Spain: Catalan Elections – “We are all Garcia”
This Sunday, voters in Catalonia head to the polls . The electoral campaign, which has honed in on the question of independence, began last week with a polemic video posted on the Youtube channel of the unionist Catalan People's Party (Partit Popular de Catalunya or PPC). The video rapidly generated a negative reaction among Catalan netizens on Twitter, who created the hashtag #totssomgarcia or "we are all Garcia", expressing solidarity with "Spanish" Catalans and criticizing the divisive content of the PPC campaign spot.
Honduras’ Presidential Candidates for 2013
On Sunday, November 18, 2012, three Honduran political parties (Liberal, National, and Libre) chose their presidential candidates for next year's election. Blogger David Moran from El Catracho [es] writes about...
Why Vote-Rigging in Ukraine's Elections Shouldn't Go Unpunished
Ukraine’s recent parliamentary elections were marred by allegations of vote-rigging and other forms of corruption. Veronica Khokhlova reveals some of the criticisms leveled by Ukrainian civil society against the elections, and argues that this may be the time for the opposition to rally around a common cause.
Sierra Leone: Mapping Out Real-Time Election Data
Sierra Leone holds its third national election since the end of their civil war on 17 November, 2012. A coalition of monitoring organisations in the country, National Election Watch, will map out real-time election-related data using OneWorld's monitoring technologies. The idea is to help civil society diagnose, anticipate and prepare for immediate action in the event of fraud or violence.
What is the Role of the Army in Africa Today?
The army has often played a determining but ambiguous role in the African political process. Between 1950 and 2000, 53 African countries were subject to military coups leading to regime change. After a period of respite in the 1990’s, the African continent was once again the scene of many military coups in the first decade of the 21st century, with 27 attempts at takeover. Being both a factor in the consolidation and the destabilisation of regimes, the army is regarded with suspicion in most countries and does not seem to know how to adapt to changing mindsets.
Kenyan Elections 2013: What Has Changed since 2007
Mzalendo looks at Kenyan elections 2012: Though Kenya has recovered somewhat since the 2007/2008 post election violence. Somewhat because there are still several internally displaced persons. The economy though better...
Arab World: What will Change with Obama's Re-Election?
Barack Obama has won a second term as US President but how does he fare among netizens across the Arab world? Here's a snippet of the conversation on Twitter following his re-election. Reactions were divided and while many were not pleased with the US foreign policy in the region, others were happy Obama won.
Ecuador's President Correa Runs for Reelection
Ecuador's President Rafael Correa announced that he is running for reelection in the upcoming February 2013 elections. Bloggings by boz argues that there are three issues that matter in this...
New Governor Elected in Puerto Rico
After a hard-fought election in which there was never a clear trend from the beginning, Alejandro García Padilla was declared elected Governor. In the status plebiscite held along with the general elections, the option of annexation to the United States won for the first time. However, given the massive abstention along with a poorly conceived referendum, the results are not easy to interpret.
If there were Elections in China…
A micro-blogger, pretending to be in New York, composed an imagined map of election results if the Chinese Communist Party were to compete with Kuomintang from Taiwan. (via Tea Leaf...
India Reacts to the Re-Election of US President Barack Obama
The recently concluded US presidential election generated much interest in India. Congratulations were abound at government level. But what about those on the ground in India - what has been their response?
