Full Coverage: Democracy

29.10.2004 With political analysts agreeing that voter turnout, especially of minority and youth voters, will likely determine the outcome of next Tuesday’s presidential election, civil and human rights groups are pressing the Republican National Committee (RNC) to call off plans aimed at discouraging people from casting ballots.

28.10.2004 On Oct. 3, over 100 million Brazilians voted in elections in 5,562 municipalities across the country. Despite modest improvements, Brazil continues to have one of the lowest percentages of female candidates in Latin America.

28.10.2004

US elections © Guardian Unlimited

In a move that sends negative signals on electoral transparency, officials in Broward, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami-Dade counties in Florida and, Franklin and Cayuhoga counties in Ohio have denied a team of international observers access to polling sites in their locality. The team of 15 experts from 10 countries who are scheduled to observe the polls in Missouri, Ohio and Florida have been granted access to Boone County, Missouri, the City of St. Louis and Leon County also in Florida.

27.10.2004 The Civic Association MOST, under its referendum monitoring activities, concludes that there are possibilities for serious violations of procedure in the forthcoming referendum. The conclusions were reached based on the reports of activists and regional offices of the association, and were voiced with the goal to provide fair and democratic balloting process for all citizens of Macedonia.

27.10.2004 A press release by CDHRF, which was involved with an NGO network of observers for the 2004 parliamentary elections, received anonymous threats immediately after the publication of the preliminary results of the Elections.

27.10.2004 In a letter to the Justice Department last week, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) urged the Bush administration to ensure the protection of minority voting rights in next week’s election. The group notes that recent disputes over identification requirements and changes in polling places in some states present ample potential for disenfranchisement of minority voters.

26.10.2004 In the press conference, the Council of Europe and EU observers congratulated Kosovars for free and fair elections. The CoE observers said that the Saturday’s news was not that Serbs did not participate in elections, but the news was that the elections were democratic. The CoE observers said that Serbs were not threatened either by Albanians or internationals, but they were threatened by their own leaders.

25.10.2004 According to CDHRF – Council for Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms - eight political parties have managed to win seats in the Kosovo Parliament: LDK – 83.633 votes, PDK-164.681, AAK-52.006, ORA 38.203, PSHDK-11.458, KDTP – 8.263, PD-5.289, LPK-3.759. These are the preliminary results based on the count of 90% of the total votes cast. The other political parties and lists still wait to see whether they will win Parliament seats.

25.10.2004 The Ten Notebooks on Democracy are simple, interesting, but very scientific and useful reading for all those that hear the word "democracy" all the time and rarely stops to think about its real meaning.

25.10.2004 Hailing the peaceful Kosovo assembly elections held on Saturday, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today congratulated the province's people, especially Kosovo Serbs who went to the polls despite pressure to stay home.

25.10.2004 Groups and individuals within and outside the United States will hold candlelight vigils in different cities on the eve of the November election. Sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee and endorsed by other organizations in the peace and justice movement, the vigils are a symbolic call for clean elections and a mobilization opportunity across national boundaries.

25.10.2004 Republicans and Democrats are campaigning hard in Navajo Nation and other native American communities in swing districts as the countdown to the closest election in U.S. history continues. Political activities and voter registration efforts are at their highest momentum since American Indians got the right to vote in 1924, especially efforts targeted at the native youth whom campaigners find more enthusiastic and easier to engage.

22.10.2004 Depuis quelques années, la publication de l'Indice de perceptions de la corruption de l'ONG allemande Transparency International constitue un événement, qui draine un nombre important de journalistes. Le point de presse organisé hier à Yaoundé, par le président de la section camerounaise de Transparency International, Me Akere Muna n'a pas dérogé à cette tradition. Les journalistes de la presse nationale présents dans la salle attendaient avec une certaine impatience la position attribuée à notre pays cette année.

22.10.2004 The informal group of nongovernmental, nonpartisan and nonprofit organizations and global and European student services in Macedonia, Students for Themselves, informed about their intention to boycott the Student Elections for President of the Student Organization of the “Kiril i Metodi” University in Skpoje. The Elections are scheduled for Saturday, October 28, 2004, and the boycott is designed to take away the legitimacy of the nondemocratic students’ organization.

22.10.2004 Three out of four self-described supporters of President George W. Bush still believe that pre-war Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMD) or active programs to produce them and that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein provided “substantial support” to al Qaeda, according to a new survey released here Thursday.

21.10.2004 Kosova PM, Bajram Rexhepi asked today from the OSCE CiO, Solomon Passy that the elections process out of Kosova, namely in Serbia and Montenegro be well monitored, in order to avoid any abuses at the polling stations. Passy is visiting Kosova to encourage Kosovars to participate in the October 23 elections.

21.10.2004 Burma’s military junta has arrested the country’s prime minister, affirming that it will stop at nothing to retain its grip on power. Find out about the Burma Campaign UK in our campaign section.

21.10.2004 Myanmar’s military government has ousted Prime Minister Khin Nyut from his post and put him under house arrest.

20.10.2004 Securing peace through bullets has stunted Angola’s ability to rebuild and develop a democracy. Conciliation Resources’s report reveals important lessons for resolving other armed conflict.

20.10.2004 The Nepalese government has introduced a more severe and draconian version of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Punishment and Control) Act, which had expired recently.