Full Coverage: Democracy

31.05.2004 Nations in Transit, published annually by Freedom House, is the only comprehensive, comparative, multidimensional study focusing on 27 former Communist states. All the country reports, plus a new entry on Kosovo, are available from the pull-down menu below.

31.05.2004 Voice of America, the press agency, recently reported on the latest “Nations in Transit” Report by the Freedom House Foundation which promotes democracy in the world. This year again, Freedom House measured the levels of democracy in the transition countries. To the great surprise of the governing structures – Croatia IS NOT the leader of democracy in the ex-communist countries.

29.05.2004 Trashëgimtari i Fronit Mbretëror, Leka Zogu i I-rë, shpalli sot krijimin e "Lëvizjes për Zhvillim Kombëtar". Në një mesazh, të publikuar gjatë një konference për shtyp, Leka Zogu deklaroi disa nga idetë dhe synimet e kësaj lëvizjeje të re në politikën shqiptare. Leka Zogu u shpreh se "Lëvizja për Zhvillim Kombëtar do të përfshijë të gjitha krahët e politikës dhe të shoqërisë mbarëkombëtare me idealin e vetëm, interesat kombëtare. Ajo do të sjellë klimën e pajtimit dhe të mirëkuptimit në kombin shqiptar, që duhet të punojë për të ardhmen", tha ai.

27.05.2004 Maintenant que les défusionnistes ont gagné la première manche, la bataille est bien engagée pour démanteler les grandes villes créées par le précédent gouvernement du Parti Québécois. Seule l’apathie légendaire des électeurs municipaux pourrait sauver la mise.

27.05.2004 Le Canada que veut Le Conseil des Canadiens est un pays dans lequel nos élus s’engagent à :

* Maintenir notre souveraineté
* Protéger notre eau potable
* Étiqueter nos aliments
* Sauvegarder le système public de soins de santé
* Mettre fin à une nouvelle course à l’armement

24.05.2004 The peace and progress on the surface in Somer, one of the Baghdad neighborhoods most comfortable with US occupation and home to one of Iraq's most successful local councils, conceal big problems for the grass-roots institutions that US officials had hoped would be the building blocks for an unprecedented democratic culture inside Iraq.

24.05.2004 The defeat of the ruling party in elections in India last week shows that rapid technological innovations have not reached the Indian masses. Herein lies the challenge for technology that it has to work for the poor.

24.05.2004 The Narodna skupstina (Parliament) of Republic of Srpska adopted the information submitted by the Ministry of the Interior of RS on the police activities in Hajducke Vode and Visegrad and concluded that "the tragic events in Visegrad, as well as the following events, have achieved the level of political involvement which puts in danger the authority of the RS institutions".

19.05.2004 Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to ensure adequate protection from further attacks, and to carry out thorough, independent and impartial investigations into the killings that followed the recent outbreak of violence between Fulani cattle herders and Tarok farmers in Yelwa, Shendam local government area in Plateau State.

18.05.2004 Uncertainty persists in India over who will become the Prime Minister, as Sonia Gandhi who was supposed to lay her claim for the post in her talks with the Indian President on Tuesday morning, did not.

18.05.2004 The Burma Campaign UK has called on the European Union and United Nations to end their dithering on Burma and impose targeted economic sanctions against the regime.

17.05.2004 The Indian stock market tumbled on Monday as investors reacted shakily over policies to be adopted by the new coalition, being led by Sonia Gandhi who is expected to be named Prime Minister very soon.

14.05.2004 Italian-born Sonia Maino of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty creates history by defeating the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and is now on the verge of becoming the next Indian Prime Minister.

11.05.2004 The first of the three public debates planned with the Programme for public discussion of the draft-Statute of the Podgorica Municipality, was held on May 10 at the “Radosav Ljumovic” library. It is important to note that the majority of the present were employees at the Local Government of Podgorica. While their participation, as citizens of Podgorica is beyond any dispute, the question can be raised about the willingness of the Municipality to involve in the discussion those citizens that are not actual employees of the Municipal institutions.

10.05.2004 Last April, the Youth Centre “Svetionik” (Lighthouse) and the informal group “Crno Bijeli Svijet” (Black and White World- BWW) from Prijedor, started a project titled “Little School of Democracy”. The Project was started in cooperation with OSCE, the Local Democracy Agency and the Municipality of Prijedor.

08.05.2004 In this overview of the political dimension in Lebanon, the Country Guide Editor laments that the spirit of the Constitution that ended the civil war has not been adopted by politicians, over-zealous for sectarian interests. Can the Municipal elections in May 2004 revive the principles of national solidarity?

05.05.2004 The Special Election Edition of Mokta e vo narodot asked some forty prominent intellectuals, music stars, sportspersons and NGO activists explain why abstinence in the second round of elections is not a solution, present their reasons why to vote, and appeal to the citizens to use their right to vote.

04.05.2004 O social-democrata Martín Torrijos foi aclamado pelas urnas o novo presidente do Panamá. Após a votação de domingo, este filho do ditador nacionalista, o general Omar Torrijos, convocou "as forças sociais e produtivas do país a selarem um novo pacto social para derrotar a pobreza, a corrupção e a desesperança na pátria"

02.05.2004 The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) is a coalition of NGOs dedicated to monitoring violence during elections held in Sri Lanka. This report on the build-up to the April 2004 general election draws attention to the difficulty of conducting a fair poll in regions controlled by the LTTE.