Full Coverage: Democracy

31.10.2005 Faced with impossible conditions for holding elections, a proposal by the U.N. and the African Union has allowed Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo to stay in office for up to 12 months, despite opposition from some citizens. The country continues in a state of "no war, no peace," as it has since a failed insurgency three years ago.

28.10.2005 As the remaining votes are tallied, it appears that Afghanistan's first fully elected parliament will be largely comprised of regional commanders suspected of having links to armed groups. Observers fear that disarmament may become more difficult as the militias gain power and legitimacy through elected office.

28.10.2005 As voters on Tanzania's semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar prepare to choose a new president Sunday, the main opposition candidate is expressing concern about the vote and its aftermath. Despite voter intimidation and a precedent of post-election violence, Seif Sharif Hamad hopes his party will bring about peaceful democratic change this time.

28.10.2005 John Nichols of The Nation weighs in on the Bush administration's political strategy in the face of pending indictments, falling approval ratings, and the withdrawal of Harriet Miers as a Supreme Court nominee.

28.10.2005 The much maligned Patriot Act, which celebrated its fourth anniversary Wednesday, is up for reauthorization. Conferees from the House and Senate will soon decide on key provisions affecting civil liberties, and many rights groups are calling on legislators to choose the path of greater government accountability.

27.10.2005 Approval for the new constitution represents a "landmark day" in Iraq not because it is a step toward democracy, but because it is a step toward civil war, argues Robert Dreyfuss.

27.10.2005 POKHARA: Participants, at an interaction organised by the Resource Development Centre Nepal on Wednesday, said that conflict was creating hurdles in attaining millennium development goals in the country. As long as there is stability in Nepal, goals cannot be achieved, they said. Associate professor Dr Lekhnath Bhattarai presented a report which said as long as conflicts, instability, corruption and inequality exist, MDGs will never be achieved.

25.10.2005 NEW YORK, Oct 25 (OneWorld) - Leading civil rights groups in the United States are urging legislators not to make any retrogressive changes in the law that protects minorities' right to vote and prohibits discriminatory practices in the electoral process.

25.10.2005 Nearly two thirds of the citizens of Serbia would vote for Serbia and Montenegro entry into the EU if a referendum was held tomorrow, finds the public opinion survey commissioned by teh EU Integration Office of the Government of Serbia.

25.10.2005 Campaigners against gun violence in Brazil and around the world expressed disappointment after 64% voted ‘no’ to banning the sale of guns and ammunition.

25.10.2005 Legislation authorizing the Affordable Housing Fund--a provision supported by many civil rights groups--is about to get a rider that would have a "chilling" effect on U.S. non-profits, say those same groups, prohibiting voter participation efforts that are open to for-profit groups.

24.10.2005 The German Development Service (DED) has been working in Nepal for more than 35 years, providing personnel and contributing more than US $2.5 million each year to the country, primarily to boost local governance and democratic participation. IRIN conducts an interview with DED director general Jurgen Wilhelm on the situtation in the Himalayan kingdom.

24.10.2005 The space for civil society and the people's sector in the Indian economy is shrinking though 90 per cent of the workforce is employed in this sector. For a group that comprises a large per cent of the economy there should still be space to grow and develop, Ela R. Bhatt, founder of the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) said on Tuesday.

20.10.2005 As Liberia awaits the verdict of the polls, exiled president Charles Taylor remains an unspoken force to be reckoned with, says Katharine Houreld.

19.10.2005 Democracy is not the same as liberty, reminds national security expert Ivan Eland. Until liberty takes root for all Iraqis--including the disaffected Sunnis--U.S. and Iraqi officials should not expect a reprieve from violence, no matter how many democratic votes they hold, he says.

19.10.2005 With 95% of returns counted in Liberia's historic presidential election and the two front-runners in a close tie, Liberians are now expecting to return to the polls for a November 8 run-off. They will choose between a former soccer star and a female Harvard-educated economist.

17.10.2005 The editor of a women's rights magazine has been accused of publishing anti-Islamic articles and faces a 10-15 year prison sentence. Write the U.S. State Department and urge them to take action on behalf of women's rights and freedom of speech in Afghanistan, urges the Feminist Majority Foundation.

14.10.2005 Britain should stop dithering and come out in support of proposed discussions on Burma at the UN Security Council, a leading campaign group said yesterday.

13.10.2005 After an enthusiastic voter turnout for the first Liberian elections since the end of civil war in 2003, citizens across the nation are glued to their radios, hanging on any bit of news about preliminary results. With many polling stations located in rural and hard-to-reach areas, official results are not expected for another 3-7 days.

07.10.2005 Four years after U.S. troops entered Afghanistan, the country has established a relatively stable government. But its people are experiencing a revived insurgency, increased death tolls, and an economy dependent upon foreign aid and the drug trade, reports Jim Lobe.