· March, 2011

Stories about Elections from March, 2011

Nigeria: Buhari leads in mock online polls

  31 March 2011

Nigerian presidential candidate Mohammadu Buhari leads in mock online polls: “There are now several platforms online that allow Nigerians with access to the Internet to vote for their favourite presidential aspirant and share their preference on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.”

Macedonia: Early Elections Scheduled for June 5

  30 March 2011

The biggest Macedonian opposition party announced [MKD] today that they will participate in the early elections in spite of the failure of negotiations with the government on the conditions that would ensure fairness. About two hours later, the Prime Minister responded [MKD] that the ruling party would suggest to the...

Zimbabwe: Exhuming bodies for votes?

  30 March 2011

Using the dead to win votes: “The beleaguered ZANU (PF) political party is at it again, now by trying to buy political mileage out of the discovery of bodies in the Mashonaland region, yet they continue to neglect the massacres carried out in Matabeleland in the 1980’s.”

Peru: Analysis of Latest Election Poll Results

  29 March 2011

Silvio Rendon from Gran Combo Club [es] analyzes the latest election poll results. The latest poll from March 27 shows candidate Ollanta Humala in the lead with Alejandro Toledo and Keiko Fujimori close behind him: “Humala's growth, the collapse of Toledo and Fujimori's stagnation follow a trend seen previously,” Silvio...

Guatemala: Should Inmates be Allowed to Vote?

  29 March 2011

Blogger Luis Figueroa [es] wonders if inmates should be allowed to vote in the upcoming elections. Guatemala's Tribunal Supremo Electoral (Supreme Electoral Tribunal) is considering installing polling stations in prisons to allow inmates to vote.

Peru: 2 Weeks Before the General Election

  28 March 2011

Carlos A. Quiroz in Peruanista writes a thorough post on the political climate in Peru two weeks before the general elections. He includes a short review of the use of social media during the campaign.

Côte d'Ivoire: Where Are the African Personalities When They Are Needed?

  27 March 2011

A few months ago,  Marième Jamme asked Bono and Bob Geldof to take less prominent roles as speakers for Africa in the media and leave space for Africans to speak for themselves. Today on the Africa Rising blog,  bloggers  wonder where have the African personalities gone when they are actually needed to get the world's...

Haiti: Awaiting Results

  24 March 2011

As election results continue to be tabulated in Haiti, The Latin Americanist suggests that “the real victors are the Haitian electorate who supposedly turned out in large numbers to some voting centers.” Toussaint on Haiti also weighs in.

Haiti: Was Wyclef Shot or Cut by Glass?

  22 March 2011

Early on Sunday 20 March, 2011, while Haitians headed to the polls for the second round of a historic and controversial presidential election, a story about Wyclef Jean, the Haitian-born hip hpp star, being allegedly shot in the hand monopolized the mainstream media news cycle about Haiti for a good portion of the day.

Haiti: The Entertainer, or The Professor?

  20 March 2011

According to the reports on Twitter regarding today's presidential election runoff in Haiti, the lines at polling stations are long, and voters at certain pollin were unable to find their names on voter lists. But many are also speculating on the outcome.

Côte d’Ivoire : Terror in Abidjan

  20 March 2011

Abidjan a connu avant le début de la guérilla qui sévit depuis quelques jours une série de violences inédites, des attaques contre les domiciles privés des adversaires politiques de Laurent Gbagbo. De plus des actes de lynchage ont été pris en vidéo dans la commune de Youpogon. Ces actes de violence publiés sur le web ont provoqué de vives réactions.

Haiti: Election Morning in Pictures

  20 March 2011

Today, March 20, Haitians go to the polls to decide who will be the Caribbean nation's next president. This runoff election is being contested by Mirlande Manigat and Michel Martelly, the two candidates deemed to have received the highest number of votes in the controversial general election held last November. Reports posted this morning by Twitter users on the ground in Haiti pointed to delays in the opening of polling stations, while many outside the country fixated on an incident in which Haiti-born rap star Wyclef Jean, a Martelly supporter, was shot in the hand. Here's a selection of photos posted on Twitter of the scenes in Haiti as the polls opened—or tried to—this morning.

Haiti: As the polls open

  20 March 2011

Miami Herald journalist Jacqueline Charles, covering the Haiti elections runoff today, notes the lack of a police presence outside candidate Michel Martelly's house, expresses skepticism that the vote will be able to proceed uninterrupted, in spite of what the officials say, and reports that the opening of at least one polling...