Stories about Politics from January, 2007
Madagascar: Ministers in the New Government
Madagascar Croissance posts (Fr) a list of the ministers that make up the new government.
CAFTA and WiMax in Costa Rica
Three articles stand out this week: The first describes events that are a glimpse of what we will see once the CAFTA discussions begin, the second denounces the newspapers for failing to report accurately on these same events, and the third stumbles upon a discovery of virtual private network (VPN)...
Cuba: Fidel's video
Alejandro Armengol attempts to make sense (ES) of the reaction of Miami's Cuban exiles to the video of Cuban president Fidel Castro released yesterday.
Trinidad & Tobago: A nation unravels
“How do you take back a country that at independence failed to take real responsibility for itself, whose fabric has been slowly unravelling ever since, and which now equates modernisation with a frantic rush towards industrialisation and “developed country status by 2020″?” asks Jeremy Taylor of his country, Trinidad and...
Iraq: Another Terrifying Day
Iraqi blogger Nabil writes about yet another terrifying day in his neighbourhood. “Me and several people ran to the roof of the house, and there was my neighbour lying on the floor with his legs got cut due to the explosion and he was severly bleeding and there was blood...
Bolivia: Advice From and For Morales
While Bolivia Rising posts the translated text of Evo Morales speech at the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Jim Shultz of The Democracy Center publishes “three messages that Morales and MAS need to hear.”
Russia: Amber
Copydude writes about the sorry state of the Baltic ecology and about the amber mines of Kaliningrad.
Russia: Conversation With Litvinenko's Widow, Part 10
Part 10 of the conversation with Aleksandr Litvinenko's widow is translated and posted at A Step At A Time.
Poland: Politics
“This is not a deeply unpopular government at all. It’s supporters appear to quite like it,” writes Warsaw Station in a lengthy post (followed by a lengthy discussion).
Poland: Sex Scandal and Cronyism
Traveling Life writes about Poland's ongoing sex scandal and about yet another case of cronyism: “I know that each political appointee has an army of advisers to make sure he doesn't screw up too much. But at some point we have to ask when the sheer incompetence of political appointees...
Poland: PM With a Broken Arm
The beatroot writes: “[The Polish president's twin brother] breaks arm after falling on ice. Does that make him a lame duck Prime Minister?” A commenter responds: “He's a right wing duck, so breaking he left wing is part of his project, surly?” And another one: “Populism and regionalism, only requires...
Poland: Anti-Missile System
The beatroot argues that “the critics of the decision of placing a US anti-missile system in Poland are being as paranoid as the US government.”
Poland: The Soviets’ Nuclear Arsenal
The beatroot writes about the “now unclassified documents which show that Poland was nothing more than a buffer to the West for the Soviets and one that they could afford to make into a nuclear desert!”
Egypt: New head for Kifaya Movement
Egyptian opposition movement Kifaya will have a new activist at its helm after the resignation of George Ishaq, reports Arabist. The new frontman is Dr Abdel Wahab Al Messiri.
Bahrain Jails Political Activists
A court in Bahrain today sent two political activists to jail for possessing leaflets calling for a boycott of recent legislative elections, reports blogger Mahmood Al Yousif, who describes the sentence as “Disgusting. Another blow for freedom of speech in Bahrain.”
Bolivian Bloggers Give Their Verdict
This time last year, Bolivia and the rest of the world was buzzing about the inauguration of President Evo Morales and the novelty of it all. With approval ratings at sky-high levels, many wondered and were hopeful about the upcoming year. Would he follow through with all of his campaign...
Kurdistance: The Kirkuk Referendum
While the Kirkuk Referendum isn't expected to take place until December 2007, it is creating waves within Kurdistan, Iraq and their neighbors. Why the flurry of activity now? The Iraq Study Report recommended that the referendum be delayed, citing the the area as a “powderkeg”. The Republic of Turkey wants...
Iranian Bloggers Talk About Their Prison Experience
Many people for political reasons have been sent to prison in Iran. A few of those former prisoners shared their stories in books, through painting or in their blogs. Some people, including bloggers and researchers, have tried to look at prisons in Iran as an outsider, who was not in...
Uzbekistan: Handling Succession
Sean Roberts examines how Uzbekistan will handle succession. President Islam Karimov is 70 and currently in the “bonus time” of his final term. With elections on the horizon, Uzbekistan may have a new leader soon.
Tanzania: snoozing thinkers
Tanzania In Focus blogs about Tanzania's snoozing “thinkers”: I don't want to sound like a genius, but I once blogged on the fact that ours is a snoozing government. I only didn't realize that some day, I will come to witness literal snoozing.
Ethiopia: Gaddafi won the prize
“Gaddafi won the prize for the biggest entourage – three jets and a smaller cargo – and the best outfit – blue/purple/orange wraparound shares. white and yellow robes, green Africa badge and every military medal you can think of,” writes Meskel Square in a post about the arrival of dignitaries...