Archive for
November 26th, 2006

   

Stories

China: What pols blog, where subways end

A small portrait of the translator John Kennedy · 15:33 · East Asia

Hexun blogger Guan Jiantao on a city in eastern China's Jiangsu province, where twelve senior government leaders were told to take up blogging, in their own names, following the flood of feedback to municipal Party Secretary Zhang Shixin's recent blog post, in which he criticized the hygiene, spitting, littering, picking of teeth and yelling he sees among government staff in the city.

An effective way for public servants to hold themselves accountable to city residents? Or yet another empty symbol of a feedback mechanism?

当然，趁热打铁扩大影响，广开言路畅通渠道的想法无可厚非，但是，这一切须建立在对领导博客这一特殊方式的准确理解与把握的基础上。

Of course, there's not much criticism to be made over encouraging views to be made in an unrestricted space, but this is all based upon being able to understand and grasp this special method of ‘leader blogs'

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The Week That Was in Bahrain

Amira Al Hussaini · 14:55 · Middle East & North Africa

More than 300,000 Bahrainis went to the polls on Saturday to elect 40 Municipal Councillors and another 40 Members of Parliament. This is the second time Bahrainis vote in their modern history, after sweeping reforms initiated in 2002. According to official records, seventy-two per cent of the eligible voters took part in the process. Needless to say, the elections kept Bahrain's bloggers busy over the weekend.

Mahmood Al Yousuf calls election day D-day and explains how optimistic he is about his country's future.

The elections this time around are vastly different from 2002 as this time all but one political society have decided to participate, and as those societies contesting are the largest in Bahrain and their programs and agendas are non-sectarian, well thought out and achievable, we can rest assured that the new parliament when it is finally declared by Dec 3rd will be much more representative of the people and it will elevate the quality of life of Bahrainis and residents alike.

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Flying Over the Iraqi Blogodrome

A small portrait of the translator Salam Adil · 10:53 · Middle East & North Africa

Literally this time. I am writing this as my flight to Dubai is actually flying over Iraqi airspace. First time ever.

If I were to give a true summary of the Iraqi blogs these past weeks it would be one of sadness, death, and violence. But I am not going to dwell on such matters as it is depressing and achieves nothing. Today I will concentrate on politics. With the situation in Iraq becoming beyond bearable for Iraqi people, several bloggers are looking at the future, asking questions and trying to see ways out of the mess. But first… (more…)

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