Stories about Governance from June, 2006
La Reunion: Subsidies to Local Associations
Eric Fruteau, a member of the General Council of St-Andre, a town in La Reunion, complains (Fr) about the lack of transparency and accountability in the subsidies budget distributed by the town to local associations: “It is abnormal that 5 (…) associations (…) receive 35% of (…) the budget. (…)...
Russia: Article on Chechnya
Sean Guillory discusses (and recommends) an article by Anne Neistat, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, on her recent trip to Chechnya's capital Grozny.
Poland: Communism Vs Capitalism
An angry comment forces the beatroot to continue an endless debate on whether life was better during communism.
Indonesia: Jakarta's Next Governor?
Martin Manurang is hoping that an exceptional candidate wins the election for Jakarta's next governor and helps bring in positive change.
China: Those left behind
Seen on Andrés Gentry's eponymous blog is a short but wrenching video looking at those left behind in China's mad rush towards development, including video shot by the villagers themselves of those being forcefully evicted and defending themselves from armed attacks by the police.
Hong Kong: Chinese commander charged
Following on the heels of a similar case in Beijing recently, as seen in Nathan Madsen's Xanga blog and Confidential Reporter's Confidential China, a high-ranking naval commander in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou has been removed from his post after charges of corruption and keeping mistresses were brought against...
Hong Kong: Shopping technocrats
Given that many goods can be found at lower prices in Hong Kong than in mainland China, is it a surprise that the Flagrant Harbour blogger would bump into the Communist Party of China fourth in command Jia Qinglin's entourage in a shopping mall during the leader's visit there this...
China: Uyghurs extradited
“The two uighurs (Yusuf Kadir Tohti and Abdukadir Sidik) detained in Kazakhstan and at risk of extradition to China (against international conventions) have, tragically, been extradited to China. They are at risk,” writes Celia at China Activist Weekly, “of torture or even execution.”
Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome
Its been a fascinating week – with so much to read I don't know where to begin. So here is my best effort. Read how the a mainstream media company created a blog that actually matters, how one Iraqi blogger wants to make peace with Israel, how bloggers rate the...
A conversation about US foreign policy
Trinidad-based Jeremy Taylor and his American friend “Roger” continue their cordial but rigorous e-mail exchanges about the state of US foreign policy.
Nigeria: Commissions, Commissions Commissions
Nigerian blog, NSpace comments on Nigeria's obsession with Commissions Commissions Commissions and the “the reaction of the Hon. Minister for Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala to allegations made by the Chairman of The Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission Engr”
Voices from Central Asia and the Caucasus
Standing at the edge of the abyss close to Kyrgyzstan's Pik Lenin, let's not waste any time to present you the highlights from two weeks of online conversation from Central Asia and the Caucasus. Armenia: Onnik Krikorian posts another one of his indispensable roundups from the Armenian blogosphere on his...
Barbados: Enforcing environmental laws
Forget about the police and employ specialists to enforce environmental laws, suggests Barbados Free Press.
The Indian Economy Blog » Blog Archive » Corruption: A License To Kill
The Indian Economy Blog on corruption, government and the private sector.“In fact, I can’t think of any kind of corruption in India where the benefits outweigh the costs. In most that come to mind, any benefits lie in avoiding costs that shouldn’t exist in the first place. “
Taiwan: Chen corruption scandal
“Is President Chen [Shui-bian] implicated in any of the scandals that have surrounded him lately?” asks Politics From Taiwan blogger David. “Who knows. However, it's encouraging to see that there are real investigations going on into these cases…”
North Korea: Test-fire fears
As fears increase that North Korea will go ahead with plans to test fire a long-range ballistic, North Korea Zone blogger Barry Briggs looks at the situation in ‘Why Haven't They Launched?,’ in which he writes: “if China can prevent the launch, the US will refrain from direct action; which...
China: Victims of China's Cultural Revolution, your stories can always be blogged (3/4)
Currently unable in today's political climate to have his years of research into the stories of those persecuted as right wing elements during China's ultra-left Cultural Revolution published, blogger-journalist Ran Yunfei (冉云飞) has since found an outlet in his blog. Last month he gave a lecture on his findings in...
Namibia: Transparency in government
Vilho's World writes on transparency of government in Namibia.……….”Looking in to the Namibian context, we have some leaders who privatise the state properties and take them as if the country belongs to an individual person.”
Mongolia: Amnesty vs. Reform
Shards of Mongolia argues that, rather than just a simple amnesty of prisoners, Mongolia needs a transparent and trustworthy judicial system.
Mongolia: Resumed Protests
Luke Distelhorst notes that protests against the Mongolian government have resumed, and he wonders whether or not, with the large numbers of tourists arriving in the country, the government will view the protests as a black eye to be dealt with by law enforcement.
Russia: Justice Minister Replaces Prosecutor General & Vice Versa
TaliaXianne of Something In The Way She Moves tells “a true ‘only in Russia’ story“: minister of justice replaces prosecutor general – and prosecutor general replaces minister of justice.