ACE Electoral News

ACE Electoral News

Burundians Vote Monday for President Amid Opposition Boycott , VOA (2010)

Presidential elections will continue as planned in spite of opposition boycott. All opposition candidates have withdrawn from the race following alleged fraud in municipal elections. Election observers feel that the single candidate poll will hurt the credibility of the election.

Polls open in one-man Burundi presidential election , RFI (2010)

International observers from several organizations and agencies will be present for the Burundi presidential election. Turnout is expected to be low as the opposition parties are boycotting the vote and sitting president Pierre Nkurunziza is the only candidate.

Burundi votes with Pierre Nkurunziza the only candidate, BBC (2010)

There are concerns that accusations of fraud and the opposition boycott of the presidential election could lead to violence in Burundi. The peace agreement of 2006 ended 13 years of civil war in Burundi.

Calm, High Turnout in Somaliland Elections Despite Isolated Clash, VOA (2010)

There was high voter turnout in the autonomous region of Somalia. Somaliland is self-governing though it is not recognized internationally, there were some incidents of violence reported, but observers have indicated that overall the elections were peaceful and fair.

Voters defy Islamist threats in Somaliland, BBC (2010)

There was high voter-turnout in the Somaliland election in spite of warnings from the group al-Shabaab for voters to stay at home. Somliland is an autonomous region, but unrecognized and some hope that successful elections will strengthen the case for independence.

Nigeria:2011: Division grows in North over Jonathan, The Nation (2010)

This article discusses the ongoing debate over whether or not President Goodluck Jonathan should run in the 2011 presidential election. The presidency in Nigeria rotates between the North and South and some believe that this system should not prevent Jonathan from running.

In Colombia, more of the blessed same, Newsweek (2010)

This article presents the new President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, and his opponent, Antanas Mockus. Coming from a very influential family, the former defense minister pledges to continue Uribe's policies. During the campaign, however, Colombians were asking for change.

Election Observer Calls for Patience During Guinea Vote Counting, VOA (2010)

Election observers have called for patience while the votes are counted in Guinea's presidential election. The constitution allows for 72 hours before the results have to be announced.

Ireland: Political party to register 'within weeks', Irish Times (2010)

This article reports on the institution of a new political party in Ireland. The party is formed mostly by former Green Party members, and it will address green and social justice issues.

Kyrgyz referendum 'backs constitutional change plan', BBC (2010)

Teh article reports about the results of referendum held in Kyrgyzstan yesterday, June 27. Almost all votes are counted already and preliminary results show that voters in Kyrgyzstan have given clear approval to a new constitution giving parliament more power.

Kyrgyz Voting Calm After Violence, New York Times (2010)

Teh article writes about constitutional referendum in Kyrgyzstan, held on 27 June. If passed, the new constitution would make Kyrgyzstan the first parliamentary republic in Central Asia, an area dominated by authoritarian presidents.

Kyrgyzstan: 70 percent of electorate attended the referendum, 90 percent voted in support, Ferghana.ru (2010)

The article informs that by the morning of June 28, 2010, 93 percent of voting protocols, i.e. data from 2122 polling stations out of 2319, were processed in Kyrgyzstan. Overall, nearly 70 percent of electorate attended the referendum. Preliminary results indicate that 90.82 percent of electorate (nearly 1.7 million citizens) voted in support of new constitution while other 7.86 percent (over 145 thousand) voted against.

OSCE Praises Kyrgyz Referendum, As Russia Warns Of Risks, RFERL (2010)

The article reports that OSCE has praised Kyrgyzstan for holding a "largely transparent" referendum on a new constitution on 27 June 2010, but Russia has voiced concern the new political system might allow extremist groups to come to power.

Kyrgyz and Uzbeks Turn Out to Vote for Stability, EurasiaNet (2010)

The article writes that a few weeks after Kyrgyzstan's worst violence in the post-Soviet era, voters turned out in larger-than-expected numbers on June 27 to cast ballots in a constitutional referendum. Many voters said they yearned for a return of stability to Kyrgyzstan.

Center-left coalition loses steam in Sweden, Angus Reid Global Monitor (2010)

This article reports on the most recent opinion poll in Sweden. The opposition coalition (center-left) is backed by 44.3% of the voters, while the governing center-right alliance by 50.9%. The next general elections will be on September 19.

Angola: Voter's registration specialists hired, ANGOP (2010)

A number of voter registration specialists has been brought in to assist in the registration process.

Burundi Holds Single Candidate Presidential Election, VOA (2010)

Low voter turnout is expected as Burundi holds the presidential election with only one candidate as the opposition are boycotting the poll. In Burundi voters cast their vote by placing a name in a white envelope and all others in a black envelope, the electoral commission has said that it will treat a black envelope with the single candidate Pierre Nkurunziza name as a 'no' vote against him.

Burundi slow to cast verdict on Pierre Nkurunziza in vote-turned-referendum, The Guardian (2010)

Voter turnout has been low in the presidential election as the opposition are boycotting the vote in protest of alleged irregularities in May municipal elections. The vote has turned into a referendum on the presidency of the only remaining candidate, sitting president Pierre Nkurunziza.

Angola: 11,000 Guinea-Conakry immigrants go to poll Sunday in Luanda, ANGOP (2010)

Refugees from Guinea-Conakry will on Sunday go to poll in Luanda, Angola.

Côte d'Ivoire:Guinea poll only adds to Ivorian despair at limbo, Reuters Africa (2010)

The mostly peaceful election in Guinea has highlighted the failure of Côte d'Ivoire to set an election date after a succession of deadlines has passed.