ACE Electoral News

ACE Electoral News

Ireland: FG focused on winning next election - Kenny, RTE (2010)

This article reports on the statement by the Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny about possible early elections. Mr Kenny stated that the party is getting ready for elections, that he predicts will be in the spring.

Human Rights Watch says Afghan elections threatened by violence, lack of security, TODAY (2010)

This article presents the Human Rights Watch report on the elections in Afghanistan. The reports denounced the total lack of security, and the threats that many candidates, especially the women, have to face.

Uganda must resist violence at elections, The New Vision (2010)

This article discusses the reasons for the violence that surrounded the primary elections of the National Resistance Movement, the ruling party in Uganda. The author believes that those events could be a sign of the past repeating itself, and spread fear all over the country. According to the author, the movement (NRA and then NRM) that allowed Uganda to find peace again has been eroded by political maneuvering, electoral malpractices and violence.

Ugandan ruling party will nominate Museveni for February presidential vote, Bloomberg (2010)

This article reports on the likely nomination of Yoweri Museveni as candidate for the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement, in the February presidential elections. Experts believe that the NRM will easily defeat the other three candidates running. Museveni has been ruling Uganda since 1986, when after 5 years of guerrilla warfare the NRM overthrew president Apollo Milton Obote. The Supreme Court ruled that in the last two elections (2001, 2006), irregularities and fraud were widespread.

OAS to observe regional and municipal elections in Peru, ISRIA (2010)

This article reports on the OAS decision to send electoral observers in the upcoming local elections in Peru. The Secretary General of the Organization of the American States, José Miguel Insulza, announced that the organization signed an agreement with the Peruvian government on the OAS Electoral Observation Mission that will follow the elections and referendum scheduled for October 3rd.

Uganda: Opposition coalition criticises NRM elections, AllAfrica (2010)

This article reports on the Inter-Party Cooperation's criticism about the violence in the National Resistance Movement's primary elections. The opposition coalition also expressed sympathy for the victims of such violence, and condemned the fraud and malpractices that characterized the NRM elections. Mr Museveni, chairman of the NRM, replied that the party's electoral commission was responsible for the incidents, and peace it will soon be restored.

Georgian President Rejects Venice Commission Criticism Of New Constitution, RFE/RL Caucasus Report (2010)

The article reports that Georgia's president expressed during the meeting with his party colleagues at the legislature that he disagrees with the criticisms by the Council of Europe's Venice Commission of the amendments to the Georgian Constitution currently under discussion. Those critical comments focus on the risk of a direct standoff between the president and the parliament; the procedure for a parliament vote of no confidence in the government; and the proposed abolition of the category of "organic laws" that require a three-fifths or two-thirds majority vote.

Tanzania: Disabled persons 'sidelined' in elections, The Citizen (2010)

This article reports on the preparation for next month's general elections in Tanzania. The political parties already launched their electoral campaign. The UNDP conducted a workshop to educate people with disabilities on the upcoming elections: 100 special needs representatives from all the regions attended. The UNDP election support project manager stated that it is important to involve people with special needs in the elections, and that the government and the national media should provide space for them to participate. Only one out of four million disabled people registered to vote.

Georgia: Bakradze Discusses Constitutional Reform with Opposition, Civil.ge (2010)

The article reports about the meetings of the Chair of Georgian parliament with the leader of oppositional Our Georgia-Free Democrats (OGFD) party to discuss the draft Constitutional amendments. In July OGFD, which is in favor of a presidential system, but also supports increase of powers of the Parliament, called on the state commission on constitutional reform, which developed the new draft, to include in its draft a provision that would ban the incumbent president from being nominated as prime minister for at least five years after the expiration of presidential term. Moreover, 10 opposition parties called on the authorities in July to postpone Constitutional amendments till the elections of a new parliament in 2012, which was rejected.

Tanzania: Dos and don'ts in election monitoring, The Citizen (2010)

This article discusses the right and duties of local and international observers according to the National Electoral Commission in Tanzania. The Tanzania Election Monitoring Committee is one of the most active institutions in the country, and it already announced the deployment of over 7,200 observers in the upcoming General Elections: 210 of them will be long-term observers, while 7,000 will be scattered in 6,650 sampled polling stations for short-term monitoring.

UNDP Tanzania - Election Support Project

This is a link to the UNDP Tanzania website. In particular, UNDP launched an Election Support Project to assist the National Election Commission and the Zanzibar Election Commission. Here one can find electoral observation reports, as well as updates and events in the country.

Afghan villagers set up security force for elections, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (2010)

This article reports on a group of villagers' initiative to set up an armed force to help the police in the Balkh Province for the upcoming elections. A dozen villages have been involved in this initiative, and 80 men armed with Kalashnikov rifles. The elections are scheduled for September 18, and the Taliban forces pledged to disrupt the electoral process with attacks to candidates and voters.

Lazarenko planning to return to Ukraine to participate in local elections (Kyiv Post, 2010)

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko is planning to return to Ukraine to participate in the local elections on October 31, 2010.

Lazarenko's lawyer denies reports of his return to Ukraine (Kyiv Post, 2010)

The lawyer of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, Maryna Dolhopola, has denied reports that Lazarenko is allegedly planning to return to Ukraine to participate in the local elections, which were published in the media on her behalf on Tuesday.

Tymoshenko vows to continue 'purge' of Ukrainian opposition ranks (RIA Novosti, 2010)

Ukraine's former prime minister and current opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko has pledged to continue strengthening the opposition by "purging" it of "weak" members.

Ukraine may hold early parliamentary elections next year - expert (RIA Novosti, 2010)

Ukraine may hold early parliamentary elections in 2011, the director of Ukrainian independent think tank Institute of Global Strategies said.

The EU Electoral Observation Missions

This is the new website of the European Union Electoral Observation Missions.

Hungary: Orbán evaluates government's first 100 days (Politics.hu, 2010)

Prime Minister Viktor Orban evaluated the first 100 days of his cabinet on Tuesday, saying Hungarian voters had chosen to break with the "hopelessness of the past eight years".

TI Hungary says local election campaign spending opaque (Politics.hu, 2010)

Campaign spending in the upcoming October 3 local elections is opaque and recent government-enacted changes on campaign rules has led to greater abuses of the system, Transparency International (TI) Hungary told MTI on Wednesday.

PACE delegation makes pre-electoral visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Focus News, 2010)

A five-member delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), led by Tiny Kox (Netherlands, UEL), will carry out a pre-electoral mission to Sarajevo and Banja Luka from 12 to 15 September 2010, ahead of the general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 3 October, to assess the electoral framework and campaign, a press release of the Council of Europe states.