ACE Electoral News

ACE Electoral News

Indonesia: Former GAM minister elected as Aceh governor, Antara (2012).

This article discusses the election result for Aceh regional election held on on April 9, 2012. The the Aceh`s Independent Election Commission stated that candidate Zaini Abdullah won with 55,78 percent out of 2,380,386 valid votes.

Indonesia: New election law makes no progress: critics, The Jakarta Post (2012).

This article discusses the newly-endorsed Legislative Elections Law. Critics said it did not make changes to improve the elections and democracy

Timor-Leste presidential candidate Taur Matan Ruak declares victory, Xinhua (2012).

This article discusses the election of Mr. Taur Matan Ruak for Timor-Leste's president. The president is elected for a term of five years and the parliamentary election is scheduled for July 7.

Philippines: Mindanao Comelec learns lessons from 2011 PWD registration, Mindanews (2012).

This article discusses the Commission on Elections (Comelec) registration of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Mindanao. The registration starts officially on April 18, although it has been ongoing since April 1.

Experts want Haiti vote results annuled, News24.com (2011)

The Joint OAS-CARICOM Electoral Observation Mission (JEOM) has recommended that Haitian authorities annul the victories of 19 ruling party candidates in the recent legislative elections on the basis of suspected fraud.

Haiti: Some senators want an investigation, Haiti Libre (2011)

A number of Haitian senators are suggesting that an investigation be conducted into allegations that some electoral advisors including President of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) Gaillot Dorsainvil were paid to tamper with the election results of March 20.

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US senator urges State Dept to considering sanctions for Haitian officials amid fraud concerns, Daily Journal (2011)

US Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, in a letter addressed to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, urged the State Department to examine the visa and U.S. residency status of Haitian officials suspected of engaging in fraud in Haiti's legislative elections.

Jordan election: Q&A, BBC (2013)

Jordan holds early parliamentary elections on Wednesday 23 Jan. In this article from the BBC few Q&A about this election.

Jordanians vote in parliamentary polls, al-Jazeera (2013)

Jordanians are voting in parliamentary elections which opened for 12 hours from 04:00 GMT on Wednesday 23 Jan. An estimated 2.3 million Jordanians are eligible to vote at 1,484 polling stations, choosing from 1,425 candidates, vying for a four-year term in the 150-seat lower house of parliament. The elections is boycotted by the Muslim Brotherhood which says the electoral system is rigged in favor of rural tribal areas and against the urban poor. More details in this link.

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USA: Obama to run campaign from Chicago, The Chigago Tribune (2011)

This article reports on the latest updates from the presidential campaign for the 2012 elections in the USA. President Obama chose Chicago as the headquarters for his campaign. Observers believe that a key factor in this decision is the anti-Washington climate among the electorate. Every president in the last 30 years (George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan) set up his re-election campaign office in the capital.

USA: Obama gearing up for re-election campaign, The US Daily (2011)

This article reports on the latest updates for the presidential election campaign in the US. Elections will be in 2012, but President Obama is already setting up his re-election campaign headquarters. The President already filed the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, and he will probably formally launch his campaign in a couple of months.

USA: A victory for independent speech, The Washington Post (2011)

This article discusses the implications of the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission which allowed "special interests", such as corporations and union, to be actively involved in electoral campaigns. The authors (the president of Citizens United and his counsel) argue that this ruling did not affect the elections as much as its critics say. Private citizens spent $300 million in the 2010 campaigns, and the authors argue that this is not enough to influence an entire election.

Haiti swears in musician amid hopes that post-quake reconstruction will finally get started, Washington Post (2011)

Following the recent legislative elections that were marred by allegations of corruption, Haiti swears in its new president, pop-singer, Michel Martelly. At his inauguration on Saturday, May 14, Martelly outlined his top priorities for rebuilding the country - a plan that focused on education, tax collection, security and foreign investment.

Dominica opposition party gets new leader after losing dual citizenship case, Caribbean 360 (2012)

Former Prime Minister Edison James is once again at the helm of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), replacing Ron Green who opted against re-election less than a week after he lost a dual citizenship case against the prime minister and education minister.

Sri Lanka increases security after election shooting, Bloomberg (2010)

A bus carrying opposition supporters was attacked by gunmen, killing one person. This was the first act of violence during the ongoing electoral campaign before the January 26 elections. The government stated that it will not tolerate such acts of violence and announced that security will be bolstered at political events.

Fiji will have elections by September 2014-Fiji govt, FijiVillage (2011)

The article touches on tensions between Australia and the island of Fiji regarding upcoming elections. The position of the government of Fiji, the article reports, is that elections will go on as planned regardless of Australian actions interpreted as attempts to block them.

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Parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan expected to bring little change, Deutsche Welle (2009)

The articles writes about Uzbekistan poll on Sunday, 27 December, 2009, to vote in parliamentary elections. Elections were widely regarded as neither free nor fair, and voters had to choose between four parties that back the country's authoritarian regime. Six hours after the start of polls, it was reported that 57% of the voters have already cast their ballot.