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2011年4月21日星期四

Could Putin and Medvedev in an open Russian election face off? -Christian Science Monitor

Moscow

As the political differences between Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev in a visible public rift will expand, and each request for President in the polls remain next year to run, some Russians are mulling, who like a fantasy before a few weeks sound a perspective: What is when she confronted each other in an open and fair elections?

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It was Putin himself who started the speculation is now surging as electricity through Russia's blogosphere. "Neither me nor Dmitry have excluded, that each of us was a candidate in the race," he said last week in a bid to down discussion on the, choice clog apparent Kremlin. "We of the actual situation closer to the elections go."

Putin was responding to comments by Mr Medvedev at a Conference of the BRICS Nations in China. He said "I do not exclude to do that I will run for a new term as President,". "Will be decided in the relatively near future, because there are less than a year." "It is time for change."

RELATED: Putin's marquee moments

For the last three years, the former two-term President Putin and anointed successor, Medvedev, have run the country in a more or less amicable "tandem", but one in which seemed Putin always the senior partner. Both routinely insisted that relations between them were good, and that in due time that would decide them "between themselves" as candidate for President of the institution would lead. Built into the system of "managed democracy" of the Putin Government support is crucial for the election win, and Kremlin critics have pushed to the edge, found even if they can put their name on the ballot.

Is it a campaign platform?

But in recent weeks, public disagreements within the "tandem" have grown more common, and some political forces have begun to potential nominations of individual coagulation, complete with think tank studies, that read much like draft campaign platforms.

"There are a number of votes now, both Liberals and conservatives, which would be it best to break with [the Putin system] and let the voters between them decide, the" says Alexei Pushkov, anchor of the Post Scriptum, Russia's most popular TV public affairs.

"If we, had other policies two candidates, Putin and Medvedev with something, that could create the basis for a genuine two-party system in Russia." After all, are these authentic differences within the Russian society, "says Mr Pushkov." "Some prefer the more traditional approach grab from Putin, while others for the more liberal line, pushing Medvedev...." Who would be the next President, he would have a new level of legitimacy. If it were Medvedev, he would finally free from the bindings of the Putin system and in the location, its own course. "If it would be Putin, we would know that his victory was based on honest public support."

The idea of weaning Russia from its searches autocratic governance has a long history, but attempts been never successful. The short intermezzo swept across a team, the lack of 1917 was followed to the last tsars soon by a Bolshevik flood, took more than 70 years. Try to build a democratic system in the 1990s failed amid economic chaos and social collapse.

Putin was the traditional chain makes the direct command to restore the "power vertical" which means more than swear a decade from the Kremlin after below, in every corner of the expanded Russia.

Although he stepped aside in 2008, his longtime aide Medvedev let take the top Kremlin job Putin Chair that keep it enabled lot of control over Russia's moved into the Prime Minister hurled red tape and the lever of the domestic policy. He was also managing United Russia, the State supported political behemoth that controls carried out practically all legislators in the country - from the State Duma to small urban - and whose membership is so strong with officials, which wags stacked it have called a "Union for bureaucrats."


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2011年4月11日星期一

Nigeria's first election results indicate losses for the ruling party - Christian Science Monitor

On Saturday Nigeria in about 85 percent of the country in elections to the legislative elected. These elections were postponed by a week after logistical problems on 2 April, and these problems take into account the delays, which affect about 15 percent of the country further have.

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Yesterday began to get results from the districts that have voted, and the new pattern confirms what some analysts losses for the ruling people's Democratic Party (PDP) predicted, namely. So far, the action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which has much of Southwest seems a large beneficiary. The same analysts have predicted losses for the PDP in the parliamentary elections but tend to predict that acting President Goodluck Jonathan will win re-election. The PDP retains the Presidency, but the party and the President will face a different political landscape.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves - we see the results we have.

On the integrity of the voting, voting was not quite smooth on Saturday - bombs exploded in several areas, and leader of the opposition in the State of Bayelsa State observers are largely crying foul about the elections - but praised the conduct of the elections. The EU Chief Observer, said: "We have observed a generally encouraging conduct of the elections, in a generally peaceful atmosphere." The general consensus so far that seems 2011 an improvement compared to 2007.

With more confidence in the process, Nigerians and international observers show more faith in the results. It is on value paid attention as to tabular form shows the results. A Nigerian friend here has emphasised opposition parties, the Guide to the simple me in Chicago as curious, monitoring the physical tabulation of the vote. Groups from existence voters and party officials present in the polling stations, and you are to see and verify the official results, my friend says, will bring more transparency to the count. Reuters notes that this phenomenon also underlines also the logistical difficulties, which votes count in remote areas, where in some cases, results are collected by officials on the horse's back.

Now, the actual results. The best sources I've found are live updates and the choice of the coalition of Nigeria results page 234. I quote from the latter:

Senatorial elections

37 Results have 94 Senate districts would get. The analysis of the results obtained show that ACN has 13 seats (35.1 percent), APGA 1 seat (2.7 percent), CPC 3 seats (8.1 percent), LP 1 seat (2.7 percent), PDP 19 seats (51.4%)

Bundestag election House of representatives

76 Results have of 315 constituencies would get. The analysis of the results obtained show that ACCORD 3 seats (3.9 percent), ACN 21 seats (27.6%), APGA 2 seats (2.6 percent), CPC 5 seats (6.6 per cent), LP 1 seat (1.3%), PDP 43 seats (56.6 percent), PPN 1 seat (1.3%).

The coalition has also results by district.

Comment on the elections comes fast and furious. Useful analysis of the results can be found next to VOA, Bloomberg and 234. One thing that many emphasize these outlets is defeated not only the pattern of results and the strong showing of the opposition, but also the high-profile of some PDP members, such as the speaker of the House.

Do to the opposition gains for President Jonathan my trouble? The financial times writes, "the results are an indication of the public mood before the presidential polls next weekend". That could make Jonathan. On the other hand, praise for improvements in the electoral process to Jonathan is remuneration in some segments of the Nigerian press. So, the political signals are mixed well. Presidents destinies are bound in any case not always fully to the performance of their parties.

Here is my guide to the options for readers who want more background.

: Alex Thurston is a PhD student studying Islam in Africa at Northwestern University and blogs in the Sahel blog.

Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of Africa blogger. Our guest bloggers are not employed or under the direction of the monitor and the reviews are the bloggers own, such as responsibility for the content of their blogs. Here, us of a blogger contact you click.


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