Elections, Elections, Elections

[JWB]

That Georgia law banning refreshments to people in line has a precedent;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treating_(law)#:~:text=Treating occurs when an election,one year imprisonment or both.

[BansheeOne]

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Date 06.04.2021

Greenland votes, split on rare earth metals mining

The outcome of parliamentary elections could seal the fate of one of the world's richest uranium and rare earth minerals deposits.

Greenlanders cast their ballots in an early parliamentary election on Tuesday.

The result could decide whether the Kvanefjeld mine project gets the go-ahead in the semiautonomous Danish territory.

The country's ruling social democratic Siumut and main opposition Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) parties are split on the issue, Siumut arguing in favor and IA against.

What is the Kvanefjeld mine project?

The project would see a large mining complex built at Kvanefjeld in the south of the island to dig for uranium as well as rare-earth metals, such as neodymium.

These are used in a wide array of sectors and products, including smartphones, wind turbines, microchips, batteries for electric cars and weapons systems.

Estimates show the Kvanefjeld mine could hold the largest deposit of rare-earth metals outside China.

The proposed project is licensed to Australian group Greenland Minerals. Chinese Shenghe Resources is the biggest shareholder.

[...]

Greenland's parties are split on the project

The Siumut party argues the mine would yield an economic windfall.

Siumut party leader Erik Jensen has said the mine would be "hugely important for Greenland's economy," helping diversify revenues and achieve greater independence from Denmark.

The economy still heavily depends on subsidies from Copenhagen, which amount to €526 million per year ($620 million) — a third of Greenland's budget.

The left-leaning and environmentalist IA party and other opponents say it could harm the vast island's environment  that is already experiencing the effects of climate change. The party has a zero-tolerance policy for uranium mining.

A poll published Monday by newspaper Sermitsiaq showed that 63% of respondents were against the mining project, although only 29% were against mining in general, news agency AFP reported.

Who is likely to win?

The election campaign for parliament's 31 seats has also centered on fishing — the main driver of Greenland's economy.

On the island nation where are 90% of its 56,000-strong population are indigenous Inuit people, social issues and cultural identity have also been part of the campaign.

Opinion polls before the election showed the Siumut Party, which has led all governments since 1979 except for one period between 2009-2013, trailing IA.

Observers stress political surveys in Greenland have proved to be uncertain and subject to rapid swings with only approximately 40,000 eligible voters.

Polling stations are scheduled to close at 8 p.m. local time (2200 UTC). Final results are expected early Wednesday.

https://www.dw.com/en/greenland-votes-split-on-rare-earth-metals-mining/a-57113587

ETA:

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Date 07.04.2021

Greenland: Left-wing Inuit Ataqatigiit party wins election

The electoral victory is setback for mining companies eager to push ahead with the extraction of rare earth metals under the Arctic island.

The left-wing Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) party topped the polls in Greenland's Tuesday election, official results showed Wednesday.

With almost all ballots counted, the main opposition party won 36.6% of the votes, ousting the social-democratic Siumut party which received 29%.

IA's victory casts doubt over the future of the controversial Kvanefjeld mining complex, which lies towards the southern tip of the Arctic island. Although the party is not completely against mining, they campaigned against a project to dig up rare earth metals from what is one of the world's largest deposits.

Following the victory, IA leader Mute Bourup Egede told public broadcaster DR that they would halt the Kvanefjeld mining project.

Siumut party chairperson Erik Jensen congratulated 34-year-old Egede on his victory.

"We congratulate Inuit Ataqatigiit on their election. Now we're excited to see what the negotiations will bring in the coming days," Jensen said.

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/greenland-left-wing-inuit-ataqatigiit-party-wins-election/a-57118506

Edited April 7, 2021 by BansheeOne

[BansheeOne]

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Date 08.04.2021

Author Frank Smith (Seoul)

South Korea: Mayoral elections sink Moon's North Korea peace drive

Hopes for effective dialogue with North Korea have been weakened as voters and opposition parties call for a domestic focus. The Democratic Party's fall in the polls could bring about sharp changes in government policy.

South Korea's ruling Democratic Party suffered crushing defeats on Wednesday, in by-elections for the Seoul and Busan mayoral posts, deepening President Moon Jae-in's lame duck status and effectively dashing his hopes for making peace with North Korea.

Opposition People Power Party (PPP) candidate Oh Se-hoon won the Seoul mayoral election by 57.5% to 39%, with the Busan PPP candidate winning by almost 30%, according to Yonhap News, South Korea's state media outlet. The results mark a complete reversal of the outcome of last year's parliamentary elections in which the Democratic Party won a super-majority of 180 seats in the 300-member national assembly.

The Democratic Party's downfall is linked to an ongoing scandal in which the country's land management officials were found to have widely speculated in the real estate market using inside information.

Urban apartment prices have soared despite dozens of government policies, making buying a home beyond many people's reach. That frustration was highlighted by this outcome, through a record turnout for local elections, of more than 50% of eligible voters.

"Liberal officials proved that they were little better than the conservatives in putting their personal interests ahead of the public good. Voters were disappointed," The Korea Times columnist Choi Sung-jin told DW.

Nationwide shift in sentiment

The Seoul and Busan by-elections were held because of sexual harassment allegations against the previous mayors — both from the Democratic Party. Former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon committed suicide, and Busan's mayor resigned as a result of the allegations. However, the outcome of the elections indicate a shift in public sentiment across the nation.

"This creates a springboard for the Conservative Party … This is the time to change the political regime," former conservative lawmaker Song Young-sun told DW.

And it will certainly impact the effectiveness of South Korea's current president, whose prioritizing of peacemaking with North Korea will be replaced with a greater emphasis on domestic issues.

"It's not getting easier for Moon to fulfill his desirable legacy in the last year of his term," Thomas Yoshimura, the South Korea representative for the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, a German international civic political foundation, told DW.

He added that Moon will have to decide whether he wants to focus on the domestic agenda and "things that might matter for future elections," or inter-Korean relations.

That decision to focus on the domestic agenda appears to have already been made. In response to the election, Moon was quoted by Yonhap as saying that he will "concentrate on overcoming the COVID-19 crisis, revitalizing the economy, stabilizing the people's livelihoods and the real estate market, and rooting out corruption."

The greater question now is how these conservative victories will affect the broader national political landscape, and the presidential election slated for March of next year.

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/south-korea-mayoral-elections-sink-moons-north-korea-peace-drive/a-57135259

[BansheeOne]

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Date 10.04.2021

Author Katrin Gänsler

Benin's democracy hangs in the balance on election weekend

Incumbent President Patrice Talon is poised for reelection in the West African country. But changes to Benin's electoral system have stacked the odds in his favor at the expense of the opposition.

Election fever has hit Benin. In the economic capital, Cotonou, more and more posters advertising the April 11 presidential election appeared daily.

One image, though, dominates: that of the current president, Patrice Talon. Against a blue background, he and running mate Mariam Chabi Talata are visible to every one of Cotonou's 800,000 residents. Like the United States, the West African country nominates pairs to run for the presidency, and if Talon is reelected, Chabi Talata will be vice president.

[...]

A second term and broken promises

When Talon, a businessman, was elected in 2016, he hailed a change of governance in Benin, and pledged to achieve his campaign promises within five years. He said he would stand only for one term. But those words seem a distant memory, and a pragmatic approach of "we must finish what we started" has taken over.

In contrast to previous presidential elections, there is only a shortlist of candidates. Apart from Talon, just Corentin Kohoue and Alassane Soumanou are on the ballot. Both are largely unknown. In an interview with DW, Kohoue even referred to himself as a "surprise candidate." For comparison, 33 people stood for election in 2016, and 14 in 2011. Many, however, only garnered a few thousand votes.

That only three candidates are running is because of changes to the election system introduced in 2019. To be nominated as a candidate, each hopeful must gain the support of 10% of Benin's mayors and parliamentarians. In January, the national election commission rejected 17 potential candidates. This included well-known opposition figures like law professor Joel Aivo and Reckya Madougou, who was a minister under the previous president, Boni Yayi. Avio has been under arrest since the beginning of March — accused of financing terrorist activities. Other known opposition names live in exile in France or the United States.

[...]

'Partly free' system

Steve Kpoton, a lawyer and political analyst, called the patronage system "a very good reform" that provides a filter for a serious election.

"This also exists in other democratic countries, like France, Senegal and Mali," he said.

Kpoton said parliamentarians were free to support other candidates.

"This can happen when someone thinks certain ideas are needed in the presidential election," Kpoton said. "One can support someone in the name of democracy."

Yet Benin, once regarded as one of West Africa's stable democracies with a model constitution, faces uncertainty. According to the US government-funded NGO Freedom House, Benin is only "partly free." The country fell 17 places in one year on the World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters without Borders. The Economist's Democracy Index has seen Benin slide to place 102.

From democracy to authoritarianism?

Hans-Joachim Preuss, a representative of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, described Benin's government as an "elected autocracy." Certain democratic institutions have been eroded in recent years.

"We have a parliament that consists of the president's allies. In the country's highest court, principally only loyalists of the president are represented. There are limits on press freedom, which means there are no checks and balances for the executive," Preuss said.

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/benin-election-democracy-patrice-talon/a-57144589

 

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Date 09.04.2021

Author Fred Muvunyi

Chad's president set to extend his 30-year rule

President Idriss Deby Itno has ruled Chad since toppling the dictator Hissene Habre in 1990. Critics say his cunning and ruthless approach has helped him become one of the world's longest-serving leaders.

At least 7.3 million people are expected to vote in Chad's presidential election on Sunday. 

Ten candidates appear on the ballot paper. However, three of them have withdrawn from the race, citing intimidation and an "already rigged election" in favor of President Marshal Idriss Deby Itno. 

Deby came to power in the oil-rich African nation in 1990 through a military coup that removed Hissene Habre from office. He has maintained his grip on power since then, winning all five times he ran for office. 

"Most of the young people amongst you were not born when I came to power," Deby told cheering supporters at a campaign rally in the capital, N'Djamena, on Tuesday.

Political manipulation 

Critics describe Deby as an autocrat. Many have accused him of turning Chad into his backyard.

Deby has ruled over a profoundly fragmented nation, with multiple ethnic groups and clans vying for power. 

Unlike his predecessors, Deby has remained in power for over 30 years, thanks mainly to his political cunning and prowess as a tactician.

Last year Deby, an experienced military man, was awarded the rank of marshal, the highest accolade. 

Deby's critics accuse him of using oil revenues to build patronage networks and a crackdown on dissent. 

"Frequent divisions of political actors have also allowed Deby to perpetuate his reign in the division, intoxication and manipulation," the opposition politician Yaya Dillo Djerou told DW. 

Djerou accused Deby of using state revenues to pay off his confidants, and using the anti-militant war in the Sahel to get support from Western countries. 

"All this has enabled Deby to quell all dissenting voices, including assassinations of credible actors," Djerou said.

On February 28, 2021, Djerou's home in N'Djamena was raided by government forces, and five of his relatives, including his mother and son, were killed. He had planned on challenging Deby in Sunday's vote. Now he is in hiding.

[...]

'Overstaying' justified

Deby says he still has a lot to offer to Chad. He's vowed to stabilize nation and build the economy. 

Justifying Deby's decades in power, presidential spokesman Brah Mahamat told DW that his boss is a visionary man who has turned around the country's misfortune and built the education sector. 

"President Idriss Deby Itno has covered 30 years of experience, 30 years of sacrifice for his country," Mahamat said. "The president has exploited Chad's oil to enable the country to build new infrastructure," he added.

Show election

This weekend's election will see seven people running for the presidency, but government critics say real opposition members have been barred from running for office. 

The opposition candidate Succes Masra's chances of facing Deby were dashed after a 2018 revision to the constitution to prevent candidates younger than 40 from running for office. Masra is only 38.

"He doesn't want me to run for office," Masra told DW. "That's why he changed the minimum age required." 

Supporters such as Desire Mbairamadji still see Deby as capable of moving the country forward.

"He is the only Chadian president who has built universities in the provinces," Mbairamadji said, adding that Deby is the man who can tackle terrorthreats faced by the country and the Sahel region. 

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/chads-president-set-to-extend-his-30-year-rule/a-57142776

[Rick]

On 4/7/2021 at 6:59 AM, BansheeOne said:

https://www.dw.com/en/greenland-votes-split-on-rare-earth-metals-mining/a-57113587

ETA:

https://www.dw.com/en/greenland-left-wing-inuit-ataqatigiit-party-wins-election/a-57118506

Interesting.

[BansheeOne]

It's a notable conundrum on many levels. The winning party is both environmentalist and pro-independence, i. e. for having Greenland secede from Denmark completely rather than the current state of autonomy. However as the articles point out, the country is also dependent on Danish subsidies to the tune of 600 million dollar per year, and has to import most of its food.

Now building up the economy through mining deposits being made accessible by receding ice and permafrost would be a way to finance independence, but the party doesn't want that. Rather they prefer making use of climate change for expanding agriculture and domestic food production, though they haven't come up with a comprehensive plan for economical development so far.

On another level, rare earth metals are a crucial component of green technologies like electric cars, wind turbines and such, and geostrategically speaking it's problematic that an expansive authoritarian country like China has almost a monopoly on their production. As usual people are all for improvements, just not when it impacts the way they are used to live. Though I can certainly understand farmers who fear the environmental effects of a mining project being developed next to their land, of which locals don't tend to profit immediately.

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Date 09.04.2021

Author Sara Moraca

The battle over Greenland's untapped natural resources

A fight over Greenland's rich oil, gas and mineral deposits is raging, as global warming melts ice and exposes rich reserves. Now Greenlanders are struggling to balance economic growth and environmental protection.

Third-generation farmer Naasu Lund surveys her land, the silence punctuated only by a fierce wind and the bleating of grazing sheep. Her farm, near the town of Narsaq in southern Greenland, is located just 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from a proposed uranium and rare earth elements mine.

She had been worried that the surrounding nature and her farm, which also hosts holidaymakers hoping to enjoy Greenland's untouched countryside, would be in jeopardy. She can breathe a sigh of relief. The mine has been halted for now.

"We are guardians of this land … and consider ourselves to be a part of nature," said Lund. "We have now the opportunity to develop it in the way we feel it is fair to do."

The proposed Kvanefjeld mine became a flash point for elections in Greenland this month, toppling the pro-mine Siumut party, which has had an almost uninterrupted hold on power since 1979, when the country gained home rule from Denmark.

Now, the pro-independence Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) is Greenland's largest party after it ran a green and anti-mine platform. It's promised the Kvanefjeld project will not go ahead, although it must first enter coalition negations with other parties, including Siumut.

The controversy over the mine reveals a split on the island over balancing future economic development with protecting the pristine Arctic environment. And the debate has heated up in recent years as global warming melts Greenland's ice cover to reveal rich mineral, oil and gas resources that are attracting international interest from countries like the China and the United States.

[...]

For an economy largely dependent on fishing, tourism and a $600 million annual subsidy from Denmark, resource exploitation is seen as a way to boost government coffers and provide a path to independence. Polls indicate support for secession from Denmark. One carried out in 2018 by researchers from the University of Copenhagen found around 67% of respondents supported an independent Greenland at some point in the future.

"It is not certain that the Kvanefjeld mine project will never be realized," said Mikaa Mered, a lecturer on Arctic affairs at HEC business school in Paris. "If the Siumut party returns to power in the future, the struggle for independence could still be played through the uranium mines."

But Kvanefjeld's opponents argue that economic arguments are overplayed, saying it won't bring jobs, because the expertise to develop, extract and process rare-earth minerals doesn't exist on the 56,000-strong island. Furthermore, they argue, the potential threat to the island's pristine ecosystem is underestimated.

"Normally, local people don't earn money from mines as promised in the beginning, but after mining they are left with polluted land," said Mariane Paviasen, an IA member of parliament from Narsaq who has been campaigning against the mine since 2013, speaking of similar projects around the world.

Narsaq's largely Inuit population were concerned that dust from uranium and other radioactive byproducts would be blown across the landscape. Locals and environmentalists, including Friends of the Earth Denmark, worried about contamination of soil, water and marine life from mining waste. Fishing is one of the town's main industries.

"Our life depends on the sea," said Ole Jorgen Davidsen, a fisherman and member the country's fishers' association KNAPK. "Our cultural heritage, our economy and even our free time are linked to where we live. Fishing is the livelihood method for the majority of families here."

[...]

Still, a poll in local newspaper "Sermitsiaq" ahead of the election showed that while 63% of respondents were against the Kvanefjeld mining project, just 29% were against mining in general. And as climate change continues to make Greenland's natural resources more accessible and attract more international interest, Greenlanders will have to continue to find the balance between economic development and environmental protection.

"The Inuit Ataqatigiit party doesn't want uranium mining, but it has not ruled out mining activities involving zinc and gold," said lecturer Mikaa Mered. "This may be part of the Greenlandic development plan which has not yet be presented by the party."

https://www.dw.com/en/the-battle-over-greenlands-untapped-natural-resources/a-57138809

[BansheeOne]

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Date 12.04.2021

Ecuador election: Ex-banker Guillermo Lasso wins presidency

Lasso, a proponent of tax cuts and austerity, has defeated socialist economist Andres Arauz in Ecuador's presidential runoff, with the majority of ballots having been counted.

Conservative ex-banker Guillermo Lasso won Ecuador's presidential runoff on Sunday with 52.5% of the vote, declaring himself president-elect with more than 96% of ballots counted. His opponent, socialist economist Andres Arauz, received 47.4% of the votes and conceded the race. 

[...]

What are the political views of Lasso and Arauz?

Lasso believes in tax cuts to boost the economy, and is also a proponent of measures to reduce public debt. He has previously ran for the presidency two other times.

Arauz believes in raising taxes on the wealthy, and wished to renegotiate Ecuador's debt with the International Monetary Fund. His mentor is former leftist President Rafael Correa, who is living in exile in Belgium with his wife after receiving an eight-year prison sentence on corruption charges in his home country.

What's the political situation in Ecuador?

Lasso will succeed current President Lenin Moreno, who is deeply unpopular. In 2019, protests rocked Ecuador, due to Moreno's decisions to implement austerity measures and cut oil subsidies. 

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/ecuador-election-ex-banker-guillermo-lasso-wins-presidency/a-57163845

 

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Date 11.04.2021

Peru: Leftist Pedro Castillo leads presidential race

Peruvians have been urged by the government to come out and vote for the country's next president despite rising COVID-19 deaths.

Leftist candidate Pedro Castillo will face conservative Keiko Fujimori in a June run-off to become president of Peru, a fast count by pollster Ipsos indicated on Monday, with more than two thirds of the votes cast in the election.

According to the poll, Castillo, a 51-year-old union leader and primary school teacher, had secured 18.6% of the votes, while 14.5% went to Fujimori, the daughter of imprisoned former president Alberto Fujimori.

Hernando de Soto, the liberal economist whom an exit poll had earlier suggested was tied in second place with Fujimori, dropped to fourth position in the fast count, with 10.8% of the ballot. Far-right candidate Rafael Lopez Aliaga rose to third place with 11.9%, according to the latest tally.

Shadow of COVID-19

The poll comes as voters in Peru were electing their fifth president in three years, as polling stations opened across the country. About 25 million people were called on to vote in the Andean state, where voting is mandatory.

Elderly people were asked to arrive early to the polling stations and avoid crowds, as Peru faces one the deadliest weeks of the coronavirus pandemic thus far.

In the past week, there has been an average of 279 COVID-19 deaths every day. On Saturday alone, 384 fatalities were reported.

None of the 18 candidates standing for election enjoyed support from more than 10% of the electorate, according to election surveys. "No vote" was the most popular choice.

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/peru-leftist-pedro-castillo-leads-presidential-race/a-57162499

[BansheeOne]

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Date 25.04.2021

Albania votes in election amid deep political division

A deep political split in the Balkan country is expected to deliver a neck-and-neck election between the ruling party and the opposition coalition.

Albanians headed to the polls in parliamentary elections on Sunday following a bitter campaign and violence between rival supporters. 

Some 3.6 million eligible voters, including Albanians overseas, will elect 140 lawmakers among some 1,800 candidates. 

Voters have expressed frustration with the politics and economy of the country, which is hoping to launch full membership talks with the EU later this year.  

Sunday's polls are expected to be neck-and-neck between the ruling Socialists and the opposition. The vote is being closely watched by observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Western embassies.

Who is running?  

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama is seeking a third term for his Socialist Party (PS). His campaign centered around promises of turning Albania into a "champion'' in tourism, energy, agriculture and digital projects. 

Rama's main contender is Lulzim Basha of the opposition Democratic Party (PD), who is seeking a return to power eight years after losing an election. 

Twelve other parties have united in a coalition behind Basha, who has accused the government of corruption and links to organized crime.

The PD is pledging lower taxes, higher salaries and more social financial support.

Pre-election opinion polls showed the PS likely to place first.

What is expected from the winning party? 

Despite their division, all parties have vowed to deliver the needed reforms for Albania to fulfill its goal of joining the EU.

The bloc agreed to open membership talks last year, but is yet to set a date for the first meeting.  

In 2014, Tirana was granted EU candidate status. Still, there has been little progress due to the coronavirus pandemic and lack of reforms within the country. 

The new government will also face the challenge of dealing with the pandemic and rebuilding homes after a 2019 earthquake that killed 51 people and damaged more than 11,400 properties.

What about the pre-election tensions?  

The Balkan country is deeply divided, with rival political parties exchanging fiery remarks during a bitter election campaign. 

On Wednesday, a shooting that was linked to party activists left one person dead and four injured. 

The incident drew criticism from the US Embassy, which urged the the country's main political leaders to "exercise restraint" and "to clearly reject violence" before the election.

https://www.dw.com/en/albania-votes-in-election-amid-deep-political-division/a-57326961

[BansheeOne]

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With independence in play, Scotland votes in pivotal election

By Alasdair Lane | 1h ago

Seven years after Scots voted to remain a part of the United Kingdom, the question of independence is front and center once again.

Independence isn't on the ballot at this week's Scottish Parliament election — but it's the issue at the forefront of voters' minds.

Elect a majority of pro-independence candidates on May 6, and they'll be saying yes to "indyref2" — a second referendum on leaving the United Kingdom. Deny the nationalists parliamentary control, however, and dreams of sovereignty slip away (for now).

Polling suggests the latter is unlikely, with Nicola Sturgeon's governing Scottish National Party (SNP) on course to win a plurality of seats. Should that come to pass, the party will waste no time in proclaiming a mandate for a fresh referendum.

"Scotland faces a choice of two futures. The long-term damage of Brexit and Tory cuts under the broken Westminster system, or the opportunity to secure our place in Europe and a strong, fair and green recovery as an independent country in a post-pandemic referendum," said Kirsten Oswald, the SNP's deputy leader in the UK Parliament.

Securing a second vote on secession is easier said than done, though. Before a legally watertight ballot can be sanctioned, the Scottish government must request a so-called Section 30 order from London, the legal apparatus that authorized Scotland's 2014 referendum.

This, in Sturgeon's mind, is the "gold standard" for securing indyref2 — but Boris Johnson isn't so keen. Though UK-wide public opinion looks to be shifting on the question of a second vote, the British prime minister has repeatedly rejected calls for a rerun referendum, arguing that a full generation must first elapse.

Could Sturgeon up the political pressure?

But Sturgeon believes this resistance will falter in the face of a pro-independence majority — and if not, she has a backup plan.

Sidestepping the need for a Section 30 order, the SNP would push its own referendum bill through the Scottish Parliament, inviting a legal challenge from Westminster. The UK's Supreme Court would then have to decide whether Scottish lawmakers have the legislative authority to approve a second independence vote. Experts believe it's a decision that could go either way.

"We really don't know which way the Supreme Court would rule on the question of the Scottish Parliament's competence to authorize a referendum. It's totally untested," said Kenneth Armstrong, professor of European law at the University of Cambridge.

"The British government might simply amend UK constitutional law, removing any ambiguity as to whether Edinburgh has the power to sanction an independence vote," he added.

Saddled with uncertainty, Sturgeon's indyref2 strategy has split the nationalist camp in two, with one branch favoring more strident action. Under the leadership of former First Minister Alex Salmond, the recently formed Alba Party — a pro-independence group competing with the SNP — is advocating a sharp increase in political pressure.

"Our tactics are many across widespread areas," said Kenny MacAskill, a former SNP justice secretary who defected to Alba. "There's international representations, there's legal action that can be taken and of course there's people's democracy as we begin to come out of lockdown: demonstrations and socially distanced gatherings."

Johnson isn't impervious to a ramping up of pressure — particularly if the polls show growing support for indyref2. Equally, he could decide to dig in, obstinately refusing a second referendum regardless of the political consequences. This would put the SNP in a very difficult position.

[...] 

https://m.dw.com/en/with-independence-in-play-scotland-votes-in-pivotal-election/a-57428896

[TonyE]

Salmond, Sturgeon......something is fishy in the state of Scotland.....

[DB]

Between them they combine to make up no more than one smalltown politician with delusions of grandeur.

There seems to be a fundamental disconnect between the Scots voting for the SNP (because it irritates Westminster) and any real desire to leave the Union (because it shuts off access to the money tree.)

Expect the floating bits off the NE coast to demand the right to stay if the mainland goes mad.

[BansheeOne]

From Brexit to Scexit to Shexit? 😁 

[TrustMe]

For non-UK people, you should be advised that the Scottish National Party (SNP), every three months like clockwork, asks for another referendum on independence even though the vote was for "once in a generation". 

 

You can set your watch by it 😀

Edited May 7, 2021 by TrustMe

[BansheeOne]

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Date 09.05.2021

UK: Boris Johnson calls for talks after Scottish Nationalist victory

With a pro-independence majority in the Scottish parliament, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK was "best served when we work together.''

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday invited the leaders of the UK's devolved nations for talks on the union after Scotland's pro-independence party won parliamentary elections.

The Scottish National Party's (SNP) win is likely to set the stage for a second independence referendum.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said the election results proved that a second independence vote for Scotland was "the will of the country'' and that any London politician who stood in the way would be "picking a fight with the democratic wishes of the Scottish people."

What did Johnson say?

In a letter, the prime minister invited the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to a summit to discuss how the four nations, including England, can together overcome "shared challenges.''

"I believe that the interests of the people of the UK, and especially the people of Scotland, are best served when we work together," Johnson said.

[...]

What were the election results?

During the national and local elections on Thursday, the SNP won 64 seats, narrowly missing an absolute majority in Scotland's 129-seat parliament.

But the parliament still has pro-independence majority as the Greens have eight seats.

The SNP's win in the regional election in Scotland is the party's fourth in a row.

https://www.dw.com/en/uk-boris-johnson-calls-for-talks-after-scottish-nationalist-victory/a-57475794

[BansheeOne]

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Date 04.06.2021

Author Oliver Pieper

Peru: Voters face choice between two extremes

Many Peruvians think the choice of presidential candidates before them is the worst ever. Voters will have to pick between a socialist with a Marxist-Leninist agenda and an authoritarian neoliberal with a family past.

It is probably no coincidence that the country with the highest COVID mortality rate per capita in the world is also afflicted with the virus of political polarization.

Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori did not even win a third of the votes in the first round of the presidential election. Many think that they are the worst candidates Peru has seen since becoming independent 200 years ago.

Castillo opponents raise specter of communism

Yet, one of them is about to become president. It will either be Castillo, a socialist primary school teacher with no experience of government, or Fujimori, the neoliberal daughter of the detained former authoritarian president Alberto Fujimori, who faces 30 years in jail on charges of corruption and human rights abuses.

Socialism versus capitalism, country versus the city, for many in Peru the choice they face makes no difference, either plague or cholera. But in this pandemic, many seem to be seeking simple answers to complex questions. At the moment, Castillo seems to have the better answers for a slight majority.

"If nothing extraordinary happens in the next few days and the polls are right, Castillo will win because he presents himself perfectly as the voice of dissatisfied people," the political analyst Mayte Dongo said. "The pandemic has caused poverty to increase rapidly in Peru. He is saying symbolically: 'As a teacher, I know what it means to scrape the last bits from the pot so that my family has something to eat.'"

His opponents have raised the specter of Venezuela to discredit the Marxist-Leninist agenda of his Peru Libre (Free Peru) party, which has stated its intent to abolish the Constitutional Court, tighten control of the media, and nationalize the oil and gas industry with a view toward creating a socialist state.

Dongo does not entirely agree with the characterization: "Castillo does not have the support of the people the way Hugo Chavez did at the peak of his time in Venezuela, and he does not have a majority in Congress either. Furthermore, Peru is in a deep crisis and Castillo will therefore not have the means to push his agenda through. He knows that he will not be able to govern with such a radical course."

Hard democracy

For her part, Fujimori, who is making her third attempt for the presidency, is very open about wanting to fill her father's old shoes. Alberto Fujimori was in power from 1990 to 2000, during which he forced tens of thousands of indigenous women to be sterilized. He is currently serving a 25-year sentence for authorizing death squad killings and kidnappings.   

Fujimori has said she would pardon her father if she wins, hailing a return to a time that many Peruvians do not want. "Fujimori has announced that […] she will introduce a 'demodura' or 'hard democracy', authoritarian government with democratic institutions, exactly what her father did,' explained Dongo.

Her Fuerza Popular campaign team knows that it is important to talk about the present, too. "Many of them talk just like Brazilian President Bolsonaro," Dongo said. "They questioned the efficacy of vaccines and actually the whole pandemic overall."

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/peru-voters-face-choice-between-two-extremes/a-57771028

Well, at least they have a choice.

Quote

Date 03.06.2021

Nicaragua: Key opposition figure placed under house arrest

Cristiana Chamorro, a potential challenger to President Daniel Ortega, has been detained on money laundering charges. She rejected the allegations as an effort to keep her out of the presidential race in November.

Nicaraguan police stormed into the home of opposition figure Cristiana Chamorro on Wednesday evening, a day after formally filing money laundering charges against her.

The police had raided her house in the capital Managua for more than five hours, and finally placed her under house arrest "in isolation," her brother Carlos Fernando Chamorro said on Twitter.

He added that the police remained in her home. Photos and videos on social media showed police using force to keep her friends and family, as well as journalists, away from the scene.

Chamorro has emerged as a possible challenger to President Daniel Ortega in the upcoming November elections.

Earlier on Wednesday, a Managua court had ordered her detention on accusations of "abusive management, ideological falsehood" and "the laundering of money, property, and assets, to the detriment of the Nicaraguan State and society," it said in a statement.

Who is Cristiana Chamorro?

Chamorro is a 67-year-old journalist and daughter of former President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, who defeated Ortega in 1990 to become the first female head of state in the Americas.

She does not belong to a political party but is widely seen as a possible unity candidate who could rally a fractured opposition against Ortega, who is yet to confirm that he will seek a fourth term.

Chamorro is also the vice-president of Nicaragua's biggest newspaper, La Prensa.

What is she accused of?

The charges against Chamorro arise from her role as the head of a foundation for press freedom.

The Nicaraguan government has alleged financial irregularities related to the foundation which Chamorro quit in February, refusing to comply with a new law that required any person receiving money from abroad to declare themselves to the government as a "foreign agent."

Prosecutors launched an investigation against her at the request of the government in late May.

Chamorro has rejected the charges against her, which she said are trumped up to keep her out of the presidential race.

A court on Wednesday granted a request from prosecutors to bar her from contesting the November elections or holding public office, citing the ongoing criminal proceedings.

The country's electoral council, however, has not yet made a ruling on her eligibility.

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/nicaragua-key-opposition-figure-placed-under-house-arrest/a-57765089

[BansheeOne]

Quote

Date 06.06.2021

Author Astrid Prange

Mexico: Elections test President AMLO

Mexicans go to the polls on Sunday in one of the biggest elections the country has ever seen. Analysts say the vote is a test for the president, and for democracy. DW has an overview.

Observers say Sunday's election marathon, taking place against the extremely tense backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic crisis and escalating violence, will also be seen as a referendum on the presidency of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, aka AMLO, halfway through his six-year term. DW takes a look at the key questions.

Who is being elected?

According to Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE), there are 500 seats up for grabs in the chamber of deputies and about 1,000 seats in various state congresses, as well as 15 of 32 state governorships, almost 2,000 mayorships and about 14,000 seats on local councils. Nearly 100 million Mexicans are eligible to vote.

What is at stake?

The results will set the course for the world's most populous Spanish-speaking country. The new composition of the federal congress will determine whether President Lopez Obrador's leftist National Regeneration Movement (Morena) is able to hold on to its absolute majority, currently 256 of 500 seats. The opposition alliance is doing all that it can to prevent this outcome.

According to a May poll conducted by Simo Consulting and commissioned by the daily El Pais newspaper, Morena is likely to lose its majority and would thus become dependent on alliances. But the president, who was elected in 2018, has remained popular, with 66% of those surveyed saying they were satisfied with his administration.

"These midterm elections will demonstrate whether the Mexican state and its institutions are capable of ensuring a nonpartisan and transparent democratic process," said Elisa Gomez from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Mexico City. She told DW that Mexicans had discovered their enthusiasm for democracy after the 2018 election.

How has violence shaped the election?

Once again, this election campaign has been plagued by extreme violence. According to the Mexican consulting firm Integralia, at least 143 candidates have been murdered and 270 cases of assaults or threats have been registered in the lead-up to the vote. The most recent victim was Rene Tovar, who was running for mayor in the eastern state of Veracruz. The local leftist politician was shot and killed by unknown assailants on Saturday.

This year's campaign has seen 30% more fatalities than that of 2015.

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/mexico-elections-test-president-amlo/a-57788898

[BansheeOne]

So they gathered together everyone who's not Netanyahu, left, right or center? Well, see you at the polls next year again then.

Quote

Date 06.06.2021

Israel: Netanyahu slams coalition pact as 'greatest election fraud'

The Israeli prime minister hit out at a deal to end his second stint in office, pointing to promises by his former protege Naftali Bennett never to serve in government with centrist Yair Lapid.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday branded a newly formed Israeli coalition set to force him from office as "the greatest election fraud" in the history of democracy.

The 71-year-old is Israel's longest-serving premier having served a total of 15 years in the job during two stints in office.

But he faces a battle for his political survival and his own freedom amid an ongoing trial for corruption, bribery and fraud -- charges that he denies.

The leader of the conservative Likud party hit out at the 'kaleidoscope' alliance of eight political parties that agreed on a deal late on Wednesday to unseat him.

"We are witnessing the greatest election fraud in the history of the country, in my opinion in the history of any democracy," Netanyahu told a group of Likud lawmakers.

"That’s why people justifiably feel deceived and they are responding: they must not be shut up," he said, referring to a campaign promise from the man set to replace him, nationalist right-winger Naftali Bennett.

[...]

Who is part of the coalition deal?

The diverse coalition of lawmakers is led by secular centrist Yair Lapid, who heads the Yesh Atid party, and Yamina leader Bennett, a former chief of staff to Netanyahu.

The two men agreed on a rotation deal for the role of prime minister, with Bennett set to hand over to Lapid after two years.

Senior sources close to the coalition partners told DW that both men were pushing for a confirmation vote in the Knesset, the country's parliament, "as soon as possible."

They need 61 out of a possible 120 votes for the deal to be approved; that is the current number of seats the coalition has.

The pact is historic because it is the first time that a party representing Israel's Arab minority would enter government.

Mansour Abbas, the head of the conservative Islamist Ra'am faction, has agreed to join the coalition.
In addition to Ra'am, the alliance comprises a total of three right-wing, two centrist and two left-wing parties.

But the decision on when to approve the deal is in the hands of the Knesset speaker, Yariv Levin, who is a close ally of the incumbent premier. 

Aides to senior coalition figures have privately expressed concern that Netanyahu could seize on any delays to try and entice defectors to Likud.

The Times of Israel reported on Sunday that the vote could take place this Wednesday, but opposition sources briefed DW that they expect a motion could be pushed back as far as June 14.

The parties share little in common, apart from a desire to end Netanyahu's time as premier.

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/israel-netanyahu-slams-coalition-pact-as-greatest-election-fraud/a-57795417

 

Quote

Date 07.06.2021

Mexico elections: Ruling party set for reduced majority

Preliminary results suggest President Lopez Obrador's Morena party has lost its absolute majority. The elections were marred by violence, with dozens of candidates killed ahead of the vote.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's leftist National Regeneration Movement (Morena) is poised to keep its majority in Congress, according to Sunday's preliminary results. 

The vote for a new lower house of Congress, state governors and local legislators was seen as a referendum on Lopez Obrador's reform agenda.

Mexicans cast their ballots for over 20,000 positions. Up for grabs were all 500 seats of the lower house of parliament, 15 of Mexico's 31 governorships, almost 2,000 mayorships and about 14,000 seats on local councils.

What are the preliminary results? 

According to Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE), which counted around 50% of the votes, Morena was in the lead with 34.7%. This would translate to between 190 and 203 seats. It had previously held a simple majority of 253.

It means Morena will now have to rely on its allies the Workers Party and Green Party. Together, they are set for between 265 and 292 seats. 

The ruling coalition had enjoyed a two-thirds supermajority in the lower house of Congress, which could enable Lopez Obrador to amend the constitution without negotiating with his opponents.

Mexico's main opposition alliance of the center-right PRI, PAN and the left-wing PRD were weakened after Lopez Obrador's 2018 landslide victory. They are now projected to secure between 181 and 213 seats. 

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/mexico-elections-ruling-party-set-for-reduced-majority/a-57797051

 

Quote

Date 07.06.2021

Peru election: Candidates neck and neck in early polls

Right-wing politician Keiko Fujimori and leftist Pedro Castillo appear to be neck and neck in an exit poll as voting closed in Peru's polarizing presidential election.

Leftist candidate Pedro Castillo was slightly ahead of right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori in Peru's presidential runoff, according to an Ipsos exit poll released on Sunday evening.

Less than half a percentage point stood between the two candidates, with Castillo on 50.2% and Fujimori with 49.8% of votes according to an Ipsos exit poll released three hours after voting finished at 7:00 p.m. (0000 UTC).

The razor-thin result, with a 1% margin of error, reversed the polling organization's earlier count that had placed Fujimori slightly in the lead, although with a 3% margin of error.

Ipsos — whose exit poll does not include overseas voters — described the results as "still a statistical draw," adding that the results could change again.

Official results published by the country's electoral body ONPE showed Keiko Fujimori picking up a slight majority of votes — 51.5% over Castillo's 48.5%.

Some 79.5% of ballots have been counted, the majority of which came from urban polling centers where Fujimori has an advantage over her opponent. Experts have warned it could take days to reach a final count.

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/peru-election-candidates-neck-and-neck-in-early-polls/a-57797183

[JWB]

Democratic establishment tightens its hold on the party as far-left candidates fall short.

Quote

Democratic primary voters have been turning away this year from the anti-elite furies that continue to roil Republican politics, repeatedly choosing more moderate candidates promising steady leadership over disrupters from the party’s left wing.

 

Tuesday’s elections in Virginia, which brought the renomination of former governor Terry McAuliffe and primary losses by three of the Democrats’ most outspoken liberal delegates, only underscored a pattern that was previously apparent in special House elections in Louisiana and New Mexico. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a moderate Democrat, won his party’s nomination without a challenge from the left after two protest candidates failed to collect the 1,000 signatures needed for ballot access.

In the crowded Democratic primary in New York City, a similar crop of contenders, including Eric Adams and Andrew Yang, have emerged as front-runners by pushing platforms that include an embrace of police as an essential component of public safety, a far cry from the “defund the police” mantra that some liberal activists embraced in 2020. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mcauliffe-virginia-new-jersey-democratic-primaries/2021/06/09/d3f37e56-c943-11eb-81b1-34796c7393af_story.html

[BansheeOne]

Quote

Date 13.06.2021

Algeria election gets low turnout amid opposition boycott

Algeria held its first parliamentary election since a 2019 uprising. But the women-led Hirak movement boycotted the vote, citing repression and "old guard" networks.

Algeria’s election authority head Mohamed Chorfi said late on Saturday that the turnout in the country's parliamentary elections had reached 30.2%.

The vote, earlier in the day, was the first legislative poll since former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika was ousted.

The vote to select 407 parliamentarians for five years was called amid renewed reform protests. 

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called the election in February — bringing it forward from 2022 — after returning from medical treatment for COVID-19 in Germany.

Two parties urged boycott

Algerian political parties, formerly in government, urged a big turnout, but two main parties in the Berber Kabylie region issued boycott calls, as did many members of the loosely-knit Hirak protest movement, citing the potential for fraud.

Samir Belarbi, a prominent figure of Hirak, which has long advocated a purge of Algeria's army-backed elite, said: "elections will not give the regime legitimacy."

Contesting Saturday's election was the once-governing National Liberation Front ((FLN), and Islamist parties, split into five factions.

Low turnout

While the government hoped that the vote would turn a page on political unrest amid a crackdown
on dissent, a high abstention rate was noticeable, news agencies reported.

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/algeria-election-gets-low-turnout-amid-opposition-boycott/a-57867670

 

Quote

Ahead of elections, Nicaraguan police arrest eighth opponent in recent days

Online News Editor June 13, 2021

Managua, Jun 12 (EFE).- The Nicaraguan police on Saturday night said it had arrested opposition leader Daysi Tamara Dávila Rivas under the accusation of “inciting foreign interference in internal affairs” and “requesting military interventions” against the government headed by Daniel Ortega.

The arrest of Dávila Rivas, a member of the political council of the opposition Blue and White National Unity, is the eighth carried out by the National Police against dissidents in recent days, including four opposition presidential candidates.

In a statement, the police indicated that Dávila Rivas, daughter of the late retired colonel Irvin Dávila, is being investigated “for carrying out acts that undermine independence, sovereignty, and self-determination, inciting foreign interference in internal affairs, and requesting military interventions.”

Also for “organizing with financing from foreign powers to carry out acts of terrorism and destabilization, propose and manage economic, commercial and financial operations blockades against the country and its institutions.”

And for “demanding, exalting and applauding the imposition of sanctions against the State of Nicaragua and its citizens, and injuring the supreme interests of the nation,” according to the information.

The National Unity denounced Dávila Rivas’ arrest in the presence of her five-year-old daughter at her home in Managua, which was raided.

With less than five months until the elections in Nicaragua on Nov. 7, in which Ortega seeks re-election, several opposition politicians have been arrested, including four candidates for the presidency.

The police, led by Ortega’s brother-in-law Francisco Díaz, is holding four opposition presidential hopefuls: Cristiana Chamorro, Arturo Cruz, Félix Maradiaga and Juan Sebastián Chamorro García.

Former head of the Superior Council for Private Enterprise José Adán Aguerri, former vice chancellor José Pallais, opposition activist Violeta Granera and two other former collaborators of an NGO have also been arrested in the past week on various charges.

Ortega, 75, who returned to power in 2007 and has governed since 2017 together with his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, is running for the presidency for the eighth time.

The leader, branded a “dictator” by the United States, is in his second term as president, after coordinating a governing board from 1979 to 1985 and presiding over the country for the first time from 1985 to 1990.

https://www.laprensalatina.com/ahead-of-elections-nicaraguan-police-arrest-eighth-opponent-in-recent-days/

[BansheeOne]

Quote

Date 16.06.2021

Peru elections: Leftist Castillo claims election victory despite right-wing pushback

Although all votes have been counted, Pedro Castillo's right-wing rival, Keiko Fujimori, has called on some ballots to be annulled, claiming fraud.

Leftist candidate Pedro Castillo claimed victory on Tuesday after the final votes were counted from Peru's June 6 presidential election, although his rival, right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori, disputes the outcome. 

Although the count has been completed, the result has not been officially announced by election authorities. Nevertheless, Castillo thanked his supporters on Twitter. 

"A new time has begun," Castillo said in a tweet thanking his supporters. "Millions of Peruvians have stood up in defense of their dignity and justice."

Castillo, a 51-year-old rural school teacher, has a lead of more than 44,000 votes, garnering 50.12% to Fujimori's 49.87%, according to the ONPE election body.

Fujimori calls on election jury to overturn results

However, Fujimori has cried fraud in the election, and called on the JNE election jury to annul thousands of ballots, which could shift the results in her favor. The JNE jury is tasked with calling the final winner.

Fujimori told supporters in Lima on Tuesday that she would keep fighting and "defend Peru's democracy."

"Today a result has come out ... a result from the ONPE count, but the most important thing is the evaluation of the ballot boxes," Fujimori told rally-goers. "We trust the authorities, yes, but we trust more in the popular will."

Some prominent Fujimori supporters have even called for new elections to be held. 

Castillo's Free Peru Party has shot down the fraud allegations, with Castillo's running mate for vice president, Dina Boluarte, saying the call for new elections is an attempt to "generate violence."

What's at stake in this election?

The disputes over the election results could take days or even weeks to fully resolve.

If Fujimori does not win the election, she could face trial on corruption charges. She is accused of taking campaign funds for previous presidential bids from controversial Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht. If convicted, Fujimori could spend 30 years in prison.

The two candidates also come from very different backgrounds, and represent different strata of Peruvian society.

Castillo was born to two illiterate peasants in rural Peru, while Fujimori is the daughter of imprisoned former President Alberto Fujimori, who governed the country from 1990 to 2000. 

https://www.dw.com/en/peru-elections-leftist-castillo-claims-election-victory-despite-right-wing-pushback/a-57914494

[Markus Becker]

https://www.minpic.de/i/btxv/15hh3a

Remember him and no irregularities?

[Simon Tan]

There are never irregularities when you vote for the approved candidate. 

[BansheeOne]

So this guy is a socially conservative hard-left evangelical Christian Marxist? I guess there's really everything. 

Quote

President Pedro Castillo has radical plans for Peru

By Camilo Toledo, Jan D. Walter | 16.06.2021

Until four years ago, Pedro Castillo was a teacher in a rural school in the Andes. Then he gained national notoriety as the leader of a teachers strike, and now he's president of Peru.

Only one road leads to Puna. The village in Tacabamba District consists of two dozen houses scattered around a few fields and paths — and a school where Jose Pedro Castillo Terrones taught until 2017. From here it takes a whole day to travel to the regional capital, Cajamarca, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) away.

Born in Tacabamba in 1969, Castillo served as a young man in the local Rondas Campesinas — patrols organized by farmers during the height of the the internal conflict to protect communities from guerrilla attacks in the 1980s and '90s, when the armed forces, as well as the Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path and the Marxist-Leninist Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, terrorized rural Peru. The state did little to help, and many believe that the government continues to neglect the rural poor.

In 2002, Castillo failed in his bid to become mayor of Anguia, a district capital in Cajamarca. But in 2017 he rose to prominence as the leader of a nationwide teachers strike, playing a key role in its success. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, president at the time, eventually met a number of their demands, including higher salaries.

Castillo appears to have won a razor-thin majority in Peru's June 6 presidential runoff. After a protracted vote count, he claimed victory on Wednesday, although his election rival, the economically liberal authoritarian Keiko Fujimori, whose imprisoned father is a former president himself, has made allegations of fraud and pledged to fight the result.

A threat to democracy?

Castillo's party, Free Peru, takes a Marxist-Leninist vanguard approach to socialism, which has led some opponents of the new president to say they fear that democracy may now be in jeopardy. But the members of the right wing in Peru are always quick to maintain that their leftist opponents are jeopardizing democracy. There's even a word for it: "terruqueo" — often groundless accusations that leftists are sympathizing with communism-based terror organizations.

[...] 

Big ambitions, slim support

Castillo leads the socially conservative faction of the otherwise-left-wing Free Peru. An evangelical Christian, he has been vocal in his opposition to legalizing abortion and allowing same-sex marriage.

The new president has proposed nationalizing the mining industry, including oil and gas extraction, if contracts with companies are not renegotiated satisfactorily, and overhauling the pension system to favor workers. He aims to ensure that the private sector benefits a majority of Peruvians and plans to boost state spending on agriculture and education.

Castillo has announced plans to "deactivate" the Constitutional Court and create a tribunal to which members are voted in by the public rather than by the legislature. He has also proposed a Constitutional Assembly to rewrite Peru's constitution "with the color, scent and flavor of the people."

Just under 50% of voters cast their ballots against Castillo in the second round, and he received 19% support in the first round. Free Peru has 37 of the 130 seats of the unicameral legislature, giving it just under 30% backing from lawmakers. Over half the seats are occupied by Fujimorists, neoliberals and conservatives. "Before he assumes power, Castillo needs to reach some agreements," the Peruvian political analyst Gonzalo Banda said. "He cannot introduce reforms without the support of Congress."

https://m.dw.com/en/president-pedro-castillo-has-radical-plans-for-peru/a-57924561

[BansheeOne]

Quote

Date 19.06.2021

Islamic hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi wins Iran's election

With most of the ballots counted, conservative judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi has won 62% of the vote, an Interior Ministry spokesman has said.

Iran's ultraconservative cleric and judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi appears to have won the presidential election held on Friday, with other contestants in the race conceding defeat and congratulating him.   

Outgoing moderate President Hassan Rouhani also said in a televised speech on Saturday that his successor had been elected, without naming the winner.

"I congratulate the people on their choice," said Rouhani. "My official congratulations will come later, but we know who got enough votes in this election and who is elected today by the people."

Other contestants — including two ultraconservative candidates, Mohsen Rezai and Amirhossein Ghazizadeh-Hashemi, and a reformist Abdolnasser Hemmati — explicitly congratulated Raisi.

Iranian state television said Raisi had received 62% support, according to a partial vote count.

The Interior Ministry is to announce the final results later on Saturday, state TV said.

Raisi will succeed Rouhani, who could not run again after serving two consecutive four-year terms. He leaves office in August.

Low voter turnout

Over 59 million Iranians were eligible to vote at home and abroad in Friday's election.

In the run-up, however, Iranian opposition groups abroad and some dissidents at home had called for a boycott of the vote they see as an engineered victory for Raisi.

Hundreds of moderates were barred from contesting the election by the nation's Guardian Council.

Turnout appeared far lower than in Iran's last presidential election in 2017, when over 70% of eligible voters cast their vote. Opinion polls suggested the turnout was just around 44%.

What do we know about Raisi?

Raisi, 60, has been the head of the nation's judiciary since 2019 and belongs to the ultraconservative camp that most deeply distrusts the United States.

He is notorious for his involvement as a prosecutor in the execution of thousands of political prisoners in the late 1980s.

The EU and the US have imposed sanctions on Raisi for his role in the human rights violations that happened in Iran during the nationwide anti-government protests in 2019.

His win would also give more power to Iranian hard-liners amid ongoing talks in Vienna to revive the 2015 nuclear deal struck by Iran and world powers.

Raisi has harshly criticized President Rouhani since the nuclear deal began to unravel under former US President Donald Trump's administration.

[...]

https://www.dw.com/en/islamic-hard-liner-ebrahim-raisi-wins-irans-election/a-57962967

[Markus Becker]

On 6/17/2021 at 7:40 PM, Markus Becker said:

https://www.minpic.de/i/btxv/15hh3a

Remember him and no irregularities?

It gets better. On top if there having been considerable irregularities he knew about them the day after the election. And went in tv to tell the opposite. 

 

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/ga-investigators-election-day-notes-reveal-chaotic-unsecured-ballot

Edited June 19, 2021 by Markus Becker