Tag: elections

  • Benin polls: Opposition wins seats in parliament, first time in 4 years

    Benin polls: Opposition wins seats in parliament, first time in 4 years

    Preliminary results indicate that Benin’s opposition has returned to parliament after a four-year absence, winning 28 seats in elections dominated by President Patrice Talon’s allies.

    The election on Sunday was a litmus test for the West African state where Talon has promoted development, but critics say his policies have come at the expense of Benin’s once-thriving multiparty democracy.

    According to the CENA electoral authority, the main opposition party, the Les Democrates won 28 seats, while the Republican Bloc (BR) and Progressive Union for Renewal (UP-R) parties allied with Talon won 81 seats.

    None of the remaining four parties competing for the 109 seats received enough votes to meet the 10% parliamentary representation threshold.

    Final results are expected on Friday after a vote that went ahead peacefully and in line with the regulations, according to election observers from the regional bloc Economic Community of West African States or ECOWAS.

    Voter turnout in the polls was a low 38.66 percent, the electoral commission said, despite analysts predicting it would be higher as more parties were involved.

    Four years ago, opposition parties were effectively barred from participating in a legislative ballot due to a tightening of election rules, resulting in a parliament dominated by Talon supporters.

    Most of Talon’s key opponents have also been jailed or forced into exile after the cotton magnate was elected in 2016 and later re-elected in 2021.

    The 2019 legislative vote was marred by deadly clashes in an opposition stronghold, historic low turnout and an internet blackout.

    On Sunday, seven parties – including three allied to the opposition – were allowed to participate.

    Opposition leaders had hoped their parties would gain seats in preparation for the 2026 presidential election, when candidates will need the backing of lawmakers to be registered.

    The mandate of the Constitutional Court also ends this year and, three years before the presidential ballot, the court’s composition is key as it oversees decisions on elections.

    Four judges are appointed by lawmakers while three are chosen by the president.

    Les Democrates, linked to Talon’s predecessor and rival Thomas Boni Yayi, also said it would seek to push an amnesty law in parliament to free jailed colleagues and allow the return of exiles.

    In December 2021, Reckya Madougou was sentenced to 20 years in prison on a charge of “terrorism”, while Joel Aivo – another opposition leader and academic – was jailed for 10 years for alleged conspiracy against the authority of the state.

    Both were tried by a special court dealing with “terrorism” and economic crimes, known as the CRIET. Critics say the court, opened by Talon’s government in 2016, has been used to crackdown on his opponents.

    Sunday’s legislative vote took place as Benin and other Gulf of Guinea coastal countries, Ghana, Togo and Ivory Coast, face a growing threat from violence spilling over their northern borders with the Sahel.

    Source: Aljazeera.com
  • Nigeria’s poll to cancel elections if security remains poor

    Nigeria’s poll to cancel elections if security remains poor

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) of Nigeria has issued a warning that the general elections may be postponed if nothing is done to reduce insecurity in the nation.

    The elections are due to be held on 25 February.

    Inec chairman Mahmood Yakubu said the commission was ensuring that election personnel, materials and process have the highest level of protection especially “given the current insecurity challenges in various parts the country“.

    He said if it was was not dealt with decisively, the insecurity “could ultimately culminate in the cancellation or postponement of elections in sufficient constituencies to hinder declaration of elections results and precipitate constitutional crisis”.

    “This must not be allowed to happen and shall not be allowed to happen,” Mr Yakubu said.

    He called for strengthening of security outfits to ensure the polls are held successfully across the country.

    Local media have flagged 15 states likely to experience poll-related violence in the run-up to, during and after the elections.

    Source: BBC

  • Parliament swearing-in delayed for Fiji’s ‘new PM’

    In the midst of a power transition, Fiji’s police force has appealed for peace and asked “all Fijians to respect the political process.”

    Following national elections, which resulted in the formation of a coalition government by three parties to replace longtime Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, Fiji is anticipating the election of a new leader for the country’s first time in 16 years.

    After elections produced a hung parliament, the Social Democratic Liberal Party, which has three seats and has assumed a leadership role, declared on Tuesday that it had chosen to form a coalition with Sitiveni Rabuka’s People’s Alliance and the National Federation Party.

    After days of discussions and conflicting presentations by the incumbent Bainimarama’s Fiji First party and Rabuka’s People’s Alliance party intended to end the impasse, the coalition was finally formed.

    Television broadcaster FBC said the new coalition government would hold 29 seats in parliament, and the party of Bainimarama – who seized power through a 2006 coup and then legitimised his government with outright election wins in 2014 and 2018 –  would hold 26 seats.

    Fijians took to the streets of the capital Suva in celebration on Tuesday night, cheering ”the new PM” and setting off fireworks.

    But parliament delayed its first sitting on Wednesday when it had been expected that Rabuka would be sworn in as prime minister. The constitution requires that legislators elect the prime minister from the parliament floor if no single party has won more than 50 percent of the seats required.

    Parliament’s secretariat confirmed to the Reuters news agency in an email that the body did not sit because President Wiliame Katonivere has not yet issued a proclamation to hold the session.

    In a statement on Wednesday, the police force called for calm and urged “all Fijians to respect the political process”.

    Bainimarama has not spoken in public since casting his vote in the election last Wednesday. Although he has previously promised to respect the election result, Fiji has been upended by four coups in the past 35 years, so Fijians are awaiting Bainimarama’s response nervously.

    His Fiji First party on Wednesday claimed a deal among opposition parties to form a government was illegitimate.

    “Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama is still the prime minister, so get that right,” said Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, the party’s general-secretary and the attorney-general under Bainimarama’s administration.

    “They are creating disquiet in the community, their motivation is not humble, their motivation is not trying to create stability,” Sayed-Khaiyum claimed.

    He told a press conference that the coalition agreement was “legally immaterial”, and insisted parliament would have to vote to elect the prime minister.

    The Pacific island nation, with a population of 900,000, had a history of military coups before constitutional reform in 2013 removed a race-based voting system that favoured Indigenous Fijians over a large Indian ethnic group.

    Bainimarama has dominated Fiji’s politics for close to 20 years. While not an outright hardliner, his government has frequently used the legal system to sideline opponents, silence critics and muzzle the media.

    Rabuka himself led two coups in 1987 as head of the military and then became prime minister before being removed at the polls in 1999.

    Sayed-Khaiyum said the president could dissolve parliament, which must sit before January 2, and call a new election if the candidate for prime minister fails to win support from 50 percent of legislators after three attempts.

    “Rabuka can’t be prime minister unless he gets elected on the floor of parliament,” he added.

    While New Zealand’s foreign minister congratulated Rabuka on emerging victorious – even before Bainimarama had officially conceded – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern offered a more measured response saying that Auckland would “wait” for the dust to settle on the election.

     

    “My understanding is there are a few extra things the (Fijian political) system will continue to go through,” Ardern told reporters.

    “Let’s allow the process to run its course,” she said. “I have faith in Fiji’s ability to conduct the remaining stages of this process and stand ready to acknowledge their new leader.”

    Source: Aljazeera.com 

     

     

     

  • Tunisia elections: Opposition demands President Saied’s resignation after ‘fiasco’ election

    After less than 9% of eligible voters participated in the country’s parliamentary elections, Tunisia’s main opposition coalition demanded that President Kais Saied step down.

    Nejib Chebbi, the leader of the National Salvation Front, called Saturday’s election a “fiasco” and called for large-scale demonstrations to demand immediate presidential elections.

    The majority of opposition parties abstained from the vote.

    They charge Mr. Saied with rolling back the democratic gains made since the 2011 uprising, which he vigorously refutes.

    After sacking the prime minister and suspending parliament in July 2021, a year later Mr Saied pushed through a constitution enshrining his one-man rule after a vote that was also boycotted by the main opposition parties.

    The new constitution replaced one drafted soon after the Arab Spring in 2011, which saw Tunisia overthrow late dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. It gave the head of state full executive control and supreme command of the army.

    Tunisian President Kais Saied (right) stands alongside his wife as he speaks to reporters after casting his vote in Tunis. Photo: 17 December 2022
    IMAGE SOURCE,EPA Image caption, A former law professor, Kais Saied (right) has been in power since 2019

    Mr Saied, 64, says such powers were needed to break a cycle of political paralysis and economic decay.

    His supporters agree with him, saying the impoverished North African nation needs a strong leader to tackle corruption and other major issues that hinder the country’s development.

    Tunisia’s electoral officials said late on Saturday that 8.8% of the roughly nine-million-strong electorate had voted in the parliamentary elections.

    Speaking shortly afterwards, Mr Chebbi said: “What happened today is an earthquake, From this moment, we consider Saied an illegitimate president and demand he resign after this fiasco,”

    He told the AFP news agency that Mr Saied should leave office “immediately”, saying the poll proved that there was “great popular disavowal” from the public of his style of governing.

    The National Salvation Front, a coalition of several political parties, also called for mass rallies and sit-ins.

    President Saied has so far made no public comments on the issue.

    Tunisia’s uprising 11 years ago is often held up as the sole success of the Arab Spring revolts across the region – but it has not led to stability, either economically or politically.

  • Phase 2 of NDC’s national delegates congress takes place on Saturday

    In the next 24 hours, the National Democratic Congress’ delegates will cast their ballots to elect the remaining national executives of the party.

    The second phase of the congress is expected to take place at the Accra Sports Stadium.

    On Saturday, December 10, the NDC began the first phase of its congress and elected its National Youth Organiser and National Women’s Organiser.

    Both George Opare Addo and Dr. Hanna Louisa Bissiw managed to retain their positions after beating Brogya Genfi and Margaret Ansei, respectively.

    Abigail Akwabea Elorm Mensah and Felicia Dzifa Tegah were also elected as the Deputy Women’s Organisers of the Party.

    The remaining positions up for grabs are; Chairman, Vice Chairman, General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary, National Organiser, Deputy National Organiser, Communication Officer, Deputy Communication Officer.

    The others are, Zongo Caucus Co-ordinator and National Executive Committee (NEC) members.

    Four aspirants are vying for the Chairmanship position currently held by Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo.

    Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, who seeks a second term, will face the incumbent General Secretary of the Party, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Samuel Yaw Adusei and Nii Armah Ashietey.

    Mr Asiedu Nketia, popularly known as General Mosquito, is expected to give Mr Ofosu-Ampofo a run for his money.

    Eight individuals are contesting for the Vice Chairman position. They are Sherif Abdul-Nasiru, Abanga Yakubu Alhassan, Dr. Sherry Ayittey, Seth Ofori Ohene, Awudu Sofo Azourka, Alhaji Amadu B. Sorogho, Alhaji Habibu Adramani and Evelyn Enyonam Mensah.

    The current Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor wants to elevate his post a notch higher, but he will be facing Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, in his quest for the General Secretary position.

    Francis Lanme Guribe, Catherine Deynu, Barbara Serwaa Asamoah, Gbande Foyo Mustapha, Kwame Zu, Bradi Paul Opata and Evans Amoo are contesting for the Deputy General Secretary position.

    Mr Joshua Hamidu Akamba also hopes to secure a second term in office as the National Organiser. He will however, have to compete against six other contenders; Henry Osei Akoto, Mahdi Mohammed Gibrill, Sidii Abubakari, Solomon Yaw Nkansah, Chief Hamilton Biney Nixon and Joseph Yammin. 

    Contenders for the Deputy National Organiser portfolio are; Kobby Barlon, Habib Mohammed Tahiru, Elikem Eric Kevin Kwame Kotoko and Alhaji Yaw Kundow.

    Mr Sammy Gyamfi is running unopposed for the National Communication Officer portfolio, a position he already occupies.

    On the other hand, five individuals are competing to be the next Deputy Communication Officer.

    They are; Godwin Ako Gunn, Adongo Atule Jacob, Malik Basintale, Kwaku Boahen Anthony and Mohammed Naziru.

    The contenders for the Zongo Caucus Co-Ordinator are; Abass Zulkarnain Kambari, Hon. Alhaji Babanlamie Abu Sadat, Mamah Mohammed Cole Younger, Abdul-Aziz Mohammed and Yakubu Mahmud Mudi.

    Nineteen persons are competing to be members of the National Executive Committee.

    They include; Ephraim Nii Tan Sackey, Perez Fernandez Armah Laryea, Issahaku Issah Adel, Rev. Irene Sena Agbleke, Abdullah Farrakhan Ishaq, Malik Adama, Victoria Kuma-Mintah and Emmanuel Ewoenam Yao Adzome-Dzokanda.

    The others are; Cecilia N. Asaga, Ebenezer Effah Hackman, Najawa Alhaji Issah, Stephen Ladzedo, Anita Annan, Ransford Chatman Vanni-Amoah, Thomas Ayisi Kumah, Wonder Victor Kutor, Mohammed Mamudu, Araba Tagoe and Famous Kwesi Kuadugah. 

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • New Peruvian leader proposes early elections amid protests

    In the midst of ongoing political tensions, Peru’s new president, Dina Boluarte, has proposed moving general elections forward by two years to April 2024.

    She also declared a state of emergency in areas where there have been protests.

    In the south-western Apurmac region, clashes between demonstrators and police killed two teenagers.

    Ms Boluarte took office on Wednesday after her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was impeached for attempting to dissolve Congress.

    Ms Boluarte said in a televised address to the nation early Monday local time that she would introduce legislation in Congress to hold elections in April 2024 rather than April 2026.

    The move represents an about-turn as she had said upon taking office that she would serve out the remainder of Mr Castillo’s five-year term in office in full.

    But protests, some of which turned violent, in the regions of Apurímac, Arequipa and Ica by people demanding fresh elections increased the pressure on Ms Boluarte.

    Andahuaylas airport in Apurímac had to be closed as protesters and police clashed and smoke could be seen billowing from its buildings.

    In her address, Ms Boluarte said that she would also propose a series of constitutional reforms to achieve “a more efficient, transparent and participatory system of government”, but did not go into detail about what those reforms would be.

    “I call on all the parties and the Peruvian people to take part in this process so that we’re guided by a wave of democratic feeling,” she said.

    Peru was thrown into political crisis last week when then-President Pedro Castillo took to national TV to announce the dissolution of the opposition-controlled Congress just hours before the legislative body was due to vote on his impeachment.

    Within hours, Dina Boluarte – who until then had been Mr Castillo’s vice-president – was sworn in as Peru’s new leader.

    But while Mr Castillo’s approval ratings had been very low, those of Congress have been even lower and thousands of Peruvians have taken to the streets to demand general elections be held as soon as possible.

    Many of those protesting are also demanding the release of Mr Castillo, who is in police custody.

    A person holds a banner that reads "Freedom for our President Pedro Castillo" during a protest demanding the closure of Congress after Peruvian leader Pedro Castillo was ousted and detained in a police prison, in Lima, Peru, December 10, 2022.
    IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS Image caption, Some protesters held up banners demanding “Freedom for our President Pedro Castillo”

    He was stopped by his own bodyguards from making his way to the Mexican embassy, where he was going to ask for political asylum.

    Mexico’s foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, said on Thursday that officials “had started consultations with Peruvian authorities” over Mr Castillo’s asylum request.

    But shortly afterwards, Mexico’s ambassador in Lima was summoned and warned by Peruvian officials that they considered Mr Ebrard’s comments an interference in the country’s internal affairs.

    A court ordered last week that Mr Castillo be held in preliminary detention for seven days while an investigation is carried out into whether he should be charged with rebellion.

    His supporters have called for a strike on Monday and are planning to block key roads.

    How Ms Boluarte deals with the protests is seen as a key test for her presidency and whether she will be able to hold on to power until April 2024.

    Peru’s politics have suffered from instability for years with the legislative and the executive almost constantly at loggerheads.

    Ms Boluarte is the sixth president to hold power in as many years.

    The last president to serve a full five-year term was Ollanta Humala, who governed from 2011 to 2016.

  • Choas characterises NDC congress in Cape Coast; 2 persons shot

    At least two persons have allegedly sustained gunshot wounds at the ongoing congress of the National Democratic Congress in Cape Coast.

    Over 1,800 delegates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are expected to vote in Cape Coast Saturday, December 10, to elect candidates for the National Youth Organiser, Deputy Youth Organiser, Women’s and Deputy Women’s Organiser positions of the party.

    2 persons sustain gunshot wounds at NDC congress in Cape Coast

    The election is being held at the campus of the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

    For the Youth Organiser position, George Opare Addo and the party’s Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser, Brogya Genfi are contesting.

    Osman Abdulai Ayariga, Ruth Dela Seddoh, Bright Nudokpo Honu, Sulemana Abdul Karim and Mohammed Abubakari Sadiq Gombilla are all in the race for the National Deputy Youth Organiser position.

    The rest are; Kabiru Ahmed, Eric Dadson, Pendilock Owusu Asare, Obed Opintan and Jude Sekley.

    Women Organiser

    The contest for the Women Organiser position is between the incumbent, Dr. Hanna Louisa Bisiw and a former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Suhum, Margaret Ansei.

    Aspirants for the Deputy Women Organiser are; Abigail Akwabea Elorm Mensah, Felicia Dzifa Tegah, Jessie Adams and Hajia Alijata Sulemana.

    The party’s national executives election will take place at the Accra Sports Stadium on December 17.

    Source: Myjoyonline

     

  • Ramaphosa scandal: Opposition demands early elections in response

    South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party plans to introduce a motion in parliament calling for an early election as President Cyril Ramaphosa deals with a controversy that could cost him his job.

    The president is accused of kidnapping the thieves and paying them to keep quiet in order to cover up a $4 million robbery on his property in 2020. He maintains that he did nothing wrong.

    The nation’s parliament will review a report on the scandal and decide whether or not to initiate the impeachment process next week.

    DA leader John Steenhuisen said the country cannot leave it up to the ruling party to “choose the future of our country” – referring to the upcoming ANC conference where Ramaphosa will seek a second term as the leader of the ruling party.

    John Steenhuisen

    “The party of Nelson Mandela has become a cess pit of corruption, greed and dishonesty from top to bottom,” said Steenhuisen.

    He noted that in order to call for an early election, the resolution for dissolution of the government would require a simple majority of 50% plus one in the national assembly.

    Coming two weeks before the ANC holds its crucial conference, where it is due to elect new leadership. The president has also cancelled a scheduled question-and-answer session in parliament Thursday afternoon, his office said.

    The president’s written request to cancel said that “implications for the stability of the country required that the President take the time to carefully consider the contents of the report and the next course of action to be taken”, parliamentary authorities said.

    The three-person panel set up in September to probe the alleged cover-up of a theft at Ramaphosa’s farmhouse said that the information it gathered shows that Ramaphosa possibly committed serious violations and misconduct.

    These include not reporting the theft directly to the police, acting in a way inconsistent with holding office and exposing himself to a clash between his official responsibilities and his private business.

  • Brazil court rejects Bolsonaro party complaint over vote

    Brazil‘s electoral court has rejected a challenge against the presidential election result made by the far-right party of President Jair Bolsonaro.

    He narrowly lost to the leftist former leader, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and his Liberal Party (PL) claimed without evidence that voting machines were compromised.

    The court said the complaint was made “in bad faith” and fined the party 22.9m reais (£3.5m; $4.3m).

    Lula takes office on 1 January.

    Superior Electoral Court (TSE) President Alexandre de Moraes said the PL complaint was “offensive to democratic norms” and had sought to “encourage criminal and anti-democratic movements”.

    Lula’s victory – with 50.9% to Mr Bolsonaro’s 49.1% – has been ratified by the TSE.

    Mr Bolsonaro has previously claimed that Brazil’s electronic voting system is not fraud-proof.

    He has still not conceded defeat, but has given the go-ahead for a presidential transition. He stepped away from the public gaze after losing the election on 30 October.

    Immediately after Lula’s win was declared, many lorry drivers supporting Mr Bolsonaro erected roadblocks and there were scuffles with police. But Mr Bolsonaro later told them that blocking roads was not a part of “legitimate” protests.

    Some of his followers have continued demonstrating outside military barracks, urging a military intervention to prevent Lula taking office.

    Lula, who previously served as president from 2003 to 2010, is now 77 and will become the oldest person to assume the post.

    His victory was a stunning comeback for a politician who could not run in the last presidential election in 2018 because he was in jail and barred from public office. But his conviction for corruption was later annulled.

    Mr Bolsonaro, a former army captain, drew much support from evangelical Christians and other conservatives anxious to protect family values. But his tenure also saw accelerated deforestation of the Amazon and growing inequality.

    Source: BBC.com 

  • NDC’s Eastern Regional elections in limbo over injunction

    The Eastern Regional National Democratic Congress delegates conference, which was originally scheduled for November 19, 2022, has been slapped with a court injunction.

    In a letter sighted by Citi News with the heading, Notice of Interlocutory Injunction Eastern Regional Conference, signed by the regional chairman, John Owusu Amankra and copied to all constituency chairmen in the region and all media houses, the party indicated that the regional office has been served with a writ of summons from the court placing an interlocutory injunction on the regional conference.

    The letter further indicated that the matter has been referred to the regional legal team for advice.

    “We are therefore by this means communicating to the entire region, particularly the delegates, that the regional conference is on hold and shall not be held on November 19 till further directives from the NDC legal team. We apologize for the inconvenience caused”.

    In the writ “the plaintiff Fia-Tes Valentine Confidence by the motion prayed for an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants, their agents or privies whatsoever from organizing, convening and conducting or convening the Eastern Regional Conference of the National Democratic Congress to be organized, convened and conducted at the Koforidua Technical University on the 19th day of November 2022, pending the determination of these applications.”

    “The affidavit in support of the plaintiffs indicated that the party fixed the 19th day of November 2022 to hold the Eastern Regional Conference at Anagkazo Bible and Ministry, Mampong Tutu, and that for no justifiable reasons, some unseen hands in the party have alleged a change in venue from Tutu Akwapim to the Koforidua Technical university. That I am advised by counsel verily believing the same to be true, that this does not auger well for our young democracy. If after a decision has been settled upon by the majority of us, just a few members of the party could not change it. That a grant of the application would ensure that at the end of the day, after the court makes a determination, no party is shortchanged to enjoy the fruit of the judgement”.

    Find below copies of the letter and injunction.

     

    Source: Citinews

  • Alan will resign to pursue flagbearer position if economy stabilises – Adorye

    A member of the Alan for President 2024 campaign team, Hopeson Adorye, has indicated that the Trade and Industry Minister; Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, will heed the calls to resign to pursue his ambitions of leading the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2024 general elections only if the economy stabilises.

    According to him, Mr Kyerematen has a role to play in ensuring Ghana’s economy is brought back on track.

    He said Mr Kyerematen cannot afford to put his ambition ahead of the overall interest of the party going into the next elections.

    He said the party, and for that matter the government’s successes will be the vehicle Mr Kyerematen will run on as flagbearer for the 2024 general elections.

    He admitted there have been calls from all quarters pushing for the Minister to resign from the government to pursue his dreams of leading the party to break the eight-year political jinx.

    “Even last night, I had calls from as far as the Upper East and Upper West Regions seeking answers to why Alan was still part of the government when he is supposed to be campaigning to make his ambitions of leading the party a reality,” he revealed.

    “Alan Kyerematen is not resigning now because as a country we are in crisis and all hands are needed on deck,” he explained.

    He was quick to add that the trade minister will humbly tender his resignation if the party opens nominations for the position of flagbearer.

    Mr Adorye made the revelation in an interview with Nana Otu Darko, the sit-in host of the Ghana Yensom morning on Accra 100.5 FM on Wednesday, November 16, 2022.

    “I know many people are worried about Alan’s delays in resigning to pursue his ambitions,” he noted and added “Alan would have to campaign on the successes chalked on the economy that will be bequeathed to him by the current president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

  • Libya: risk of partition with the delay of the elections – UN

    The UN’s new special envoy for Libya warned Tuesday that the first anniversary of the postponed elections was fast approaching and that further postponement of the polls could lead the country to even greater instability, putting it “at risk of partition.

    Abdoulaye Bathily told the U.N. Security Council that the October 2020 ceasefire still held despite escalating rhetoric and the build-up of rival governments’ forces in the east and west of the country.

    Oil-rich Libya plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

    In the chaos that followed, the country was divided between rival administrations supported by rebel militias and foreign governments.

    The current political crisis stems from the failure of elections on December 24, 2021, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah – who headed a transitional government in the capital, Tripoli – to resign.

    In response, the country’s eastern-based parliament appointed a rival prime minister, Fathi Bachagha, who has been trying for months to install his government in Tripoli.

    Bathily, a former Senegalese minister and diplomat who arrived in Libya in mid-October and has traveled to all parts of the country, told the council that he has seen Libyans hope for “peace, stability and legitimate institutions.”

    “However, there is a growing recognition that some institutional actors are actively impeding progress toward elections,” he said.

    He warned that further prolonging the elections “will make the country even more vulnerable to political, economic, and security instability” and could risk partition. And he urged Security Council members to “join efforts to encourage Libyan leaders to work with determination to hold elections as soon as possible.

    Bathily urged the Council to “send an unequivocal message to the obstructionists that their actions will not go without consequences.”

    He said the Security Council must make it clear that ending the ceasefire and resorting to violence and intimidation “will not be accepted and that there is no military solution to the Libyan crisis.”

    Russia requested this preparatory meeting and its deputy ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, described the situation in the country as “very tense” and “rather unstable”, with no sign of an end to the rival governments soon.

    This “means that there will be no inclusive national elections or unification of Libyan state bodies in the short term,” he said.

    Mr. Polyansky warned that “the situation risks getting out of control under the influence of the divergent interests of external stakeholders.

    He accused Western nations, especially the United States, of prolonging the Libyan crisis by using the turbulent situation in the country to pursue their own interests, namely unfettered access to Libyan oil.

    Polyansky asserts that Western governments have set themselves the goal of “turning Libya into a ‘gas station’ to meet their energy needs.” And he asserted that the U.S. administration “still views the Libyan political process solely through the prism of U.S. economic interest … with the aim of preventing the growth of ‘black gold’ prices.”

    U.S. Deputy Ambassador Richard Mills countered by saying, “The United States rejects accusations that somehow access to Libyan oil reserves is the cause of the political impasse in Libya today.”

    Referring to Russia, he said the U.S. was dismayed that a Council member that violated the U.N. Charter by invading and occupying its neighbor continues “to divert the attention of this Council with baseless conspiracy theories.”

    “This is simply a failed attempt to shield itself from legitimate criticism,” Mills said. “Libyan leaders must take responsibility for achieving lasting peace, good governance, and ultimately prosperity for the Libyan people. And the United States stands ready to support them.”

     

    Source: African News

  • Russia delayed Kherson withdrawal announcement to sway midterm election results reports suggest

    Russia may have delayed announcing its withdrawal from Kherson in order to sway the outcome of the midterm elections in favour of Republicans, according to sources familiar with US intelligence.

    Republicans failed to achieve the hoped-for “red wave,” and Democrats retained control of the US Senate after holding seats in key swing states Arizona and Nevada.

    According to the most recent NBC News projection, Republicans will win 220 House seats to the Democrats’ 215.

    That means the Republicans would still take control but with much less authority than the 40+ gains anticipated by some pollsters.

    Now, sources have suggested that Russia delayed its Kherson withdrawal announcement in part to stop the Democrats from a political lead.

    One source said the US elections were a “pre-planned condition” when it came to Russia’s acknowledgement that it was not succeeding in the Kherson region.

    Meanwhile another source told CNN: “Even though there is still robust bipartisan agreement on Ukraine, the party that has been much more vocally supportive is the Democratic Party, and particularly the Biden administration.”

    In Washington last week, President Joe Biden also appeared to notice the timing of Russia’s announcement as he described how Russia’s decision to leave Kherson was “evidence” they had “some real problems”.

    He said: “I find it interesting that they waited until after the [US midterm] election to make that judgement.”

    Russia

     

  • NDC Elections: Three suspects arrested in Ashanti region

    The Police have arrested three suspects and pursuing others over violent disturbances caused during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Ashanti Regional Executives Election on November 13, 2022 in Kumasi.

    A statement from the Police said the three suspects and their accomplices were involved in different offences, including an assault on a Police officer, spraying pepper from a device on some persons at the Centre and engaging in a fight resulting in injuries to one of the perpetrators.

    The suspects are Yahya Shaibu Tia, Fati Ibrahim and Husein Yakubi, alias Jarlune.

    The statement said they were in custody assisting investigation while efforts were underway to get their accomplices arrested to face justice.

    Source: GNA

  • Our biggest enemy for election 2024 is complacency not NPP – Samoa Addo

    A private legal practitioner and a member of the National Democratic Congress, (NDC), Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo has warned party members to eschew complacency and work hard towards victory in the 2024 elections.

    Speaking on Citi TV on Sunday, Mr Kpakpo Samoa Addo said the NDC’s biggest enemy ahead of the 2024 general election is not the New Patriotic Party but complacency.

    “I have always said that our biggest enemy for 2024 is complacency,” Mr Samoa Addo said, adding that the party must shun massive rallies and adopt the Jehovah’s Witness’ approach of evangelism to woo new members and convince die-hard NPP supporters to choose the NDC and ditch the NPP in 2024.

    Mr Samoa Addo warned that the current economic challenges are not enough to hand victory to the NDC, but hard work, sacrifice and vigilance will ensure that the party is victorious in 2024.

    His comments echo that of the former Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, who on Saturday charged members of the NDC to be united and remain focused ahead of the next general elections.

    Speaking ahead of the NDC’s Volta Regional Delegates Conference in Ho, the former MP for the Avenor-Ave constituency now Akatsi South, urged members of the NDC not to be complacent and work hard towards the elections in 2024.

    He also called on members of the party to desist from wooing delegates with money and favours for votes ahead of the general elections in 2024.

    “The statement is that we should not be complacent as a party. The mid-term elections in the United States have taught us that hardship alone, inflation and the economy cannot win an election…So let us not be complacent.”

  • US midterms: Democrats retain control of Senate after key Nevada victory

    The Democrats will retain majority control of the US Senate after winning a pivotal race in the state of Nevada.

    Senator Catherine Cortez Masto is projected to defeat Republican challenger Adam Laxalt, who was backed by former President Donald Trump.

    The results amount to the best midterm performance for a sitting party in 20 years.

    US President Joe Biden said he was incredibly pleased, and it was time for Republicans to decide “who they are”.

    Democratic Senate Majority leader, Chuck Schumer, said the results showed the American people had rejected what he called the “violent rhetoric” of the Republican Party.

    The Democrats will now have 50 Senate seats, with Republicans currently on 49.

    The remaining seat, Georgia, is going to a run-off in December. In the event of the Senate being divided equally between the two parties, Vice-President Kamala Harris has the casting vote.

    Republicans could still take control of the US House of Representatives as votes continue to be tallied from a handful of districts after Tuesday’s elections.

    If the Republicans win the House they could still thwart much of Mr Biden’s agenda.

    “I’m not surprised by the turnout. I’m incredibly pleased. And I think it’s a reflection of the quality of our candidates,” Mr Biden said in Cambodia, where he is attending a summit.

    Mr Schumer said the country “showed that we believed in our democracy and that the roots are strong and it will prevail as long as we fight for it”.

    Ms Cortez Masto was neck-and-neck with her challenger Adam Laxalt throughout the midterm elections.

    The Republican gained notoriety two years ago for championing defeated former President Trump’s false claims of election fraud. One recent poll had Mr Laxalt making inroads with Latino voters, who make up one in five eligible voters in Nevada.

    But Ms Cortez Masto managed to secure victory, and with it her party’s control of the Senate.

    Senator Cortez MastoIMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
    Image caption,

    Catherine Cortez Masto received a congratulatory call from President Biden after the result

    The result is a big blow to the Republicans, who were hoping for a “red wave” – an electoral rout which would deliver a harsh rebuke of President Biden and his Democrats.

    While the Republicans have made modest gains and remain favoured to win the House of Representatives, the Democrats have performed much better than expected.

    Mr Trump – who continues to insist, falsely, that he won the 2020 presidential election – has been making unsubstantiated claims about the midterms.

    “The Democrats are finding all sorts of votes in Nevada and Arizona. What a disgrace that this can be allowed to happen!” he posted on his Truth Social platform on Friday.

    Mr Trump is expected to announce that he will run for president again in 2024, but candidates he backed received mixed results in the midterms.

    Republican Senator Josh Hawley – who represents Missouri – said after the Senate result that the old party was “dead” and it was time for something new.

    Result will bolster Biden’s standing in party

    The Republican midterm flameout is now official. Democrats have retained control of the US Senate, which will pave the way for Joe Biden to spend two more years filling the federal courts with his nominees and staffing his administration largely the way he sees fit.

    The Georgia Senate run-off is no longer a pivotal contest to determine control of the chamber, although a victory for Democrats there would make holding the majority in two years easier, when the party will have more at-risk seats to defend.

    There is still a likelihood, although not certainty, that the Republicans will control a slim majority in the House of Representatives, bringing a variety of headaches for the president.

    His legislative agenda is dead, and more aggressive Republican oversight is in store, but even that has a silver lining – if his political opponents are unable to effectively govern due to internal discord.

    The consequences of this history-defying midterm election result are still being revealed.

    Donald Trump’s political future has been damaged, although how enduringly remains to be seen. Joe Biden’s standing within his party has been bolstered. The political world in the US looks considerably different than it did just a week ago.

    The midterm elections are for Congress, which is made up of two parts – the House of Representatives and the Senate.

    Congress makes nationwide laws. The House decides which laws are voted on while the Senate can block or approve them, confirm appointments made by the president and, more rarely, conduct any investigations against him.

    These votes are held every two years and when they fall in the middle of the president’s four-year term of office, they are called the midterm elections.

    Each state has two senators who sit for six-year terms. Representatives serve for two years, and represent smaller districts.

    All the seats in the House of Representatives were up for election in the midterms, alongside one-third of the Senate.

    Several major states also have elections for their governor and local officials.

    Source: BBC.com 

     

  • Midterm elections results: Two days on this is where the races stand

    The ultimate outcome of the US midterms remains unclear nearly two days after polls closed, with control of Congress still hanging in the balance.

    Control of the Senate now hinges on the outcome of three states: Arizona, Nevada and Georgia, where a run-off election will be held on 6 December.

    Meanwhile, the Republicans are inching closer to a 218-seat majority in the House of Representatives.

    President Joe Biden has hailed the results as a “good day for America”.

    Electoral officials have repeatedly described the delays announcing the final results as a normal, expected part of US elections due to thin margins between candidates, possible recounts and potentially contested elections. Additionally, rules differ by state for how mail-in ballots are counted, and when.

    As of Thursday morning:

    The House of Representatives

    The House of Representatives is leaning towards the Republicans, according to projections from CBS News, the BBC’s partner in the US.

    The Republicans have so far secured 211 seats, compared to 193 for the Democrats. A total of 218 seats are needed to gain a majority in the legislative body, which has 435 members.

    The Senate

    Control of the Senate remains a toss-up, with the Democrats having secured 48 seats to the Republicans’ 49. Three races – ArizonaNevada and Georgia – have yet to be called.

    CBS has projected that Arizona is leaning Democrat, while Nevada could go to either party.

    Alaska- where three candidates were on the ballot in a ranked-choice voting system – has not been called, although CBS has projected it will remain Republican, with two Republicans – incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski and challenger Kelly Tshibaka – in the lead.

    In Georgia, the closely-watched Senate race between incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker will head to a run-off in December.

    With a third-party candidate on the ballot in this week‘s election, neither candidate secured the 50% of the votes needed for a winner to be declared.

    In Arizona, hundreds of thousands of ballots remained uncounted as of Wednesday night, including an estimated 400,000 in Maricopa County and approximately 159,000 in Pima County, where officials have said that a final count is unlikely until early next week.

    In addition to a hotly contested Senate race between Democrat Mark Kelly and Republican Blake Masters, the state is host to a high-profile match-up for governor between Democrat Katie Hobbs and Donald Trump-backed Republican Kari Lake.

    Votes are still also being tabulated in Nevada,where thousands of ballots – nearly 60,000 – still needed to be processed.

    Even with results still being calculated on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden said the election was a “good day” for US democracy. An expected ‘red wave’ of resounding Republican victories failed to materialise despite high inflation and relatively low approval ratings for the Biden administration.

    Source: BBC.com 

  • Key takeaways – so far – from the US midterm elections

    Voters cast ballots to decide the makeup of the US legislature, states, and local officials, with results still rolling in.

    Hours after polls closed in the US midterms elections, the outcome of consequential segments of Tuesday’s vote, including which party will control the House of Representatives and Senate, were far from clear.

    What was clear early on Wednesday was that an expected “red wave” predicted by Republicans did not materialise.

    Instead, with 372 of the House’s 435 seats and 95 of the Senates 100 seats called, control of both chambers remained in the balance.

    Democrats’ hopes were buoyed by the victory of John Fetterman in Pennsylvania, who defeated Republican challenger Mehmet Oz in the only Senate race so far to flip a seat.

    Meanwhile, top House Republican Kevin McCarthy declared it was “clear” his party would take control of the House, despite the outcome remaining unclear.

    A man gets his ballot to vote on election day at a polling location at the Old Stone School in Hillsboro, Virginia.
    The US midterm elections are held every four years at the midpoint of each presidential term [File: Michael Reynolds/EPA]

    Here are key takeaways so far:

    • Following Fetterman’s victory in Pennsylvania, all eyes have moved to Nevada, Arizona and Georgia, where Democrats are in the closest Senate races with Republicans.
    • President Joe Biden’s party would need to win two out of three seats in question in those states to maintain control of the chamber.
    • In Georgia, neither Democratic incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock or Republican Challenger Herschel Walker are expected to break the 50 percent threshold needed to win outright.
    • The challengers were most likely headed for a run-off race, meaning it could potentially be weeks until control of the chamber is decided.
    • When it comes to House races, Democrats have so far fared better than expected against Trump-backed opponents.
    • That was particularly clear in Michigan, where Hillary Scholten, an immigration lawyer, beat her Republican challenger John Gibbs. In the primary, Gibbs had defeated Republican Congressman Peter Meijer, one of a handful of Republicans who had voted to impeach former President Donald Trump.

     

    • Democratic incumbent governors have so-far fared well in states where Republican-controlled legislatures have sought to pass restrictions on voting in the wake of Trump’s unfounded claims of fraud following his 2020 presidential loss. Democrats in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan all survived Republican challenges.
    • Michigan on Tuesday also voted in favour of abortion protections in its state constitution, a possible indicator of sentiment in other swing states where reproductive rights are under threat in the wake of the repeal of Roe v Wade. Vermont and California also shored up state constitutional protections for abortion rights. Meanwhile, the results of a measure that would explicitly say abortion is not a right in Kentucky have not yet been called.
    • Incumbent Republicans governors in Texas, Georgia and Florida, meanwhile, weathered challenges from several Democrats with national profiles.
    • Maryland and Missouri also became the latest US states to legalise recreational marijuana after voters on Tuesday backed the measure, with similar measures failing in North Dakota and Arkansas.

     

    Source: Aljazeera.com

  • US midterms: Millions of Americans will vote, with the fate of Congress at stake

    On Tuesday, millions of Americans will vote in the midterm elections, which will determine the balance of power in Congress.

    The entire United States House of Representatives, roughly one-third of the United States Senate, and key state governorships are all up for grabs.

    In opposing rallies, President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and ex-President Donald Trump, a Republican, made their closing arguments.

    Mr. Biden’s ability to pass legislation will be hampered if Republicans win the House, as most projections predict.

    Democrats currently control both chambers of Congress and the White House by razor-thin margins.

    The party in power typically sheds an average of two dozen or so seats in the midterms, which fall midway through a president’s four years in office.

    While Mr Biden himself is not up for re-election on Tuesday, midterms are often seen as a referendum on a president’s leadership.

    Despite delivering on promises to lower prescription drug prices, expand clean energy and revamp US infrastructure, Mr Biden has seen his popularity suffer following the worst inflation in four decades, record illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border, and voter concerns about crime.

    A political thumping for Democrats on Tuesday could embolden murmurs within the party about whether Mr Biden, who turns 80 this month, should run for re-election in 2024.

    He went to Maryland on Monday night to campaign for Wes Moore, who is expected to make history as the third black governor ever elected in the US.

    Wes Moore (centre) would become only the third black governor in the US if elected
    IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Wes Moore (centre) looks set to become the third black governor ever elected in the US

    “Today we face an inflection point,” Mr Biden told a cheering crowd at a historically black university outside Washington.

    “We know in our bones that our democracy’s at risk and we know that this is your moment to defend it.”

    According to a tally by the BBC’s US partner, CBS News, more than half of Republican midterms candidates have raised doubts about the integrity of the 2020 White House election, echoing Mr Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud.

    Mr Trump spent the eve of election day holding a final rally in Ohio alongside Republican Senate candidate JD Vance.

    The former president, who has been teasing a 2024 White House comeback bid, said he would make a “very big announcement” at his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago on 15 November.

    He told the crowd: “If you support the decline and fall of America, then you must, you absolutely must vote for the radical left, crazy people.

    “If you want to stop the destruction of our country, then tomorrow you must vote Republican in a giant red wave.”

    Mr Trump’s party needs to net only five seats to flip the House and a single seat to take over the evenly divided Senate.

    Non-partisan election observers project the Republicans will pick up roughly 15-25 seats in the 435-seat House.

    Supporters of Donald Trump await his arrival for a rally in Vandalia, Ohio
    IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Supporters of Donald Trump await his arrival for Monday’s rally in Vandalia, Ohio

    But the battle for the upper chamber of Congress could go either way, according to most political forecasts, and is expected to come down to hotly fought races in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona.

    Should Republicans win the House, they have vowed to shut down the Democratic-led inquiry into last year’s Capitol riot and launch investigations into the Biden administration.

    Kevin McCarthy, who would probably become Republican speaker of the House – placing him second in line to the presidency – has refused to rule out impeachment proceedings.

    Mr Biden’s power to appoint judges or administrative posts for the next two years would be severely curtailed if Republicans win the Senate.

    More than 43.5m early votes have already been cast, according to the US Elections Project.

    But it might be days or weeks before the outcome of the midterms is clear if races are close, as some states allow ballots to be posted on election day, and there could be recounts.

  • Turnout low, and Palestinians divided, after Israel elections

    Some 55 percent of eligible Palestinian voters in Israel participated in parliamentary elections.

    Surrounded by family and friends in her home on the winding slopes of Umm al-Fahm – one of the largest Palestinian towns in Israel – the 51-year-old said she does not believe in voting in Israeli elections.

    “I’ve never voted, and I didn’t vote this time,” she told Al Jazeera from her home earlier in the week, as the country voted for parliament on Tuesday. “Arab members of the Knesset [the Israeli parliament] are merely a cosmetic face for Israeli dominance and racism.”

    The problems faced by the majority of the 1.8 million Palestinians inside Israel, she said, such as crime and overcrowding, are “a result of systematic policies practised against us by the state of Israel. They will remain as long as it remains in existence.”

    Whether for political reasons, or a mere lack of interest, Jabareen was one of many Palestinians in Israel who chose not to vote in this year’s elections, which are Israel’s fifth in under four years due to a protracted political crisis since 2019.

    The final results came in on Thursday, with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud – Israel’s largest party – set to return after being unseated in 2021 after 12 years in power.

    This year, Netanyahu ran alongside far-right controversial figures who openly call for violence against Palestinians, including Itamar Ben-Gvir – notorious for his harassment of families in the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah and leading raids into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

    “I feel bad about the results,” said Kamila Tayyoun, a media officer for the Palestinian political bloc led by Ayman Odeh. The alliance, which ran in the elections and won five seats, is made up of the Arab Movement for Change party and the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality, known in Hebrew as the Hadash-Ta’al list.

    A Netanyahu government, Tayyoun told Al Jazeera, “Will be very bad on the Palestinian level,” describing it as “racist” and “having a campaign by political parties largely built on the hatred and demonisation of Arabs”.

    “The situation is not comforting,” added Tayyoun, who hails from Shaab on the outskirts of Akka (Acre) in the north.

    A woman sits on an armchair
    Omayya Jabareen says Palestinian members in the Knesset are just a ‘cosmetic face for “Israeli racism’ [Zena Al Tahhan/Al Jazeera]

    A breakdown of Palestinian voter turnout

    Voter turnout among Palestinians in Israel has historically ranged between 40-50 percent, and the majority of those who vote do so for parties led by Arab politicians.

    In Tuesday’s election, Palestinian voter turnout stood at approximately 55 percent, which, according to analysts, was higher than what was expected, but represented a drop from previous years when Arab parties ran together under the Joint List alliance.

    “The Arab lists were divided and ran separately. Campaigning and competition over the last few days before elections, and the fear of Ben-Gvir and his party, increased the level of voting, but not by a high degree,” Saeed Zidani, a political analyst from the town of Tamra on the northwestern outskirts of Haifa, told Al Jazeera.

    This year, three Palestinian blocs ran for elections, with two passing the national electoral threshold of 3.25 percent, equivalent to four seats in Israel’s 120-member Knesset. The parties running had to obtain about 157,000 votes to get the four seats.

    In terms of the number of votes, Mansour Abbas’s United Arab List (UAL), which was criticised for joining former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s coalition government last year, garnered the most with 190,000 votes. The majority of those votes came from Palestinian Bedouins living in the Naqab (Negev) desert.

    “The UAL got the most votes but it lost the most in terms of the influence it was hoping to have,” said Zidani. “Neither Netanyahu nor the other camp needs it any more. Netanyahu can form a government without it, and the opposition cannot form a government neither with it nor without it.”

    The third Palestinian slate that ran, Tajamu (also known as Balad in Hebrew), did enjoy increased support and popularity this election, but did not translate that to seats.

    The party leader, Sami Abu Shehadeh, who hails from al-Lydd (Lod), had a key role in connecting with the Palestinian street during the May 2021 Palestinian uprising inside Israel, during which widespread confrontations broke out with Israeli forces as a result of forced displacement in the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah and a war on the besieged Gaza Strip.

    “The Tajamu party gathered their strength and there was increased popular regard for them among Palestinians in this election, despite their loss,” Zidani said, noting that they had needed only 18,000 more votes to pass the national election threshold.

    Do Palestinians believe in the Knesset?

    Jewish Israeli turnout is believed to have surpassed 70 percent, a significant gap in comparison with Palestinian voter turnout.

    Zidani noted that Palestinians have no problem voting – in municipal elections, turnout is regularly higher than 90 percent – but the feeling is different when it comes to the parliament, and turnout is always much lower.

    Palestinians make up about 20 percent of the population in Israel and carry Israeli passports. They became an involuntary minority during the violent ethnic cleansing of Palestine from 1947 to 1949 to create a “Jewish state”.

    The policies practised against them, described as “discriminatory” by human rights groups, have led to Palestinian areas in Israel suffering from a myriad number of problems, such as restrictions on land ownership, high crime rates, and home demolitions.

    Umm al-Fahm, which lies in the northern Triangle area, is the third largest concentration of Palestinians inside Israel – home to 60,000 residents – after Nazareth city in the north, and Rahat city in the Naqab.

    It is known for being the home of the now-outlawed northern branch of the Islamic Movement, which split in 1996 from the southern branch – now the UAL – over the decision to participate in Israeli elections.

    Considerably less than half of the almost 40,000 eligible voters in Umm al-Fahm participated in elections on Tuesday, according to the results, with participation at the lowest of the three largest Palestinian areas.

    Ahmad Khalifa is the head of the popular committee in Umm al-Fahm, and a member of Abnaa el-Balad’s political office – another Palestinian party that boycotted the elections.

    Khalifa told Al Jazeera that he believed voter turnout among Palestinians, along with Netanyahu’s return, showed that many Palestinians believed that politics is more than just the parliament.

    “Palestinians have understood that the Knesset is not the place we go to solve our larger problems, or where we go to build a national project, and it is not the place where you can prevent fascism or right-wing parties,” Khalifa said.

    Khalifa added that, for Abnaa el-Balad, and for the Palestinians who think like them, the events of May 2021, cannot simply be pacified by participation in elections.

    “Our political context goes against the project of cornering us into Israeli politics and into the Israeli public as citizens.

    “The two-state solution has failed. Israel forced it to fail by increasing settlement building, by taking over Jerusalem, by preventing the return of refugees,” Khalifa continued.

    Those who did vote in Umm al-Fahm are not necessarily opposed to Abnaa el-Balad’s reading of the situation – however, they feel that there may be some improvements in day-to-day life, as well as crime and overcrowding.

    And on top of that, some feel that the representation of Palestinians in Israel’s highest legislative body is important.

    “To me, it’s enough that our candidates … will merely bring up the issue of the Palestinian people and put forth Palestinian national and civil issues here,” Hussein Mustafa Mahameed, a dentist, said.

    “[But] as Palestinians in this state, I believe to the utmost extent, that our civil problems will not be solved without solving the wider issue of the Palestinian people,” said Mahameed. “Any government that comes will fight the Palestinian people, and we are part of the Palestinian people.”

    DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana

    Source: Aljazeera.com 

  • Bolsonaro heightened Brazil’s gun culture. Can Lula keep it under control?

    The number of privately owned guns in Brazil has nearly doubled in the last four years, to nearly 2 million.

    After winning the Brazilian election, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be re-elected President of Brazil in January, more than a decade after he last held the position. Despite his narrow victory, current President Jair Bolsonaro received more than 49 percent of the vote.

    Lula, as he is known, will now attempt to roll back many of Bolsonaro’s right-wing policies – including the loosening of Brazil’s gun-control measures, which led to the number of guns in private hands doubling since 2018. But how easy will that be?

  • Mike Pence urges voters to turn out in Georgia, a key state

    While Biden was in Florida, former Vice President Mike Pence travelled to Georgia, another crucial battleground state, to campaign for the Republican candidate for governor there.

    Pence told supporters at a rally in the Atlanta suburbs last night that Georgia must “lead the way to a great American comeback” by re-electing Governor Brian Kemp.

    Kemp is ahead of his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams in most polls, but that did not stop him or Pence from emphasising the need to get people out in support – whatever the data suggests.

    Pence, who was elected alongside Donald Trump in 2016, emphasized what he called Kemp’s credentials as a “champion for the Conservative Agenda”.

    After the rally, Pence said: “No one has done more to create jobs, cut taxes, restore sanity to our schools, put criminals behind bars, protect the unborn, secure our elections, and defend our God-given rights enshrined in the United States Constitution.”

  • Bolsonaro breaks his silence without publicly admitting defeat

    Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s far-right president, has broken his silence since losing the presidential election on Sunday.

    He expressed gratitude to those who voted for him but refused to admit defeat.

    But, contrary to popular belief, he did not challenge the outcome.

    Ciro Nogueira, his chief of staff, spoke after Mr Bolsonaro’s brief statement, saying that the “transition of power” would begin.

    Even though Mr Bolsonaro did not himself acknowledge defeat in his own words, Brazil’s Supreme Court released a statement shortly after his speech saying that by authorising the transition of power, he had recognised the result of the election.

    Combative statements from the president in the past – such as that “only God” could remove him from office – meant that there had been a tense wait for him to appear in public.

    Before the election, he had also repeatedly cast unfounded doubts about the voting system.

    When he finally appeared in public, 44 hours after the election result was announced, Mr Bolsonaro’s statement lasted only two minutes and he did not take any questions from the assembled reporters.

    In the message aimed at his supporters, Mr Bolsonaro said that “our dreams continue as alive as ever”.

    He repeated the values he says he and his party stand for – “God, fatherland, family, and freedom” – and insisted that he would continue to strive for “order and progress”, the words emblazoned on Brazil’s flag.

    He did not mention Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his arch-rival who narrowly beat him on Sunday, at all. In a break with tradition, Mr Bolsonaro has still not called the man who defeated him in the election.

    Hardcore supporters of Mr Bolsonaro – who refuse to accept that he lost – have erected hundreds of roadblocks in all but two states of Brazil.

    In his speech, Mr Bolsonaro referred to them as “current popular movements” and said they were “the fruit of indignation and a sense of injustice of how the electoral process unfolded”.

    He added that “peaceful demonstrations” would always be welcome, but that “our methods can’t be the same as those used by the left, which always harmed the population, such as invasion of lands, disrespecting property and impeding the right to come and go”.

    Supporters of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro holds protests on the highway Helio Smidt, near the International Airport, against President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who won a third term following the presidential election run-off, in Guarulhos, Brazil, November 1, 2022.
    IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS Image caption, Kneeling protesters disrupted the access to the airport in São Paulo

    The top electoral judge, Alexandre de Moraes, had said earlier on Tuesday that the roadblocks posed “a risk to national security” and ordered that they be cleared.

    But police have struggled to remove all of them, with more than 250 still in place.

    The blockages are causing considerable disruption and affecting food supply chains.

    They started shortly after Brazil’s electoral authorities announced a narrow win for Lula in the run-off of the presidential election. With all the votes counted, Lula had 50.9% of the valid votes against Mr Bolsonaro’s 49.1%.

    Congratulations immediately started pouring in for Lula from across the world, with US President Biden saying the win came “following free, fair, and credible elections”.

    Mr Bolsonaro, who is normally a keen user of social media, stayed silent and out of the public eye. But he started to look more and more isolated as even his close allies congratulated Lula.

    The powerful speaker of the lower house of Congress, Arthur Lira, sent a strong message when he said that “the will of the majority, as it is expressed in the polls, can never be contested”.

    But some supporters of Bolsonaro appeared emboldened by his silence.

    “We will not accept losing what we have gained, we want what is written on our flag, ‘order and progress,” one protester in Rio de Janeiro told AFP news agency. “We will not accept the situation as it is,” the man added.

  • HRW report: Bahrain’s opposition is being marginalized by laws

    Human Rights Watch says laws are used to prevent the opposition from running for office or even serving on civic organisation boards.

    According to a Human Rights Watch report, the Bahraini government is using “political isolation laws” and a variety of other tactics to keep the opposition out of the public office and other aspects of public life.

    The report released on Monday details the alleged use of Bahrain’s 2018 laws to prevent political opponents from running for parliament seats or serving on the boards of governors of civic organisations, describing the practises as “targeted marginalisation of opposition figures from social, political, civil, and economic life.”

    “Bahrain has spent the last decade cracking down on peaceful opposition and the political isolation laws are yet another example of the government’s repression expanding into new spheres,” said Joey Shea, Middle East and North Africa researcher with the rights group, which is based in the United States.

    “These draconian laws have made a mockery of Bahrain’s upcoming parliamentary ‘elections,’ which can neither be free nor fair when you make any political opposition essentially illegal.”

    Parliamentary polls will be held in Bahrain on November 12 to elect the 40 members of the Council of Representatives.

    Human Rights Watch said that it interviewed activists, civil society members, and opposition figures, and reviewed and analysed government statements, laws, and court records.

    The group added the laws in question introduced new punitive consequences by punishing individual members of two major opposition parties, al-Wefaq and Wa’ad, that were dissolved in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

    Shea said the two parties were “hugely popular political parties” before they were dissolved.

    “Not only these groups were dissolved by the judiciary, but the 2018 law also takes the repression further by barring individual members from running for parliament, not even part of these societies,” she told Al Jazeera.

    Al-Wefaq won 18 out of 40 seats in the 2010 parliamentary polls, which is the last election the party joined

    Crackdown

    The report also said that the law targets activists and human rights defenders who were arrested in the government’s large-scale crackdown during the peaceful 2011 pro-democracy and anti-government uprising and in its aftermath.

    The final clause of the political isolation laws, concerning individuals who have “disrupted” constitutional life in Bahrain, has been interpreted by Bahraini lawyers and civil society to prevent former MPs and others from running for office again, Human Rights Watch said.

    In addition to cases of people barred from running for office, the group said it documented three cases of civil society organisations that struggled to form a board and carry on with their activities due to the effect of these laws.

    The report says the group also documented the continued detentions and summons of Bahraini citizens for speech-related offenses.

    “The Bahraini government should repeal the 2018 political isolation laws, end the practice of denying certificates of good behavior to punish perceived opponents and restore full legal, political, and civil rights to all Bahraini citizens,” according to the group.

    Human Right Watch also called on the international community, including close allies like the US, United Kingdom, and European Union member states, to pressure Bahraini authorities to end the “repression of peaceful opposition and civil society”.

     

  • Lula is no more than a Brazilian Biden

    If elected president, Lula would likely be unable to lead a transformational, leftist agenda.

    The theme of “return” has dominated the presidential election campaign in Brazil. Many think the country is either going to see the comeback of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, marking a second pink tide of progressive South American governments, or the return of the Workers’ Party (PT), removed from power after President Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment in 2016.

    Or it is going to face a government takeover by forces associated with the military dictatorship (1964-1985) – right-wing defenders of family, tradition, and property and apologists for political violence and torture of political opponents.

    There may be an element of truth to this interpretation, but sometimes turning to the past to make sense of the present can make it more difficult to discern the major differences between them. Indeed, if Lula were to win the presidential race, Brazil would not go back to the 2000s; nor is a military takeover led by his opponent, incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro, that likely.

    The vote: The poor vs the poorer

    While many saw the results of the October 2 elections as a clear victory for Lula and the Brazilian left, a closer look reveals a different reality. Lula obtained 57 million or 48 percent of the valid votes – less than what many polls predicted – which sent him to a run-off with Bolsonaro.

    The incumbent president obtained 51 million votes, two million more than in the first round of the 2018 presidential election. This is despite the fact that his government failed in its economic policies, the management of the pandemic, the fight against corruption, and the climate change agenda, especially with regard to curbing Amazon deforestation.

    In the parliamentary and governor elections, which also took place on October 2, the right-wing parties and, in particular, the far right, performed much better than forecasts showed. They won more representatives in the two houses of parliament than PT and its allies.

    Among those elected to parliament were former Judge Sergio Moro, who led the anti-corruption probe that saw Lula jailed; Damares Alves, the loudest proponent of the “gender ideology” conspiracy theory, which claims family values are under threat; and former health minister Eduardo Pazuello, who mismanaged the pandemic response. They were all ministers in Bolsonaro’s government.

    The elections did not see a massive migration of the votes from the poor to Lula and his party, as was expected in light of the pro-poor policies in his first two terms (2003-2010). In that period, the country experienced extraordinary economic growth combined with successful income distribution measures, which generated massive support among impoverished Brazilians for Lula in his bid for re-election in 2006. He ended his second term with an 80 percent popularity rating and a GDP growth of 7.5 percent.

    Part of the reason why Lula was unable to rally all of his former electorates may be that financial aid programmes for disadvantaged families introduced by Bolsonaro to address the economic downturn during the pandemic were extended.

    According to Giuseppe Cocco, a political science professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, another reason may be that the effect of anti-Bolsonarism was to some extent mitigated by anti-Lulism – the negative sentiment triggered by corruption cases against Lula and the PT that contributed to bringing Bolsonaro to power in the first place.

    Furthermore, Cocco’s research shows that the incumbent attracted more votes than Lula from the “precariat” – Brazilians who are above the poverty line but, nevertheless, face constant economic insecurity. These are people who are microentrepreneurs, who have gig jobs, small businesses or who are self-employed. They struggle economically and seek the stability that the far-right promises.

    The right-wing tendencies of this layer of Brazilian society became apparent ahead of the 2018 election when a truck drivers’ strike took place. The protest started over rising fuel prices but ended with calls by some participants for the army to intervene and “solve the problems” of the state. Bolsonaro backed the strike, which boosted his popularity ahead of the vote.

    Lula, on the other hand, draws support from the poorest strata, those who are on the threshold of subsistence. They have been the beneficiaries of his signature social programme, the Bolsa Familia, which distributed conditional cash transfers.

    The line between the two groups is blurred, but the tension between them over income and economic opportunity seems to provide a better explanation of the electoral results than a more simplistic analysis that paints Lula as the candidate of the poor and Bolsonaro – as the choice of the elites and the well-off.

    A Brazilian Biden

    The campaign rhetoric Lula adopted was also quite different from previous elections. Unlike in the past, when he openly clashed with the elites, this time around, the PT candidate presented himself as the candidate of the system, as a “Brazilian Biden”, so to speak, putting an end to a Trumpist interlude.

    He gathered an extraordinarily broad front, which included almost the entire left opposition, but also the main representatives of economic power from various sectors, social democrats, conservative liberals, the leftist environmentalist Marina Silva, former officials, such as the social-democratic liberal Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and others.

    His campaign was also not dominated by street mobilisation or sharp factionalism. On the contrary, there were explicit guidelines to supporters not to confront the voters of the other candidate, and even to deemphasise the PT’s traditional colour red at campaign events.

    Although his coalition had prepared a leftist political programme, Lula ignored it in the debates, sidestepped it in speeches to voters and the media, and stressed on several occasions that he would not take divisive positions, especially when it comes to his plans for the economy. Throughout the campaign, he built an image as the promoter of peace, indicating the need to resolve the conflicts that are multiplying in and between different social segments.

    Bolsonaro and the Bolsonarist forces, on the other hand, fully occupied the anti-systemic political space. The incumbent spent the election campaign making verbal attacks against the corporate media – especially against the biggest TV network, Globo – the Brazilian Supreme Court and universities.

    In a country that has traditionally seen intimidation, blackmail, and the murder of electoral opponents in urban peripheries and in the hinterland, Bolsonaro’s rhetoric put Brazil at risk of widespread politically motivated violence. A number of murders were attributed to feuds between sympathisers of the two candidates, while a video of a Bolsonaro supporter licking the barrel of a shotgun went viral.

    Diminished appetite for a coup

    Despite Bolsonaro’s incitement and heightened fears of violence, it is unlikely that a victory for Lula in the run-off would be challenged by the military. Even the prospect of an invasion of the Congress building in Brasilia – like the one that happened in January 2021 in the US – seems less likely.

    The army’s top generals have given clear signals that whoever wins at the polls will assume the presidency. Furthermore, foreign powers, such as the Biden administration, have indicated that they would not support anti-democratic ventures.

    Bolsonaro has been ambiguous about accepting the results. However, the fact that right-wing parties and far-right politicians won the majority of seats in parliament has diminished the appetite for coup talk.

    Whatever the outcome of the election, the struggle for safeguarding minority rights, improving public services, expanding social programmes, protecting the environment, and embracing a security paradigm that is not guided by state violence against underserved populations will remain difficult. A victory for Bolsonaro, which is quite unlikely, would consolidate the far-right takeover of the state, leading to more policies aimed at dismantling public services, destroying the environment, and systematically sabotaging minority protections and academic institutions.

    A win for Lula, which seems more likely, would also pose great challenges. Given the dominance of the right in parliament, it would be difficult to push through progressive policies. Social movements, collectives, and activists would have to focus on the defence of the government, which would take away energy and resources from ongoing struggles, as happened during the 2016 impeachment process against Dilma. The PT and its supporters would face a radicalised and armed opposition on the ground committed to defending “true Christianity”, “family values” and traditional gender roles. In this context, a Lula victory would not mean a return to the “happy Brazil” of the 2000s, as his campaign suggested.

    The way out of the deep crisis that Brazil has plunged into in the last decade could be a Brazilian New Deal that pushes through much-needed structural changes in labour law and market, supports the creative role of minorities, and embraces the centrality of the global environmental agenda, something that Lula seems far from being able to lead, as corruption scandals and worn-off populist rhetoric have broken his spell.

    But his election could at least provide an opportunity to seek reconciliation and rebuild bridges between polarised segments of society. His return could set the ground for the construction of much-needed political alternatives.

    DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana

     

     

  • Brazil’s Bolsonaro and Lula clash in the final debate before the run-off vote

    The far-right incumbent Bolsonaro and the left-wing ex-president Lula trade blows ahead of Sunday’s presidential run-off vote.

    Incumbent Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and his left-wing challenger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva squared off in their final televised debate before the tense run-off vote on Sunday.

    According to polls, Lula is the slight favourite to run for a third term, capping a remarkable political comeback following his imprisonment on corruption convictions that were later overturned. However, Bolsonaro outperformed polls in the first round of voting earlier this month, and many analysts believe the election could go either way.

    During Friday’s free-wheeling debate, the deeply polarising figures attacked each other’s character and record, accused each other of lying and refused repeatedly to answer each other’s questions.

    “Brazilians know who the liar is,” said Lula, as the two locked horns over minimum wages and the left-wing politician’s history of corruption allegations.

    “Stop lying Lula, stop lying. It’s getting ugly,” said Bolsonaro.

    Lula, who served as president between 2003 and 2010, also highlighted that Bolsonaro’s government has not yet provided an increase to the minimum wage above inflation.

    “This man governed for four years and there was not one percent of a real increase,” Lula said at the TV Globo debate in Rio de Janeiro, which lasted two and a half hours. He said the minimum wage is now worth less than when Bolsonaro was inaugurated.

    Bolsonaro quickly promised to lift the minimum wage from $229 a month to $265 next year, though that was not included in his 2023 budget proposal sent to Congress, which the incumbent president’s allies control.

    The debate was the second head-to-head confrontation between the two men, and the grand finale of a brutal campaign marked by months of mudslinging, negative advertisements, and a flood of disinformation on social media.

    Lula leads polls

    Still, most analysts and focus groups with undecided voters suggested the president had done little to shake up a race that polls show broadly stable since Lula led the first round of voting on October 2 by five percentage points.

    That result was better for Bolsonaro than most polls had shown, giving him a boost of momentum to start the month, but the past two weeks of the campaign have presented headwinds.

    On Sunday, one of Bolsonaro’s allies opened fire on Federal Police officers coming to arrest him. A week earlier Bolsonaro had to defend himself from attack advertisements after he told an anecdote about meeting Venezuelan migrant girls in suggestive terms.

    In their first head-to-head debate this month, Lula blasted Bolsonaro’s handling of a pandemic in which nearly 700,000 Brazilians died, while Bolsonaro focused on the corruption scandals that tarnished the reputation of Lula’s Workers’ Party.

    On Friday night, both candidates returned repeatedly to Lula’s two terms as president from 2003 to 2010, when high commodity prices helped to boost the economy and combat poverty. Lula promised to revive those boom times, while Bolsonaro suggested current social programmes are more effective.

     

  • It’ll be very bad for Akufo-Addo and NPP if they decide to repeat history in 2024 – Otukonor

    The Aspiring General secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Peter Buamah Otukonor has revealed that the NDC will do everything possible to win the 2020 general elections.

    According to him, the 2024 elections will be a ‘do or die affair’ as they will not let history to repeat itself.

    In an interview with GhanaWeb, he said they don’t expect the NPP to repeat whatever they did in the 2020 elections.

    “(2024 elections) do or die it will certainly be because we can not afford to stand a minute with this incompetent and clueless government. Most importantly and particularly too, on behalf of the people of this country, we cannot tolerate the continuance of this government and so whatever it will take to win political power in 2024 we are going to do that together with the people of this country to make sure we change government and bring a government to understands the plight and need of people,” he said.

    He added that the power of the people should not be underestimated.

    He said the signs are already clear that the Ghanaians have lost trust in the President Akufo-Addo.

    He cited the booing in his recent public appearance and the during his tour as clear examples of the mistrust.

     

  • NDC elections: Aspirants asked to engage in issue-based campaign

    The Deputy Communication Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Godwin Ako Gunn, has urged aspirants and members to engage in an issue-based campaign and avoid campaigns that will slur people.

    He said the call was necessary for a view of the fact that some supporters of aspirants are engaging in attacks on personality, which brings division after election and delays the healing process because the loser might have suffered character assassination.

    “Our ability to hold ourselves together, campaign devoid of insults and personal attack, will let losers accept that they lost on fairgrounds and they will also join the main campaign’

    “Most of the time, we spend too much time healing wounds and if that happens again, we may be hitting ourselves in the foot which may affect the fortune of the party at the 2024 polls,” Mr. Ako Gunn said.

    Mr. Ako Gunn stated this at the launch of a welfare scheme and awards ceremony organised by the NDC Okaiman East Ward under the Anyaa Sowutuom Constituency in Accra.

    The theme of the ceremony was “Empowering the Grassroot, a driving force for Success in the 2024 Election”.

    Mr. Ako Gunn said the 2024 election will be a choice between leadership that comes prepared and ready to lead from day one or a continuation of the current disastrous reality government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

    He charged the party faithful to remain united in rallying toward the success of the NDC at the 2024 general election.

    “I want to call on all our party members in the various branches to exhibit more loyalty, dedication and commitment so that our party can be victorious in the 2024 general election,’’ Mr. Ako Gunn urged.

    He further advised members not to deliberately demand access to the fund when they have no significant use of it. He encouraged other wards to emulate the leadership of Nii Okaiman East ward for introducing the welfare scheme that will cushion members.

    The Ward Coordinator for Nii Okaiman East, Mr. Jerry Zodano, stated that the welfare scheme is to address challenges at the branches and to reduce over-dependency on the constituency.

    He said the leadership at the ward has constituted a seven-member management board, formed from among members in order to ensure prudent management of the funds.

    These officers, Mr. Zodano explained, would attend to the welfare of members, based on sets of regulations and guidelines developed.

    Source: gbcghanaonline.com

  • Reject Ofosu-Ampofo, he lacks the courage to face NPP in 2024 – Asiedu Nketiah

    The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has charged delegates of the party to vote against the incumbent National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, in the upcoming national delegates conference.

    Asiedu Nketia, who has officially announced his bid to contest Ofosu-Ampofo for the chairmanship slop, argued that the current executive lacks the courage and the skills to face the governing New Patriotic Party in the 2024 elections.

    This, he believes if not changed, could threaten the party’s chances in the upcoming general elections.

    The General Secretary cited the 2019 Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election as an example where Chairman Ofosu-Ampofo, without any proper consultation, announced the party’s decision to pull out from the election after the shooting incident.

    He added that Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo also asked the party’s polling agents and observers to also leave the various polling stations, a situation that portrayed an act of cowardice.

    “Ofosu-Ampofo called me and I warned him against that decision but he didn’t listen. I was out of the country at the time but the information and facts I had received on the ground showed that we were winning the election, so I was against the decision. He also called John Mahama and the president also asked him not to do that but he also didn’t listen.

    “So, you see, as a leader you need to fight in times of crisis and he (Ofosu-Ampofo) doesn’t have the courage to do so. As for me, everyone knows that when you threaten me, I will threaten you back so I have no fear and I am not timid and that is the kind of leadership you need to face the NPP in the upcoming 2024 elections,” he said.

    Speaking with the host of Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV, Kwesi Parker-Wilson, on Friday, October 14, 2022, and monitored by GhanaWeb, Asiedu Nketiah further stated that the decision did not only cost them the seat, but it also became the basis for the NPP to abuse members of the party during the 2020 elections.

    “You remember the security guys said it’s a dress rehearsal so in 2020 they abused our men and even killed about 8 persons during the general elections. But if we had persisted and stayed through the end of the by-election, NPP wouldn’t have had the courage to do what they did in 2020, including manipulating the outcome of the elections,” he added.

    Asiedu Nketiah however said that none of these things have soiled the cordial working relationship he has with his National Chairman.

    “I still have a very cordial relationship with Ofosu-Ampofo in spite of my decision to contest him. We still go about with our normal duties and my decision to contest the chairmanship position won’t bring about division,” he said.

    The NDC goes to the polls in November 2022 to elect new national executives.

  • Astounding poll performance by Lesotho’s new party

    Lesotho’s Revolution For Prosperity (RFP) party put on an outstanding performance for a party that had only been established six months prior, which was also a damning indictment of the nation’s recent political leadership.

    But officials in the RFP will be disappointed that an overall majority was not secured.

    Many Basotho will also be wondering if a line would have been drawn under the years of infighting and chaos of coalition governments had Sam Matekane’s party gotten over 50% of the seats.

    The diamond magnate will still dominate the political scene.

    There will be high expectations that the RFP fulfills a promise to cut unemployment.

    Some eyes will be checking for potential conflicts of interest between Mr Matekane’s business affairs and the government.

     

  • New party of Lesotho mining tycoon wins most seats

    Results from Friday’s parliamentary elections in Lesotho showed a newly established party headed by a billionaire diamond magnate won the most seats.

    However, Sam Matekane’s Revolution for Prosperity party only managed to win 56 seats, falling barely short of the necessary majority to break the protracted political gridlock.

    The All Basotho Convention party, which led the outgoing government, lost a lot of support and only won eight of the country’s 120 seats.

    Over the last decade, numerous coalition governments have been undermined by infighting and no prime minister has served out a full five-year term.

    Mr Matekane, who only formed the party six months ago, will now have to secure the support of smaller parties to form a government.

     

  • Brazil election: He is God so we will vote for him

    In the first of two profiles of the front-runners for the position of president of Brazil, Katy Watson questions if incumbent Jair Bolsonaro is, as his supporters claim, a wonderful leader or someone who despises democracy.

    Wherever Jair Bolsonaro goes, he likes to stir controversy – but few were expecting him to do so on the eve of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. As world leaders flew to the UK to mark her passing, President Bolsonaro saw an opportunity to do some campaigning.

    While British mourners accused him and his fans of lacking respect in a period of mourning, he was undeterred.

    “We’re on the right path,” he told his supporters from the balcony of the Brazilian residence, saying Brazil did not want to discuss the legalisation of abortion or drugs, with cheers from the crowd in response. And he repeated his often-cited slogan: “God, homeland, family and freedom”.

    Another familiar mantra at his campaign events is the chant: “Mito, mito, mito.”

    He is, to his fans, a “myth” – a legendary leader – and they are convinced their man will be re-elected in October.

    Despite polls showing his main rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in the lead, nothing will deter Mr Bolsonaro’s greatest supporters from believing the president, who has himself denounced the polls as a lie, is the only man to lead the country.

    Pastor Laura Almeida, at the Mustard Seed Ministry in the northeastern city of Recife, is one of his most committed fans. Standing in front of her Sunday congregation, she sings his praises.

    “We’ll vote for Bolsonaro because he is God,” she tells her members. “He defends the same principles as us in accordance with the word of God.”

    Pastor Laura Almeida, at the Mustard Seed Ministry in Recife, the capital of Brazil’s north-eastern state of Pernambuco
    Image caption, Pastor Laura Almeida says she believes that President Bolsonaro is the saviour who will ease the people’s suffering

    After the service, she explains her thinking to me.

    “Whenever people are suffering, when they believe in an all-powerful creator, I think God raises up a saviour,” she says.

    I ask her if that saviour is President Bolsonaro. “Yes,” she replies. “Today in Brazil, I think that’s him.”

    Mr Bolsonaro sings from the same song sheet as many evangelicals. He preaches the importance of family, he is vehemently against abortion and he is known for his homophobic comments.

    And it was congregations like Laura’s that got him elected in 2018.

    “Evangelicals are growing in Brazil,” says Prof Vinicius do Valle, Director of the Evangelical Observatory information service in Brazil. “They are now about 30% of the population – only two decades ago, it was about 15% so they are increasing very quickly and it’s changing the way we do politics here.”

    But it is not the same way that the church has traditionally been involved.

    “The Catholic Church played a democratic role in the past decades,” says the professor, referring to the Church speaking out during the military dictatorship. “But that hasn’t happened when it comes to evangelical churches. They are playing a role in Bolsonaro’s election and against democratic institutions in Brazil – we see ministers calling people to go to protests against democratic institutions.”

    Mr Bolsonaro does not separate politics from prayer. His campaign language is littered with religious references. Even lifting himself up to a godly status.

    He hit this year’s campaign trail in Juiz de Fora, the city where he was stabbed in 2018 – the place where, in his own words, he was “born again”.

    Gilson Machado
    Image caption, Gilson Machado describes the president as an “old uncle”

    But in the north-east of Brazil, he has a tough job on his hands to convince voters he is the man for them. This is not Mr Bolsonaro’s natural stomping ground. In fact, it was the only region where he lost in 2018.

    The poorest region in the country, it is where Lula was born and with which he has been associated for all of his political careers. For that reason, it has become the ultimate challenge for President Bolsonaro to gain ground here.

    Gilson Machado is an affable local politician. A former tourism minister under Mr Bolsonaro, he is perhaps most well-known – or infamous – for his love of playing the accordion. Now, he is running for senate in Pernambuco, but he is also head of Mr Bolsonaro’s national campaign in the north-east and is a great friend of the president.

    “He’s an old uncle and he likes football, he doesn’t drink, he loves his family, he’s a Christian and he’s a hard, hard worker,” he says. “He’s the man for the world – the biggest right-wing president of the world right now.”

    That feeling is shared by nuclear medicine doctor Mitchell Lewis. Although it is not shared by his medical school friends Geraldo Aguiar and Kalina Sá, who are sitting with him at his dining table, enjoying a glass of wine.

    In such a polarised political contest, it is surprising the three remain friends. So many relationships have fallen foul of politics in Brazil these past few years.

    “What makes you a Bolsonarista [a Bolsonaro supporter] is when he speaks directly to your heart, to your soul,” he says. “Bolsonaro freed this voice from all these people you see in the streets screaming ‘Mito!’.”

    Geraldo says he is going to vote for Lula. Mitchell shakes his head.

    “Bolsonaro lost a great opportunity to be seen as responsible and confront this pandemic in an intelligent way,” Geraldo says, criticising how he behaved during the pandemic. “I don’t think he has the emotional intelligence for this.”

    Kalina though, is on the fence after having voted for Bolsonaro in 2018.

    “I am totally against [Lula’s] Workers’ Party, but I don’t think Bolsonaro was a good leader,” she says. “He has not listened, and with that, he lost my vote. Those who support Bolsonaro do so no matter what, independently of what he does.”

    Ultimate commitment or blind adoration? Mitchell has the last word.

    “I’m not a religious person, I am an atheist, but when Bolsonaro says that he has a mission from God, I start questioning my lack of belief.”

  • NDC will struggle to win 2024 elections without me as flagbearer – Kojo Bonsu

    A presidential hopeful for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kojo Bonsu, has said that the party will struggle to secure victory in the general elections of 2024 if his face is not on the ballot paper.

    According to him, Ashanti members of the NDC have not had the opportunity to lead the party into an election before, and as such, his election as the flagbearer will attract a lot of voters from the region to cast their votes from him.

    Kojo Bonsu also explained that it has not been easy serving as a member of the NDC, especially in the Ashanti Region, for obvious reasons, but he has continuously stood his ground and worked hard to ensure the party becomes more attractive in the region.

    Speaking in an interview with Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV and monitored by GhanaWeb, the former Mayor of Kumasi observed that although “data has shown that Ashantis predominantly vote for the NPP,” his election as a flagbearer will bring a “new era to the party (NDC).

    “If I become the flagbearer of the party, the NDC will secure a lot of votes in the Ashanti region. This means I will break the monopoly and split the votes NPP secures in the region. Even today, the market women at Central Market and Kejetia Market are all supporting my presidential bid. The women have said that if I become the leader of the party, they will all vote for me.

    “So, if they (delegates) refuse to elect me as flagbearer, it means the number of votes we are expecting to win the 2024 elections will decline because Ashantis won’t vote for any other NDC candidate but me. Without me as flagbearer, it will be very difficult for the party to win the elections, but if I am the flagbearer, the Ashantis will know that I am one of their own, and they will vote for me,” he told the morning show host, Kwesi Parker-Wilson.

    The former football administrator also revealed that former President John Agyekum Kufuor once asked him to step down for John Dramani Mahama to lead the NDC into the 2020 elections.

    He added that it was the reason he pulled out from that race.

    “Former President Kufuor advised me to stay away from the contest and allow John Mahama to run because he has been fully marketed. He also told me that this is not my time and soon my time will come, so I listened to him and pulled out of the race,” he added.

    Kojo Bonsu, however, admitted that he is yet to consult the former president on his latest attempt at the flagbearer position of the NDC but has stated that he is convinced that no amount of persuasion will compel him to back down on his quest to lead the party into the 2024 elections.

    Watch the latest episode of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV below:

    The Lowdown: Role of the diaspora in the development of Africa

    CEO of the Aaron Manvel Foundation Millie Lorene Tucker and Gary Hope, the CEO of FLCC – Bring Back Hope Foundation underscore the need for the African diaspora to help develop the continent in this episode of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV. According to the women trying to make and create a change in Ghana, our forefathers were sold away and made to develop strange lands. Thus, coming back home and developing their home country is the best thing to do especially when resources are available.

  • Nigeria election campaigns kick-off

    Nigeria’s presidential election campaigns have officially started ahead of next year’s general election.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) has cleared 18 candidates to run for president in the February 2023 election.

    Rampant insecurity, chronic unemployment and a worsening economic outlook are among issues the candidates are expected to address.

    But political observers fear that the campaigns might be transactional rather than issue based, and money may be used to buy votes.

    Nigeria has a population of more than 200 million, out of which more than 95 million voters have been registered to cast their ballots.

    Source: BBC

  • My goods works will vindicate me – Ofosu-Ampofo on NDC chairmanship race

    The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, has said that he is confident that the party’s successes since he took over its leadership will lead to him being re-elected in the upcoming national executive elections.

    Speaking in a Power FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, on Friday, Ofosu-Ampofo said that under his watch, the NDC which is in opposition,, for the first time in the history of Ghana has the Speaker of Parliament from its side and also has the same number of parliamentarians as the party in government.

    He, however, indicated that his focus is currently on ensuring that the party’s reorganization at the regional and district level is done smoothly.

    “From the period I assumed the leadership of the party all the indicators have been very positive. We have the Speaker of Parliament from our side even though we are in opposition. We also for the first time in the history of Ghana, as the opposition party, have the same number of parliamentarians as the government in power.

    “I will withhold my ambitions for now as we work on the process to reorganize the party at the polling stations, constituencies, districts, the regional and national levels. But I will definitely be defending my title because I believe that my performance has been very good. My indicators are very good, my benchmarks are very high. When the time comes, I will go to the delegates and give them an account of the leadership they entrusted to me.

    “I will enumerate all the successes the party has chalked under my leadership including the unity I have brought to the party,” he said in Twi.

    Meanwhile, the outgoing General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has stated his intention of contesting in the party’s chairmanship race.

    In an interview on Radio Gold on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, Asiedu Nketia unequivocally declared that he will not seek re-election for his position which he has held since 2005.

    According to Asiedu Nketia, his options are now limited to two, which are to either retire from serving as a party official or elevate to the position of national chairman.

    “I will not contest the general secretary position for the NDC. I have two other options at hand; either I go for the chairmanship or retire from politics,” he said.

    The General Secretary has also stated that contesting for the party’s chairmanship position will not bring any division in the party, as has been asserted in some quarters.

  • NDC answers 12 critical questions about election 2020

    The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has done a review of the 2020 general elections, raising some critical questions about the party’s activities before, during and after the elections.

    In a statement by the member of the National Elections Directorate of the NDC, DR. Tanko R. Computer raised questions including why did the NDC didn’t go to the Supreme Court with its pink sheets.

    Other questions about whether or not the party transmitted its results, and whether or not the elections were rigged for Nana Addo were also raised, with what appears to be carefully written answers following.

    For instance, in response to why the party didn’t proceed to the Supreme Court with its pink sheets, the statement indicated that despite the party’s efforts to get the pinksheets used for the 2020 elections to the Supreme Court, ‘an iron wall’ had been built around Electoral Commission Boss, Jean Mensah and her EC such that it was difficult to.

  • Is Meloni the future? At least for a while, certainly

    Was yesterday’s vote for Meloni – or anti-everything and everybody else?

    Probably both in a country that has tried every shade of politics in its almost 70 governments since World War Two.

    Italy beloved by the world for its food, art, history, and culture is just not working for a large part of its own population. A perpetually stagnant economy has helped fuel a massive brain drain.

    The political gerontocracy of recycled ageing men in suits has prompted a massive desire for change. Enough Italians feel that Giorgia Meloni represents that – for better or worse.

    Her rigidity on LGBT rights and immigration finds favour in Italy, where Catholic conservatism still holds sway, and which has long felt it has shouldered the burden of Europe’s migration crisis.

    And while she insists her party has consigned fascism to history, a country that never had the equivalent of Germany’s denazification has allowed traces of its dark past to permeate through its post-war politics.

    There is, undoubtedly, a section of Meloni’s base that still glorifies Il Duce [war-time fascist dictator Benito Mussolini]. She knows it is now incumbent upon her to reassure Italians – and Europeans – that she really has moved on.

    Is Meloni the future? At least for a while, certainly. But in a country whose governments last on average just over a year, she knows Italians’ patience with the latest political novelty can run out quickly.

    DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana

    Source: bbc.com

  • GOP lawmaker suggests there’s ‘pressure’ on Republicans to impeach Biden if party wins the House

    Nancy Mace of South Carolina said Sunday she believes there is “pressure” for House Republicans to move to impeach President Joe Biden if they gain control of the chamber after the midterm elections.

    “I believe there’s pressure on the Republicans to put that forward and have that vote,” Mace told NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press” when asked if she foresees impeachment proceedings should her party win control of the House. “I think that’s what some folks are considering.”

    But the freshman lawmaker added: “If that happens, I do believe it’s divisive.”

    Mace did not mention the source of the alleged pressure and was not asked to elaborate on who is considering the move.

    Asked Sunday how she would vote if an impeachment vote came to the floor, Mace said: “I will not vote for impeachment of any president if I feel that due process was stripped away, for anyone. I typically vote constitutionally, regardless of who is in power.”

    CNN reported earlier this year that hard-line elements of the House Republican Conference were agitating to launch impeachment proceedings against Biden if the GOP takes power after the midterms — a move GOP leaders have so far declined to embrace.

    House Republicans are also plotting revenge on the select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection, CNN has reported. Former President Donald Trump has been leaning heavily on his Capitol Hill allies to defend him against a slew of damaging revelations about his role in the deadly attack on the US Capitol. And as Republicans search for ways to undermine those findings, their party has started to lay the groundwork to investigate the January 6 panel itself. Some of Trump’s fiercest acolytes have also begun publicly pushing for hearings and probes into his baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election.

    While House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy has vowed to conduct aggressive oversight and investigations in a GOP-led House, it’s unclear just how far he would be willing to go when it comes to January 6 and the 2020 presidential election.

    Mace, who flipped a Charleston-area seat in 2020, voted to certify Biden’s presidential election victory, earning Trump’s wrath. Faced with charges of insufficient loyalty to the former President, she drew a Trump-backed primary challenger but ended up prevailing by 8 points in her June primary.

    Mace told NBC she was “very much hopeful” to see “a deep bench of Republicans and Democrats who will be running for president” in 2024. But she left the door open to possibly supporting Trump again if he were the 2024 GOP nominee for president.

    “I’m going to support whomever Republicans nominate in ’24,” she said.

    CNN’s Melanie Zanona, Manu Raju, Gabby Orr and Zachary Cohen contributed to this report.

  • Italy votes as far-right Meloni looks for victory

    Italians are deciding whether to choose their most right-wing government since World War Two, in an election being followed closely across Europe.

    Giorgia Meloni leads the far-right Brothers of Italy party and is aiming to become the country’s first female prime minister allied with two other parties on the right.

    She has softened her image and resents being linked to Italy’s fascist past.

    She backs Western sanctions on Russia and has toned down rhetoric on Europe.

    But she still embraces an old slogan adopted by the fascists – “God, fatherland and family” – she has spoken out against the “LGBT lobby” and called for a naval blockade of Libya to halt migration.

    Voting continues until 23:00 (21:00 GMT), when exit polls and projections will give an idea of who has won.

    An hour south of Rome, in the town of Latina, observers believe the far right can seize the town from the left. Founded in 1932 by fascist leader Benito Mussolini, Latina still bears traces of the dictator, but has suffered from years of underfunding.

    “Take a look, it’s a disaster,” says one passer by. The town has had a left-wing mayor in recent years, but the far right has Latina in its sights. Meloni-ally Matteo Salvini came here last week to round off his League party’s campaign. Centre-right Forza Italia under ex-prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, 85, is also part of her coalition.

    Gianluca Atlante
    Image caption, Gianluca Atlante’s office is directly opposite the Palazzo Emme, built in honour of Mussolini

    “Meloni speaks to the guts of the people,” says Gianluca Atlante, a journalist with local newspaper Latina Oggi. Behind him sits the imposing Palazzo Emme, built in the shape of a letter M for Mussolini. These days it serves as the local headquarters of the finance ministry’s law enforcement agency.

    Italy’s economy was picking up after the Covid-19 pandemic, but then the energy crisis – largely triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – sent prices soaring. While the politicians have spent recent days arguing over Russia and Europe, Italians are most worried about paying their bills.

    The EU agreed to send Italy an eye-watering €200bn (£178bn) in post-Covid recovery grants and loans but that is conditional on reforms agreed by the outgoing unity government of Mario Draghi. Giorgia Meloni has called for the plan to be revised and has talked of doing more to “defend” Italy’s national interests in the EU.

    No wonder many of Europe’s leaders are watching this vote closely.

    Matteo Salvini of "Lega" political party, Silvio Berlusconi of "Forza Italia" party and Giorgia Meloni of "Fratelli d'Italia" party attend a rally on 22 September in Rome
    IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Giorgia Meloni (R) has formed an alliance with Silvio Berlusconi (C) of Forza Italia and Matteo Salvini’s League

    Until early August, Italy’s left and centre parties were aiming to mount a joint challenge to the Meloni alliance. But they failed to reach agreement, and Ms Meloni’s biggest rival in the opinion polls – centre-left Democratic Party leader Enrico Letta – now faces an uphill struggle.

    He even shares several policies with the Five Star Movement led by Giuseppe Conte, but they do not see eye to eye.

    From right to left, the politicians agree Italy’s school system is in a state of decay but schoolteachers such as Elisa are sceptical this election will change that.

    Italians are electing two houses of parliament – the Chamber and the Senate – and under new rules their size has been cut by a third, so the Chamber has 400 seats and the Senate 200.

    That is likely to help the winning alliance most, when coupled with Italy’s mixed electoral system. More than a third of seats are won by a UK-style first-past-the-post constituency contest, and more than 60% by proportional representation across Italy.

    Any alliance that wins 40% of the vote could win as many as 60% of seats, Italian commentators believe. It is a new system so it is being closely watched, and by the right-wing alliance especially, because they need the backing of two-thirds of the parliament to carry out one of their keynote policies.

    Even if Brothers of Italy do top the vote, and Giorgia Meloni’s allies hand her an overall majority, it is not their decision who becomes prime minister. That rests with President Sergio Mattarella, backed by parliament, and he plays an important role in Italy’s constitution.

    Ms Meloni and her allies want a radical change to his role by making him a directly elected head of state rather than an impartial figure chosen by parliament. “Presidentialism” may sound more democratic, but there’s a reason why some Italians are worried by the thought of handing more power to their head of state – and that also goes back to Italy’s previous experience of fascism.

    In Latina, they are not just watching the political battle playing out between left and right, there is another story that is also on people’s minds.

    Standing for the Senate is one of Italy’s most treasured stars of the past, Gina Lollobrigida. Now 95, she became a cinema legend in the 1960s and she has defied a fractured femur to fight in Sunday’s election.

    Source: BBC

  • Nigeria selects 18 people to run for president

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) highlighted that 18 parties had fielded presidential candidates and their vice presidential running mates in a list released on Tuesday.

    Nigeria’s electoral commission has cleared 18 candidates to contest the presidential election scheduled for February next year.

    In a list published on Tuesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) noted that 18 parties had fielded presidential candidates and their running mates.

    The list includes the names of the 75-year-old veteran presidential contestant and former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party, and former Lagos governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu, 70, of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

    It also includes the 60-year-old former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who is seen as a third force.

    Election campaigns officially begin next week on Wednesday.

    Rampant insecurity, chronic unemployment, and a worsening economic outlook are among the issues the candidates are expected to address.

    Nigeria has a population of more than 200 million people, out of which more than 95 million voters have registered to participate in the coming election.

  • History of Ghana, NDC incomplete without Asiedu Nketiah – Afriyie-Ankrah

    Director of Elections, National Democratic Congress (NDC), Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, has hailed the Party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, saying the history of Ghana and NDC is incomplete without him.

    Mr Nketiah has publicly declared his intention not to seek re-election as General Secretary of the NDC in the Party’s upcoming national congress, after 17 years as chief scribe.

    In an audio message, Mr Afriyie-Ankrah, who is seeking to replace Mr Nketiah as General Secretary, described the latter as “a great personality”.

    “He is a great personality and definitely an institution, and he has made the necessary impact that anybody could make within the political system, and indeed the history of this country and the history of the NDC would definitely not be complete without talking about his major role over the past 17 years”, Mr Afriyie-Ankrah said.

    Mr Afriyie-Ankrah added that, “He (Mr Nketiah) has been an inspiration to all of us, just as some of us aspire to step in his shoes, we can continue to count on his wisdom, guidance and store-house of knowledge.”

    The NDC will hold its Constituency elections between October 22 and 23, 2022, while the regional elections would be held between November 12 and 13, 2022.

    The National Congress will be held on December 17, 2022.

    About 7,900 executives are expected to be elected in a total of 876 elections at the constituency, regional, and national elections scheduled for the next three months.

    Mr Nketiah, who had served as General Secretary of the NDC since 2005, in a radio interview on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, said the time had come for him to hang his boots as General Secretary and allow others to also serve the Party in that capacity

    Asked if he would be contesting other positions in the upcoming election, Mr Nketiah said he would announce it when the time comes.

    Mr Nketiah led the NDC to power in 2008, and 2012 elections.

    The Party, under his stewardship as General Secretary also lost the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, sharing the spoils with the New Patriotic Party in the 2020 parliamentary elections.

     

  • Kenya polls: William Ruto wins presidential race

    In the midst of emotional moments, the chairman of the electoral commission has announced that Deputy President William Ruto has won Kenya’s presidential election.

    With 50.4% of the vote, he barely defeated Raila Odinga as his opponent.

    The announcement was delayed amid scuffles and allegations of vote-rigging by Mr. Odinga‘s campaign.

    Due to disputes and claims of vote manipulation by Mr. Odinga’s team, the declaration was postponed.

    Four of the seven members of the electoral commission refused to endorse the announcement, saying the results were “opaque”.

    “We cannot take ownership of the result that is going to be announced because of the opaque nature of this last phase of the general election,” said Juliana Cherera, the vice-chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

    “We are going to give a comprehensive statement… and again we urge Kenyans to keep calm. There is an open door that people can go to court and the rule of law will prevail,” she said.

    Mr. Odinga’s party agent earlier alleged that there were “irregularities” and “mismanagement” in the election.

    This was the first time Mr. Ruto, 55, had run for president. He has served as deputy president for 10 years but fell out with President Uhuru Kenyatta, who backed Mr. Odinga to succeed him.

     

  • NDC internal elections: Register exhibition begins today in northern sector

    The National Democratic Congress (NDC) will from today begin the exhibition of its voters register in five regions of the north as part of the road map towards its internal branch elections.

    The regions, which constitute Zone One, are the Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East and Upper West regions.

    After the exhibition exercise where registered members are to confirm their names, filing of nominations will begin on July 22 and end on July 23, 2022.

    Vetting of nominees will take place between July 24 and 25, 2022, while nominees who have grievances in one way or another will be heard on July 26, 2022.

    Elections

    A Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Peter Boamah Otokunor, told the Daily Graphic that elections in Zone One would take place between July 27 and August 2, 2022.

    He said Zone Two, comprising the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, Western and Western North regions, would have the exhibition of the registers from July 24 to 25, 2022.

    Mr Otokunor said the filing of nominations in that zone would take place between July 26 and 27, with vetting taking place on July 28 and 29, while July 30 had been set aside to hear grievances of nominees after the vetting.

    According to him, elections in that zone would be held between July 31 and August 4, 2022.

    On Zone Three, he said the exhibition of the register would take place on July 28 and 29 while filing of nominations would take place on July 30 and 31, with vetting taking place on August 1 and 2, 2022 while grievances would be held on August 3.

    Mr Otokunor said elections in that zone would take place between August 4 and 9, 2022.

    He, therefore, urged all registered members of the party to take interest in the exhibition exercises to ensure that their names were captured so that they were not disenfranchised.

    Ashanti, Eastern

    As to why the Ashanti and Eastern regions were not captured in the three zones, he explained that those two regions were being treated specially for strategic regions.

    Mr Otokunor said those two regions would form the last phase of the exercises with the exhibition of their registers taking place on August 21 and August 22, while filing of nominations would take place between August 23 and August 24.

    He said the vetting of aspirants would place between August 25 and August 26 and the Appeals Committee would look into any grievances on August 27, 2022.

    He said elections in those two regions would then take place between August 28 and September 3.

    He explained that the process had been staggered to ensure every registered member took part in the process.

    Source: Graphic.com

  • Uganda bans campaign rallies ahead of elections

    Uganda’s Electoral Commission has banned mass campaign rallies and encouraged aspiring candidates to campaign through the media.

    The commission said the country’s general elections will go ahead in January 2021, but with strict measures to protect voters against coronavirus.

    Wearing of masks, hand hygiene and social distancing will be enforced on polling day.

    The commission has squeezed the elections’ timelines, including the nomination of candidates, into less than six months.

    Ugandans will elect their president, members of parliament and local leaders in the elections.

    President Yoweri Museveni, who is serving his fifth term of office, is eligible for a fresh term but has not announced whether he will vie.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Malawi’s elections chief resigns ahead of re-run

    The head of Malawi’s electoral commission has resigned a month before a presidential election re-run.

    The vote was ordered by the Constitutional Court which overturned last year’s poll giving a second term to President Peter Mutharika.

    Protesters had demanded that Jane Ansah stand down over irregularities in the original election, including the use of correction fluid on ballot papers.

    But in an interview on state television she denied she was giving in to pressure.

    The re-run will take place on 23 June.

    Source: bbc.com

  • South Korea holds elections amid coronavirus outbreak

    South Korea held parliamentary elections on Wednesday amid the Coronavirus outbreak.

    According to Yonhap News Agency, polling for 300 seats of the country’s National Assembly started at 6 a.m local time [2100GMT] and will continue until 6 p.m. [0900GMT].

    Some 44 million people are expected to cast their votes wearing faces masks and gloves.

    They will also check their temperature and sanitize their hands before entering the polling station.

    More than 11 million people were allowed to cast their vote in advance to avoid crowds.

    The government has also decided to lift quarantine rules to allow around 50,000 self-isolators to cast their votes after the regular polling ends, the agency reported

    According to local media the ruling Democratic Party is expected to secure majority seats following recent response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

    South Korea has so far confirmed 10,591 coronavirus cases with 225 fatalities, while 7,616 patients have successfully recovered.

    South Korea held parliamentary elections on Wednesday amid the Coronavirus outbreak.

    According to Yonhap News Agency, polling for 300 seats of the country’s National Assembly started at 6 a.m local time [2100GMT] and will continue until 6 p.m. [0900GMT].

    Some 44 million people are expected to cast their votes wearing faces masks and gloves.

    They will also check their temperature and sanitize their hands before entering the polling station.

    More than 11 million people were allowed to cast their vote in advance to avoid crowds.

    The government has also decided to lift quarantine rules to allow around 50,000 self-isolators to cast their votes after the regular polling ends, the agency reported

    According to local media the ruling Democratic Party is expected to secure majority seats following recent response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

    South Korea has so far confirmed 10,591 coronavirus cases with 225 fatalities, while 7,616 patients have successfully recovered.

    Source: www.aa.com.tr