Election Watch - Africa

ETHIOPIA: New Election Code Sparks Furore

Opposition parties are troubled by what they say is government’s strategy to keep them out of the general elections in May 2010.

Maria Martin (20) holding up her thumb with the purple mark to show she voted.  Credit: Servaas van den Bosch/IPS

POLITICS-NAMIBIA: Born Frees Make their Mark

"It was like writing my first exam. I was nervous and didn’t want to make a mistake. I must have checked the ballot 10 times."

Some voters took up to eight hours to cast their ballots at the women's centre in Okuruyangava, one of Windhoek

NAMIBIA: Waiting at the Polls

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has again suspended the observer status of a human rights watchdog it accuses of lying about mistakes on the voter’s roll.

SWAPO supporter Martha Hamukoto and her friends show their new voter's cards. Credit: Servaas Van den Bosch/IPS

POLITICS-NAMIBIA: SWAPO’s Dominance Challenged

"Man RDP!" sighs Martha Hamukoto, sitting on the steps of a Windhoek office block. She is lamenting the breakaway faction, the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP).

Elections are still male-dominated in Namibia. Credit: Servaas van den Bosch/IPS

POLITICS-NAMIBIA: ‘Parties Totally Don’t Care About Women’s Rights’

Gender activists foresee a drop in female parliamentarians after Namibia’s general and presidential elections on November 27 and 28. It’s a trend that jeopardises the region’s goal of 50 percent female representation in politics by 2015.

POLITICS-BOTSWANA: I Lost the Election, But I Am a Winner

When Kgomotso Mogami threw her name into the hat to contest the Gaborone Central parliamentary seat it was easy for many people to write her off.

SOUTH SUDAN: Media Give Us a Fair Deal – Women

The guns have gone silent – except for sporadic conflict in parts of the vast South Sudan region, such as the Eastern Equatoria State. It may not be the absolute end of the conflict in the region, but it is a reason for renewed hope.

POLITICS-MOZAMBIQUE: Victory for Frelimo Amid Claims of Election Fraud

The incumbent, President Armando Guebuza, has won the Mozambican 2009 elections in a landslide, obtaining three quarters of the votes, according to official results.

Young Mozambicans turned out in their numbers to vote. Credit:

POLITICS-MOZAMBIQUE: Another Term for Incumbent President?

Mozambique’s incumbent president looks set to serve a second term of office as partial results of the country’s presidential, parliamentary and provincial elections are announced.

ZAMBIA: Give Us Our Constitution

Pressure is mounting for a new constitution that is inclusive of all citizens' views as the ongoing delays by the body granted to draft it still continues.

Ethiopia

ETHIOPIA: Ethnic Federalism Could Lead to Election Violence

Criticised as system of dividing and ruling people according to their ethnic groups, Ethiopia’s federalism has just become a bone of contention.

KENYA: Govt Fails to Keep Word on Tribunals

The Kenyan government has reneged on its commitments to call on independent, international tribunals to try perpetrators of 2007 post-election violence. This move is being criticised by Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York City-based organisation that advocates against human rights abuses.

Frelimo flies highest after low voter turnout. Credit:  Amandio Vilanculo/IPS

POLITICS-MOZAMBIQUE: Few Women Mayors This Term

Bad news for women: of the eight women running for mayor in Mozambique's municipal elections held on Nov. 19, only three won. Overall, 114 candidates ran for mayor in 43 municipalities.

Luzia Inglês Van-Dúnem -- plenty of powerful women in Angola Credit:  Louise Redvers/IPS

POLITICS-ANGOLA: A Tradition of Strong Women

She was orphaned by Angola's liberation struggle against Portugal, but through it she found a new family and a life-long inspiration.

Rita Muainga -- "If we rush, we can create problems. We wish to see Mozambique become modern without tossing aside our diverse roots."  Credit:  Paola Rolleta/IPS

POLITICS-MOZAMBIQUE: Fate and Merit

Two deaths in a row placed Rita Muianga at the helm of Xai-Xai's municipal council. In 2003, council presidents Ernesto Mausse and Faquir Bay died suddenly and successively. Rumours of witchcraft gripped Xai-Xai, a small town 220 kilometres north of Mozambique's capital, Maputo.

Moreno: seeking real decision-making power for women. Credit:  Paola Rolletta/IPS

POLITICS-MOZAMBIQUE: The Modern Face of Renamo

If Maria Moreno is elected president of the Municipal Council in Cuamba, in Niassa Province, Mozambique's parliament will lose one of its most interesting personalities.

MP Luzia Ingles -- women's views and needs may differ from those of men. Credit:  Louise Redvers/IPS

POLITICS-ANGOLA: Boys’ Club No Longer

Something looked very different at the inauguration of Angola’s newly elected parliament, held Tuesday at the Talatona Convention Centre in Luanda, the capital - this is not a boys' club any longer.

Opposition parties say the ruling MPLA is abusing state resources in campaigning. Credit:  IPS

POLITICS-ANGOLA: Some Parties More Equal Than Others

It seems like a playground game. Every day, Angola’s main opposition party sends teams out across Luanda to hang flags, posters and pictures of their leader Isaías Samakuva.

RIGHTS-ZIMBABWE: Towards Parity For Women In Politics

In a highly contested election marred by violence and held under very difficult economic conditions, Zimbabwean women politicians defied the odds to participate as candidates in the March 29th elections.

"The person with the least votes determines how the talks should go" -- protesters say no. Credit:  Stanley Kwenda/IPS

POLITICS-ZIMBABWE: Civil Society Demands More From Talks

A barrage of banners denouncing Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe greeted passersby in the well-manicured gardens of Johannesburg's Sandton Convention Centre, where that country's political crisis is high on the agenda of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit.

Clarisse Kaputu believes men are ready to listen to female politicians. Credit:  Loiuse Redvers/IPS

POLITICS-ANGOLA: Ambitious Plans For Women's Participation

Nearly a third of candidates in Angola's upcoming parliamentary elections are female, thanks to a new quota imposed by the government. The 30 percent rule was designed to bring more women into the country's parliament, but as campaigning gets under way, women continue to stay in Angola's political shadows, barely visible at rallies and with few holding senior party positions.

« Previous PageNext Page »


honourbound