Tag "democracy"
The Georgian Dream, Saakashvili, and the E.U.
In November 2020, Georgia’s incumbent Georgian Dream party won a third term in parliamentary elections with 48% of the vote. The country’s main opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), condemned the result as “illegitimate.” Georgia has since been gripped by a political crisis: a democratic retreat, the return of controversial former prime minister Mikheil Saakashvili, and disputes with the EU have all fanned the flames of political tension. Yet as Georgia’s young democracy comes under pressure, it remains a country with favourable conditions for a prosperous and open future.
Elections called in a Contested Ethiopia
The political crisis in the North of Ethiopia is currently one of the most notorious humanitarian disasters in global affairs. The tragedy and ferocity of the conflict has sometimes distracted from it’s trigger: the delay of the 2020 federal & regional elections. Now, one year since their postponement, Ethiopians head to the polls to contest the leading Prosperity Party’s grip on power. Whether this will prove to be an opportunity to strengthen the country’s democratic institutions or a gateway to further crises remains to be seen.
Potential Backlash of EU Sanctions for People of Myanmar
Countries around the world have had conflicting responses to the military coup that removed Aung San Suu Kyi and replaced Myanmar’s democratically elected government with the Tatmadaw. While some countries, such as the United States, are choosing to target specific members of this junta, the bloc of nations that comprise the European Union (EU) are considering targeting military businesses with sanctions following the violent crackdown that has left 61 peaceful protesters dead. If the EU places sanctions on these junta affiliated conglomerates, a true quagmire will reveal itself, as the general population in Myanmar will be the most afflicted.
Are COVID-19 Measures Being Used to Stifle Democracy in Africa?
The global pandemic presents a unique challenge to democracy in sub-Saharan Africa. Aside from making it more difficult and more expensive to carry out elections, there is an emerging worry that democratic activity will be suppressed in the name of ‘stopping the spread’.
Fake News, Soft Authoritarianism and Challenges to Digital Democracy in Africa
On 27 December 2020, voters headed to the polls across the Central African Republic, one of the continent’s most fragile democracies. The elections were overshadowed by violence as covert disinformation campaigns, waged from Paris and Moscow, sought to inflame communal tensions across the fractured country. Facebook subsequently released a statement, claiming that the platform had removed multiple networks of ‘coordinated inauthentic behaviour’ traced back to the French and Russian militaries whose influence extended far beyond the Central African Republic, encompassing over a dozen African countries, from Algeria to Cameroon. However, this latest incident represents merely the tip of the iceberg of the far more pervasive and increasingly widespread challenge posed by the proliferation of digital media across the continent’s fledgling democracies.
The Capitol Riots: How Have America’s Two Biggest Rivals Reacted?
The January 6th storming of the US capitol caused outrage amongst a large number of world leaders. Some of these dissenting world leaders, however, are now using the event as a central tactical argument to shore up their authoritarian regimes. Whilst there was a consistent display of shock and outrage from many governments, two of America’s principal rivals took a particularly different approach to the event. Both Russia and China have used the event as an instrument of propaganda at a time when stirring xenophoic and nationalist sentiment are important tools in Xi and Putin’s tactical arsenal.
America at a Crossroads: Split Strategies in the Republican Party As They Wrestle with the Future of Trumpism
The Trump presidency was a stress test on US democratic institutions, exemplified by the insurrection in Washington over the presidential transition. While it may appear that America sits at a
Benin’s Democracy: What has happened to it?
The aftermath of April’s legislative elections in Benin laid bare the public’s displeasure with President Patrice Talon’s administration.
Will Abiy Ahmed usher in a new Ethiopia?
Dr Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia’s reforming PM, has stimulated outlandish optimism for Ethiopia’s future. However, the country is beset with challenges. The young PM hopes to bring lasting stability and democracy through social change. Is that enough?
Nigeria: soon to be Africa’s largest democracy?
Previous elections in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, have been plagued by violence and election fraud. Amidst a backdrop of heightened insecurity fuelled by political tensions in the region, Saturday’s election will be decisive in defining Nigeria’s role on the global stage. They will also be fundamental in determining investor confidence and characterising Africa’s relationship with democracy.
