Mass protests in the Dominican Republic after suspended municipal elections
Protesters in the Dominican Republic have taken to the streets after the countries election board abruptly canceled municipal elections on February 16 four hours after they had begun, claiming technical difficulties with the electronic voting system. Voters in the Dominican Republic, however, were alleging sabotage ahead of the countries presidential [...]
Somalia headed toward first inclusive elections in five decades
The president of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, on Friday has signed into law a new bill that could lead the country to hold its first democratic elections in 50 years. The law is set to replace a system in which clan elders nominated delegates who elected members of parliament who [...]
UN report identifies inequality as threat to democracy
Last week, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) has issued its World Social Report 2020. In it, the UNDESA traces the impacts of four megatrends on inequality, namel technological innovation, climate change, urbanization and international migration. In its executive summary, the report states that “the extraordinary [...]
Virginia to abolish day that honors confederate generals, votes to make election day a holiday instead
The House in the Commonwealth of Virginia voted to abolish Lee-Jackson Day as a state holiday. The holiday that is observed on the Friday before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January commemorates two confederate civil war generals who defended slavery. Instead, Virginia is set to make election day a [...]
Switzerland votes to make anti LGBT discrimination a crime
Switzerland on Sunday became one of the last European countries to extend protection against discrimination to lesbians, gay men and bisexual people. In a referendum that was called by the far-right Swiss Peoples Party (SVP) in opposition to a law that was designed to extending anti-racism legislation to cover sexual [...]
A Center-Far Right Alliance in Germany Falters After 24 Hours under Intense Public Pressure – Newly Elected Minister President of Thuringia to Step Down
The parliament in the German state of Thuringia yesterday elected Thomas Kemmerich of the pro-business party FDP to become the new Minister President (roughly equivalent to a Prime Minister). Kemmerich, whose party had just barely cleared the 5 percentage point threshold at the October 27, 2019 state elections, was elected [...]