Myanmar

Now For the Rest of the Sham Referendum

Joe Mathews — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:18:00 -0400

Even as it continued to bar relief efforts and starve its people, the military junta in Myanmar finished up the rest of its referendum on a new constitution this weekend by holding "voting" in the very areas affected by the cyclone. (Voting in the parts of the country not affected by the cyclone took place two weeks ago).

Myanmar Junta Appears to "Win" Sham Referendum

Joe Mathews — Sat, 10 May 2008 22:51:00 -0400

In the most deplorable conditions imaginable. The referendum result enshrines the rule of the military junta in the constitution. From AP.

Junta Won't Postpone Sham Referendum

Joe Mathews — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:45:00 -0400

The military junta running Myanmar (formerly Burma) has been slow in responding to the death and devastation caused by a tropical cyclone over the weekend. But even with much of the country in ruins, the junta is going forward with a sham referendum this Saturday, May 10, on a new constitution that will enshrine the dictatorship there.

From Our Foreign Bureaus: Sarkozy Will Seek Turkey Vote

Joe Mathews — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:37:00 -0400

'THE AMERICAN' WANTS TURKEY REFERENDUM: Frenc h President Sarkozy continues to oppose allowing Turkey to join the European Union. Now he says that he's prepared to call a referendum in his country on whether to support it.

THE WORST REFERENDUM IN THE WORLD: The Burmese have arrested about 60 people who dared to campaign for the "no" side in the sham May 10 constitutional referendum being staged by the military junta there. The rules for the vote mock all notions of fairness and democracy. Domestic media also were formally barred from reporting on the referendum this week.

CAYMAN CONSTITUTION: The Cayman Islands is planning a new constitution, and that could require multiple votes by the public.

From Our Foreign Bureaus: Bar Codes in Ghana

Joe Mathews — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:53:00 -0400

BAR CODES: Ghana considers adding bar codes to its ballots to protect against errors and fraud.

TAIWAN REFERENDUM DIDN'T MEASURE UP: Foreign observers took a hard look at procedures in the Taiwanese referenda on joining the U.N., and didn't like what they saw.

NO VOTE ON OIL PIPELINE: The Bulgarian opposition has blocked an effort to let Bulgarians vote on whether to establish an oil pipeline. The pipeline has been passed by Parliament. The winner? Vladimir Putin. Russia can use the pipeline to send its oil from the Black Sea to the Aegean.

JOINING THE IRISH? Czech communists are proposing a national referendum of the Lisbon Treaty.

MONKS BARRED FROM BALLOT: Burmese monks won't be able to vote in their country's constitutional referendum, an election that clearly won't meet any common sense standard of fairness.

From Our Virtual Foreign Bureaus: The Morning 'No's

Joe Mathews — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:44:00 -0400

NO VOTE FOR EU TREATY: Brits want to vote on the highly unpopular EU Reform Treaty, also known as the Lisbon Treaty. This is the new European Union treaty negotiated last year to replace the proposed EU constitution that Dutch and French voters previously rejected on the ballot. What’s important about the constitution to those interested in blockbuster democracy? It includes a provision for a EU-wide referendum – which would be the first example of a transnational referendum in the world.

Aaah, but Labor PMs vote not to put the matter to a vote of the people. Of the 27 member states in the EU, only Ireland will let its people vote on the treaty.

NO SUPERVISION FOR BURMESE VOTE: No UN observers at Myanmar’s constitutional referendum. The junta, which killed and imprisoned monks during a crackdown against anti-government demonstrations last September, has banned speeches or writings about the referendum. The Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi would be banned under the proposed constitution from running for office because she was married to a foreigner.

NO TO TAIWAN VOTE, NORTH KOREA SAYS: The North Koreans don’t like direct democracy any better than they like democracy. Pyongyang has issued its official condemnation of Taiwan’s March 22 referendum on joining the United Nations. Countries all over the world, not to mention the http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gckrzWLtVQkoRXpUQ62dsVMTgOig)">EU have been falling all over themselves to blast Taiwan’s vote as a way of ingratiating themselves with China. On the Taiwan vote, Europe and the North Koreans have the same position. Taiwan lost its UN seat to the mainland in 1971.