Posts Tagged ‘elections’
October 19th, 2010
Egyptian authorities have continued their
pre-election crackdown on the independent media. Most recently private production companies that provide live broadcast services to independent television stations have had their
licences revoked. It is reported that they will have to
broadcast directly from studios affiliated with the state in order to receive new licences. The move follows the
sacking of an opposition newspaper editor, the refusal to allow entrance to international monitors, and
restrictions on sending out mass text messages.
Critics say this is bound to inhibit reporting in the run-up to both November’s parliamentary elections and next year’s presidential poll.
October 13th, 2010
Unconfirmed reports suggest the ruling military junta in Burma plans to
release of thousands of prisoners early to allow them to vote in November’s elections. The total number of detainees set for release is
reportedly 11,000. It is not yet clear whether any of Burma’s 2,200 political prisoners will be freed. Detained pro-democracy leader,
Aung San Suu Kyi, has been banned from running in the elections — the first in the country for 20 years — and there are
fears that the voting process will be heavily controlled by the government. Under the new constitution some 25% of seats are guaranteed for the military.
October 6th, 2010
A newspaper editor known for his
satirical columns attacking the government has been
fired. Ibrahim Eissa, editor-in-chief of the daily al Dustur,
said he had not been told why he was dismissed, but believed it was in connection with an article written by prominent opposition figure
Mohamed ElBaradei. When publishers told Eissa not to publish the article, he objected and was sacked just hours later. Reporters for al Dustur have gone on
strike to protest the dismissal. Eissa’s sacking follows the recent cancellation of the talk show he hosted on private satellite television.
August 17th, 2010
Brazil has
banned broadcasters from showing programmes that poke fun at the country’s presidential candidates. Ridiculing the candidates could result in a fine or even licence suspension. Brazilian producers and comedians intend to fight the ban, with one comparing it to a Monty Python sketch. It is not the first time that politics and comedy have collided in Latin America. In July, a Nicaraguan comic revealed he was
offered money not to ridicule presidential candidate Daniel Ortega in his performances.
July 16th, 2010
A
fourth newspaper has been forced to close in Kuala Lumpur following the government’s crackdown on publishing licenses. The suspension of Hakhah’s printing office follows the closure of the newspapers Suara Keadilan, Kabar Era Pakatan and Rocket on 30 June. Suara Keadilan, a leading critical voice in Malaysia, is reported to have been shut down for
“publishing false news that could incite public unrest”. Local activists claim that Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government is attempting to silence critical publications ahead of national elections. Media regulators state they are applying broadcasting law uniformly.
July 12th, 2010
Opposition newspaper
Al Intibaha, was “
suspended indefinitely” on Tuesday 6 July, according to the
Sudanese Media Centre. The move comes ahead of January’s referendum on whether the north and south regions of Sudan should become independent states. The head of the Sudanese intelligent services
says the closure designed to “contain the negative role played by the paper in strengthening separatist agendas in both south and north Sudan.” The editors of two other newspapers, Al-Tayyar and Al-Ahdath, were contacted by government authorities and forced to rescind articles about conflicts in the south. President Omar Hassan al-Bashir is against independence and has called for Sudan to remain united.
July 2nd, 2010
Sir Tom Stoppard grills Belarusian ambassador over the Lukashenko government’s poor record on free speech (more…)
June 8th, 2010
Police in Somaliland
arrested three journalists and six others last Wednesday (2 June), after activists leased a house next to that of the region’s president and used it to display a flag in support of the opposition Kulmiye party. Speaking from prison, one of the journalists, Mohamed Said, claimed that he was arrested after he filmed police beating a group of opposition supporters. The arrests come during the run-up to a presidential election scheduled for 26 June.
