Iraq’s electoral commission has urged Iraqi political parties to wait for the announcement of official results before declaring victory in the country’s parliamentary poll.

Farag al-Haidary, the chairman of the commission, made the appeal in a news conference on Sunday as election officials began counting the ballots following the close of polls.

“The commission calls on all political parties leaders and the Iraqi people to wait until the election outcomes are formally and officially released, as the commission needs a great amount of time in order to reach the rightful conclusion,” he said.

“So far no tangible results have been reached.

“[But] there is no doubt that the outcome will pave the way for a new era of democratic system and peaceful rotation of power.”

The commission is to announce preliminary results from the election on March 10-11, based on votes from about 30 per cent of the polling stations.

The supreme court would then certify the poll results, after hearing appeals, within about a month of the election.

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Democracy is more than just an election. After all, it is possible to have elections and not to have democracy. Elections are simply a means to produce rule by the people. In order for them to be legitimate, they must be free, fair and just.

To have a democratic system, it is essential to preserve judicial independence and the rule of law, as well as fundamental rights and freedoms. By its very nature, a theocratic and military regime is essentially undemocratic and cannot carry out free and fair elections -simply because it does not believe in democracy. Evidence for this is the fact that the current NCP (previously known as National Islamic Front or NIF) came to power through a military coup that toppled a democratically elected government. Even today some of its members avoid talking about democracy and believe that democracy is a form of infidelity.

Democracy entails freedom of thought, organization and expression. It ensures that all citizens are equal before the law, have equal access to power and that freedom is generally protected by constitutional law. The absence of judicial independence and the violation of the rule of law by state officials in Sudan mean that democratic elections simply cannot take place.

The NCP used its mechanical majority in the unelected parliament to pass a Penal Code which gives regional governors the right to curtail freedom of expression and organization. In addition it used the same majority to pass the National Security Act, which allows security and intelligence personnel to violate the constitutional rights of citizens by detaining them for several months without a judicial warrant. It also gives the security and intelligence personnel legal immunity that prevents accountability. Thus, democratic elections have become a complete delusion.

In the case of the April 2010 general elections, the ruling group has already prepared its results. The rigging began with the injection of about 10 million false names into the electoral register allowing the Electoral Commission to claim that 16 million people (80% of the enfranchised population) have registered. Once the elections are over it will appear as if 80% (12.8 million voters) or even 90% of those registered have voted. With a turnout of over 80% the NCP will be able to claim (indeed one of them already has claimed) that it is in advance of well-established democracies around the world. Considering the NCP’s history of electoral fraud this is a completely plausible scenario – once we accept it, it becomes possible to predict the outcome of these elections.

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Chanting “Viva, Nelson Mandela, Viva,” thousands of South Africans marked 20 years on Thursday since the anti-apartheid icon walked to freedom after 27 years as a political prisoner.

Now a frail 91-year-old, Mandela did not attend the celebrations at the Drakenstein Prison near Cape Town, although a huge bronze statue of him marching from jail, fist pumping the air, towered over the crowd much as Mandela’s image towers over South African politics and society to this day.

Among the predominantly black crowd of well-wishers waving the black, green and gold flags of Mandela’s African National Congress (ANC) were fellow “struggle” heroes present on that momentous Sunday two decades ago. “It was all a bit chaotic and I must tell you we were unprepared,” said millionaire businessman Cyril Ramaphosa — then a senior mining union and ANC official — recalling the chaotic scenes that followed Mandela’s release.

Unbanned only nine days previously, ANC leaders were given just 24 hours’ notice to prepare for the release of Mandela, who four years later would become the first black president of a country dominated by a white minority for 300 years.

Mandela’s push for reconciliation during his 1994 to 1999 presidency is credited with unifying the racially divided nation and laying the foundations of the democracy that oversees the continent’s biggest economy.

“He means a lot to the country, from his release, even still today,” said conservationist Elizabeth Davids (42).

“He freed us all from apartheid. Before we never mixed with each other, coloureds, whites and blacks were separate but now we all mix together and are like one nation.”

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A French parliament report called Tuesday for a ban on the full Islamic veil in all schools, hospitals, public transport and government offices, saying the burqa was an affront to French values.

“The wearing of the full veil is a challenge to our republic. This is unacceptable,” the report released by a parliament commission said. “We must condemn this excess.”

After six months of hearings, the panel of 32 lawmakers recommended a ban on the face-covering veil in all state-run institutions and offices, the broadest move yet to restrict Muslim dress in France.

The commission called on parliament to adopt a formal resolution stating that the burqa was “contrary to the values of the republic” and proclaiming that “all of France is saying ‘no’ to the full veil.”

Women who turn up at government offices wearing the full veil should be denied services such as a work visa, residency papers or French citizenship, the report recommended.

The panel however stopped short of proposing broad legislation to outlaw the burqa on the streets or in shopping centres after cautioning that such a move would have to be reviewed by the courts to establish its legality.

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Jack Straw has said the decision to back the Iraq invasion was “the most difficult decision” he had ever taken.

In written evidence to the Iraq inquiry, the former foreign secretary described the issue as a “profoundly difficult moral and political dilemma”.

Appearing in person, Mr Straw said he regarded regime change as the objective of military action in Iraq as “improper and unlawful” and never supported it.

He is the first serving cabinet minister to give evidence.

In a written statement published as he began to be questioned, Mr Straw said he was “fully aware” that, as foreign secretary, his support for military action would be “critical” if the UK was to commit troops.

“If I had refused that, the UK’s participation in the military action would not have been possible,” he said. “There would almost certainly have been no majority in cabinet or in the Commons.”

During the first hour of a planned three-hour appearance before the inquiry, Mr Straw pointed out that US had backed the principle of regime change in Iraq since 1998 but this was never British policy.

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The Republic of Moldova stepped into the New Year with many difficulties and troubles. The country is depressed following the consequences of the so-called ‘colored revolution,’ two excruciating electoral campaigns and four failed attempts to elect a head of state in parliament. In addition, the global economic crisis and Moldova’s deep social and constitutional crisis further outlines the difficult situations that will ultimately reap heavy consequences. Moldova finds itself in a dramatic situation, with a destroyed economy, a constitutional crisis and once again the holding of new parliamentary elections. Citizens now will wait to see if an ‘economic miracle’ can be spurred by the new ruling parties that consist of members from AEI (Alliance for European Integration).

Bipolar crisis or how the Moldovan political scene is preparing for elections in the fall

The turning point in Moldovan politics was achieved following the July 29^th election and as a result is changing the balance of power in parliament. Now, Moldova’s political actors have switched places. Former opposition members have become the ruling parties, and the old governing factions have become the opposition. The Communist Party formed the parliamentary opposition in the last elections and obtained 44.69% now permitting it to obstruct parliamentary votes on draft bills proposed by the AEI.

The present political scene is split between two political poles and both are faced with internal problems. The AEI, while faced with internal discord, vehemently denies any such allegations. Alliance Our Moldova, a component party of the Alliance for European Integration, is confronted with serious internal divisions and, in accordance with the Public Opinion Barometer, has seen a marked decline in its image. This political formation can be considered the most vulnerable element of the Alliance. But other member parties of AEI, especially the Liberal-Democrat Party and the Democrat Party, noted the rise of their image and popularity. Some political analysts have serious doubts over the homogeneity and integrity of the AEI. Some believe the Alliance will not resist for long, being composed of four parties that are quite doctrinally different. But it’s durability and perpetuation depends on the ability of member parties to work together and the solidarity that is shown them during their activity.

On the other hand, the Communist Party also has internal divisions. The departure of four members of the party followed by the possible defection of some allied regional organizations, significantly weaken its positioning. But indifferent to these developments, the Communist Party relies significantly on future elections.

Departing members of Alliance  “Our Moldova” and the Communist Party led to the political return of parties such as the Action European Movement party and the United Moldova party.

It seems that the two poles of Moldovan politics have reached an impasse. Things should be made clear by this summer, to enable voters to decide their ‘political favorites’ until the fall elections.

Eugen Bejenaru is a political observer.

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In 1992, a serious debate whose general sense was that parliamentary institutions are becoming meaningless started in the USA. Even partisans of the present political process admit that times are changing. A New Order is coming which will probably be a technodemocracy. Even opponents of said technodemocracy fully admit that the representative system is increasingly sick- lobbies are too powerful; money is all-pervasive and omnipotent; the cost of politics has soared so much that any politician must either be born rich or sell himself to financiers. Democracy was supposed to foster equality, while the privilege of money is increasingly with us.

On the other hand, defenders of the old order are cynical about all known alternatives. They concede that nothing will stop electronic democracy someday, but are afraid that such evolution will empower the man in the street, i.e. a mass of persons unqualified and unfit to govern- the easy prey of demagogues and charlatans. They are right if by direct democracy they intend that every member of the population is sovereign but they don’t accept that cutting the number of active or sovereign citizens will be a simple task. However, their warnings of danger and their calls to arms against the electronic enemy confirm to the contrary that the Information Society will not tolerate the ‘old ways’ forever. When the current parliamentary system will result in unacceptable inefficiency, the only choice apart from dictatorship will be some form of limited, selective direct democracy.

Barack Obama and his dramatic ascent to power has inspired a raft of books and articles. Now a German musical is set to pay an all-singing, all-dancing tribute to the world’s most powerful man. Hope! will soon premiere in Frankfurt.

“I had the initial idea right at the start of Obama’s electoral campaign,” American writer and composer Randall Hutchins told Der Spiegel. “I found the atmosphere exciting and that was my inspiration. People hoped change would result in a better life. It was a beautiful, very social time.”

As well as charting Obama’s political career, the plot follows a group of residents in an apartment-sharing community. There is a politically disillusioned unemployed Puerto Rican, an ultra conservative widow of German origin and a committed African-American political activist.

During the course of the performance, they all become infected by Obama’s message of change. “People from a variety of backgrounds and political camps are united by their hope for a new start,” a press release about the show explains.

Read more here.

Burma’s military government chief, Snr-Gen Than Shwe, marked the 62nd anniversary of the country’s independence from Britain in the capital Naypyidaw on Monday morning with a statement promising an election this year, but offered no date or timetable for a democratic process.

“Plans are underway to hold elections in a systematic way this year,” Than Shwe said. However, he warned Burmese people to “remain vigilant at all times against dangers posed by neocolonialists.”

In what many observers understood to be a further warning, he said, “The entire population has to make the correct choice.”

Political opposition parties in Burma and many analysts have denounced the scheduled election as a sham designed to cement the ruling generals’ grip over the country. More than 2,000 political prisoners remain behind bars in Burma, including pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi who is not expected to be released to contest the election.

Meanwhile, about 500 members of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party hosted diplomats, veteran politicians, ethnic leaders and supporters at an Independence Day party at the opposition’s Rangoon’s headquarters on Monday.

In a statement released on Monday, the NLD called for the immediate release of all political prisoners, including Suu Kyi, her deputy Tin Oo, members of the 88 Students Generation group, Buddhist monks and ethnic leaders such as U Khun Tun Oo , an elected parliamentarian and chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy who in November 2005 was sentenced to 93 years in prison.

It also called on the Burmese junta to allow all political opposition offices in the country to open, something that was banned after the country’s last election in 1990.

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At least two dozen people who were kidnapped on Monday were found dead, many of them beheaded, in the province of Maguindanao in southern Philippines, officials said. President Gloria Arroyo condemned the killings in the strongest terms and ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), through acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, and the police through Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno to direct their units to conduct immediate and relentless pursuit of the perpetrators, says The Manila Times.

Gonzales and acting military Chief of Staff Gen. Rodrigo Maclang were also ordered by President Arroyo to proceed to Maguindanao today to personally oversee military action against the attackers.

No effort would be spared to bring justice to the victims and hold the perpetrators accountable to the full extent of the law, the President said.

Civilized society has no place for this kind of violence, Mrs. Arroyo added, as she assured that the rule of law would be restored in the area and the lawless elements neutralized.

Most of those killed supposedly were relatives and supporters of Pax Mangudadatu, who is running for governor in Maguindanao in next year’s elections.

“What we learned is that at least 41 people were seized in Ampatuan town and many of there were reported killed, including women and probably journalists. We are still gathering more information about this gruesome incident,” said Eid Kabalu, a senior leader of the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Kabalu added that politics could be behind the killings. Those abducted were on their way to the poll office in Shariff Aguak town to file the candidacy of Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu of Buluan town.

Ponce said that among those seized were the wife of Vice Mayor Mangudadatu and his sister and other relatives.

It was reported that the wife and relatives of the vice mayor, along with several journalists, were kidnapped by more than a hundred gunmen. It quoted the vice mayor as saying that his wife, Jenalyn, and some relatives were on their way to file a certificate of candidacy on his behalf when the group of unidentified men forcibly took them.

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