Democracy is... ....
As democracy does.
If you've been with me for a while you know this already, but it bears repeating. Often. Democracy as a word is derived from Greek roots - demos kratos - people rule. Only, as in most things, on fake oligarch earth, it has been inverted to mean rule (of) people. A democracy today is any form of government that conforms to whatever current Western notions of that entail. As they seem to change by the hour any specific definition is a random target in a sporting clay tournament.
Over the past week I have been collecting election related stories as I came across them interspersed with my routine news sweeps. No searches or digs for them; just the ones populating that environment. They span 25 countries from Argentina to Zimbabwe, and Australia to Germany. This is presented mostly as a snapshot of, or window into, what democracy has devolved into today.
Argentina. Economy Minister (and presidential candidate) Sergio Massa is ramping up public spending in advance of the election October 22, possibly adding fuel to a 124% inflation rate fire. This was taking the form of twin payouts of 94K pesos to workers in October and November funded by an an extraordinary tax on banks and corporations who have benefited from the 18% devaluation in the currency, he says was required by IMF conditions for a $44B loan. ◾ In addition, he requested to defer the October payment of $2.6B until after the election. ◾ Meanwhile, front runner candidate Javier Milei, “anarcho-capitalist”, is poised to win the election and owes much of his popularity to promising to “dollarize” the country's economy. ◾ At the end of the recent debates Milei leads at 46% and Massa stands in third place with 17%.
Australia. MP Meryl Swanson waa found to possibly be encouraging election fraud using the hashtag #voteoften on a SM post seven days in advance of a referendum vote. ◾ The day before the Australian Electoral Commission was being accused of “instructing voters on how to cheat” by telling them that if they voted in more than one polling place all the votes would count.
Bangladesh. Seems like the US just can't stand a little Chinese competition. They have strained relations in the country by interfering in the upcoming January election. Visa restrictions and/or sanctions have been issued for government officials, opposition members, law enforcement, and judiciary staff. State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, explains the goal is to foster a “fair” election.
Bolivia. Evo Morales announces his candidacy for the 2025 election. MAS party officials state he is their exclusive candidate. As the current President Luis Acre and VP David Choquehuanca, both of the same party chose not to attend, he announced them as being “self expelled”.
Comoros. National general elections are scheduled for January 14.
Incumbent (since 1999) leader and current President of the African Union, Azali Assoumani, is standing for re-election. The largest coalition of opposition is threatening to boycott. Since many opponents have been imprisoned through those years, much of the organization for it comes from abroad.
Democratic Republic of Congo. The ruling coalition has nominated current President Feliz Antoine Tshisekedi for re-election in their December 20 election. He was the unanimous pick of the coalition congress. Son of a beloved long term opposition leader, he has been accused of not fulfilling past campaign promises in his first term.
Ecuador. Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio did not die in vain. US military will now be stationed in the country. And its waters. No official releases but some locals have reported agreements on these arrangements were struck during a recent private briefing in DC between President Guillermo Lasso, and representatives of the Pentagon, US Coast Guard, and select Congressional persons. Elections occur on October 15. ◾ The US offers a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the assassins. Ecuadorian police have arrested six Columbians so far. In addition a $1 million reward is offered for information for key leadership identities in the group ultimately found responsible.
Egypt. President Al-Sissi appeared on television to present his “third term dream”, telling the population that they can choose between poverty or development. Some passages seemed threatening, possibly towards intelligence services who aren't exactly fans. The rhetoric described possible uses for $65B - to destabilize the country by giving 100,000 disadvantaged people each 1000 Egyptian pounds to lead the riot. (Seems like I saw that figure being withheld from US aid payments by the new committee leader replacing the one who stepped down due to his recent arrest! 😏)
El Salvador. President Nayib Bukele will run for a third term, even though it is not constitutional. The Supreme Court, packed with his appointees, approved a potential third term in 2021. His polling for the February 4 election is above 68%; the next closest competitor is at just 4%.
Eswatini. Last week's Sept 29 parliamentary elections were peaceful and orderly. SADC and AU observer missions reported. (How novel.)
Germany. An important political leader for the AfD party has been poisoned, his situation is critical and he is, so far, unresponsive for all types of medical treatment. Allegedly, according to Pro-AfD accounts, two Caucasian males have been apprehended by the local police for suspicion in poisoning the politician, they are still awaiting further clarification.
Guatemala. US expresses “grave concerns” over the national Public Ministry (equivalent to Department of Justice) “trying to undermine the transfer of power” to Bernardo Arevalo, winner of the August election. Last week they raided the Supreme Electoral Tribunal for at least 20 hours and seized boxes holding tabulations from the voting count. (You guessed. Moar visa restrictions for these anti democracy nut jobs doing theirs.) ◾ Meanwhile the ever helpful road blocking protesters helped lend credence to the sadness and pain over this event. ◾ Bernardo takes a trip to DC for commiseration with Joe Biden and Jake Sullivan. ◾ Mexico's President Obrador said “We will help Guatemala, and it will be reciprocal”. Adding that there was no basis for disagreement on the election. (Note: his own for next year is getting hotly contested.)
Liberia. UN is “concerned” over violence ahead of next week’s elections. (Can't imagine why; the US already fixed it, remember?)
Libya. The House of Representatives (east/Benghazi) passed a law on Oct 2, mandating elections within 240 days. A unified government must be formed which would be responsible for failure to hold elections. No corresponding action seems to be coming from the High State Council (west/Tripoli) or the internationally recognized Government of National Unity as yet.
Madagascar. Our opposition candidates crew scheduled a rally at a civic sports center, first denied by the HCC, but which was later given approval from a magistrate.
Maldives. Pro China candidate Muizzu wins presidency, considered a defeat for India.
Mexico. Pollsters were attacked; two killed and one kidnapped in Juarez, Chiapas. They were polling for the Morena party which President Obrador is head of. The local media reported that the murdered two had a handwritten sign left by them from the Jalisco cartel threatening the government although this was not confirmed by authorities.
Moldova. Censorship took a sharp turn upward ahead of municipal elections. The national Information and Security Service has received the right to block sites at its discretion. The threat of “Russian influence” is so grave it needed the assistance of USAID, the US embassy, a network of other NGOs, and the freshly created Center for Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation legislated in August.
Poland. Duda's government is feeling the heat. Hundreds of thousands (some estimates neared one million) marched in the streets of Warsaw. Just two weeks ahead of the October 15 elections.
Senegal. Opposition candidate Ousmane Sonko files two new appeals to the Senegalese Supreme Court and another to the Tribunal d’instance de Ziguinchor in the south of the country after his ECOWAS appeal.
Seychelles. The main opposition leader and seven others were charged with allegations of witchcraft. Patrick Herminie, a medical doctor, plans to run for president in the 2025 election. He claims to be politically targeted. (I'll give him points for the most authentic witch hunt!)
Slovakia. Former two time PM Robert Fico came out on top in the recent Parliamentary elections. But with only 23% of the votes that requires a coalition to be formed which is still a long way from complete. His resonance with the electorate was a promise to end Slovakian support for Ukraine. ◾ Hungarian PM Viktor Orban was effusive in his congratulations. ◾ Despite the 2nd place finish the current President, Zuzana Caputova, at first claimed to respect that position and was suspending war cooperation, but then waddled back on it the next day. Seems to be a move calculated to place pressure on the 3rd place finisher, Peter Pellegrini, whose support base is the EU. If he joins Fico, color revolution is sure to follow. If he doesn't there's less likely to be a coalition formed at all. (A watch and see.)
Tunisia. Police arrest another opposition opponent. Abir Moussi was detained at the entrance to the Carthage Palace, after she went there to file a required appeal in order to place a subsequent one with the Administrative Court.
Uganda. Main opposition candidate, Bobi Wine, was arrested at the Entebbe International Airport as he arrived from abroad. He is challenging Yowen Museveni, who has been in power since 1986. ◾ They subsequently arrested 40 others for “inciting violence”, due to a protest planned upon the arrival of the candidate.
Zimbabwe. CCC (Citizen Coalition for Change) is challenging (again) the Zimbabwean election of last month. Mostly bluster based upon a few members of SADC agreeing to “problems” in the election. A long road not likely to prosper. But the ruling party spokesman said that “the Americans and Europeans were outflanked in their sinister designs on us, our resources, and thereby, our country”. (Guess whining won't help much, unless they have a better “good” coup in the basket.)
Escalation is still everywhere. And on every front. We'll keep the election stuff separate for now, but it's still part and parcel of the same war. But the extreme panic level we are seeing tells us, yet again, victory is assured. So grab a drink this weekend and find the pearls among the swine!
To be continued.
I'm going to quote you.