One Week of Winter... ....Election Fun
2024's first tally
We knew mostly what to expect, but so far a great deal of the potential damage has been minimized. The narrative makers have not slowed down, though. Just been fairly ineffective (or neutralized!), so far. In this batch.
Hood up, engine on display; let's have a look!
🍏🍎🍐🍊
🐦⬛️ 🇵🇰 Former Prime Minister of Pakistan sentenced to 10 years in prison
In a process called the “Shifra Case”, Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his deputy Shah Mahmood Qureshi were each sentenced to 10 years in prison. The “Shifra case” is one of 150 trials pending against Khan, with charges ranging from contempt of court to terrorism and incitement to violence.
🇺🇸 During his address, Khan said that his ouster was an American conspiracy allegedly carried out by the Pakistani army and government in Islamabad.
In the attached video is a speech by Khan from 2022 where he spoke against the west.
🚀 t.me/istocni_front 🔸
🇿🇦 Foreign powers could meddle in South Africa's upcoming elections because of the country's ICJ case against Israel, President Ramaphosa warns
Such “fightback” in the form of meddling could potentially threaten the ruling African National Congress's majority, Cyril Ramaphosa said at a meeting of the party.
“The fightback may also focus on our domestic politics and our electoral outcomes in order to pursue the regime change agenda,” Ramaphosa warned the party members ahead of the 2024 elections, which must take place by August.
Zimbabwe: Opposition Leader Chamisa Says He Is Receiving Death Threats After Quitting Party
[New Zimbabwe] Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa says threats have been made on his life following his resignation from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
Chamisa revealed this in an X post on Sunday but did not disclose any further details.
He quit the “hijacked” CCC which he formed a year ago citing 84 reasons in a 13 paged letter.
This followed an onslaught on the party by self-imposed secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu who has been recalling CCC MPs and councillors.
“Thank you Zimbabwe for standing with me.” Read More 🔸
🇵🇰 PTI candidate Rehan Zeb Khan shot dead
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidate Rehan Zeb Khan was shot dead on Wednesday in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, police said.
👮 Rehan was present in Sadiqabad Phatak Bazar area of the tribal district in connection with the election campaign when unidentified assailants fired upon him, leaving him dead on the spot. @geo_gaganauts 🔸
🍏🍎🍐🍊
🐦⬛️ 🇵🇰 Baloch separatists attack the town of Mah in Balochistan, Pakistan
▪Pakistani security forces and the army managed to repulse an armed attack by Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militants in the city of Mak in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.
🚀 t.me/istocni_front 🔸
🔸…and now the decoding. In Pakistan, most likely the former prime minister was arrested and imprisoned for life. But these are minor things. Happens to everyone. Except he’s the leader of the anti-American opposition, and in a couple of weeks (more precisely, a week+) there are elections in Pakistan.
t.me/incognitoraf 🔸
🇱🇾 Hackers hacked the electronic system of the Libyan High Electoral Commission
Local sources report this.
The hacker group Daily Dark Web claims that it was able to hack the system of the High Election Commission of Libya and gained access to all the data of voters, candidates, as well as commission employees. Hackers gained access to all email addresses and the voice call system.
In 2021, after the announcement of Seif al-Islam Gaddafi's admission to participate in the elections, people went to the polling stations in droves to receive a voter card. Until this moment, no one really cared about the elections. Therefore, there is really a lot of personal data in the system.
Due to the fact that no one wants to hold elections in Libya, it is quite possible that this hack could be used as an excuse to postpone them.
We told you why elections in Libya did not take place in 2021 here .
UPD: Libya's High Electoral Commission has denied news of its system being hacked. Arab Africa 🔸
🇵🇰 What is Imran Khan accused of?
▪️“Cypher case”: Khan was accused of exposing state secrets by waving a confidential document at a rally. Khan claimed the document was proof he was being threatened and that his ouster was a U.S. conspiracy. On 30 January 2024, Khan was convicted and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment over the case.
▪️ Corruption allegations: Khan was sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of misusing his office as PM (2018-2022) to allegedly buy and sell gifts worth more than 140 million rupees. Although this sentence was suspended, a special court in Islamabad ordered him to remain in prison for the 'Cypher case'.
▪️ Toshakhana case: Khan failed to disclose the specifics of the Toshakhana presents in his yearly asset report to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The latest development is that Khan and his wife have been sentenced to 14 years in jail.
▪️ Khan will not be on the ballot in the 8 February elections, as he has 150 other cases pending against him, including several ongoing charges of corruption, unlawful marriage, terrorism and inciting people to violence over PTI protests in May.
@geo_gaganauts 🔸
US hypocrisy on full display: State Department refuses to condemn sentencing of Imran Khan and claims it is Pakistan's internal matter
🇵🇰 Several journalists asked the US State Department's spokesman Matthew Miller to comment on the issue, but he repeatedly dodged the question, instead giving vague answers about how the US supports the democratic process in Pakistan.
🇧🇩 This comes in sharp contrast compared with how the US State Department approached Bangladesh’s election, as it repeatedly slammed Sheikh Hasina's party for holding elections that allegedly “were not free or fair”. @geo_gaganauts
(Note: Not really all that hypocritical. They must not be following the Trump legal saga. This is hypocritical⬇)🔸
🇵🇰 Pressure Piles on Imran Khan Days Before Pakistan's Elections
🗯 “The list of retentions and the pettiness of the case against Khan is shocking. They are talking about shirts, handkerchiefs, watches, fruits, ornamental daggers,” Khalid Mahmood, a political observer, told Sputnik India.
On the contrary, Pakistan's former president, Asif Ali Zardari, kept luxury cars, making it the most expensive purchase, the expert added.
❗️ Pressure Mounting on Khan and Supporters
Khan's wife had nothing to do with the Toshakhana case, nor was any donation registered in her name, said a PTI supporter and lawyer, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“All of this is only to bring Khan under pressure, to add to Khan's mental anguish, to torture him,” he said, adding that PTI supporters should not take to the streets and focus on the upcoming polls.
@geo_gaganauts 🔸
🇵🇰 US Political Manipulation Challenge Democracy in Pakistan Amid Election Campaign
In a democracy, free and fair elections ensure everyone can participate and that the process is equitable for all. The situation in Pakistan portrays a different reality.
“While Pakistan suits the definition of democracy by holding regular elections, its state falls short of even being considered a weak democracy,” Dr Fizza Batool, a policy analyst said.
There is a noticeable media blackout, with dissidents either imprisoned, fleeing the country, or living in hiding.
🚩 Imran Khan's Opposition to US Policy and the Pakistani Establishment's Retaliation
“From the Cold War to the 2021, the US have played a dominant role in Pakistani politics. When Khan assumed leadership, he sought to curb foreign influence and establish an independent foreign policy,” one of the political analysts said.
It is this very pursuit that has led to his imprisonment and the crackdown on PTI leaders. Khan has also claimed credit for exposing the US and its questionable practices in Pakistani politics.
@geo_gaganauts 🔸
🇸🇳 Ousmane Sonko chooses Bassirou Diomaye Faye as replacement in Senegal's presidential race
Senegal's opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has officially confirmed the selection of Bassirou Diomaye Faye as his replacement for the upcoming presidential election scheduled for February 25.
Sonko made this announcement through a prerecorded video shared on his Facebook page and opposition-affiliated media outlets on January 28, 2024. This marks Sonko's first public appearance since his arrest on July 28 of the previous year.
The 44-minute video, recorded while Sonko was under house arrest in July, showcases the opposition leader detailing his strategic considerations. A significant aspect of Sonko's message is the formal endorsement of Bassirou Diomaye Faye as his chosen successor.
Describing Faye as his “little brother”, Sonko gave “the presidential project into Faye's capable hands”.
Sonko's party already releasing the ad for the Diomaye.
#Senegal @africaintel🔸
🇱🇷 Liberia president questions gov’t bank balance record of Weah administration
President Joseph Boakai who was sworn in on January 22nd said on Monday that the balance recorded was US$20.5 million, not US$40 million, as former President George Weah had claimed.
Liberian media reported that the Senate ordered the Central Bank to clarify contradictions between President Boakai and his predecessor.
According to reports, the Senate mandated its joint committees on Public Accounts and Audit, Banking, and Currency to invite the leadership of the Central Bank of Liberia.
President Boakai, pledging to tackle corruption, said he will audit and make sure that regular audits become the norm in all branches of government, not just the executive.
#Liberia @africaintel 🔸
President of El Salvador............
@ResonantNews 🔸
🗳Trudeau and Singh's teams quietly planning electoral reform legislation
As progress on some measures in the Liberal-NDP confidence-and-supply agreement continue to play out publicly, the two parties have quietly been in talks to table electoral reform legislation before the next federal vote.
Leading these negotiations on the political front, are Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, and NDP MP and democratic reform critic Daniel Blaikie.
Specifically, the Liberals and New Democrats agreed to explore:
🔹Allowing an old “expanded”2 three-day voting period during general elections;
🔹Allowing voters to cast their ballots at any polling place within their riding; and
🔹Improving the mail-in ballot process with both accessibility and maintaining integrity in mind. 🍁 Maple Chronicles 🔸
💢 👀 @NewResistance 🔸
🇹🇼 Taiwan elects parliament speaker ruling party views as pro-China
Taiwan's parliament elected a former presidential candidate for the largest opposition party as its new speaker, who will be responsible for hosting visiting foreign lawmakers and who the ruling party has said is pro-China.
Under Taiwan's presidential system of government, it is the president who appoints the premier, though with no parliament majority now the ruling Democratic Progressive Party will have to work with the opposition to get its legislative agenda passed.
Han Kuo-yu, from the largest opposition party the Kuomintang, won the election for the speakership. The DPP ran a television advertisement accusing Han of being pro-China.
#Taiwan @asianomics🔸
🔸🇲🇽 Mayoral candidate murdered by gunman near Guadalajara, Jalisco
Jaime Vera Alaniz (aged 62), a mayoral pre-candidate for Mascota, Jalisco, was fatally shot outside a laundry shop in Zapopan, part of the Guadalajara metropolitan area. Eyewitnesses reported that the assailant escaped on foot.
Emergency responders confirmed Vera's death at the scene, noting that he had sustained three gunshot wounds to his arm, abdomen, and skull.
Vera Alaniz was running for the position of mayor in the municipality of Mascota, representing the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico.
🔎 Source #Mexico
☠️ Blood Meridian 🔸
Africa: As Africans Enter Busy Political Year, Scepticism Marks Weakening Support for Elections
[Afrobarometer] Trust in national electoral commissions continues to decline.
☑Key findings
Three-fourths (75%) of Africans support fair, open, and honest elections as the best way to choose their leaders, including 50% who "strongly agree" with this view (Figure 1). More than six in 10 citizens support elections in all surveyed countries except Lesotho, where a majority (54%) favour other methods for choosing leaders. Support for elections ranges up to about nine out of 10 citizens in Liberia (92%) and Sierra Leone
Read More 🔸
Zimbabwe: We Are Too Soft - Zanu-PF Pushes for Law Barring Opposition Members 'Inviting' Sanctions From Running in Elections
[New Zimbabwe] ZANU PF Members of Parliament are advocating for a law that bars opposition members - whom they accuse of inviting sanctions - from contesting in elections.
This came out recently in the National Assembly where MPs debated the impact of economic sanctions that were imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States of America and Britain.
Through the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA), Washington slapped Harare with sanctions over human rights violations in the early 2000s.
Read More 🔸
🐦⬛️ 🇷🇺 Dmitry Medvedev announces that Russia should support reasonable opposition in Western countries:
“In the West, there is also non-systemic opposition. She by no means wants the death of her Motherland, like runaway Russian outlaws, but sees a new path for her development. It is different: both left and right. Everyone has their own national program that opposes American globalism. It exists in every EU country and even abroad.
Of course, the new politicians are much more reasonable and motivated than the fat cats from the traditional western parties. They clearly see all the vices of the current liberal globalism and US-centered world order.
And our task is to support such politicians and their parties in the West in every possible way, helping them apertum et secretum to achieve decent results in the elections.
Their arrival in public administration can radically improve the political landscape in the Western world.
That's why they're so feared by the clever castrati intellectuals who lead the old political forces in Europe and across the ocean, as well as the sexless rainbow bums who stand at the head of many Western countries today.”
😔 t.me/istocni_front 🔸
❗️ Senegal postpones presidential elections scheduled for month's end
Senegal's President Macky Sall announced on Saturday that he had revoked the decree convening the electoral council on February 25, which means that the presidential election will not be held on that date, the state media reported. sputnik_africa🔸
Pakistan's ex-PM Imran Khan, wife get seven-year jail term for unlawful marriage
Pakistan former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Khan were sentenced to seven years in prison and fined on Saturday by a court that ruled their 2018 marriage violated the law, his party said.
👉 Read more: https://f24.my/A6ST.g 🔸
🇸🇳 Senegalese Democratic Party pushes to postpone presidential election
The Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) on Friday said it requested the postponement of the February 25 presidential election via a bill submitted to parliament, citing incidents it alleged had compromised the transparency and integrity of the vote.
PDS, the former ruling party of ex-President Abdoulaye Wade, did not propose a new date for the election.
Its candidate, Wade's son Karim, was disqualified from the race. The constitutional court ruled Wade was a dual citizen when he submitted his candidacy and therefore ineligible.
In a statement, PDS listed concerns with the constitutional court's decision-making, the elimination of candidates and other issues that it said had derailed the race.
The push for a later vote “is part of our desire to preserve the integrity and transparency of the process,” it said. #Senegal
@africaintel 🔸
🔸(article from Geopolitics) Canada calls India 'foreign threat' for alleged election interference: intelligence report
🇮🇳 Ottawa views India as a “threat of foreign interference” and calls for it to “do more to protect Canada’s robust democratic institutions and processes,” according to a top-secret briefing obtained by Canadian media Global News.
India is the third country after China and Russia to be accused of interfering in Canadian politics. India allegedly interfered in the 2019 and 2021 Canadian elections, according to the report. Whatever reasons they come up with for attacking India...
Relations between India and Canada have been under severe strain since Trudeau in September accused “Indian agents of possible involvement” in the killing of a Khalistani extremist on Canadian soil on June 18. India has strongly rejected the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated”.
t.me/incognitoraf 🔸
🇸🇻🗳 El Salvador to vote in general election on Sunday
Over 6.2 million voters in El Salvador will cast ballots in the presidential, mayoral and legislative polls.
The sitting president, Nayib Bukele, has sidestepped constitutional limits to run for a second six-year term and is widely expected to win.
Bukele's running mate, Vice President Felix Ulloa, promised that the government would continue its controversial war on gangs and violent crime, which has drawn accusations of human rights violations but also allowed the small Central American country to mark 500 days without homicides in December.
🇸🇳🗳 ECOWAS is concerned about postponement of presidential election in Senegal
“The ECOWAS Commission expresses concern over the circumstances that have led to the postponement of the elections and appeals to the competent authorities to expedite the various processes in order to set a new date for the elections. The Commission further urges the entire political class to prioritize dialogue and collaboration for transparent, inclusive and credible elections,” ECOWAS said in a statement on X.
The ECOWAS Commission “salutes” the Senegalese president for “upholding his earlier decision not to run for another term” and “encourages him to continue to defend and protect Senegal's long standing democratic tradition.”
Earlier, Senegalese President Macky Sall postponed the presidential election, initially scheduled to take place on February 25, 2024, indefinitely just hours before official campaigning was due to start.
🔸🇨🇦 #Canada has named 🇮🇳 #India as a 'foreign threat' capable of interfering in their elections, according to a declassified intelligence report accessed by Global News.
The report, titled 'Foreign Interference and Elections: A National Security Assessment,' identifies India as a potential threat to Canada's democracy, citing concerns over foreign interference weakening democratic processes.
@ResonantNews 🔸
Senegal: Poll Postponed - Sall Alludes to Conflict Between National Assembly, Constitutional Council
[allAfrica] The anticipated postponement of the presidential election in Senegal has been confirmed. President Macky repealed the decree which called on the electoral body, effectively cancelling the presidential election of February 25, 2024.
In a speech long awaited by the Senegalese population, Sall spoke of an open conflict between the National Assembly and the Constitutional Council.
The crisis in question arose from the accusation of supposed corruption against judges of the Constitutional Council,
Read More 🔸
🤣According to the Estonian television and radio broadcasting portal ERR, only 29 deputies of the European Union legislative body signed the call by Riho Terras, member of the European Parliament from Estonia, not to recognize the results of the Russian presidential election. Deputies from different EU countries took part in Terrace’s address, including Estonia, Bulgaria, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Sweden, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Hungary. He argued that holding elections in Crimea, The DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions contradict the principles of democracy. @BelVestnik 🔸
Why the West helped overthrow Imran Khan
🌐 American investigate journalist Ryan Grim explained that Khan’s refusal to support NATO’s proxy war in Ukraine was the main reason why the West decided to support the coup against him.
“Imran Khan was seen to be either adversarial or too neutral. He famously gave a speech to a large rally in response to the EU demanding, and the US privately demanding, that Pakistan support Ukraine and not take what the US called ‘aggressive neutrality.’ He gave a speech saying, ‘We are not your slaves.’ That kind of rhetoric chafes the West,” Grim said.
▪Last August, Grim published an article in The Intercept revealing the existence of a State Department memo that demanded the Pakistani government to remove Khan from office. @geo_gaganauts 🔸
🇻🇪🇺🇸 María Corina will present “government plan” in the US House of Representatives
https://venezuela-news.com/maria-corina-machado-presentara-plan-gobierno-eeuu/
t.me/VenezuelaNewsNetwork 🔸
Massive support for María Corina Machado in Madrid https://bit.ly/3UrvCS8
t.me/VenezuelaNewsNetwork 🔸
🔸US wants Petro to be a mediator in the conflict between the opposition and the government of Venezuela, according to Bloomberg
The United States government urged Venezuela's neighboring countries - especially Colombia - to build bridges between the ruler Nicolás Maduro and the political opposition so that a free and fair election is allowed to be held in the country that complies with the agreement. from Barbados.
The message was transmitted by two senior US officials for Latin America in a meeting that took place last Wednesday at the official residence of the Colombian ambassador Luis Gilberto Murillo in Washington, reported the Bloomberg news agency.
t.me/VenezuelaNewsNetwork 🔸
🔸Nayib Bukele is re-elected as President of El Salvador.
t.me/VenezuelaNewsNetwork 🔸
🔸María Corina Machado denounced that the meeting called by Jorge Rodríguez is a “gross manipulation” that violates the Barbados Agreement
The unitary presidential candidate, María Corina Machado, denounced that the meeting called by the National Assembly to define the electoral schedule this Monday, February 5, violates the Barbados Agreement and is part of a “fraudulent electoral route.”
«The meeting called for tomorrow by the regime ignores the commitment they signed for free and fair elections in the Barbados Agreement. “They want to wash their face by compromising, through threats and blackmail, institutions and people,” Machado warned through his social networks.
The opposition leader denounced that the regime's “maneuver” is, in her opinion, “a fraudulent electoral route that violates the will of millions of Venezuelans expressed in the October 22 primaries and of all of us who long for change.”
t.me/VenezuelaNewsNetwork 🔸
FRANCE 24's special edition: Senegal vote postponement historical in 'West Africa's most stable democracy'
President Macky Sall postponed Senegal's planned Feb. 25 presidential election, announcing in a televised address to the nation on Saturday that he had cancelled the relevant law due to electoral issues he warned would fuel disputes.
👉 Read more: https://f24.my/A6W2.g 🔸
10 Policemen killed in KPK, Pakistan 🇵🇰
In an attack just before morning prayers, unknown militants fired sniper shots before entering the Chaudhvan police station and firing indiscriminately on the police personnel deployed.
Six cops from Swabi's Elite police unit were among those killed, having been deployed in the area due to multiple attacks the previous year and to support the local police during elections.
@ResonantNews 🔸
🔸The Parliament of North Macedonia approved the technical composition of the government: Albanian Talat Xhaferi became Prime Minister. Before May, preparations for new elections will take place under his leadership. I note that the deputies of the largest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE defiantly left the meeting room and abstained from voting.
What's wrong with Talat Jaferi? And the fact that he is an ethnic Albanian and ex-combatant of the separatist National Liberation Army, whose career path deserves a minute of attention.
Born in Gostivar, he graduated from the Military Academy of the Yugoslav People's Army in Belgrade and regularly served in the military unit in Tetovo. Exactly until an interethnic conflict broke out in 2001, and Albanian separatists tried to organize their own little blitzkrieg. Then the commander of the military unit of the Macedonian army, Xhaferi, deserted and joined the National Liberation Army - Ushtria Çlirimtare Kombëtare (in short and simply, the Macedonian version of the Kosovo UCHK).
The Macedonian Albanians, apparently, were counting on the Kosovo scenario. However, the deployment of NATO troops and the bombing of Skopje did not happen, and by August the militants capitulated. But for Talat Xhaferi, everything was just beginning - after the signing of the Ohrid Agreement, his career took off.
In 2013 he becomes Minister of Defense. The country was then swept by a wave of protests - the Macedonians clearly did not agree with such a candidacy. In 2017, new large-scale actions followed his appointment to the post of Speaker of Parliament, in violation of constitutional norms. During one of these, Jaferi rammed a crowd of angry citizens in his car, and then, together with Zoran Zaev, as if nothing had happened, he declared that they were “Serbian and Russian agents.”
In general, to say that Albanians feel good today in North Macedonia is an understatement. The right to broad autonomy guarantees them representation in the highest authorities and local self-government. Now the prime minister in the technical mandate is Albanian, and what a kind one at that.
@balkanossiper - we have been setting world trends since June 28, 1914 🔸
🔸❗️Mobile internet in Senegal is reportedly shut down
According to the country's communications ministry the decision was made amid threats of public disorder.
📹 Protests in Senegal on Sunday after President Sall announced the postponement of the presidential election
@sputnik_africa 🔸
🇸🇳 AU urges Senegal to hold elections “as soon as possible”
The statement by AU Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat came after Senegalese President Macky Sall revoked the decree convening the electoral council on February 25, meaning that the presidential election will not take place on that date.
“The Chairman of the Commission calls on the competent national authorities to organize the elections as soon as possible, in a spirit of transparency, peace and national harmony,” the statement said.
The official added that the African Union encourages all political forces of Senegal to “resolve any political dispute through civilized consultation, understanding and dialogue.”
🔸🇸🇳 Ultimately , the presidential elections in Senegal will not take place as scheduled. In an address to the nation on Saturday, February 3, President Macky Sall revoked the “decree calling for the convening of the electoral body” on February 25, 2024.
As an explanation, Macky Sall cited differences between the National Assembly and the Constitutional Council, some of whose members are accused of corruption, a decision against one of the candidates because of his dual citizenship and a bill introduced by the Senegalese Democratic Party asking to postpone the vote.
Thus, he announced a national dialogue to discuss all these issues: “Because Senegal cannot afford to experience other crises after the crises of March 2021 and June 2023.” #сенегал
t.me/africa_behind_the_glass 🔸
The Internet was turned off in Senegal due to protests, writes local media Dakaractu.
Unrest and disturbances began when head of state Macky Sall canceled the presidential elections scheduled for February 25.
“Due to the spread of several hateful and subversive messages transmitted on social networks in the context of threats to disrupt public order, mobile data internet is temporarily suspended from Sunday, February 04, 2024 until 22:00,” the Minister of Communications said in a communiqué.
📵 Telephone operators are required to comply with all stated requirements. Deputies are now discussing the president’s proposal to postpone the elections. Voting may be delayed for six months. The authorities want the situation in the country to remain under control while the bill is being heard.
This is not the first blackout in Senegal over the past year, although elections in the country have never been postponed. On July 31, 2023, Senegalese were already blocked from accessing the Internet for the same reasons. Then supporters of political prisoner opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who was jailed on various charges before the elections, protested. Some European media reacted to the arrest with “understanding”, because Sonko sympathizes with Russia.
🗞 Today, the French publication Mondafroque published a text with the headline “The cancellation of the presidential elections means the death of the Senegalese democratic model.”
“The specter of an unprecedented political crisis hovers over Senegal,” the author believes.
t.me/africaninitiative 🔸
🔸🇿🇼 Zimbabwe's governing Zanu-PF party wins two-thirds majority in by-elections
Zimbabwe's governing Zanu-PF party has won all six of Saturday's parliamentary by-elections meaning it now holds a two-thirds majority in parliament.
The victories give President Emmerson Mnangagwa the power to change key provisions in the constitution.
The opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) allege this will allow him to tighten his grip on power.
The by-elections were triggered after a man the CCC describes as an imposter forced the recall of some of its MPs.
Though the CCC lost last August's original general election, it took more than 100 of the 280 seats in the National Assembly, thus denying Zanu-PF a super-majority. #Zimbabwe
💢 At the end of his speech, the re-elected President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, made a request to the diplomats and ambassadors present:
“Our country is small. We have no natural wealth, no exploitable resources, and we are very poor compared to the giants of the world. Salvadorans are paving their own way, and we want to be friends with everyone and respect all. We ask nothing from you, neither money, nor donations, nor international assistance.
The only thing we ask for is RESPECT.”
Mainstream media unhappy with Bukele
He ends violence, though harshly but effectively.
Has mass support. Legally wins the election.
Yet, The Economist calls him a dictator.
Hey fellow journos! What's it like to be hypocrites?
Follow us on Telegram 🔸
Chad: Promise of New Chapter Fades As Junta Strengthens Before Elections
[The Conversation Africa] It's been three years since Chad's former president Idriss Déby Itno died. A transitional authority took over after his death. Yet the transition to democracy that was on the cards following his 31 years in power has failed to materialise.
What Chadians hoped for was a referendum on whether they wanted to be a unitary or federal state a return to constitutional order once that had been decided a return to democracy with elections being held by October 2024.
But the fulfilment of this plan has hit… Read More 🔸
❗️In Senegal, demonstrations against the postponement of elections grew into protests and clashes between protesters and police
Let us remind you that protests in Dakar and the largest cities of Senegal began after the postponement of the presidential elections, which were supposed to take place at the end of February.
Now, to the demand to cancel the postponement of elections, slogans have been added to replace the West African franc with the national currency and other key points from the program of Ousmane Sonko, whom the Senegalese president calls a “pro-Russian anarchist” and “pervert” (Sonko advocates arrests of homosexuals). The postponement of the elections itself is believed to have been agreed upon with France due to an unexpected decision of the Supreme Court, in which judges close to ex-Prime Minister Aminata Toure sided with opposition judges and in December finally returned Ousmane Sonko's right to run for president. In January, according to rumors, with the support of French sociologists, unpublished polls were held that showed the likely victory of Ousmane Sonko in the first round, after which Macky Sall decided to postpone the elections and initiate new criminal cases against Sonko. Presumably, new cases are being prepared against Sonko for connections with Russia, preparing a coup with the help of the Wagner PMC and connections with the Muslim Brotherhood.
How dangerous Ousmane Sonko is for France and Western influence can be seen by visiting the politician’s personal website.
t.me/svezhesti 🔸
🔸⚡️⚡️⚡️Although PACE has not received an invitation to observe the snap presidential elections in Azerbaijan, PACE member Frank Schwabe, who mainly acts against Azerbaijan in PACE, and his gang, are resorting to open pressure and blackmail against the mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to intervene in the process, according to the information available at #CaliberAz.
Read the details: https://caliber.az/en/post/221292/ #CaliberAz 🔸
West’s Bizarre Coverage of India Ploy to Tarnish BJP Ahead of Elections
🇮🇳 🗳 The “biased coverage” of the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in western media has decisively proven that it is “anti-Hindu” and against Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) politics, experts have told Sputnik India.
“I attribute this to the French Indologists such as Christophe Jaffrelot, who are government-sponsored and have generally spread hatred about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Mr Modi,” French Indologist and author Francois Gautier said.
▪On the other hand, Binay Kumar Singh, a senior fellow at New Delhi-based think tank the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation (SPIRF) suggests that the West do this because it wants developing nations such as India to remain economically and politically subservient to it.
“The Ram Mandir consecration is not only a matter of historical justice for a large section of India's population, but it is also a case of conflict resolution. Both the Hindus and Muslims decided to resolve the Ram Mandir issue through democratic means, which is by approaching the highest court of the land. The real idea is that dispute has been settled,” Binay Kumar Singh, a senior fellow at New Delhi-based think tank the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation (SPIRF), explained.
🔸🥊 Discussion about canceling the presidential elections in the National Assembly of Senegal ended in a fight.
🗳 The quarrel occurred during a discussion of a law that allows for derogation from the Senegalese Constitution and legitimizes the postponement of presidential elections. The conflict broke out between an ally of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko (who is in prison) Abass Fall (PASTEF party - Patriots of Senegal) and a deputy from the ruling party Bokk Yaakaar.
Fall and Jaakaar exchanged harsh words, and then the confrontation escalated into a fight. A lawmaker from the opposition PASTEF party punched a fellow lawmaker in the face before other parliamentarians intervened to separate them.
🇸🇳 On February 5, the Senegalese parliament met to discuss a proposal to postpone the presidential elections scheduled for February 25, 2024. The vote was postponed by decision of the current head of state. The reason for this could be a dispute over the eligibility of the candidates.
The decision to cancel the elections caused outrage among the opposition. 🚓 Street riots and clashes with law enforcement officers began in the capital of Senegal. The police used tear gas to disperse people. 💨 t.me/africaninitiative 🔸
🔸🇸🇳 The Senegalese Parliament voted to postpone the presidential elections from February 25 to December 15, 2024, extending the powers of incumbent President Macky Sall @africanists 🔸
🔸🇧🇷🇻🇪President Lula Government appeals for the Barbados agreement to be respected
The government of Brazil, chaired by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, defended this Monday that the agreements for holding the elections in Venezuela be maintained after the opposition leader María Corina Machado was removed from the electoral dispute.
In a statement, the executive noted that Brazil continues to support the implementation of the Barbados agreements for the holding of presidential elections this year in the country, signed on October 17, 2023. t.me/VenezuelaNewsNetwork 🔸
María Corina Machado refuses to name a replacement:
“What this substitute plan seeks is to put an end to the change. There are people who talk about the Barinas case. In Barinas there ended up being a governor who is absolutely compatible with Maduro and follows his narrative. That is equivalent to saying that there are no elections in Venezuela because the one who is choosing is Maduro.”
t.me/VenezuelaNewsNetwork 🔸
🔸Zimbabwe Elections a Farce - Council of Churches
[New Zimbabwe] THE Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) says the illegal recalls of elected members of parliament and council have eroded the essence of polls which attributed to the voter apathy in the just-ended by-elections.
Zimbabwe conducted by-elections over the weekend to fill in six parliamentary seats and 17 councillors who were recalled by the self-proclaimed secretary general of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Sengezo Tshabangu.
The by-elections were marred by lower voter turnout with only 23.2% voting. Read More 🔸
🔸Zimbabwe's Ruling Party Gets Two-Thirds Majority in Parliament
[VOA] Zimbabwe's ruling party has achieved a two-thirds majority in Parliament according to by-election results released by the country's elections commission over the weekend. That paves the way for the ZANU-PF party to amend the constitution as it wishes -- including removal of the two-term limit for the presidency -- but creates dread for opposition parties.
ZANU-PF now holds 190 out of 280 seats in the National Assembly after winning six seats over the weekend, according to Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
Read More 🔸
🔸🇦🇿 Today, Azerbaijan is holding early presidential elections. The purpose of these elections is to translate the military victories and popularity of Ilham Aliyev into concrete political results, solidifying his power for another seven years.
Historically, the voter turnout in presidential elections in Azerbaijan has been over 70%. However, given the current excitement and tension surrounding the Azerbaijani administrative resources, we can expect even higher figures this time.
In a bid for personal PR and to further antagonize Armenians, Aliyev even went to vote in the deserted capital of Artsakh, Stepanakert, which had been occupied by Azerbaijani forces during the war.
🔻However, the main objective of this event is undoubtedly to appease the Western audience. By simulating the legitimacy of the electoral process, Aliyev aims to improve his standing in the eyes of the United Kingdom and the United States. This is particularly crucial in light of an imminent new conflict in the region, with the objective of capturing a weakened Armenia.
#Azerbaijan
@rybar link Original msg 🔸
🇦🇿❗️Observers of the Commonwealth of Independent States Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (CIS PA) are monitoring the extraordinary presidential elections held in Azerbaijan.
The observation mission, including deputies and senators from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, is headed by Deputy of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zhakip Asanov, according to Report.
#CaliberAz t.me/caliber_az_english 🔸
🔸🇦🇿 By 15: 00, 60.54% of voters in the country took part in the voting. #CaliberAz #election #PrezidentSeçkiləri
t.me/caliber_az_english 🔸
🔸⚡️⚡️ American company Oracle Advisory Group has conducted exit-poll at the extraordinary presidential election in #Azerbaijan. It is noted that more than 63 thousand voters were polled during the exit-poll. During the press conference, representatives of Oracle Advisory Group noted that the voter turnout was higher than in previous years. The polls were also conducted in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan.
According to the results of the exit-poll, President Ilham Aliyev won 93.9 per cent of votes.
#CaliberAz #election #PrezidentSeçkiləri t.me/caliber_az_english 🔸
We will be seeing all sorts of drama this year. Most of it over the top. Elections will be no exception. (They never really have been, of course, but we have an inside scoop this year.) Like President Aliyev, President Macky Sall, President Lula, President Bukele, President Boakai, and President Maduro are all showing us, Western institutions (“democracy” topping the list) are being roasted by the Academy (of Resistance) this year. All the not so secret character flaws are being brought into the spotlight. One by one, but this year we will “see” them all. We'll check in each month, but fair warning - all of these stories are from the past week.
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Medvedev is a quote machine.