EU and Mugabe Meet

From the Voice of America:

President Robert Mugabe has met with a European Union delegation, the first such meeting since 2002 when the EU imposed sanctions on Mr. Mugabe and senior individuals in his party and government for alleged human rights abuses. The parties failed to agree on the lifting of sanctions as demanded by the Zimbabwean government.

President Mugabe emerged from the more than one hour meeting and told journalists the meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere but the sanctions issue had not been resolved. He said the EU demands that the Global Political Agreement that brought about the unity government be implemented are groundless.

" Everything that we were asked to do under the GPA we have done and done timeously even.  It is other matters of course that one might regard as constituting the spirit and environment in which the GPA should work which must now be attended to," he said.

Day 343

Democratic Party of Japan

The Democratic Party of Japan gain power after nearly 50 years of a single party dominated system lead by the Liberal Democratic Party.  The DPJ, lead by Yukio Hatoyama, gained 306 seats out of a possible 480 in what is being called a "bloodless revolution".  This shift in power is a result of a growing frustration with the state of Japan's economy- a common theme that rings true for the world at large.  

Day 337

EU's Election Complaints Commission in Afghanistan

The citizens of Afghanistan are still awaiting the results of the recent Presidential election.  The ECC are in the process of investigating 225 complaints including voter intimidation, violence, ballot box tampering, and interference from election officials. As it goes, this will be a slow count. Election results are officially due on September 3rd. 

Day 332

Presidential Elections in Afghanistan.

Day 318

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  was sworn in as President of Iran today.  Opposition leaders boycotted the swearing in ceremony and street protests continue.  

Day 291

Mahamoud Ahmadinejad

"Death to the Dictator"

Unrest erupts in Iran again.  This time protesters take to the streets, wearing surgical masks to conceal their identity, shouting "Death to the Dictator" and "God is Great" in opposition to contested President Mahamoud Ahmadinejad.  Today's protest also marks the 10th anniversary of a clash between students and security forces.  

Day 285

British Embassy, Tehran

British Embassy Employees

According to a senior Iranian cleric,  the employees of the British Embassy in Tehran who were arrested after the election protests will be tried for acting against Iran's national security.  

Eight or nine employees of the embassy's political section were arrested last weekend. All but three have been released, according to Iranian state media.

European Union nations summoned Iranian ambassadors today to complain about the arrests in a coordinated response, news agencies reported.

EU nations are weighing the possibility of pulling all 27 member nations' ambassadors from Tehran and imposing a travel ban on Iranian officials to protest the arrests, but want to wait for Iran's next move regarding the embassy employees, European news media reported. 

Day 275

Neda Agha-Soltan

The protests in Iran has put social networking sites and "citizen journalism" to the forefront. Listening to NPR as I write this post, it seems like the broadcast mentions Facebook and Twitter at every program break- something I have not noticed in the past. 

The tragic shooting of Neda Agha-Soltan is a prime example of our increasing reliance on social networking sites and with Iran's restrictions on foreign media, updates on these sites are the only information we are getting.  I have a funny feeling this is going to play out in a very considerable manner- how, remains to be seen.   

Day 274

Voting Rights Act

The Supreme Court reversed a decision regarding Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 made by a lower federal court.  The ruling allows the Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 to opt out of of the advanced approval requirement.  There was only one dissent by Justice Clarence Thomas who stated, 

"The violence, intimidation and subterfuge that led Congress to pass Section 5 and this court to uphold it no longer remains"

I learned an interesting fact about Texas while visiting a friend in Austin who works to pass environmental renewable energy legislation.  He told me that the state legislature only meets 6 months every two years.  Their session just ended a week or two ago- no more new legislation for the next two years.  How crazy is that!

Day 272

Day 267

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran orders a probe into suspected fraud of last week's presidential election.  This comes after he gave his blessings to reported winner by 62 %, Mahamoud Ahmadinedjad.

Day 262

Mahamoud Ahmadinejad