Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The Democratic Republic of Congo’s opposition will be allowed to hold a Kinshasa rally on Friday to protest against voting machines they fear will permit fraud in December’s key election, an opposition official said. Political tensions are rising in the DRC before the long-delayed …
Read More »Guinea-Bissau voter census extended, likely postponing vote
Bissau, Guinea-Bissau | AFP | A voter census in Guinea-Bissau has been extended by a month, the government said Monday, likely delaying a crucial legislative vote planned for next month. The vote, seen as a key step towards ending a long-running political crisis in the poor West African country, had …
Read More »Mali’s top court postpones elections to 2019
Bamako, Mali | AFP | Mali’s constitutional court delayed the country’s parliamentary elections until 2019 by extending the mandate of MPs for six months, as requested by the National Assembly on Monday, according to the two institutions. Citing “force majeure” the court said it “extends the mandate of representatives until the …
Read More »Merkel’s Bavarian allies suffer historic election losses
Munich, Germany | AFP | German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CSU allies suffered historic losses in Bavaria state elections Sunday, dealing a blow to her fragile three-party coalition government. The Christian Social Union (CSU) scored 37 percent, a steep 10-point drop from four years ago in the wealthy Alpine state it …
Read More »THIS WEEK: Rukungiri polls set for May 31, election presiding officer fired
Rukungiri polls set for May 31, election presiding officer fired Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ahead of the May 31 by- election for Rukungiri district woman MP, the returning officer who manned the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections has been fired. This came shortly after court annulled the polls. In …
Read More »Suicide attack on Kabul voter registration centre kills 48
Kabul, Afghanistan | AFP | An Islamic State suicide bomber killed at least 48 people including women and children and wounded 112 outside a voter registration centre in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday in the latest attack on election preparations. The assaults underscore growing concerns about security in the lead-up …
Read More »Former soldier Bio wins Sierra Leone vote
Freetown, Sierra Leone | AFP | Sierra Leone’s opposition challenger Julius Maada Bio secured his first term in office as a civilian Wednesday when he was declared the winner of a controversial presidential run-off — but his opponent vowed to contest the result. Bio, a former soldier who briefly …
Read More »Former soldier Bio wins Sierra Leone presidential vote
Freetown, Sierra Leone | AFP | Sierra Leone’s opposition challenger Julius Maada Bio secured his first term in office as a civilian Wednesday when he was declared the winner of a controversial presidential run-off. Bio, a former soldier who briefly led a military junta more than two decades ago, won …
Read More »Guinea opposition leader calls for end to post-election protests
Conakry, Guinea | AFP | Guinean opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo on Monday called for an end to protests over disputed local election results that has left at least 15 people dead after violent confrontations with the security services. Former prime minister Diallo earlier met President Alpha Conde to discuss how …
Read More »French ex-president Sarkozy held over Gaddafi financing probe
Paris, France | AFP | French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy was detained for questioning on Tuesday over allegations the late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi financed his 2007 election campaign, including with suitcases stuffed with cash, a source close to the inquiry told AFP. Sarkozy, 63, was taken into police custody early …
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