News

Iraqi electoral commission calls on foreign countries to monitor upcoming elections

Jan 06 2021
Iraq
Source: 
Xinhua

BAGHDAD, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) called Tuesday on foreign countries and diplomatic missions in Iraq to monitor the upcoming elections slated for June 6.

The IHEC said in a statement that it also called on local organizations to monitor the elections at all its stages "to achieve fair elections."

The commission urged all eligible voters to check and update their voter registration records in registration centers across the country, starting from Jan. 2 to Feb. 2.

Algeria frees top officials jailed during mass protests

Jan 02 2021
Algeria
Source: 
al Jazeera

Two former security chiefs and the younger brother of former President Bouteflika were given 15-year prison sentences in September 2019.

An Algerian military appeals court on Saturday acquitted three top officials who were jailed in 2019 during mass protests, sources close to the officials said.

The three – two former security chiefs and the younger brother of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika – were given 15-year prison sentences in September 2019 on charges of conspiracy against the state.

New Yemen gov’t sworn in after Saudi-brokered power-sharing deal

Dec 26 2020
Yemen
Source: 
Aljazeera

Yemen’s President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has sworn in a new government that was formed thanks to a power-sharing deal brokered by Saudi Arabia last year.

The 24-member cabinet, announced last week, was sworn in during a ceremony held on Saturday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where Hadi is living.

The new government, headed by Prime Minister Maeen Abdul Malik, represents Yemen’s northern and southern areas with equal numbers of members from each region.

Le général à la retraite Khaled Nezzar de retour en Algérie

Dec 21 2020
Algeria
Source: 
TSA

e général à la retraite Khaled Nezzar, ancien chef d’état-major de l’ANP et ex-ministre de la Défense nationale, est revenu en Algérie depuis une dizaine de jours, rapporte ce lundi le quotidien El Watan. Une information confirmée à Liberté par Lotfi Nezzar, l’un des fils du général à la retraite.

M. Nezzar se trouve actuellement à son domicile depuis son retour le 11 décembre dernier, précise la même source. Le mandat d’arrêt international émis à son encontre aurait également été vidé, précise encore El Watan.

Egypt’s parliament slams ‘opportunistic’ EU human rights report

Dec 20 2020
Egypt
Source: 
Egypt Independent

Egypt’s parliament and human rights organizations on Saturday have further condemned a European report on the state of Egyptian human rights, calling it both “opportunistic” and “an explicit violation of human rights.”

Egypt stated that it strongly rejects all allegations made by the European report, and said that the matter came to exploit human rights as a pretext to meddle with Egyptian affairs.

It the decried the report as inconsistent with international conventions and Egypt’s sovereignty over its lands.

Yemen's president announces new power-sharing government

Dec 19 2020
Yemen
Source: 
Arab News

Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi announced on Friday the formation of a power-sharing government, in accordance with the terms of the Riyadh Agreement jointly signed with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in November last year.

He confirmed the appointment of Moein Abdel-Malik as prime minister and Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak as minister of foreign affairs.

“The government consists of 24 portfolios divided equally between the north and south, as stipulated in the Riyadh Agreement,” Hadi said. The announcement was made on Yemeni state TV late on Friday night.

Kuwait emir tells parliament: Reform needed, stop disputes

Dec 15 2020
Kuwait
Source: 
Ahram Online

Kuwait's ruler told the new parliament, in which opposition candidates made gains, that comprehensive reform was needed to help the Gulf Arab state exit its worst economic crisis in decades and that there was no time for "fabricating conflicts".

Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah took the reins in September following the death of his brother at a time the wealthy OPEC member state is facing a severe liquidity crunch due to low oil prices and the coronavirus crisis.

Pro-Sisi party wins majority in Egypt’s parliamentary polls

Dec 15 2020
Egypt
Source: 
Egypt Independent

Egypt’s Mostaqbal Watn (Nation’s Future) Party, which strongly backs President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, secured nearly 55 percent of the contested seats in a parliamentary election spread over several weeks, official results showed on Monday.

The results confirm the party’s position as a dominant force after it won nearly 75 percent of contested seats for Egypt’s newly recreated Senate in August.

Parliament was already controlled by Sisi supporters, but Nation’s Future sharply increased its share of seats to 315 from 57 in the 596-seat chamber.

UNSMIL fails to pass any option for selecting new Libya executive authority

Dec 15 2020
Libya
Source: 
The Libya Observer

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) failed Tuesday to achieve agreement among the participants of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) on selecting a mechanism or option to be used to elect new Presidential Council members and a Prime Minister ahead of an interim period that lasts till holding elections on December 24, 2021.

The failure came as a third of the 71 participants boycotted the voting session, thus the two UNSMIL proposals didn't get the needed votes since only 50 participants took part and 21 didn't.

Egypt concludes parliament elections; 100 new MPs elected

Dec 14 2020
Egypt
Source: 
Ahram Online

Most of the 100 MPs elected during the round belong to the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan Party

Egypt's National Elections Authority (NEA) announced on Monday the final results of the last stage of run-offs for the second phase of the country's new parliament elections, which were held earlier this month.

According to an official statement released by the NEA, 100 new MPs were elected during the round, most of whom belong to the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan Party (The Future of a Homeland).

Jokowi's son set to win mayoral election in Indonesia's Solo

Dec 09 2020
Indonesia
Source: 
Asia.nikkei.com

Over 100m voters go to polls but nepotism still plagues nation's politics.

JAKARTA -- The eldest son of Indonesian President Joko Widodo is set to become the new mayor of Solo, a position that propelled his father into political stardom, unofficial results from regional elections show.

Quick count seen by several local pollsters showed Gibran Rakabuming Raka taking close to 90% of the votes in Wednesday's election.

Millions defy virus fears to vote in Indonesia polls

Dec 09 2020
Indonesia
Source: 
Anadolu Agency

Over 77M voters expected to cast ballots for mayors, governors, other officials in 270 constituencies, says election body.

JAKARTA, Indonesia 

With strict COVID-19 protocols in place, millions of voters turned out to cast their ballots for local elections in Indonesia on Wednesday.

According to the General Elections Commission, some 100 million people – about one-third of the country’s population – were registered to vote in 270 constituencies, including 224 districts and 37 cities, to elect mayors, governors, and other officials.

Sheikh Sabah reappointed Kuwait PM

Dec 08 2020
Kuwait
Source: 
al-Jazeera and Reuters

Sheikh Sabah has been tasked with nominating members of a new cabinet for approval by the emir, said a decree carried on state media.

Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah has reappointed Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah as prime minister following parliamentary polls in the Gulf Arab state, which is facing its worst economic crisis in decades.

Sheikh Nawaf asked Sheikh Sabah to nominate members of a new cabinet for approval, state media said on Tuesday.

Kuwait opposition makes strong gains in parliamentary elections

Dec 08 2020
Kuwait
Source: 
Thenews.com.pk and AFP

Kuwait City: Kuwait’s opposition took nearly half of parliament’s seats in weekend polls amid calls for reforms over corruption and high debt, but the sole female lawmaker lost her seat.

Twenty-four of the National Assembly’s 50 seats were won by candidates belonging to or leaning towards the opposition, up from 16 in the last parliament, according to results announced on Sunday by the electoral commission on state TV.

COVID-19, political dynasties weigh as Indonesia heads to polls

Dec 08 2020
Indonesia
Source: 
al-Jazeera

Strict measures will be in force at polling stations, but some fear it is still too risky given COVID-19 infections.

More than 100 million Indonesians are eligible to vote in Wednesday's election.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia will go ahead with polls on Wednesday to choose local and regional leaders across the archipelago even though an outbreak of COVID-19 that delayed the election in September remains the most severe in Southeast Asia.

Final day of Egypt's parliamentary election's run-offs kicks off Tuesday

Dec 08 2020
Egypt
Source: 
Ahram Online

The second round includes constituencies from 13 out of the 27 governorates, with the run-offs being limited to candidates running under the individual system

The second and final day of the run-off elections in the second round of the Egyptian parliamentary elections began at 9am on Tuesday.

The second round includes constituencies from 13 out of the 27 governorates, with the run-offs being limited to candidates running under the individual system who will compete for the 101 remaining seats after securing 42 individual seats during the first round.

Pages