News

PM Najib reaches out to Chinese community to build a more progressive nation

Sep 28 2013
Malaysia
Source: 
The Star

DATUK Seri Najib Tun Razak is reaching out to the Chinese community for common ground to build a more progressive nation although the community overwhelmingly rejected the Government in the 13th general election.

The Prime Minister said he hoped the Chinese would support the Government and realise that the future of Malaysia could only be a success if they forged a closer working relationship with the Malay-bumiputra community, who formed 67% of the country’s population.

Data glitch will not strip voters of rights: KPU

Sep 28 2013
Indonesia
Source: 
The Jakarta Post

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has managed to fix some of the data errors affecting 65 million eligible voters and has given assurances the problem will not cause them to lose their right to vote.

“Synchronization between KPU and Home Ministry data has enabled us to correct the data of 16 million voters. This number may increase as we’re still working on it,” KPU chairman Husni Kamil Malik said on Wednesday.

1.5m people receive voter cards

Sep 26 2013
Afghanistan
Source: 
Pajhwok Afghan News

KABUL (PAN):  The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Wednesday said 1.5 million people had received voter cards since the beginning of the registration process on.
The commission focussed mostly on women and dwellers of remote areas with little access to registration centres, the IEC the spokesman said.

Declaration of assets: Majority of legislators yet to file returns

Sep 26 2013
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD: Out of 1,166 legislators from the Senate, National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies, only 245 have submitted statements of their assets as the last date, September 30, approaches.

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday issued another reminder to lawmakers to file returns by the deadline.

The ECP sources said a total of 245 legislators – 72 MNAs, 35 Senators, 100 Punjab Assembly MPAs, 25 Sindh MPAs, 5 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa MPAs and eight Balochistan MPAs had filed their annual returns.

Ruling parties willing to 'Push forward' without Opposition

Sep 26 2013
Tunisia
Source: 
Tunisia Live

Members of the ruling coalition threatened that they would “push forward” with the constitution and electoral law in the National Constituent Assembly without the opposition should protests continue and political talks fail to materialize.

“We want these sides to realize that they cannot impose a solution from the street,” Tarek Kahlaoui of the Congress for the Republic, President Moncef Marzouki’s party, said.

Biased members still on IEC: Civil society

Sep 25 2013
Afghanistan
Source: 
Pajhwok Afghan News

KABUL (PAN): Two leading civil society groups on Monday said their concerns about upcoming elections had increased due to lack of transparent and effective guidelines and the presence of biased commission members.
In a joint statement, Afghan Anti-Corruption Network (AACN) and Anti-Corruption Watch Organization said the nation was witness to fraudulent presidential and provincial council elections last time.

Tunisia Islamists urged to fully accept crisis plan

Sep 21 2013
Tunisia
Source: 
Al Arabiya (AFP)

Mediators in Tunisia’s protracted political crisis urged the ruling party on Saturday to fully accept their roadmap for the way forward, saying its response so far had been “ambiguous.”

The ruling Ennahda party had issued a statement on Friday saying it accepted the blueprint for the formation of a government of independents and a national dialogue to finalize a new constitution and clear the way for elections.

With Joko’s Stock Rising, Few See 2014 Front-Runner Abandoning His Party

Sep 21 2013
Indonesia
Source: 
The Jakarta Globe

Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo leaves an event in Ancol, North Jakarta, with Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chair Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Any talk of Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo joining another party’s presidential ticket in 2014 is groundless because of the hugely popular official’s strong loyalty to the country’s main opposition party, analysts said on Thursday.

Arya Fernandes, an analyst from Charta Politika, a think tank, said the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) was fully aware of Joko’s potential.

Umno polls: Nomination paper submission smooth across nation

Sep 21 2013
Malaysia
Source: 
The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The process of submitting the nomination papers for the 2013 Umno election nationwide was running smoothly as of 10am Saturday.

The process took place at most of the respective state Umno offices except for the Langkawi division which was given an exemption to carry out the process at their own place due to logistical problems. 

In SABAH, the supporters and representatives turned up as early as 8am at the state Umno headquarters to submit their nomination forms.

Iraqi Kurd forces vote for regional assembly

Sep 19 2013
Iraq
Source: 
al-Arabiya; Associated Press

Tens of thousands of security forces in Iraq’s self-ruled northern Kurdish region flocked on Thursday to polling centers to vote, two days ahead of the area’s fourth election for local parliament since 1992.

Saturday’s balloting in the region also known as Iraqi Kurdistan is likely to underline the Kurdish minority’s insistence on self-rule and independence from the central, Arab-led government in Baghdad.

Tunisia's ruling Islamists said to agree to transition negotiations

Sep 19 2013
Tunisia
Source: 
Reuters

Tunisia's governing Islamists on Thursday agreed in principle to a trade union proposal that it step down to make way for a transitional government and new elections.

The coalition's approval of the plan may open up an immediate dialogue with the its secular opponents and end the unrest that erupted after the assassination of an opposition figure in July.

"Our response to the initiative of the union was positive as a platform for dialogue with the political parties," said Ameur Larayedh, a senior official in the moderate Islamist ruling party Ennahda.

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