Tag Archives: Elections

The U.S.-Polish Alliance / Elections in Côte d’Ivoire / Soccer in Cyprus

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President Obama and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski reaffirmed their commitment to the U.S.-Polish alliance. Alassane Ouattara has legitimately been elected president of Côte d’Ivoire and needs to be respected, says Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice. The U.S. urges calm after controversial elections in Haiti. China has a critical role to play in reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. is working with other nations to confront piracy off the coast of Somalia. Learn about the Iran Primer and the International Writing Program. And, finally, American soccer stars visit Cyprus.

The U.S.-Polish Alliance
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President Obama and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski meet in the Oval Office and reaffirm their commitment to expanding defense cooperation, supporting greater economic links and promoting democracy in Europe and globally. Additionally, they call for U.S. and Russian ratification of the New START arms reduction treaty, which Komorowski, left, says is “the investment in the better and safer future.”


The Vote in Côte d’Ivoire
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U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice says a communiqué from the Economic Community of West African States backs Côte d’Ivoire’s Independent Electoral Commission’s declaration that Alassane Ouattara is the country’s legitimately elected president. Ouattara “has been elected,” she says, and “he needs to be respected.”

U.S. Urges Calm After Haiti Vote
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The Obama administration calls for calm in Haiti as irregularities and complaints stemming from the country’s November 28 presidential election are reviewed. State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley says the United States and others in the international community “stand ready to support efforts to thoroughly review irregularities so that the final electoral results are consistent with the will of the Haitian people.”

U.S., China to Meet on North Korea
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Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg is leading a high-level team of officials to Beijing for talks with senior Chinese officials about Northeast Asian security and recent hostile acts by North Korea. “China has a critical role to play” in reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, says Steinberg.

Confronting Somali Pirates
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The United States is working with more than 60 nations and international organizations to confront piracy off the coast of Somalia, a problem that has threatened the development, peace, security and stability of eastern Africa.

The Iran Primer
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Journalist Robin Wright asked more than 50 experts from government, universities and think tanks, from the United States and the Middle East, to help her educate Americans about modern Iran. The resulting chapters became the Iran Primer.

When Writing Meets Dance
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An international group of writers had their words interpreted by the CityDance Ensemble of Washington as part of the International Writing Program (IWP) at the University of Iowa. “We represent a united nations of writers,” says Christopher Merrill, director of the IWP, “and we are always looking for connections among readers, writers, audiences, and translators.”

American Soccer Stars in Cyprus
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Through the U.S. Department of State’s Sports Envoy program, former U.S. men’s national players Tony Sanneh and Sasha Victorine led soccer clinics for Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot youths during a coaching trip to Cyprus. “Soccer is one of the universal languages that allow us to communicate with people from all over the world,” says Sanneh. At right, Victorine high-fives young players.

Elections in Egypt / Networking in North Africa / Letters to the White House

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The U.S. expresses disappointment with Egyptian parliamentary elections. In North Africa, business leaders are networking with young entrepreneurs. View a photo gallery of posters created by young people from around the world in honor of World AIDS Day. And finally, learn about a book of letters sent by kids to the White House.

U.S. Expresses Concern over  Egyptian Election
The Obama administration expresses disappointment over the conduct of Egypt’s November 28 legislative election, citing reports of irregularities, intimidation, civil rights restrictions, and a lack of international monitors. The Obama administration wants to continue to work with Egyptian authorities and civil society groups to help their country “achieve its political, social, and economic aspirations consistent with international standards,” says National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer.

Talking Business in North Africa
Business leaders and young entrepreneurs from the U.S. and North Africa will develop strategies to promote job creation at the first U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference in Algiers, December 1–2. Hosted by the U.S. State Department and the U.S.-Algeria Business Council, the event will create a platform to discuss business ventures in North Africa and encourage support from both the government and private sector.

Photo Gallery: “Celebrate Life” on World AIDS Day
In honor of World AIDS Day on December 1, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief invited young people from around the world to create posters reflecting the theme “Celebrate life.” In this photo gallery, see some of their submissions.

Letters to the White House
“I Live Real Close to Where You Used to Live: Kids’ Letters to Michelle Obama (and to Sasha, Malia and Bo)” is a new book featuring dozens of letters that children all across the country wrote to the first family. At right, Michelle Obama and the family dog, Bo.

U.S. Condemns N. Korean Attack / Climate Change Talks / An Award for Global Fairness

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President Obama is outraged by North Korea’s attack on South Korea. Despite their difficult year, Haitians are preparing to vote in elections this coming weekend. At the U.N. climate change conference COP-16, there is potential for progress. In Pakistan, U.S. flood relief efforts reach a new milestone. Defense Secretary Robert Gates endorses a new plan to create crisis cells. In Indonesia, there’s new research on bird flu. A professor in New York is behind the Encyclopaedia Iranica. And finally, Ela Bhatt receives the first Global Fairness Award.

U.S. Condemns “Outrageous” N. Korean Attack
North Korea’s artillery attack upon a South Korean island is an outrageous act, and the United States is working with other countries in the region to develop a “measured and unified response,” U.S. officials say. Deputy White House press secretary Bill Burton says Obama “is outraged by these actions.” At right, South Koreans read special news editions on the attack.


Haitians Encouraged to Vote
The United States is urging Haitians to exercise their right to vote in Haiti’s upcoming presidential and legislative elections, says U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Kenneth Merten. Haiti’s new leaders will face the challenge of rebuilding the nation of 10 million citizens.

COP-16’s Potential for Progress
Parties to the U.N. climate change conference that begins next week in Cancún should focus on attainable goals that could set the groundwork for a future climate treaty, says U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern. “Rather than insisting on a legal treaty before anything happens, we should move down the pragmatic path of concrete operational decisions,” Stern says.

A Milestone in Pakistan Relief
U.S. flood relief efforts in Pakistan reached a new milestone on November 21, with more than 25 million pounds of relief supplies delivered in Pakistan since U.S. military relief flight operations began August 5, says U.S. Embassy Islamabad.

A Plan for Disaster Response
The United States “wholeheartedly endorses” a plan to create crisis cells that would be on standby to respond in the event of natural disasters across the Western Hemisphere, such as Haiti’s earthquake in January, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says.

Fighting Bird Flu 
The new Indonesian National Laboratory for Infectious Diseases Research in is seeking to better understand and control the avian influenza (bird flu) virus and other dangerous diseases facing Indonesia. Statistics from the World Health Organization show Indonesia has had the largest number of bird flu cases and related deaths worldwide.

The Encyclopaedia Iranica
Ehsan Yarshater, a professor emeritus at Columbia University in New York, came up with the idea for the Encyclopaedia Iranica as a student in the 1930s. In the decades since, Yarshater has made his idea for an English-language encyclopedia a hardbound and online reality as the premier compendium of scholarship on the Iranian world.

Clinton Honors Ela Bhatt
In a ceremony at the Kennedy Center for the Arts, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton conferred the first Global Fairness Award on Ela Bhatt. Bhatt, right, is the founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association in India, a combination trade union and social movement which now has more than one million members.

Two Reports on Haiti / The U.S. Hopes for COP16 Progress / A Burmese Opposition Leader is Freed

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From Haiti, we’ve got reports on the cholera outbreak and an effort to restore the island’s devastated libraries. The United State hopes for progress during an upcoming international conference on climate change. Take a look at the U.S. election, from a different angle. Governments need help in fighting corruption. At the APEC forum in Japan, free trade is on the table. See how translating American plays into Russian is a form of cultural diplomacy. And, after years of house arrest, a Burmese pro-democracy activist is released to applause from the United States.

Cholera Mortality Rate Declines in Haiti
As the number of Haitians infected with cholera continues to climb, the overall mortality rate from the disease is decreasing, the State Department’s Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip J. Crowley says. Crowley says the shrinking mortality rate results from efforts to control the disease by the Haitian government, the U.S. and other international partners. At right, women cover their mouths and noses at a Haitian hospital.

 

Rebuilding Haiti’s Libraries
The American Library Association so far has collected $25,000 in donations for Haiti’s libraries from individuals, civic and youth groups, businesses and local libraries.

U.S. Seeks COP16 Progress
The United States expects progress toward a legally binding, global accord on climate change during the international COP16 meeting later this month in Cancún, Mexico. “It is profoundly in our own economic, environmental, and national security interests to act,” says Jeffrey Miotke, climate change coordinator for the U.S. special envoy for climate change.

A Discussion of the Midterms
As Americans headed to the polls November 2, international relations students at the University of Jordan spoke with political scientist Michael Cornfield via a digital video conference to learn more about the American electoral process. High on their list of questions: How would the results of the midterm elections affect the peace process?

Citizens’ Anti-Corruption Role
Civil society — including nonprofit organizations and citizen-activists — must demand accountability from governments for the fight against corruption to be effective, according to the hosts of an international conference meeting in Bangkok.

Talking Free Trade in Asia-Pacific
President Obama and other Asia-Pacific leaders pledge to work toward greater economic integration and creation of an Asia-Pacific free trade area. The 21-economies that make up the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum issue a joint statement after their meeting in Japan that praises APEC as “an engine for progress in the world’s most economically dynamic region.”

“The New American Plays for Russia”
Through “The New American Plays for Russia” project, American theater organizations and Russian theater professionals are working together to bring contemporary American drama to Russian audiences.

U.S. Welcomes Burma’s Release of Suu Kyi
President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton welcome the release of Burmese pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest. Obama said Suu Kyi, right, “is a hero of mine and a source of inspiration for all who work to advance basic human rights in Burma and around the world.”

Does Africa’s Struggle for Democracy Impact the World?

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This year, some 20 African countries are holding elections.

“When an election in Africa draws international attention, the news is seldom good,” acknowledges Almami Cyllah of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, an international non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization. But in testimony delivered earlier this year to the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, Cyllah said that elections in Africa – however flawed – have been the most consistent means for nonviolent transitions of power.

“Even in the countries that have suffered most from failed or flawed elections—or even from the failure to hold elections entirely— the people have responded not by abandoning democracy but by increasing their demands for accountability and reform,” Cyllah said.

Elections in the Ivory Coast, for example, have been postponed six times since 2005, according to a recent Voice of America report. Even so, the report said, the hope is that the elections scheduled for the end of this November will help reunite the country after a 2002-2003 civil war.

But there’s more to democracy than just holding elections, President Obama said during his visit to Ghana.

“In the 21st century, capable, reliable, and transparent institutions are the key to success — strong parliaments; honest police forces; independent judges — an independent press; a vibrant private sector; a civil society. Those are the things that give life to democracy, because that is what matters in people’s everyday lives,” the president said.

President Obama has also said that “the strength of Africa’s democracy can help advance human rights for people everywhere.”

What do you think? Does Africa’s struggle for democracy have a ripple effect around the world?

Encouraging Women to Run for Office

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I got an e-mail this week from the Center for American Women and Politics with this discouraging headline:  “Women Suffer First Decline in Congress in Over 30 Years.”

Women’s share of political power in the U.S. Congress (just 16.8 percent at the beginning of 2010) is slated to decline with the most recent elections – a blow to all who would like to see women taking a more active role in the nation’s decision-making process.

According to Jessica Grounds, associate director with Running Start, an organization that educates young women about the importance of politics, “women’s perspectives are crucial in the policy making process because women bring their own experiences to their office and it is critical that our representatives reflect the diversity of people they govern.”

Although women have more freedom than ever before in history to run for political office, not enough of them seem ready to take on the challenges.  Ms. Grounds suggests women have to confront widespread public perceptions that they are less credible and less capable of making challenging political decisions.  Campaigning takes a lot of money and time – things that some women might not want to give up in order to run for office.  And in some circles, the rough and tumble fight for election is considered “un-lady like.” But with all the challenges facing women who want to break into electoral politics, the biggest one seems to be self confidence.

The Obama administration has been working hard to empower women, both in the United States and around the world.  But do you think women can be truly empowered if the United States and the world doesn’t see a significant number of them in elected office?

An Unusual Election in Alaska

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Earlier this year Republican Lisa Murkowski, a senator from Alaska, lost her party’s primary contest to Joe Miller. But she decided to still try to win the seat.

It’s not uncommon to see a candidate lose the party’s primary and decide to run as an Independent instead. One of the most famous cases is Joe Lieberman, Al Gore’s running mate in the 2000 presidential election. After losing his 2006 Democratic primary, the Connecticut senator successfully won the seat as an Independent – and was even rumored as a possible vice presidential pick for 2008 Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Murkowski chose a different approach – to continue to run as a Republican. Murkowski decided to launch a write-in campaign, which means she had to ask voters to write her name on the ballot when they select their senate candidate.

Only once in U.S. history has someone won a senate write-in campaign. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina accomplished that unusual feat in 1954. With most votes counted, U.S. media is speculating that Murkowski is poised to become the second: if enough of the write-in votes have her name on it.

More than 81,000 Alaskan voters chose to write-in a candidate’s name, but determining how many of them wrote-in “Murkowski” could take days. Determining which votes for Murkowski are actually valid (for example, officials suggest “Murkowsky” is acceptable, but “Lisa M.” is not) could take weeks.

Alaskans will have to wait to see if Murkowski really can win on a write-in.

What Should President Obama Do Next?

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Now that the midterm elections are over, and President Obama’s party no longer controls the House of Representatives, what comes next? What are the president’s options as he spends the next two years working with a divided government?

History shows us that an American president with a divided government has a number of options.

For starters, he could focus on issues that he knows (or at least is fairly certain) have support from members of the Republican Party. Possibilities include education and reducing the deficit. Democratic President Bill Clinton used this approach when the Republicans took over Congress during the midterm elections in 1994, working with Republicans to pass welfare reform and tax cuts for small businesses.

Alternatively, he could push his party’s main agenda and simply wait to see if the Republicans in the House of Representatives block everything he does or if they are willing to compromise. President Clinton also used this option in 1995 when he refused to sign Congress’ version of the budget and Congress in turn refused to give the President the funding for programs that were important to him, notably Social Security and Medicare. The lack of a budget forced the federal government to shut down for a number of weeks in 1995-1996.

Another option for the president is to focus mainly on foreign policy issues rather than domestic issues, as foreign policy is a sometimes an easier place to look for bi-partisan support or to wield presidential power. President Reagan took this approach by keeping true to his anti-communism stance after his Republican party lost control of Congress in 1982.

History also shows us that presidents whose party suffers big losses in the midterm elections don’t necessarily suffer a loss themselves. Both Reagan and Clinton were reelected two years after disappointing midterms, as were Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman, to name a few. One day, history will tell us how Obama’s own midterm election story ends.

What do you think President Obama should do next?

Recapping the U.S. Election / Clinton’s Day in Asia / A Month to Honor American Indians

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The Republicans make big gains in U.S. midterm elections and President Obama offers his assessment. Secretary Clinton’s Asian travels take her to Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. Catch up with Brad Pitt and his effort to bring green housing to New Orleans. Learn about ArtsLink, a program that brings artists from around the world to the United States. Tajikistan is getting an energy boost. A 1,000-year-old Iranian poem is the inspiration for some awesome illustrations. And, it’s American Indian Heritage Month in America.

Election Gains for Republicans
Republicans gain at least 60 seats in the House of Representatives in U.S. elections November 2, more than enough to wrest control of the chamber from the Democrats. This means a divided government for at least the next two years, as Democratic President Obama shares power with Republicans in the House. Democrats retain control of the Senate, but with a reduced majority.

Obama: The Economy Hurt Democrats
The American electorate demonstrated its frustration with the state of the economy when it stripped Democrats of their majority in the House of Representatives and trimmed their majority in the Senate, President Obama says.

Clinton Praises Malaysia’s Religious Tolerance
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is praising Malaysia’s commitment to religious tolerance during her visit to the Muslim-majority country. “Extremism is not a path to building sustainable prosperity, peace, stability or democracy – it only promotes conflicts and hardens hearts,” she says. 

Human Rights in Papua New Guinea
During a visit to Papua New Guinea, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton encouraged the country to address its human rights conditions and to strengthen anti-corruption efforts. Clinton also offered to help the government set up a sovereign wealth fund to manage resource revenue from oil and natural gas fields, in order to translate “natural resources into widespread prosperity.”

Green Homes Make it Right
Make It Right, a foundation created by actor and film producer Brad Pitt, builds energy-efficient, green homes to replace housing destroyed in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. In three years, the foundation has completed 50 homes in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward. Another 30 are under construction.

ArtsLink Fellows Come to America
Visual artists, photographers, filmmakers and arts managers from 14 countries are currently enjoying five-week residencies in the United States under awards offered by U.S.-based international arts organization, CEC ArtsLink.

Green Energy for Tajikistan
The U.S. embassy in Dushanbe, Tajik government agencies and international partners, are working together to bring alternative energy solutions to Central Asia. The projects include the use of solar, water and wind power to provide energy to remote locations.

Shahnameh on Display
The Smithsonian Institution is celebrating the Shahnameh’s 1,000 years with an exhibition of some of the best illustrations ever created for Iran’s greatest epic poem. The Shahnameh’s stories cover the reigns of 50 kings, real and imagined, from the creation of the world up to the Arab conquest of Iran in the 7th century.

American Indian Heritage Month
November is National American Indian Heritage Month, which celebrates the heritage and contributions of American Indians and Alaska Natives — the first Americans — to the history and culture of the United States. Right, members of the Alabama-Coushatta Indian tribe from Livingston, Texas, wait to perform at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in April 2010.

America Votes

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Today is Election Day in the United States, and millions of Americans are heading to the polls to cast their vote for Senators, Congressmen, Governors, and other government officials. Some Americans will also vote on various state and local measures, such as funding for school districts. California voters will cast their ballots for two particularly high-profile measures: Whether or not to legalize personal use and possession of marijuana, and whether or not to suspend an already-passed global warming bill.

America.gov will have continuing coverage of these midterm elections, including voting results and information about what those results mean and what comes next.

Here is a list of existing resources about today’s elections:

Your Election Questions Answered:
http://blogs.america.gov/bythepeople/2010/10/29/your-election-questions-answered/

America.gov’s Midterm Elections page:
http://www.america.gov/2010_midterm_elections.html

American Muslims Look to Exercise Their Vote in Midterm Elections:
http://www.america.gov/st/democracyhr-english/2010/October/20101028081829m0.7421228.html

Divided U.S. Government Can Work, Scholars Say:
http://www.america.gov/st/usg-english/2010/October/20101029101244ffej0.2838861.html

On Election Day, U.S. Voters Find More than Candidates on Ballot:
http://www.america.gov/st/usg-english/2010/October/20101022132524ellehcim0.8789179.html

Young U.S. Voters Ready for Election Day:
http://www.america.gov/st/usg-english/2010/October/20101026174426eiznekcam0.9840509.html