Page 4 - Democracy

One nation, many elections

India needs more elections, not fewer of them

Voters came out in large numbers, reaffirmed faith in democracy: J&K LG

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha on Monday lauded voters in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency for coming out to exercise their right to franchise in large numbers. In a post on X, the LG said he hoped to see a historic turnout in the next two phases of the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency recorded a voter turnout of 36 per cent till 5 pm, the second highest since 1989. The final figure of the voter turnout is awaited. "Today, people came out in large numbers to cast their votes in Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency and reaffirmed their faith in democracy and the Constitution. I commend the hard work by all the stakeholders for free, fair, peaceful and smooth conduct of the polling," Sinha said. "I truly appreciate the enthusiasm of electors and hopeful (hope) to see historic turnout in the next two phases (in Baramulla and Anantnag parliamentary constituencies on May 20 and 25, respectively). I appeal to all to v

Victory of democracy: Sunita on SC's interim relief to Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Friday hailed the Supreme Court's decision granting interim bail to her husband as a "victory of democracy" and said the relief is the result of prayers and blessings of millions of people. In a major relief to Kejriwal, the Supreme Court granted him bail till June 1 to campaign in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Elections in Delhi will be held in the sixth phase on May 25. The AAP is contesting in four of the seven seats as part of a seat-sharing arrangement with INDIA bloc partner Congress. Arrested in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam, Kejriwal will have to surrender and go back to jail on June 2. June 1 is the last day of the seven-phase elections. The votes will be counted on June 4. "Hanuman ji ki jai. This is the victory of democracy. It is the result of the prayers and blessings of millions of people. Many thanks to everyone," Sunita said in a post on X in Hindi.

Global elections in the shadow of neoliberalism

While scandals, culture wars, and threats to democracy dominate the headlines, the biggest issues in this super election year ultimately concern economic policies

Tibetans call on India, other nations to press Beijing over Panchen Lama

The Tibetan government-in-exile on Thursday called on India and other democratic nations to press Beijing to divulge the whereabouts of Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and allow an independent fact-finding commission to examine his disappearance in China nearly 29 years ago. The demand was made at a grand event held in this Himachal Pradesh town commemorating the 35th birth anniversary of Choekyi Nyima who disappeared just three days after the Dalai Lama declared the then six-year to be the reincarnated Panchen Lama. A joint statement issued by leading Tibetan leaders called on foreign governments and the UN to direct their ambassadors in China to meet with the 11th Panchen Lama and ascertain his whereabouts and wellbeing. The Panchen Lama is the second most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism. "Our most pressing concern is whether the Panchen Rinpoche is still alive or not," said Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong or political head of Tibet's government-in-exile, in presence of hundred

Lok Sabha polls: Can India hold elections when it is too hot to vote?

The world's largest democracy is only going to struggle more with this as the planet warms. It will have to overhaul its hulking electoral machinery to keep up.

S Korea elections: Voters to decide President Yoon Suk Yeol's fate

The record-high turnout for early voting has garnered the attention to whether the final turnout would exceed 70%

PM Narendra Modi tore apart country's dignity, hurt democracy: Sonia Gandhi

Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of tearing apart the country's dignity and democracy and claimed that various tactics were being used to force opposition leaders to join the BJP. Addressing an election event of the party here, the former Congress chief claimed that for the last 10 years, the country has been in the hands of a government that left no stone unturned to promote unemployment, inflation, economic crisis and inequality. "Today our country's democracy is in danger. Democratic institutions are being destroyed and a conspiracy is being hatched to change our Constitution," she alleged, adding, "This is a dictatorship and we all will give a reply to this." "Considering himself great, Modi ji is tearing apart the dignity of the country and its democracy," Sonia Gandhi said. Addressing the event earlier, the party's national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra referred to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former ..

China may misuse AI to target polls in countries like India, US: Microsoft

China is likely to deploy Artificial Intelligence-generated content via social media to sway public opinion to boost its geopolitical interests during elections in countries like India, South Korea and the US, tech giant Microsoft has warned. Voting for 543 Lok Sabha seats in India will take place between April 19 and June 4, spread across seven phases. South Koreans will go to the polls in a general election on April 10 while the US will hold the Presidential election on November 5. "With major elections taking place around the world this year, particularly in India, South Korea and the United States, we assess that China will, at a minimum, create and amplify AI-generated content to benefit its interests," Clint Watts, General Manager, Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, said in a blog post. Despite the chances of such content in affecting election results remaining low, China's increasing experimentation in augmenting memes, videos, and audio will likely continue and may prove m

Poor standard of living makes democracy difficult to maintain: Martin Wolf at BS Manthan

Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, London spoke in great depth regarding the factors that can influence the rise and decline of democracy in countries.

Not 'save democracy' but 'save family', hide corruption: BJP on Oppn rally

The BJP on Sunday slammed the opposition INDIA bloc's rally at Ramlila ground here, saying it is not a "save democracy" meeting as projected but a "save family" and "hide corruption" rally. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi cited corruption cases of a host of leaders, including those from the Congress, DMK and the RJD, to assert that all these charges date back to pre-2014 period amid the opposition's accusation that the Modi government is implicating them in graft probes due to its political vendetta. Ramlila ground once hosted "India against corruption" movement under the leadership of Anna Hazare, Trivedi said, adding that it is hosting on Sunday a rally for "everybody with corruption". People who trashed many leaders as thieves and crooks have joined hands with them, and it is a strange and startling sight, he said, in an apparent reference to the coming together of the Aam Aadmi Party with other opposition parties. Their leader is now Lalu Prasad Yadav, a convict in several .

Senegal's Constitutional Council confirms Bassirou Diomaye Faye as Prez

The announcement, made on Friday, sets the stage for Faye's inauguration, slated for April 2nd

China can be a democracy, says former Australian PM Scott Morrison

Morrison, who led Australia from 2018 to 2022, said the Chinese people care just as much about freedom as we do but sadly in mainland China they don't have the opportunity for it

Oppn figure who became Senegal's prez-elect won over 54% vote, results show

Senegal's little-known opposition figure who was elected president this week in a tightly contested race won over 54 per cent of the votes, according to results released on Wednesday. The presidential election on Sunday marked a stunning victory for 44-year-old Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who was freed from prison less than two weeks ago and is now due to be the youngest leader of the West African nation. The government-backed candidate, former Prime Minister Amadou Ba, conceded to Faye on Monday. President Macky Sall, who had backed Ba, also declared Faye the winner. At a news conference in Dakar, the court of appeals announced Wednesday that Faye won 54.28 per cent of the vote. Ba garnered 35.47 per cent of the votes cast. The results are preliminary -- after all the votes have been counted -- but are expected to be confirmed on Friday. Faye's release from prison followed a political amnesty granted just in time for the balloting. He was little known until popular opposition leader .

Poor standard of living makes democracy difficult to maintain: Martin Wolf

Business Standard Manthan: Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at the Financial Times spoke on birth, rise and factors that may lead to the decline of democratic capitalism

AAP launches social media campaign for 'saving' Constitution, democracy

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday launched a social media campaign asking people to support it for saving the constitution and democracy in the country. Delhi minister and senior AAP leader Atishi addressed a press conference here to launch the social media "DP (display picture) campaign", urging people to join in. She said that all AAP leaders and volunteers will change their profile picture on X, Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media accounts with the new one showing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal behind the bars captioned "Modi Ka Sabse Bada Dar Kejriwal". Kejriwal is the only leader in the country who can challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi so he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate without any evidence just after the announcement of Lok Sabha polls, Atishi said. She claimed the ED could not produce even "one Paisa" of evidence despite its two-year-long probe into the alleged excise scam . She alleged that the BJP and Modi want to crush Kejriwal and add

INDIA bloc to hold maha rally on March 31 to safeguard democracy: Gopal Rai

The opposition INDIA bloc will hold a "maha rally" at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on March 31 to "safeguard the country's interests and democracy", AAP leader Gopal Rai said on Sunday. The announcement comes after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (55) was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday from his official residence in connection with an excise policy-linked money-laundering case. A court on Friday sent the AAP national convenor to the central agency's custody till March 28. Addressing a press conference, INDIA bloc allies AAP and Congress announced the rally. "We will hold a 'maha rally' at Ramlila Maidan on March 31 against what is happening in the country. The top leadership of the INDIA bloc will participate in the event," Rai, the AAP's Delhi convenor, said. "Democracy and the country are in danger. All the INDIA-bloc parties will hold this 'maha rally' to safeguard the country's interests and democracy," Rai added. Arvinder Singh Lovely, the Congress' D

Prez Putin wins Russia election in landslide with no serious competition

Russian President Vladimir Putin basked in a victory early Monday that was never in doubt, as partial election results showed him easily securing a fifth term after facing only token challengers and harshly suppressing opposition voices. With little margin for protest, Russians crowded outside polling stations at noon Sunday, on the last day of the election, apparently heeding an opposition call to express their displeasure with Putin. Still, the impending landslide underlined that Russian leader would accept nothing less than full control of the country's political system as he extends his nearly quarter-century rule for six more years. Putin hailed the early results as an indication of "trust" and "hope" in him while critics saw them as another reflection of the preordained nature of the election. "Of course, we have lots of tasks ahead. But I want to make it clear for everyone: When we were consolidated, no one has ever managed to frighten us, to suppress our will and our ...

Why is South Korea hosting a 'Summit for Democracy', all you need to know

This year's summit agenda focused on digital threats to democracy, including misinformation, artificial intelligence, and deep fakes

Why populism prospers

Today's populist leaders, unlike the strong authoritarians of history, maintain political durability by keeping the masses in a state of consensual mediocrity and low self-esteem