Democracy promotion: aim lower?
U.S. interests and values, particularly when it comes to transforming the governance and political institutions of other countries, are almost always at odds with one another, according to veteran… Read more »
Ukraine struggles to shake off legacy of kleptocracy
A case of possible influence-peddling under review by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau is hardly the only worrying sign for a government swept into power in 2014 on a wave of… Read more »
Peru’s fragile democracy still faces twin threats from Fujimorismo
Peru’s presidential election hung in the balance on Monday, with the economist Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (left) holding the narrowest of leads over Keiko Fujimori, daughter of a disgraced former president, The Financial Times… Read more »
Muhammad Ali: ‘a marching figure for democracy’?
The man responsible for Muhammad Ali’s autobiography, the former president of Random House publishing house Robert L. Bernstein, was also the founder of the Helsinki Watch human rights organization, notes Alexander Lukashuk…. Read more »
27 years after Tiananmen, an opportunity for a political opening
Tens of thousands of people gathered in a Hong Kong park on Saturday evening to do what people across the border in mainland China could not: commemorate the anniversary of… Read more »
Russia’s election countdown: ‘No one untouchable’ on violations?
The head of Russia ‘s Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, said that an interdepartmental working group is being set up to quickly react to election violations, the Moscow Times reports:… Read more »
‘Time is running out’ for Tunisia
The United States and Europe must engage in a joint transatlantic approach to support Tunisia’s democratization, says a new report. They should work to avoid duplication of assistance efforts… Read more »
Fujimori versus anti-Fujimorismo
Perhaps it is a sign of the times in Latin America that both the candidates in Peru’s run-off ballot for the presidency, on June 5th, support the continuation of the… Read more »
Nigeria ‘running on empty’?
A former Nigerian military dictator has just won a historic democratic election and is sworn in amidst tremendous international and domestic goodwill, notes analyst Amaka Anku. He immediately goes to… Read more »
Hard-liners rebound: no more nonsense about ‘moderation’ in Iran
Backers of Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, who has pledged to improve the economy and relations with the West, won a sizeable minority in a parliament that has been under the… Read more »