DEMOCRACY WATCH

In Brief En Bref

BURUNDI received praise for condemning Twelve years after a brutal civil terrorism and WMDs, Amnesty war broke out between ethnic International and Human Rights Tutsi and Hutu factions, Burundi Watch have argued that plans to hold elections in April continues to violate basic hu- 2005 to replace its transitional man rights. In December, the government. Originally scheduled Libyan government refused to for October 2004, presidential grant visas to a Human Rights and parliamentary elections will Watch research team, after be preceded by a referendum on months of delays. “They are let- the constitution. The April elec- ting in oil companies and tourists, tions, which could be postponed but keeping out human rights again, would be Burundi’s sec- groups,” said HRW’s ond since gaining independence director, Sarah Leah Whitson. from in 1962 and would Libya still bans free media and end the political limbo in place independent political parties. since the 1993 assassination of Burundi’s fi rst elected president, MALAYSIA which sparked civil war. All but In December 2005, East Asian one of the parties to the confl ict countries led by Malaysian Prime have signed a ceasefi re agree- Minister Abdullah Badawi, will ment with the government. meet in Kuala Lumpur to dis- cuss a new East Asian Commu- nity (EAC) that Badawi argues will Tensions continue to run high move member states towards 7 in Ivory Coast, where President regional integration. The EAC will provide for free trade, monetary Laurent Gbagbo and northern (clockwise from top left): A participant in Ukraine’s Orange Revolution; Venezuelan President rebels are quarreling over an and fi nancial cooperation, joint Hugo Chavez; A child stands over a Tutsi mass grave in Burundi; Posters of Palestinian amendment to the constitu- efforts to prevent an arms race, President-Elect Mahmoud Abbas hang next to Arafat’s image; Libya’s . tion—Article 35—that requires all a declaration of human rights and obligations, and a communica- presidential candidates’ parents ter the election, Israeli Prime Min- UKRAINE tions and transportation network. be Ivorians. One in four residents ister Ariel Sharon called Abbas See Taras Kuzio’s article in Elec- Member countries will include the of Ivory Coast descends from to congratulate him, the highest tions Today (bonus section) for 10 ASEAN members plus China, economic migrants attracted to level contact between Israelis an update on the recent events Japan and South Korea but New the country’s post-independence and Palestinians in years. in Ukraine. cocoa-based prosperity. In mid- Zealand and Australia have been excluded. According to Badawi, December, parliament passed ROMANIA VENEZUELA tensions on the Korean peninsula laws naturalizing hundreds of In a December runoff, Romania In December, President Hugo or between China and Taiwan thousands of these foreigners elected as president Traian Bas- Chavez signed a law enabling the could derail the community if they and overthrowing Article 35, escu, leader of the Democratic government to censor sex and are not addressed promptly. which has particularly angered Party. The former General Mayor violence in the media and to ban the mostly Muslim residents of of Bucharest campaigned on a reports that “endanger national PALESTINE the north. However, Gbagbo re- platform of economic and social security or incite disruptions of On January 9, Palestinians voted fused to sign the bill, arguing that reform, pledging to fi ght cor- public order.” The law came just in a presidential election for the constitutional change must be ruption, improve press freedom after Chavez had charged those fi rst time since 1996, electing put to popular vote. But Ivorian and shepherd Romania to its who attended the inauguration of Mahmoud Abbas with 62.3% offi cials refuse to hold the refer- 2007 accession to the European Pedro Carmona with “civil rebel- of the vote. Abbas, who faced endum until rebels disarm, which Union. Following close parlia- lion.” (Carmona took offi ce fol- little tough competition, hoped they refuse to do. Ivory Coast is mentary elections in November, lowing the 2002 coup that briefl y the election would provide him due to hold presidential elec- Basescu named as Prime Min- removed Chavez from power.) the mandate he needs to take tions in October 2005, but these ister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, Under Venezuelan law, people on internal reforms and negotiate events put that date in question. Vice-President of the National accused of civil rebellion are not with . Voter turnout was es- Liberal Party, who has pledged entitled to parole, and therefore timated at 65%, but Palestinians LIBYA to fi ght corruption, lower taxes the government can hold them living abroad or in exile were not In a speech to parliament, Libya’s and increase the independence indefi nitely. Democratic and hu- permitted to vote. Radical Islamic Muammar Gaddafi has asserted of the judiciary. Given the fragility man rights groups around the groups such as Hamas urged a that he holds no prisoners of of the current centrist govern- world have spoken out against boycott of the vote, but made it conscience and that any country ment, Basescu has suggested both the new law and new clear that they would work with could verify his claim through vis- early elections to solidify the gov- charges. iting. While Gaddafi has recently the elected president. Shortly af- ernmental coalition. democracy at large Vol. 1, No. 2 – 2005