Headlines

A closer look at Africa’s elected governments suggests that they are not different from autocratic regimes   

July 23.– The elected ruling elites in Africa rely on an intricate web of personal, family, clientelism and ethnic ties, and on the military and intelligence services to control state resources and oppress society. What is also emerging in Africa’s democracies is the incapacity of citizens to organise and to hold leaders to account, even when they violate the constitution, take actions that undermine stability and human rights, and are involved in corruption.

Africa is suffering from multiple interlinked governance challenges. These challenges arise from the failure of electoral democracy to translate into real democracy. It is now evident that elections in Africa do not necessarily change the way power and privileges are organised in society. In most African countries, elections are a solution to the problem of political legitimacy, but they do not provide answers to problems of state malfunction. The mere establishment of electoral democratic process has not been sufficient to ensure that an elected government is democratic or will remain democratic over time.

Washington DC, July 23.─ Cuba essentially has an "occupation army" in Venezuela with 15,000 Cubans who currently inhabit the South American country, Secretary General of the Organization of American States Luis Almagro said in a Senate hearing this week.

"There are currently about 15,000 Cubans in Venezuela," Almagro said during his testimony before U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday, Panapost reported Thursday. "It's like an occupation army from Cuba in Venezuela."

Venezuelan Opposition Holds 'Popular Referendum' organized as a citizen's initiative against Maduro's Policies.

Caracas, July 16.─ Venezuela's opposition coallition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) is holding a so-called popular referendum, unauthorized by the government, against the policies of President Nicolas Maduro this Suday.

The vote is organized by the opposition coallition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), not only in all districts in Venezuela but in all 85 countries where Venezuelan citizens reside.

The ballots include three questions on whether the voters reject and do not recognize the presidential decision to call the Constituent Assembly without gaining the support of the Venezuelans in a proper referendum, whether the voters demand the country's Armed Forces to protect the 1999 Constitution and the decisions of the National Assembly, as well as whether they agree on holding free elections and creating a national unity government.

Paris, Jul.14.─ French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed President Donald Trump to Paris Thursday, saying he was prepared to set aside differences over Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord in order to work together on other issues.

President Emmanuel Macron: "I disagree with the way the Paris Agreement and its importance is being interpreted by the U.S. We talked about this disagreement, as we should amongst leaders, before and after the decision taken by President Trump. Should this get in the way of the discussions on all other subjects? Definitely not, under no circumstances."