Electoral Politics

US Media Claims Coup In Bolivia Was Not A Coup

November 13, 2019 Alan McLeod, Fair.org Educate! Bolivia, coup, Electoral Politics

Army generals appearing on television to demand the resignation and arrest of an elected civilian head of state seems like a textbook example of a coup. And yet that is certainly not how corporate media are presenting the weekend’s events in Bolivia. No establishment outlet framed the action as a coup; instead, President Evo Morales “resigned” (ABC News, 11/10/19), amid widespread “protests” (CBS News, 11/10/19) from an “infuriated population” (New York Times, 11/10/19) angry at the “election fraud” (Fox News, 11/10/19) of the “full-blown dictatorship” (Miami Herald, 11/9/19).

Released Lula In For Greatest Fight Of His Life

November 13, 2019 By Pepe Escobar, Asiatimes.com Create! Brazil, Electoral Politics, Inter-Imperialist Rivalry, Latin America

He’s back. With a bang. Only two days after his release from a federal prison in Curitiba, southern Brazil, following a narrow 6×5 decision by the Supreme Court, former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva delivered a fiery, 45-minute long speech in front of the Metal Workers Union in Sao Bernardo, outside of Sao Paulo, and drawing on his unparalleled political capital, called all Brazilians to stage nothing short of a social revolution.

No Evidence That Bolivian Election Results Were Affected By Irregularities Or Fraud, Statistical Analysis Shows

November 13, 2019 Staff, Cepr.net Educate! Bolivia, Electoral Politics, Latin America

Washington, DC ― Statistical analysis of election returns and tally sheets from Bolivia’s October 20 elections shows no evidence that irregularities or fraud affected the official result that gave President Evo Morales a first-round victory, researchers and analysts at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) say. Contrary to a postelection narrative that was supported, without evidence, by the OAS Electoral Observation Mission, statistical analysis shows that it was predictable that Morales would obtain a first-round win...

Fighting Voter Purges Across The South

November 12, 2019 By Benjamin Barber, Facingsouth.org Resist! 2020 Elections, Electoral Politics, Voting Rights

Despite research documenting the serious problems they present for voting rights, aggressive purges of the voting rolls continue to be proposed in advance of the 2020 elections, with some of them considered for Southern states. According to a recent analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice, at least 17 million people were purged from voting rolls nationwide between 2016 and 2018, with racial minorities hit hardest. While states have a legitimate interest in keeping their voting rolls updated, doing so through wholesale purges close to elections risks barring qualified voters from casting ballots.

Social And Economic Woes Weigh Heavily On Algeria’s Future

November 12, 2019 By Khelaf Benhadda, Equaltimes.org Resist! Algeria, Class Struggle, Electoral Politics

The last eight months have seen the rise of a protest movement without precedent in the history of Algeria. Millions of citizens have taken to the streets, since February 2019, in wilayas (provinces) across the country. Every Friday, week after week, Algerians come out to express their discontent. Friday 1 November was the 37th week, and the mobilisation was stepped up. The resignation, on 2 April 2019, of the former president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who had triggered the protest movement (the hirak, in Arabic) with his decision to stand for a 5th term, was not enough to resolve the deep-rooted social discontent.

Bolivia: The Right Hastens The Coup Against Evo Morales

November 11, 2019 Marco Teruggi, Pagina 12, translation, Resumen Latinoamericano, North America bureau Educate! Bolivia, Electoral Politics, Latin America, Regime Change

Bolivia has entered the final moments before an outcome of a complex sequence of events. The possibility of reaching an agreement has been buried after the right ignored the call made by President Evo Morales to constitute a new Supreme Electoral Tribunal and call for new general elections. The response led by Fernando Camacho, the main leader of the escalating coup, left no room for doubt: he demanded that Evo Morales, the senators, deputies, members of the Court of Justice, the Electoral Tribunal, resign, create a transitional government board and call for elections within 60 days.

Evo Morales Resigns In The Face Of Fascist Attacks

November 11, 2019 Staff, Resumen Latinoamericano, translation North America bureau Educate! Bolivia, Electoral Politics, Fascism, Latin America, Regime Change

The president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, has announced his resignation from office after opposition groups, who do not want to recognize the election results of last October 20, launched a wave of violence. The escalation of violence by these groups attacked militants and leaders of the Movement towards Socialism (MAS). They are intimidating journalists, burning residences of MAS members, including Evo’s sister, and attacking anyone who looks indigenous. Some political allies and the National Police have gone over to the side of the opposition. The country is in a complete crisis.

Ecuador: More Uprisings Ahead As Moreno Fails To Listen To The People

November 8, 2019 Juan Manuel Boccacci, Pagina 12, translation Resumen Latinoamericano, North America bureau Resist! Ecuador, Electoral Politics, Latin America, Lenin Moreno, Regime Change

Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno seems to be determined to not listen to the claims being demanded across the country that began only 20 days ago. Revoking Decree 883, which eliminated fuel subsidies, led to a struggle between the Government and indigenous organizations headed by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE). As this issue is still under political discussion, the Government continues bowing to the dictates of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Chilean Opposition Demands Referendum To Solve Crisis

November 8, 2019 Aldo Anfossi, La Jornada, translation, Resumen Latinoamericano, North America bureau Create! Chile, Electoral Politics, Latin America

Three opposition parties —Radical, Democracy, and Socialist— demanded that the Sebastian Piñera Administration call for a constituent referendum as a starting point to find a solution to the political and social crisis that hit the country two weeks ago and showing no signs of coming to an end. Entering a third week, demonstrations continue strong and have resulted so far in 23 deaths; a figure reported by the Chilean Attorney General, while another 1,574 injured are in hospitals. Of those 473 were shot by police pellets and over 157 suffering irreparable eye injuries.

Rochester Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Police Accountability Board

November 8, 2019 Staff, Rochestercitynewspaper.com Create! Electoral Politics, New York (NY), Police, Reform

City of Rochester voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the creation of Police Accountability Board, setting the stage for a legal challenge from the union representing city police. Whether to create such a board was put to voters in the form of a referendum that, with about 50 percent of election districts reporting, passed by a vote of 76 to 23 percent. The board would have the power to review accusations of officer misconduct and to require the police chief to punish officers when the allegations are sustained. Under current law, only the police chief has the power to discipline officers.

Group Wins Landmark Case Against Super PACs In Alaska

November 7, 2019 By Jacob Wolinsky, Valuewalk.com Create! Electoral Politics, Money in Politics, PACs, Regulation

Today, in a historic ruling, the non-profit group Equal Citizens obtained a judicial ruling that, for the first time since Citizens United, could restore limits on donations to Super PACs and independent groups. The case was brought by a cross-partisan group of three Alaska citizens—Donna Patrick and Pat Lambert of Fairbanks, and James Barnett of Anchorage—who jointly challenged Alaska’s 2012 decision to abandon enforcement of strict limits on donations to independent political groups.

Bolivian Right-Wing Activates ‘Electoral Fraud’ Contingency Plan Against Morales

November 6, 2019 By Zoe PC, Peoplesdispatch.org Educate! Bolivia, Electoral Politics, Latin America, Regime Change

Tensions have been rising in Bolivia following the general elections conducted on October 20. The right-wing opposition has refused to recognize the results which saw president Evo Morales of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) win 47.07% of the votes cast to clinch a first-round victory over Carlos Mesa of the Citizen Community alliance who won 36.52%. Opposition sectors have claimed that as initial results indicated that a run-off election would be necessary, electoral fraud was committed in order to give Morales the 10-point margin he needed to win in the first round.

The Enemy Within

November 5, 2019 By Chris Hedges, Truthdig.com Educate! Democracy, Electoral Politics, Ideology

Our democracy is not in peril—we do not live in a democracy. The image of our democracy is in peril. The deep state—the generals, bankers, corporatists, lobbyists, intelligence chiefs, government bureaucrats and technocrats—is intent on salvaging the brand. It is hard to trumpet yourself as the world’s guardian of freedom and liberty with Donald Trump blathering on incoherently about himself, inciting racist violence, insulting our traditional allies along with the courts, the press and Congress, tweeting misspelled inanities and impulsively denouncing or sabotaging bipartisan domestic and foreign policy.

Largest Sentence Commutation In US History: Nearly 500 Inmates Walk Free After Oklahoma Voters Demand Reform

November 5, 2019 By Julia Conley, Commondreams.org Create! Electoral Politics, Mass Incarceration, Oklahoma, Reform

Oklahoma voters' approval of a referendum in 2016 allowed for nearly 500 inmates to walk free on Monday from the state's massive prison system—the largest single-day commutation in U.S. history. Four hundred and sixty-two people had their sentences commuted as a result of Question 780, which asked voters if they approved of recategorizing many felonies, including drug possession and minor property crimes, as misdemeanors. The referendum passed by a 16 percent margin.

Obama Officials Confess Their Sins On Human Rights At J Street

November 4, 2019 Philip Weiss, Mondoweiss.net Educate! Electoral Politics, Human Rights, Israel, Palestine

At its just-concluded conference, J Street showed itself to be a potent lobby inside the Democratic Party dedicated to support for Israel and opposition to the Israeli occupation, to the point of cautious expressions of Palestinian solidarity. The lobby group is now The Address for politicians saying they want to condition aid to Israel because of the settlement project. This spirit is in sharp contrast to years in which Democrats waffled on these issues, and J Street helped them waffle. In fact, the most interesting moments at the conference came when Democratic officials had human rights epiphanies...

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