As I write the results in Zimbabwe are still not announced even though everyone knows that the opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai has won with a landslide.
And once again it's not simply the act of holding an election that shows whether a country might be a democracy, or even whether it's fair (thought that is a necessary condition).
It's also whether a government that lose will hand over power without a further struggle.
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President Mugabe said in the closing days of the election in Zimbabwe that Mr Tsvangirai would "never be allowed" to take over, which was clear enough.
We will see whether he still has enough support from the security forces (and whether South Africa is prepared to go on allowing the disaster that has unfolded on its northern flank) to allow him to carry out a presidential coup d'etat, announce completely false results, declare a state of emergency, and throw Mr Tsvangirai and his followers into prison.
But all this raises the question - if you are not going to accept the result of an election, why hold it in the first place?
Democracy must have something going for it if all these tyrants feel it is so important even to go through the motions and pretend they have been properly elected.
Meanwhile Pakistan has for the moment seen a genuine transfer of power, partly because President Musharraf (who tried to rig the election and failed) is so much in hock to America and Europe that he could not resist their demands to respect the results.
And in Kenya the (literally) warring parties have been brought together in an uneasy compromise, not least by the heroic efforts of Kofi Annan.
No such requirements in Iran where, taking a leaf out of Mr Putin's book, they banned most reformist candidates from standing.
But if I am so keen on democracy why do I sit in the unelected the House of Lords?
Well, someone has to be there to vote for Lords reform - and talk of it surfaced again this week.
According to rumours there will be elections to the Lords.
But those of us already there will have our life sentence commuted to a further 16 years!
Posted by: Joseph yossarian, London on 5:01pm Tue 1 Apr 08
Turkeys don't vote for christmas, after all!
If there ever are elections to the upper house then as such a strong proponent of democracy we look forward to you resigning your life peership and standing for election as a legitimate candidate for the upper house.
That would be the honourable thing to do; you have NO mandate from the electorate and therefore do not deserve office.
Turkeys don't vote for christmas, after all!
If there ever are elections to the upper house then as such a strong proponent of democracy we look forward to you resigning your life peership and standing for election as a legitimate candidate for the upper house.
That would be the honourable thing to do; you have NO mandate from the electorate and therefore do not deserve office.
Lord Greaves is also a representative of Whitefield Regeneration Partnership yet he represents Waterside ward. Hypocrisy or what? Then he went on to appoint Lord Shutt who lives in Todmorden to be Chair of this partnership. More hypocrisy?? Then he hand selected the two community reps Ifzal Anwar who I now believe has been selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate for the Lib Dems in Pendle. Even further hypocrisy??? smell someting Yes LORD GREAVES RHETORIC. stop the nonsense and practice what you preach. It is because of your dictatorial efforts I was defeated in the local council elections!!!
Lord Greaves is also a representative of Whitefield Regeneration Partnership yet he represents Waterside ward. Hypocrisy or what? Then he went on to appoint Lord Shutt who lives in Todmorden to be Chair of this partnership. More hypocrisy?? Then he hand selected the two community reps Ifzal Anwar who I now believe has been selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate for the Lib Dems in Pendle. Even further hypocrisy??? smell someting Yes LORD GREAVES RHETORIC. stop the nonsense and practice what you preach. It is because of your dictatorial efforts I was defeated in the local council elections!!!
Posted by: Conservative, Colne on 10:27am Wed 2 Apr 08
Can I just say that the above poster Mahboob Ahmed is NOT the former councillor. I asked the former councillor Mahboob Ahmed if it was him posting last week and he knew nothing about it.
Why someone feels the need to post as somebody else doesn't make sense to me... but there you go.
Can I just say that the above poster Mahboob Ahmed is NOT the former councillor. I asked the former councillor Mahboob Ahmed if it was him posting last week and he knew nothing about it.
Why someone feels the need to post as somebody else doesn't make sense to me... but there you go.
Please Note: lord greaves is talking from experience, although it is based on the theory of FUBAR. Lord Greaves and his officers in Pendle have spent over £12 million of tax payers money thorugh the NRF programme and 5 years later the people living in those areas are poorer, less educated, more vulnerable and facing chronic isues of health inequalities and certain parts of Pendle are now recognised as the number 1 for infant mortality. So Lord Greaves take your unelected rhetoric and find a convenient corner of disgrace and preach this kind of useless twitter to your other colleagues and officers in Pendle, wo might give you the attention and the pat on the back you think you need - you are an intellectually ignorant and politically a suicide for the liberals in Pendle and nationally.
Please Note: lord greaves is talking from experience, although it is based on the theory of FUBAR. Lord Greaves and his officers in Pendle have spent over £12 million of tax payers money thorugh the NRF programme and 5 years later the people living in those areas are poorer, less educated, more vulnerable and facing chronic isues of health inequalities and certain parts of Pendle are now recognised as the number 1 for infant mortality. So Lord Greaves take your unelected rhetoric and find a convenient corner of disgrace and preach this kind of useless twitter to your other colleagues and officers in Pendle, wo might give you the attention and the pat on the back you think you need - you are an intellectually ignorant and politically a suicide for the liberals in Pendle and nationally.
[quote][bold]Conservative[/bold] wrote:
Can I just say that the above poster Mahboob Ahmed is NOT the former councillor. I asked the former councillor Mahboob Ahmed if it was him posting last week and he knew nothing about it. Why someone feels the need to post as somebody else doesn\'t make sense to me... but there you go.[/quote] Dear All Concerned:
PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH BOTH PREVIOUS COMMENTS. I HOWEVER DO AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS POSTED ABOUT LORD GREAVES. WHAT SADDENS ME IS THAT AS LIBERALS THEY WASTED £12 MILLION OF NRF FUNDING ON PET PROJECTS WHEN WE COULD HAVE MADE CHANGES TO PEOPLES LIFES. HOPEFULLY AS A CONSERVATIVE I CAN DO SOMETHING ( AM JUST NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS RIGHT NOW BUT HOPEFULLY BEFORE ELECTION TIME SOMEONE WILL TELL ME THE TRUTH). GOOD LUCK TO THE CONSERVATIVES IN THE LOCAL ELECTION ALTHOUGH WE NEED A FEW MORE DEFECTIONS FROM MY ASIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
Conservative wrote:
Can I just say that the above poster Mahboob Ahmed is NOT the former councillor. I asked the former councillor Mahboob Ahmed if it was him posting last week and he knew nothing about it. Why someone feels the need to post as somebody else doesn\'t make sense to me... but there you go.
Dear All Concerned:
PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH BOTH PREVIOUS COMMENTS. I HOWEVER DO AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS POSTED ABOUT LORD GREAVES. WHAT SADDENS ME IS THAT AS LIBERALS THEY WASTED £12 MILLION OF NRF FUNDING ON PET PROJECTS WHEN WE COULD HAVE MADE CHANGES TO PEOPLES LIFES. HOPEFULLY AS A CONSERVATIVE I CAN DO SOMETHING ( AM JUST NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS RIGHT NOW BUT HOPEFULLY BEFORE ELECTION TIME SOMEONE WILL TELL ME THE TRUTH). GOOD LUCK TO THE CONSERVATIVES IN THE LOCAL ELECTION ALTHOUGH WE NEED A FEW MORE DEFECTIONS FROM MY ASIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
[quote][bold]Conservative[/bold] wrote:
Can I just say that the above poster Mahboob Ahmed is NOT the former councillor. I asked the former councillor Mahboob Ahmed if it was him posting last week and he knew nothing about it. Why someone feels the need to post as somebody else doesn't make sense to me... but there you go.[/quote] Am afraid you did not ask me anything of the sort - I did not jon the conservatives to be gagged like I was witht he liberals. Mr Karim said things would be different with your lot. x
Conservative wrote:
Can I just say that the above poster Mahboob Ahmed is NOT the former councillor. I asked the former councillor Mahboob Ahmed if it was him posting last week and he knew nothing about it. Why someone feels the need to post as somebody else doesn't make sense to me... but there you go.
Am afraid you did not ask me anything of the sort - I did not jon the conservatives to be gagged like I was witht he liberals. Mr Karim said things would be different with your lot. x
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