Following the disqualification of four pro-democracy lawmakers in Hong Kong, the UK Government has declared China in breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “Beijing’s imposition of new rules to disqualify elected legislators in Hong Kong constitutes a clear breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration.” “China has once…
Politics
Libya Needs Technocratic Transitional Government
Tunisia is hosting the Libyan Forum of Political Dialogue, which will determine the institutional framework of the new Libyan state. The Forum will decide on the procedure for planning general elections, and how to choose a transitional government leading up to the elections. The latest news from the Forum so far suggests that there is…
Hong Kong’s Legislature Falls Silent
Following the dismissal of four members of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council today, the remaining 15 members of the pro-democracy opposition have said they will resign. The four lawmakers who were dismissed by Hong Kong’s CEO Carrie Lam are Alvin Yeung, Kwok Ka-ki and Dennis Kwok of the Civic Party and Kenneth Leung of the Professionals…
Belarus Opposition Awarded Sakharov Prize
The democratic opposition in Belarus has been awarded the 2020 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. European Parliament President David Sassoli announced the laureates in the Brussels plenary chamber at noon on Thursday, following an earlier decision by the Conference of Presidents (President and political group leaders). “Let me congratulate the representatives of the Belarusian opposition for…
Is anyone meddling in the US Elections?
In their final head to head debate before the Presidential election on 3 November, Donald Trump and Joe Biden clashed over financial ties with Russia and China. Both candidates levelled allegations against the other. Trump has made more than $200 million in income from his foreign business interests since 2016, according to the Center for…
Putin’s Meeting with Lukashenko
The personal meeting of the presidents of Russia and Belarus in Sochi on September 14 showed that the Russian authorities were ready to provide Lukashenko with assistance in order to rapidly replace him with a more acceptable candidate for Moscow within the framework of the “Union State of Russia and Belarus”. The only public signal…
Vladimir Putin’s address to the United Nations General Assembly
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a pre-recorded video address to the 75th anniversary session of the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week. The main focus of his address was on the global challenge that COVID-19 is posing. But he kept silent about the challenges Russia is presenting to the international community in a time…
EP Calls for New Elections In Belarus
MEPs have called for new presidential elections in Belarus and urge the EU to sanction President Lukashenko and the perpetrators behind Alexei Navalny’s poisoning. The situation in BelarusIn a resolution adopted by 574 votes in favour, 37 against with 82 abstentions today (17 September), the European Parliament rejects the official results of the “so-called presidential…
Stand with Belarus – it’s a matter of principle
“Don’t leave Belarus alone!” That was the message of a conference organised by New Europeans with human rights campaigners from Belarus, Ukraine and Russia to mark International Democracy Day, 15 September, writes Roger Casale. In a moving address from her home outside Minsk, Olga Zubrilova, explained how she had become involved in the democratic movement…
Italy Regional Elections
On 20 and 21 September, regional elections are taking place in seven Italian regions. These elections will be of particular importance for a country that has been hit extremely hard by the COVID-19 crisis. Italy is now engaged in the long and difficult path to recovery and needs progressive green forces to successfully emerge from the…