Elections

Haiti: U.S. Embassy Allows Return of Non-Emergency Personnel

Date: November 29th, 2005 |

Violence has diminished enough for the U.S. Embassy to bring back non-emergency employees and adult dependents who had been ordered to leave in May when the security situation was deemed too volatile. Haiti is moving toward its first election since President Jean-Bertrand Aristide went into exile in February 2004. The United Nations said it is [read more]

Egypt: First Presidential Election

Date: August 23rd, 2005 |

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Voters go to the polls Sept. 7 in Egypt�s first ever multi-candidate presidential election, and will return in October and November for parliamentary elections. Political demonstrations have become more frequent and protests are possible leading up to the elections, and such protests have the potential to tur [read more]

Venezuela

Date: June 8th, 2004 |

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The on-again off-again referendum on President Hugo Chavez has been cleared by the courts to go forward August 15. Chavez drew hundreds of thousands of supporters in Caracas June 6 to announce his efforts to defeat the recall, and passions will no doubt be stirred between now and the vote. Both sides have staged major [read more]

Togo

Date: November 24th, 2003 |

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The first local elections in 18 years will be held Dec. 14, conducted only five weeks after they were announced. Predictably, the opposition has vowed not to participate without a national dialogue about the current political situation, citing irregularities in the June 2003 presidential election that saw longtime ruler Gnassingbe Eyadema retain power as he [read more]

Nepal

Date: June 19th, 2002 |

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National elections are being held May 17. Elections here are often accompanied by unrest, so follow local press reports for areas to avoid. One perhaps unexpected consequence of the vote is the scarcity of guides and porters for trekking companies. Many Nepalis head home to rural villages during elections, not just to vote, but to [read more]

Kenya: Constitutional Referendum Nov. 21

Date: November 1st, 2005 |

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Kenyans will hold a referendum on a new constitution Nov. 21 with results announced Nov. 23. Recent political rallies on both sides of the issue have turned violent, and further unrest is possible. No foreigners have been injured in these incidents, but the U.S. State Department warned that in an attempt to incite violence against [read more]

Venezuela

Date: August 3rd, 2004 |

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The long-awaited referendum to recall President Hugo Chavez will take place Aug. 15, and all indications are that it will be close. The last two years have been plagued with violence as supporters and opponents of the embattled president have held countless demonstrations that have thrown Caracas and other cities into turmoil. Anything could happen [read more]

Philippines

Date: May 4th, 2004 |

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In an attempt to defuse a rancorous campaign and prevent post-election violence, the top two contenders in the May 10 presidential election have signed an agreement to support the winner. Some 84 people have been killed in election-related violence in what some analysts have called the most bitter campaign since the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos [read more]

Indonesia

Date: June 19th, 2002 |

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Indonesians took to the polls in the first democratic election in more than forty years June 7 with high hopes for a new political era. A good sign is that little of the violence that was feared occurred; a bad sign is the glacial pace of vote counting. With every day that passes worries rise [read more]

Sri Lanka

Date: May 13th, 2002 |

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Elections for provincial councils will take place April 6 in Central, North Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva and Western provinces. Elections here are usually marked by violence despite condemnation of violence by all political parties. Curfews are often imposed during elections. Travelers should avoid all political rallies, minimize contact with government installations and obey curfew res [read more]