The front-runners — notably ex-foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah and former World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani — are expected to proceed to a run-off vote, tentatively scheduled to take place in mid June.
With the government apparatus divided in two and Thailand’s opposition resolute in its decision to boycott any future election, it’s hard to imagine a peaceful resolution to the current stalemate.
On Friday, the president traveled to Germany’s Baltic coast for two days of informal talks with host Angela Merkel.
Despite attempts to blame the country’s economic ills on the protests, Maduro’s popularity has taken a hit.
Now, with Hindu hardliner Narendra Modi likely to nab the premiership – remember the pol’s controversial role in 2002’s deadly anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat – little wonder that tensions are boiling over.
True, the position is largely ceremonial, but the choice of a new president (or lack thereof) will have ramifications beyond Lebanon.
The not-so-invisible player driving Abe’s outward–facing strategy – the premier, often lambasted by regional critics for his ardent nationalism, looks to be playing against type – is China.
If all goes well and the new satellite is launched as scheduled in 2016, it will make for a fitting farewell gift from President Ollanta Humala.
2014 is shaping up to be a critical year for elections in the Arab world, notably in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria and Iraq.
With no hint of Western pressure, there’s little to dissuade the sultan, who holds sweeping powers, including the right to introduce new laws in the name of ‘public interest.’
