Elections

Sudan has extended the deadline for nominations in the first multi-party vote in 24 years after candidates said they did not have enough time to prepare.Elections would go ahead as scheduled on April 11, 2010.
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Minister of Political Development noted that the election committee is reviewing several suggestions that were presented by civil society and the women’s movement, including increasing the women seats to 12 so that all governorates will be represented in the Lower House.
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In a fresh attempt to curb money power in the elections, the law ministry has proposed that the government fund women and scheduled caste and tribe candidates of recognised political parties. Law minister M Veerappa Moily recommended in a draft cabinet note circulated to various ministries that to et this benefit, candidates should not have an annual income of more than R5 lakh and movable or immovable property worth more than R22 lakh.

Here in Thailand, history was made on July 3 when the Pheu Thai Party’s landslide victory left Yingluck Shinawatra, a woman who had just recently entered politics, primed to become the country’s first female prime minister. But back in Burma, the Lady who has been leading her country’s pro-democracy struggle for two decades appears unlikely to ever reach the same pinnacle of the political system.

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Experts on Gender Equality and Democracy have unreservedly supported Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, the founder of the 31st December Women's Movement and now the increasingly popular presidential female candidate for the next 2012 elections, to raise Ghana further on the global stage for promoting democracy and women's status.

On Tuesday, Hina Rabbani Khar became the first woman and the youngest parliamentarian ever in Pakistan's history to hold the post of Foreign Minister.

Does this mean that we start cheering? No.

After six prime ministers in six years of sometimes bloody political upheaval, Thais might be excused for shrugging their shoulders about voting in number seven. But this time there's one big difference. The new prime minister will be a woman, the first to hold the position in Thailand. 

The Election Commission on Monday ordered special arrangements for women voters in upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections on February 11.

"With a view to encouraging more and more women to come out to exercise their voting rights, the commission has issued instructions for arranging for a woman polling officer wherever the number of women voters is high. Also in all such places, two women voters would be given a chance after every man," said additional chief electoral officer Anita Meshram.

Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has registered her candidacy for an April by-election, as her opposition party comes full circle after being politically ostracized for two decades.

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