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Topic: Free elections

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	Free Elections?
		Free elections are the by-product of a society, where citizens accord certain rights to their government.
		Free elections cannot be a by product of societies, where regimes accords certain rights to their subjects, eliminate their opponents and brainwash their population with hate-education.
		Elections held by a non-free society are inherently non-free, even if prestigious evening news anchormen and press conferences in Jerusalem, London, the UN and Washington, DC refer to them as "free elections".
	nyjtimes.com /cover/01-03-04/FreeElections.htm (602 words)

	150, "Elections, Elections, Elections"
		By most definitions, a free election is presumably one in which alternate candidates, representing different views, may present themselves to the electorate, may communicate with them freely, and be elected by the free vote of the electorate.
		The result of such a free election is supposed to be considered a legitimate decision about who shall govern a political unit (or in the case of a referendum what decision shall have force of law).
		If an election is free, the losing side is expected to recognize that it has lost the election honestly and therefore is expected to accept the results as the will of the majority.
	fbc.binghamton.edu /150en.htm (1444 words)

	Free Elections Are Only the Beginning
		When the national election commission began to announce voting results, we could see that they were using falsified tally sheets that were different from the originals we had inspected the night before.
		Had a free and fair electoral process been permitted, the invasion, loss of life and damage, and perhaps the imprisonment of the general could have been avoided altogether.
		In the controversial presidential elections in Nicaragua in 1990, the Sandinistas, to their utter disbelief, were defeated in an open election by an opposition coalition, UNO.
	www.afsa.org /fsj/feb01/carter01.cfm (2098 words)

	BBC NEWS \| Africa \| Can elections be free in Africa?
		Elections in Zimbabwe, Togo, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Gabon, have been dogged by controversy, after incumbent regimes were accused of manipulating the electoral process to entrench themselves in power.
		The democracy in Africa will be free and fair only after all old leaders who still have traditional sentiment of power hunger have stepped out and give chances to the young generation to implement their new and fresh ideas of democracy.
		Elections will never be free and fair in Africa [especially Nigeria] as long as incumbents are allowed to supervise elections.They have the finances of the country at their disposal and they use this to manipulate virtually any sector they wish to including the electoral body and the Armed Forces.
	news.bbc.co.uk /2/hi/africa/2982893.stm (1112 words)

	Brazil’s free elections, by Chico Whitaker (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		It is made easier by a low level of political awareness among much of the population, and it seriously skews the results of elections, and explains the fragility of a democracy whose functioning is being sapped at its very base.
		This gauged the extent of vote-buying during the 1996 elections.
		This new provision is going to weigh heavily during the next elections during which, for the first time, mayors will be able to run as candidates for their own posts without standing down.
	mondediplo.com /2000/09/15brazil?var_recherche=brazil (1422 words)

	Free election - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		Free election (Polish: wolna elekcja) was the election of individual kings, rather than of dynasties, to the Polish throne between 1572 and 1791, when "free election" was abolished by the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791.
		Election of Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki as King of Poland at Wola, outside Warsaw (1669).
		Free elections weakened the kings' authority, occasioned quarrels among the voting provinces (voivodships) over the candidates for the throne, and encouraged foreign dynasties' meddling in Polish internal politics.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Free_elections (551 words)

	Free and Fair Elections Essay - US Dept of State
		Elections in societies in transition or crisis can be seminal events that, if successful, not only confer legitimacy on governments but also can profoundly influence institutions, power arrangements, and citizens’ expectations.
		For elections for representative or deliberative bodies—such as parliaments, national legislatures, or local councils—candidates can be elected from defined geographical areas or districts, or they can be elected on a proportional basis from party lists on the basis of a nationwide ballot.
		The consensus about the nature of a democratic election suggests that election observers should assess a comparably broad range of substantive issues, including the administration or conduct of the election; the legal and institutional framework for the election (the rules); and the political context and environment in which the election takes place.
	usinfo.state.gov /dd/eng_democracy_dialogues/elections/elections_essay.html (1759 words)

	USIS -- Issues of Democracy -- September 1996 (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		The theme of this issue is fair and free elections and their critical role for the continuance of democracy.
		In this issue we examine fair and free elections from several perspectives.
		William Kimberling of the Federal Election Commission, which regulates campaign financing, points out that his commission's role is to see that individual as well as organizational contributions do not wield undue influence over the political process.
	usinfo.state.gov /journals/itdhr/0996/ijde/ijde0996.htm (237 words)

	(DV) Landes: Voting Rights Groups "Block" Talk of Machine-Free Elections
		Tuesday's Dec. 7th conference in Washington, D.C., Voting 2004: A Report to the Nation on America's Election Process, sponsored by Common Cause, The Century Foundation, and LCCR (Leadership Conference on Civil Rights) was no exception.
		Second, it proposes spot audits, which leaves the counting of ballots in the hands of the very election officials who prove with each new election how truly inept or completely evil they really are.
		And third, the only time paper ballots will be counted is in case of a "close" election, ensuring that perpetrators of vote fraud will steal a sufficient number of votes to avoid triggering a recount.
	www.dissidentvoice.org /Dec2004/Landes1211.htm (1513 words)

	Free Elections
		The Palestinian elections, which will be held in January 2004 cannot be free.
		n the other hand, it is a free society, which is a critical prerequisite for Free Elections; a Free Society, which is based on the rights of the individual, rather than the rights of the ruler.
		Legitimizing the January 2004 election — in defiance of the clear track record of the PA — has constituted another victory to wishful thinking over realism.
	www.acpr.org.il /cloakrm/opeds/041227.html (602 words)

	Elections in Cuba - Uncyclopedia (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		Elections in Cuba are run differently to those in most other countries.
		One of the closest elections in Cuban history, Fidel Castro narrowly defeated Fidel Castro.
		Once again the government was defeated (neither side has won in successive elections possibly due to the unpopularity of the government), and Fidel Castro once again took control of Cuba.
	uncyclopedia.org /wiki/Elections_in_Cuba (267 words)

	The 2005 Egyptian Elections: How Free? How Important? (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		It is the little-mentioned elections for parliament—likely to take place over several weeks in October and November—that will ultimately determine whether the new rules allow for truly competitive elections in the future, or whether they merely consolidate the grip of the ruling NDP over Egypt's political landscape.
		In future elections, parties wishing to propose a presidential candidate will have to have been in existence for at least five years prior to the elections, and must already hold at least five per cent of the seats in parliament.
		The main obstacle to meaningful multiparty elections, however, is not election day ballot fraud but the continued lack of political freedom and the atmosphere of intimidation of the press, opposition politicians, and the public.
	www.brookings.edu /views/papers/wittes/20050824.htm (3883 words)

	Elections Information Center
		These fact-filled summaries provide revealing elections information from respected media sources with links direct to the articles on their media websites for easy verification of all information presented.
		This is not a question of who or which party wins, but rather of whether or not we are living in a truly representative democracy reflected by fair voting practices.
		Best Elections Information Document: The below compilation of summaries of major media articles and other critical information on elections manipulations gives an excellent overview of the problems we are facing in upholding democracy and what we can do about it.
	www.wanttoknow.info /electionsinformation (681 words)

	ZNet \| Africa \| Zimbabwe's Elections Not Free Or Fair
		The SADC Parliamentary Forumâs Norms and Standards for Election in the SADC Region (adopted March 2001 in Windhoek, Namibia).
		A shortlist of the ways in which this election was not free and fair, according to these standards, might include the following.
		This is however, unlikely to occur in Zimbabwe, given the culture of fear amongst Zimbabweans, and economic disparity characterized by 80% poverty, inflation reported at 116% and severe lack of foreign currency and hence, shortage of staple food.
	www.zmag.org /content/Africa/moyo_zimbabwe.cfm (722 words)

	Free Elections? (Yoram Ettinger) January, 2005
		The Palestinian elections, which will be held in January 2005 cannot be free.
		The coming Palestinian elections will raise further doubts about the capabilities of post-1992 Israeli leaders to benefit from the lessons of the 1996 Palestinian elections, from the unprecedented terrorism of the last 11 years (since the signing of the Oslo Accord) and from the Regime-Change and subsequent elections initiatedby the US in Afghanistan and Iraq.
		Legitimizing the January 2004 election - in defiance of the clear track record of the PA - has constituted another victory to wishful thinking over realism.
	www.freeman.org /m_online/jan05/ettinger.php (657 words)

	When 'free elections' means just further legitimizing terrorism
		If the election can be held with the assurance that most who want to vote are able to do so and whoever wins the presidency can survive political intrigues and assassination attempts, the effect will be profound and possibly transforming for Iraq and her neighbors.
		Unlike the other three elections, which have been, or will be, based on a principle that people should be free to select the leaders of their choice, the Palestinian election will be something quite different.
		Free elections cannot be a byproduct of societies where regimes accord certain rights to their subjects, eliminate their opponents and brainwash their population with hate education."
	www.jewishworldreview.com /1204/palest_elections.php3 (1267 words)

	A Case for Free Elections
		The "Case for Free Elections" is conceived as a legal challenge to the current election system, and as an attempt to redress the gross inequities of the system of Counting Votes, Redistricting, and the many and sundry biased laws governing elections.
		A qualified political party is not required to submit such a petition as long as the votes received in the last election and which included the specific office under question constituted in excess of 0.1% of the most recent vote count for that largest political entity.
		Due to the Election Primary/Caucus system in the United States, the vast majority of the citizenry does not have an equal opportunity to vote for the candidates of their choice.
	www.halexandria.org /dward790.htm (2326 words)

	Free elections threatened by lack of pluralism - Reporters Without Borders
		Reporters Without Borders voiced fears that 22 January elections in the Maldives had virtually no chance of being free and fair as promised by the government because of a striking absence of press freedom.
		Control over both public and private media wielded by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, his family and supporters was a flagrant violation of Article 25 of the Constitution that guarantees “the right to express ones conscience and ideas verbally, in writing or by any other method”, it said.
		The worldwide press freedom organisation strongly regretted that the government, which postponed elections after the tsunami disaster, had not taken steps to ensure free media coverage of the campaign for a new Majlis (parliament).
	www.minivannews.com /news/news.php?id=232 (514 words)

	2_elections
		Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media.
		An international election observer mission - from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Parliament, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Europe - released a preliminary report on Monday declaring that the election did not meet democratic standards.
		Election officials all over the country are erecting illegal barriers to keep young voters from casting ballots.
	www.oldamericancentury.org /2_elections.htm (1583 words)

	Donor-Free Elections \| Take Back California - Government Transparency and Donor-Free Election (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		The donor-free elections systems in these states provide a limited amount of public funding to candidates who agree not to accept private money and not to use their own money in campaigns.
		After the November 2004 election, 10 out of 11 statewide offices in Arizona, including governor, are now held by candidates participating in the donor-free elections system.
		Following the November 2004 election, nearly 80% of the Maine legislature is made up of donor-free legislators.
	www.takebackca.org /solution (291 words)

	Free Elections \| Fair Elections \| Voting \| Questia.com Online Library
		The promotion of free elections is closely tied to the support...recently emphasized the importance of free elections in a democratic...
		For most, it is the first free election in their lives.
		Following...would it be possible for free elections to be held...arrival in Korea...
	www.questia.com /CM.qst?D=se1&CRID=free_elections&KEY=free_election (766 words)

	Guide to U.S. Elections and Party Politics, UM Libraries
		Information includes biographical data, committee assignments, election results, CQ Key Votes, interest group ratings, CQ Vote Studies, and contact information; campaign finance, partisan caucuses, standing committees; detailed descriptions of each member's congressional district as drawn after the 2000 census, including updated maps and voting trends.
		Election data by state and county on Presidential, Gubernatorial, and Congressional races.
		Federal election statistics, congressional biographies, congressional district profiles, and summaries of campaigns and major issues.
	www.lib.umd.edu /MCK/GUIDES/elections.html (2496 words)

	Loose Democracy: Free the elections (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-02)
		Frank Paynter puts beautifully the case for asking for UN supervision of our elections.
		I respect the impulse, but I don't think UN supervision would work: The country's too big and if there were actual discrepancies, I don't think we'd be willing to give the decision over to the UN.
		By surfacing it as a possibility I hope to demonstrate that there are many of us with nothing to hide and who are willing to stand as equals with people from other countries.
	www.corante.com /loose/archives/004962.html (537 words)

	Iraq meet calls for free elections
		Iraq's salvation lay in making the election successful and ensuring that all reasonable forces take part, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Ghait told delegates at the opening session of the conference at the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Shaikh.
		"As we approach the elections, every effort must be made to provide incentives for the various Iraqi groups to participate in a national reconciliation process," said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
		This follows threats by Arab Sunni outfits to boycott the elections, which they perceive as an American attempt to impose a puppet regime on Iraq.
	in.rediff.com /news/2004/nov/23iraq.htm (473 words)

	Press Releases: Uganda, Uganda: Monitors must investigate threats to free elections
		Elections for local councils will take place on February 28, March 6, and March 9.
		The letter highlighted the continued existence of single-party state structures of Uganda's "Movement" system; intimidation and violence by security agents against opposition supporters; and the selective use of prosecutions to hinder and intimidate opposition leaders.
		The open letter to the election observers is based on a February 13 Human Rights Watch briefing paper on the elections, "In Hope and Fear: Uganda's Presidential and Parliamentary Polls," available at: http://hrw.org/backgrounder/africa/uganda0206/.
	www.reliefweb.int /rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EKOI-6M74AR?OpenDocument (402 words)

	Free Press : Elections, Net Neutrality May Disconnect Telecom Bill
		Lawmakers returning to Washington this week will be greeted by telephone company lobbyists engaged in a final, uphill push for help in emerging as cable’s competitors.
		Lawmakers return to work Sept. 5 and adjourn by early October for the fall election campaign.
		The bill is weighed down by debate over Net neutrality, or whether companies that own high-speed data lines should be forbidden to offer better, quicker service to video, data or voice providers they prefer (or that pay for such a privilege).
	www.freepress.net /news/17477 (610 words)

	BBC NEWS \| Middle East \| Khatami calls for free elections
		The president met members of the Guardian Council - which vets all candidates in elections - in an attempt to persuade them to reverse their controversial decision to disqualify thousands of reformist candidates from the parliamentary poll.
		He has warned the conservatives that as a result of the disqualification more than two-thirds of constituencies would have no competing candidates in the elections.
		He said if the elections were held in this situation, it would be against democracy and against the dignity of the Iranian people.
	news.bbc.co.uk /2/hi/middle_east/3427077.stm (310 words)

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