Election Watch

Issue Date January 2010
Volume 21
Issue 1
Page Numbers 171-174
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ELECTION RESULTS (September–December 2009)

Afghanistan: According to the initial tally of the results of the August 20 presidential election, released amid numerous fraud charges, incumbent Hamid Karzai won 54.6 percent of the vote and Abdullah Abdullah won 27.7 percent. The results of a recount on October 19 gave Karzai 49.7 percent and Abdullah 30.6 percent. A runoff was scheduled for November 7, but Abdullah pulled out of the race on November 1. Karzai was sworn in as president on November 19.

Bolivia: Presidential and legislative elections were held on December 6; results will be reported in a future issue.

Botswana: In October 16 legislative elections for the 57-seat National Assembly, the long-ruling Botswana Democratic Party, led by President Ian Khama, won 53 percent of the vote and 45 seats. The Botswana National Front won 22 percent and 6 seats; the Botswana Congress Party won 19 percent and 4 seats; the Botswana Alliance Movement won 2 percent and 1 seat; and an independent candidate won the remaining seat.

Chile: Presidential and legislative elections were scheduled to be held on December 13; results will be reported in a future issue.

Croatia: The presidential election was scheduled to be held on December 27; results will be reported in a future issue.

Gabon: Following the June 8 death of President Omar Bongo, who had been in power for 41 years, a presidential election was held on August 30. Omar Bongo’s son, Ali Ben Bongo of the long-ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), was elected with 42 percent of the vote. André Mba [End Page 171] Obame, a former PDG member who ran as an independent, won 26 percent, and Pierre Mamboundou of the Union of Gabonese People won 25 percent. Opposition candidates alleged that the results were fraudulent, and their supporters engaged in street protests.

Honduras: On June 28, President Manuel Zelaya was forcibly deposed from office and an interim government was installed. The interim government proceeded with the previously scheduled November 29 presidential election, for which the candidates had been selected prior to Zelaya’s ouster. Porfirio Lobo Sosa of the National Party won 56 percent of the vote, while Elvin Santos of Zelaya’s Liberal Party won 38 percent. Legislative elections were held the same day; results will be reported in a future issue.

Mozambique: In the October 28 presidential election, incumbent Armando Guebuza of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) was reelected with 75 percent of the vote. Afonso Dhlakama of the Mozambique National Resistance (Renamo) won 16 percent, and Daviz Simango of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) won 9 percent. In concurrent elections for the 250-seat Assembly of the Republic, Frelimo won 75 percent and 191 seats, Renamo won 18 percent and 51 seats, and MDM won 4 percent and 8 seats. The EU Election Observation Mission reported that the election was well managed, but also expressed concern about a lack of transparency and “several cases of electoral irregularities and inconsistencies in the application of procedures.”

Namibia: In the presidential election on November 27 and 28, incumbent Hifikepunye Pohamba of the ruling South West African People’s Organization of Namibia (SWAPO) was reelected with 75 percent of the vote, while Hidipo Hamutenya of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) won 11 percent. No other candidates won more than 3 percent. In concurrent parliamentary elections, SWAPO won 74 percent and 54 seats, while the RDP won 11 percent and 8 seats. The Democratic Turnhalle Alliance, the National Unity Democratic Organization, and the United Democratic Front won 2 seats each.

Niger: After a period of emergency rule, and despite a Constitutional Court ruling, President Mamadou Tandja went ahead with elections for the 113-seat National Assembly on October 20. With a coalition of the leading opposition parties boycotting the election, Tandja’s ruling party, the National Movement for a Developed Society (MNSD), won 76 seats, and the Rally for Social Democracy finished second with 15 seats. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended Niger’s membership in protest against its decision to proceed with the election. [End Page 172]

Romania: In the presidential election on November 22, incumbent Traian Băsescu of the Democratic Liberal Party finished first with 32 percent of the vote. Mircea Geoană of the Social Democratic Party, which allied itself with the Conservative Party for this election, won 31 percent, and Crin Antonescu of the National Liberal Party won 20 percent. The initial tally of the December 6 runoff between Băsescu and Geoană gave Băsescu 50.3 percent of the vote.

Tunisia: In the October 25 presidential election, President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali of the Democratic Constitutional Assembly (RCD) was reelected with 89.6 percent of the vote. Other progovernment candidates won 9 percent, and Ahmed Ibrahim of the Renewal Movement (Ettajdid) won 2 percent. In concurrent parliamentary elections for the 214-seat Chamber of Deputies, the RCD won 85 percent of the vote and 161 seats, other progovernment parties won 51 seats, and the Ettajdid won 0.5 percent and 2 seats.

Uruguay: In the November 29 presidential runoff, José Mujica of the Progressive Encounter–Broad Front (EP-FA) defeated Luis Lacalle of the Blanco (National) Party (PN-B) with 52 percent of the vote. In the first round on October 25, Mujica had won 48 percent; Lacalle, 29 percent; and Pedro Bordaberry of the Colorado Party (PC), 17 percent. In concurrent legislative elections for the 99-seat Chamber of Deputies, the EP-FA won 47 percent and 50 seats; the PN-B, 29 percent and 30 seats; the CP, 17 percent and 17 seats, and the Independent Party, 2 percent and 2 seats.

UPCOMING ELECTIONS (January–December 2010)

Azerbaijan: parliamentary, 7 November 2010

Bahrain: parliamentary, November 2010

Bosnia and Herzegovina: parliamentary, October 2010

Brazil: presidential/legislative, 3 October 2010

Burkina Faso: presidential, November 2010

Burundi: legislative, July 2010

Colombia: legislative, 14 March 2010; presidential, 30 May 2010

Costa Rica: presidential/legislative, 7 February 2010

Côte d’Ivoire: presidential, 29 January 2010

Czech Republic: parliamentary, by June 2010 [End Page 173]

Dominica: parliamentary, by August 2010

Dominican Republic: legislative, 16 May 2010

Egypt: parliamentary, November 2010

Ethiopia: parliamentary, May 2010

Guinea: presidential, 31 January 2010; parliamentary, 26 March 2010

Haiti: parliamentary, 28 February 2010

Hungary: parliamentary, April 2010

Iraq: parliamentary, 7 March 2010

Jordan: parliamentary, April 2010 (tentative)

Latvia: parliamentary, 2 October 2010

Madagascar: presidential/parliamentary, October 2010

Mauritius: parliamentary, July 2010

Philippines: presidential/legislative, May 2010

Poland: presidential, October 2010

Rwanda: presidential, 9 August 2010

São Tomé and Príncipe: parliamentary, March 2010

Slovakia: parliamentary, June 2010

Solomon Islands: parliamentary, April 2010

Sri Lanka: presidential, 26 January 2010; parliamentary, April 2010

Sudan: presidential/legislative, April 2010

Suriname: legislative, 25 May 2010

Tajikistan: parliamentary, February 2010

Tanzania: presidential/legislative, December 2010

Togo: presidential, 28 February 2010

Ukraine: presidential, 17 January 2010

Venezuela: legislative, 26 September 2010

Election Watch provides reports of recently decided and upcoming elections in developing nations and the postcommunist world. Some of the data for Election Watch come from IFES, a private, nonprofit education and research foundation that assists in monitoring, supporting, and strengthening the mechanics of the electoral process worldwide. For additional information, visit www.ifes.org. [End Page 174]