Presidential Elections Around the World - excerpt from the IEE newsletter
Many Americans consider the upcoming presidential elections in November to be a pivotal moment for this country. Below are 4 elections that are predicted to have significant impact within the country as well as around the world.
Serbia
When is the election?: February 3. President Boris Tadic won re-election by a narrow margin.
How is the President elected?: The president is elected by an absolute majority vote to serve a 5 year term. There is a 2-term limit in Serbia.
Why is this election significant?: While the role of president is largely ceremonial, now is a politically-sensitive time for Serbia. The new president faces the prospect of the UN-administered Serbian province of Kosovo becoming independent. Many Serbs, including President Tadic, consider Kosovo the cradle of their culture, religion and national identity and are opposed to any unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanian population.
Pakistan
When is the election?: February 18
How is the President elected?: The president is elected by an electoral college to serve 5-year terms.
Why is this election significant?: Pakistan faced a year of political turmoil in 2007. Unrest began with accusations that President Pervez Musharraf was trying to influence the Supreme Court's ruling on whether Musharraf could run for another five-year term under Pakistan's constitution. Amid public protests of the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, President Musharraf declared a state of emergency, temporarily taking independent television channels off the air and postponing scheduled presidential elections. After the death of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in December, the elections were delayed further. Elections are scheduled for this month, but many parties are reportedly boycotting.
Russia
When is the election?: March 2
How is the President elected?: The president is elected by popular vote and serves 4-year terms.
Why is this election significant?: After seven years President Vladimir Putin announced that he will step down from the Presidency. President Putin's endorsement of Dmitry Medvedev as the next president almost all but guarantees the First Deputy Prime Minister's victory in next month's election and subsequent nomination of President Putin to be Russia's next Prime Minister. Many analysts predict President Putin will overpower Medvedev, thus regaining control of the country.
Zimbabwe
When is the election?: March 29
How is the President elected?: The president is elected by popular vote to serve 6-year terms.
Why is this election significant?: President Mugabe's former finance minister, Simba Makoni, recently announced that he will enter the election. Makoni's announcement marks the first public challenge to President's Mugabe's from within his own Zanu-PF party. While many analysts believe Makoni lacks the grassroots support needed to defeat President Mugabe, there is a chance that he will split support in the Zanu-PF party boosting the chances of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, which is also fielding two candidates.
