“Defending Civic Space: When are Campaigns against Repressive Laws Successful?” offers useful strategic advice on how under-resourced opposition parties and civil society agents of change can at least slow down efforts by autocratic governments to use “first mover” technology to stifle dissent and harass dissenters. Opposition International will look into specific examples that fit the […]
The series came out on December 15, 2022 and did not cut through the end of the year rush. I finally found time to go through it. Far more substance than usual Internet scaremongering, “The Russians are Coming” and “”Beware of the Red Peril.” Some of it really is scary! DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT As […]
It is with gratitude that Opposition International welcomes U Win (a pseudonym for safety reasons) as a contributor. U Win is a researcher and human rights activist from Myanmar, with 10 years’ experience working and writing about politics, human rights and the criminal justice system of Myanmar. U Win’s research interests include access to justice […]
Change from one year or one election from the one before is often exaggerated. We perceive changes more readily than how things stay the same. Politics in particular tends to advance by increments, at least for most generations. Nigeria may test the stasis hypothesis in the upcoming July 2023 election. However, the changes may be […]
Mo Ibrahim foundation report: African governance ‘backslides’ on democracy Mo Ibrahim foundation report: African governance ‘backslides’ on democracy — Read on hicginewsagency.com/2023/01/27/mo-ibrahim-foundation-report-african-governance-backslides-on-democracy/
The saga of the Government’s legal actions against Candlelight party leader Thach Setha takes an odd twist. After a flurry of threats from PM Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party, some in the Candlelight leadership issued a statement “correcting” its accusations. The Candlelight grassroots are in no mood for kowtowing. They are the front line. They […]
Professor Cheeseman’s article on ideas and ideologies stands out as guide to the deeper currents of democracy and opposition in Africa. A professor at the University of Birmingham, he founded http://www.democracyinafrica.org To examine the role of ideas in Africa, a new research group has started. Here’s a telling Cheeseman passage that suggests the role of […]
A time to reflect and eat well. From all of us at Opposition International
Yesterday, the OI blog reported on the controversial arrest of Candlelight Party leader, Thach Setha, alleged of passing bad cheques, in 2019 – over three years ago. The freer media noticed discrepancies such as the cheques’ not being signed. Others noted the timing in the lead-up to the July 2023 national elections and that Candlelight […]
Thach Setha, a head figure in the Candlelight party, current leading opposition party, faces possible jail terms for bouncing cheques in 2019. No one will be surprised if poltical motives are behind charges. The current government for nearly 4o years has pursued through creative legal means any potential rival. The curiosity is that millions of […]
Vietnam remains in the grasp of a war-hardened Communist Party. It has the second highest restrictive Internet censorship, only North Korea exceeds it. A free press and a free judiciary are not planned for any time soon. Yet, it’s semi-capitalist economy is chugging along well with investment capital transferred out of China, a younger and […]
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One Year of Opposition International
Corporations Canada sends an email today reminding that Opposition International has existed for one year now and a tax return needs filing by March 14, 2023. Notification of any changes to the Board of Directors or bylaws should also be sent. Changes incur a $200 fee. Over the last year OI has developed a small […]
Kenya’s 2022 election attracted many observer teams from international agencies, large foundations, and a plethora of democracy groups. The Kofi Annan report stand out as among the best and critically as the leading African assessment. https://www.kofiannanfoundation.org/publications/report-kenya-2022-post-election-review/ Several court cases continue and their verdicts, while unlikely to alter the results, may provide fresh insights. Opposition International […]
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-navalny-russia-opposition/ Fast Facts About Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny Russian opposition leader, Navalny, is quickly becoming a household name in the world of politics. He has taken on the Russian government head-on, and has been arrested and convicted of fraud multiple times. Despite this, his popularity among the Russian people remains high. Navalny’s history and background […]
One close Bolsonaro ally, lawmaker Carla Zambelli, in an apparent nod to the results, wrote on Twitter, “I PROMISE you, I will be the greatest opposition that Lula has ever imagined.” http://www.reuters.com/world/americas/lula-wins-brazilian-election-bolsonaro-has-not-conceded-2022-10-31/
“What made them defy the odds? What does the BNP want to achieve through such mass mobilisation? What message do they want to give to the Awami League? Answers to these questions are crucial to understanding the future course of Bangladesh politics.” so asks Mohammad Al-Masum Molla in The Daily Star, Dhaka’s leading English language […]
The linked Wired story about Wikipedia’s 21-year-old struggle against state-sponsored disinformation provides valuable background to the question of campaigns against opposition parties, though not addressing it directly. Most disinformation campaigns are what an informed person would expect. Russian trolls fighting internecine ex-Soviet era battles against upstart nationalists. Chinese army battalions of computer hackers trying to […]
Editorial by Owen Lippert UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has resigned. Pundits are busy parsing what it all means. I report here only the good news. Her resignation saves the 1922 Committee from having to review its rule that a new Conservative leader has a year’s grace from backbench discontent. Esther Webber in Politico’s delicious […]
Owen Lippert (Ph.D.) Director, Opposition International Since a United Nations Assembly Declaration in 2007, the world has celebrated September 15th as International Day of Democracy. Canada, one of the oldest full franchise democracies, has just cause to celebrate and take a bow. It is also time to ask what Canada is doing to promote democracy […]
The South Asia program of the Carnegie Endowment has just published a series of articles on the State of Opposition. Congratulations to Paul Staniland and Milan Vaishnav. “The dominance of powerful regime incumbents in South Asia, from the BJP in India to the Awami League in Bangladesh and the military in Pakistan, should not obscure […]
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Tundu Lissu returns to Tanzania
Tundu Lissu returns to Tanzania Tundu Lissu returns to Tanzania — Read on owenlippert.ca/2023/01/30/tundu-lissu-returns-to-tanzania/
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All The King’s Men
Robert Penn Warren
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Good piece on upcoming Nigerian Election
Uche, who follows Opposition International on LinkedIn, just published an article asserting that with the election in flux, the opposition parties may be in the strongest position ever. Most interesting.
Yiaga Africa, an election monitoring organisation, has called for immediate action from the security agencies and stakeholders to see to the increase in — Read on tribuneonlineng.com/insecurity-violence-vote-trading-threaten-2023-elections-yiaga/
IRI Releases Publication on Supporting Peaceful Political Transitions https://www.iri.org/news/iri-releases-publication-on-supporting-peaceful-political-transitions/ — Read on http://www.iri.org/news/iri-releases-publication-on-supporting-peaceful-political-transitions/
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Opposition International
Another stab at a mission statement. Clarity and accuracy rarely mix well. Alex Chaufen in his Forbes magazine column on nonprofits recommends to keep revising until you find your Minimal Viable Product (MVP). Comments and corrections welcome. I will post in our highly secure Element chat app on Matrix.org. Invitation — “Hey, talk to me […]
Making the case for money in politics ain’t easy. Still, Opposition International agrees with the esteemed Bagehot proper funding improves the quality of the workforce of democracy. A prime directive: we advocate for increased funding of opposition parties with less unrealistic regulations and with substantial yet secure transparency. The past 30 years is littered with […]