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Malawi: Reactions to former president political comeback

Victor Kaonga · 11:52

lingua → bn · mg · es · zht · zhs

Recently, the United Democratic Front (UDF) of Malawi's former president Bakili Muluzi had a convention and elected him as their presidential candidate in next year's election. His only challenger was Malawi's vice president Dr Cassim Chilumpha who is answering treason charges. Lilongwe-based blogger Austin Madinga says he Muluzi's comeback is for wrong reasons. Madinga introduces his post by saying that he heard Muluzi in a BBC in an interview:

When asked why he would like to return as Malawi's president he said because Bingu wa Mutharika (Muluzi's successor) had dumped the party after he was elected president and as such he needed to return the UDF to power! This type of reasoning to me is not only gravely flawed but also defied all logic. Mr Muluzi needs to be reminded that people do not ascend to power to simply punish others or for the sake of being a ruling party. They are placed in positions of authority to serve the people and going by Muluzi's past record, that is not likely to feature high on his agenda.

A prominent Malawian political science commentator and University of Malawi lecturer Boniface Dulani started blogging a few weeks with the sole purpose of sharing his views on politics in Malawi. His recent post is titled On the UDF Convention and Why Muluzi will not get my vote. He critically looks at Muluzi's candidature and the UDF convention which he describes as a joke since its delegates were themselves not democratically chosen:

Even if I was to be persuaded to believe that Muluzi did a wonderful job in his first ten years in office (and it would not be a mean achievement to convince me), I just cannot accept that the UDF does not have any other individuals from within their ranks that are capable of leading the party into the next elections. The only way we know Muluzi has the potential to be President is because he was given the chance to serve in the first place. This only goes to show that what the country, and the UDF, lack is not people with leadership potential, but opportunities to serve. If Muluzi is so important to the UDF, he can serve an important advisory role to a different UDF nominee instead of clinging on to the candidacy himself.

Now to something different about Malawi. The Botswana-based blogger Bennet Kankuzi launched a bog titled I Love Malawi with the primary purpose of sharing photos about Malawi fondly called the Warm Heart of Africa. So if one someone wants to follow the beauty of Malawi, here is the blog to give you some relief from the politics and economy. Below is one of the pictures showing the tea plantations of Southern Malawi:

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Bolivia: Autonomy Referendum Raises Questions

Eduardo Avila · 04:20

lingua → bn

Santa Cruz, Bolivia will head to the polls today in a department-wide referendum on a controversial autonomic statute, which would grant more administrative and economic powers to the state government. Not every Cruceño (resident of the department) will participate, however, as many share the opinion of the central government that the referendum is illegal and unconstitutional. The department electoral court is pushing forward with the referendum, without the backing of the national electoral court, and brings into question the legitmacy of the results, even though the referendum is expected to pass.

The leaders of the referendum, primarily comprised of the departmental governor, members of the civic committee, and businessmen, with the support of a large percentage of the population say that the referendum is necessary. It is the response to the government's unwillingness to incorporate autonomy in the new Constitution. An earlier referendum two years ago overwhelmingly passed where Santa Cruz and three other departments voted “yes” on autonomy. However, the results of what that referendum actually meant were vague and open to interpretation and should have theoretically been part of the Constitutent Assembly. The proposed new Constitution does not go far enough with these demands according to civic leaders and opened the door to push forward on their own terms.

Photo of campaign for “yes” vote in the referendum taken by Aka_Lusi and used under a Creative Commons license

Critics claim that the new referendum on autonomy is a way for the rich and powerful to gain increased control and increased revenues from the natural resources. In addition, the statute would help resist further land redistribution, as many of the referendum leaders are large landowners. Others point out that the statute does not recognize or include many indigenous immigrates who have played a large role in the department's development. Finally, others point to words from the departmental governor, Ruben Costas, who said that the referendum will “give birth to a new republic.”

These two contrary positions raises fears that supporters of the national government and backers of the autonomic statute may clash during referendum day. However, bloggers are hoping for peace no matter where they stand on the issue.

Miguel Centellas of Pronto* provides some thoughts on the Referendum, as well as a bit of history on the issue at hand. Carlos Gustavo Machicado of Guccio's [es] prefers not to use the word “autonomy” because it reminds him of university autonomy, which “the only thing that has done is foment inefficiency, bureaucracy and corruption within the public places of higher education.”

However, there are plenty of bloggers who are supporting and openly demonstrating their intention to vote “Yes.” Andres Pucci is in favor of some of the decentralization aspects [es] of the autonomic statute.

Si un sindicato quiere personería jurídica, debe enviar a La Paz todo; si una empresa quiere aprobar su reglamento interno, debe enviar a La Paz todo; si un estudiante quiere defender su tesis, debe enviar a La Paz todo y esperar mas de 6 meses con la tesis aprobada por los revisores; si un profesional quiere sacar su título debe viajar a La Paz, pagar mas de 4 salarios mínimos, esperar 6 meses y volver a viajar para recogerlo.

If a union wants to receive legal representation, they must send everything to La Paz; if a business wants to approve their internal regulations, they must sent everything to La Paz; if a student wants to defend their thesis, they must send everything to La Paz and wait six months for the thesis to be approved by the reviewers; if a professional wants to get their diploma, they must travel to La Paz, pay the equivalent of 4 months of minimum salary, wait 6 months and return to pick it up.

One of the arguments against the autonomic statute is that it will cause a division within the country and that it could cause secession. Sebastian Molina of Plan B [es] categorically denies this argument and points to a recent inteview on CNN with President Evo Morales. Molina points to when “Patricia Janiot (CNN anchor) asked him what proof he had to show that there were separatist intentions in Santa Cruz, the president said that he had them but it would be best not to talk about that. The interview ended there, he had no arguments.”

Even though it is expected that the “Yes” vote will win in Santa Cruz, many bloggers from Santa Cruz are criticizing the process and attitudes of some of the referendum's leaders. Andrea from Lo Digo Yo [es] is not too pleased with the words of the president of the Civic Committee, Branko Marinkovic, who told the mothers from Santa Cruz that they will let the blood flow from their sons in a “responsible manner.” Others see fundamental aspects wrong with the autonomic statute, such as the omission of recognizing Quechua and Aymara indigenous that have migrated to Santa Cruz and who have played a big part in the region's development. Comunidad Espartaco Boliviana [es] writes:

Todas las culturas y los grupos sociales tienen sus símbolos ¿Qué sentido tiene una ley que reconozca unos símbolos y otros no? Quedando de este modo excluidos los pueblos quechua y aymara, que si bien no forman parte de las mismas familias de cruceños e indígenas cruceñizados, vienen trabajando y desarrollando sus actividades desde la inmigración masiva fomentada por la revolución de 1952.

All cultures and social groups have their symbols. What is the point of having a law that recognizes some symbols and not recognizing others? In this manner, the Quechua and Aymara peoples would be excluded, who have formed part of the same Cruceño families and Cruceño indigenous, who have worked and taken part in activities ever since massive immigration fomented by the revolution of 1952.

Few know what will take place on May 4 or even on May 5, the day after the Referendum. Hugo Miranda writes [es]:

Que pasara el 4 de Mayo? Que pasara el 5 de Mayo? Mucha gente se pregunta eso o diría mas bien los hacen preguntarse eso. En este país donde la política, el chisme y la confrontación son los temas de moda y por lo tanto hacen que la productividad de todos disminuya considerablemente, la televisión, los politólogos y hasta intelectuales, llenan miles de hojas en los periódicos y varias horas en los espacios televisivos, preguntándose analizando que sera del dia después.

What will happen on May 4? What will happen on May 5? Many people ask or instead they are asked that. In this country, politics, gossip and confrontation are in fashion, which makes productivity considerably decreased, television, political analysts and even the intellectuals, fill thousands of pages in the newspaper and various hours on television, asking themselves what will happen the day after.

Columba of Guayaramerín Analitica [es] thinks that the expected “yes” vote will allow for other departments, particularly Bení, Pando and Tarija to follow suit with their own referenda.

Finally, the blogger María Escándalo thinks that the day after will be just like any other day for the thousands of people trying to survive.

pues es para decir que después del 4 de Mayo… es decir el 5 ni el 6 o el 7… esos días, al menos para mí, no serán la excepción y por supuesto para los pobres de este pueblo los que andan a pie, los carretilleros de los mercados y los del interior que ilusionados buscan mejores días en estas zonas… seguirán creyendo en lo único que vale la pena creer: Su propio trabajo.

After May 4…meaning the 5th, 6th or 7th…during those days, at least for me, it will not be the execption and surely for the poor of this city that walk, those pushing the carts in the markets, those from the interior of the country that came looking for better days in this area… they will continue to believe in the only thing worth believing in: their own work.

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Blogger of the Week: Laura Vidal

Eduardo Avila · 02:02

lingua → mk · de · es

Project Lingua, in addition to bringing valuable information from Global Voices Online in more than a dozen languages, has also attracted talented translators from around the world. As the community grows closer together, the potential for increased crossover continues to build. One of the Lingua translators from Global Voices in Spanish, Laura Vidal, enjoyed her experience so much, that she wanted to become more involved and try her hand at writing about blogs in her native country of Venezuela. Her recent work has helped showcase much of what Venezuelan bloggers have to offer, and many of her subject matter goes beyond the polarized politics that usually comes to mind.

Laura started translating in June of 2007 after learning about the project from fellow Global Voices author Luis Carlos Díaz. From there, she was hooked and it fit in nicely since she was studying languages at the university.

The experience was beautiful. There was a time when I interrupted my work in order to translate for Lingua :) I enjoyed taking posts from apparentely faraway countries and making them accessible for those that read in Spanish. While I translated, I learned..and that was the best of all.

As she became more involved with Lingua and more familiar with the Global Voices Online community, she thought it would be interesting to write summary posts of Venezuelan blogs. She is a big fan of the mission behind GVO and thinks that has a powerful and long lasting effect.

From a cultural point of view, I think (GVO) represents a way to exchange and encounter others from the point of view of the people. It is a way to express an interest in the defense of human rights, of showing life in communities and in countries, of collaborating with tolerance, vision, and sensitivity of others. When I write for Global Voices, I feel like I contribute so that the culture of my country is known, the way people see things from the point of view of bloggers, and through their perceptions they give a vision distinct from what one normally seen.

Writing about Venezuela bloggers is not the easiest task in the world. Much of what is seen in the mainstream media revolves around the country's well-known president, Hugo Chávez. As a result, much of what Venezuelan bloggers write about has to do with this topic.

I discussed this with Luis Carlos and we arrived at the conclusion that politics and polarization dominates our daily life so much, that the people blog to be able to breathe. Nevertheless, political topics are present and the polarization is felt in the Venezuelan blogosphere. When I post for GV, I look for the greatest variety of opinions, but I always seem to always find many blogs that are contrary to the government, while those that support the government seem to copy and paste the news from digital newspapers. On the other hand, some blogs are written too passionately to quote them in a post, which tries to give a view from the center. In all of the cases, one scrutinizes and looks, but it is difficult.

Many of Laura's articles for Global Voices is proof that Venezuela is much more than Chávez and polarized politics. She has written about famous authors and musicians, as well as education issues. It is no surprise that she writes about these issues, as Laura has a deep-rooted passion for literature and the arts. She graduated with a degree in Modern Languages, specifically in English and French, which has helped with the discovery of literature from other countries. Her personal blog is called Sacando La Lengua [es] (Sticking Out the Tongue) and originally started as way to point out errors of incorrect language around the city, but not in a way to scold others or make others feel bad. In general, her blog became a place “to laugh at the curiosities of language.”

The blog also opened the door for other opportunities to write. She was given the opportunity to write a weekly column called “Blogopodium,” at the weekly magazine Tal Cual [es], largely because of the magazine's editors liked what they saw in her blog. The topics are open, but hthey mainly deal with blogs and culture. However, Laura says finding topics ona weekly basis is much harder than it looks, but it is well worth it.

It is fun because my friends and my parents call me after reading my column and make recommenations. The name of the column was recommended to me by my father because at that time we were watching the Roma series and it was humorous to see the podium where they gave the news..and as I was going to announce what the blogs say about culture, then “Blogopodium” came. It is good publicity for well-written blogs and I like it because I can highlight topics about literature, art, activism, community and of other cultures, especially of what is not published in the newspapers.

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