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Border closures, travel bans and airlines requiring PCR test certificates from passengers are making travelling outside South Africa ever more challenging and costly.
In May, Burundi held a presidential election which was won by Evariste Ndayishimiye, candidate of the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) party.
Ndayishimiye was hurriedly sworn in after the untimely death of president Pierre Nkurunziza in June.
Rights violations continue
The Council encouraged donor countries which had suspended aid to Burundi to continue dialogue towards resumption of development assistance.
A report by a UN watchdog in September said human rights violations were still being committed in Burundi, including sexual violence and murder.
The country was plunged into a crisis in April 2015 when Ndayishimiye’s predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a controversial third term, which he ultimately won in July 2015.
His candidature, which was opposed by the opposition and civil society groups, resulted in a wave of protests, violence and even a failed coup in May 2015.
Hundreds of people were killed and over 300,000 fled to neighboring countries.
The current COVID-19 Pandemic, or more accurately the government’s inadequate response to it, reminds me of what my good friend Dick Gregory used to say about the state of our union.
Shorter Time in Office for Liberian Lawmakers?
Long queues at polling stations in Monrovia — suggesting a high turn out as Liberians voted Tuesday on a referendum by President George Weah to shorten office terms for the president and lower-house lawmakers to five years instead of six. President George Weah shared a few words, \"I asked all Liberians to be peaceful, to come to the polling centre, exercise their franchise, select their candidate and leave with peace. And at the end of the day, the results will come and those that were elected, those that you voted for, will win. But this country needs to be peaceful. We don't need to tear our country down.\"
Hundreds of thousands of Liberians are thought to reside overseas, having fled war and poverty. Upon acquiring another nationality, they lose their Liberian citizen and are thus barred from owning property at home — among other restrictions.
Dual Nationality for Liberians in the Diaspora
In a move that some hope could be an economic boost for the West African nation of 4.8 million people, voters are also choosing whether to repeal a 1973 ban on dual nationality as Patience Teegbeh, a local who came out to vote, shares her contentment with the voting process, \"It’s free and fair and transparent. I love the way it is going on and it's okay for us.\"
Opposition politicians in Liberia suspect that Weah - elected in 2018 and still in his first term, could use the office-occupation length constitutional change to cling to power. The 54-year-old president has denied the claim.
Liberia’s constitution sets a maximum of two terms — as is also the case in two other nations in West Africa whose electoral process saw the maximum term limit be side-stepped.
Regional Track Record
In Guinea, 82-year-old President Alpha Conde won a controversial third term in October after pushing through a new constitution that allowed him to bypass a two-term limit. The same month, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, 78, was elected for an equally contentious third term, after having revised the country's constitution.
By ZEKE MILLER and JONATHAN LEMIRE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump celebrated the expected approval of the first U.S. vaccine for the coronavirus as the White House worked on Tuesday to instill confidence in the massive distribution effort that will largely be executed by President-elect Joe Biden. Trump declared that the expected approvals are coming before most people thought possible. 'They say it's somewhat of a miracle and I think that's true,' Trump said. He led the event celebrating 'Operation Warp Speed,' his administration's effort to produce and distribute safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19. The first […]
The post Trump takes vaccine victory lap, boosting shots confidence appeared first on Black News Channel.
Rashida Jones will be taking over as president of MSNBC, making her the first Black executive to lead one of the major cable news networks
Tyronn Lue has taken the wheel of a team burdened with win-now pressure and is driving it toward an unprecedented season in the midst of a pandemic. Better believe he’s channeling his inner Phil Jackson and preaching adaptability. “The biggest word for us this season is to be able to adapt,” said Lue, who played […]
Legendary rapper Snoop Dogg has been making hits since 1992, but one thing he didn’t do until this year is vote. “Extra’s” Jenn Lahmers caught up with the Snoop, who explained why it took so long for him to cast his first ballot. He said, “I was told I couldn't vote.” Snoop was not the only first-time voter — former … Continued
The post Why Snoop Dogg is a first-time voter, and hanging with Martha Stewart appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.
[Monitor] The Ministry of health has confirmed 701 new cases of Covid-19, the highest the country has ever registered since the pandemic outbreak in March this year.
SPECULATION is rife over the whereabouts of Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga amid reports that he was recently airlifted out of the country for medical attention. BY MOSES MATENGA But presidential spokesperson George Charamba yesterday dismissed allegations that Chiwenga, who doubles up as Health minister, was out of the country on health grounds, saying that he was on a “State assignment”. “I have responded to that authoritatively and stated that he is out of the country on a State assignment,” Charamba told NewsDay. Since Chiwenga was admitted at a South African hospital last year for alleged poisoning, government has always denied that he is out of the country for treatment. Chiwenga, however, has not been seen in public for weeks now and Higher and Tertiary Education minister Amon Murwira is the acting Health minister. “He was very unwell at the end of November and he cut back on his public appearances. A decision was taken to fly him out to seek treatment,” a source told NewsDay. Claims that Chiwenga was flown to China for medical treatment came under heavy scrutiny on social media platforms with observers and opposition parties saying that it was not fair for government officials to continue frequenting foreign hospitals while the local health system was in the doldrums. MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said: “They systematically destroy our public health system through chronic under-funding and poor treatment of healthcare workers then they run to better managed places for their own care. The people are left at home to bear the brunt of the man-made mess.” Ironically, Chiwenga’s estranged wife Marry Mubaiwa, who is also suffering from a serious ailment after the 2018 White City bombing incident in Bulawayo, is grounded as authorities have refused to release her passport to undergo emergency medical care outside the country. Follow Moses on Twitter @mmatenga