Suchergebnisse

The article briefly presents the way in which the codification of the local referendum has been made in Romania after the fall of the communist regime. Local referendum is analyzed as a form of direct democracy and as an important procedure in the sense of the democratization of the local level. A case study on the consultations that took place in 2009 and 2010 is presented, emphasizing the difficulty of local authorities to mobilize the citizens to these referendums.

This article introduces a series of debate topics addressed at the National Assembly on July 12, 2005 by the Cercle Strategia. Following the French "No" to the referendum on the European Constitution, questions arise on numerous fronts concerning France's relationship towards the rest of Europe, & -- more importantly -- the national attitude towards the European Union project. Realizing a series of responses to these self-inquiries is here suggested to be a national priority for the French, who must attempt to re-establish piece-by-piece their share of the European expansion effort. One suggested approach that is discussed here is the re-establishment of basic levels of agreement between France & other EU member states on the topic of critical economic & security issues. From this basis, a new consensus on a common text -- & context -- for European accord can be made. C Brunski

The referendum held in January offered the people of South Sudan the chance to shape their own future. They voted overwhelmingly (98.7%) to secede from the north and the capital, Khartoum. The official proclamation of independence is slated for July 9, 2011, when the six and a half year interim period enshrined in the 2005 Nairobi peace agreement expires. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement puts an end to the broad conflict which had broken out in May 1983 when the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), led by Colonel John Garang, rebelled against the central government. Contrary to fears voiced in some quarters, the South's emancipation has not led to chaos in the region. While it has raised the likelihood of the Sahel region falling into lawlessness and reigniting the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, this unrest is not new -nor is it caused by the civil war in Sudan. It would be unfair to blame South Sudan for tensions that existed before its independence and which are bound to continue afterwards. Adapted from the source document.

Bei dem Verfassungsreferendum im Februar 2000 in Simbabwe mussten Präsident Mugabe und seine Partei eine schwere Niederlage hinnehmen. Die Durchsetzung des Referendums selber war Ausdruck der tiefen Unzufriedenheit der Bevölkerung mit der Regierung gewesen. Der Artikel untersucht die Hintergründe für diese Abstimmung und kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass die ZANU zwar angeschlagen ist, die Opposition aber nicht unbedingt kurz vor einer Machtübernahme steht. (DÜI-Wgm)