Jean-Max Bellerive, Haiti’s prime minister, says his government is in danger of collapsing, as gangs and political opponents capitalise on its inability to deal with the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake. His comments come amid concern that armed gangs could try to take advantage of the situation to re-take control of areas now patrolled by UN peacekeepers. But the presence of foreign soldiers is seen as an insult to many who remain deeply loyal to Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haiti’s former president, whose second term ended when he was ousted in a coup in 2004. Al Jazeera’s Sebastian Walker reports from the capital, Port-au-Prince, where he met one of Aristide’s supporters who says he is ready to use weapons to bring back the former president. 20 Feb 10
The US supreme court has issued a landmark ruling that will change the way US election campaigns are financed. By a 5 to 4 vote, the court lifted long-standing limits on corporate spending in political campaigns, opening the door for private entities to flood the political marketplace with corporate money. Al Jazeera’s John Terrett explains why it is likely to have an immediate effect on the upcoming Congressional elections in November.
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The two countries worst hit by the most devastating disaster in modern history have followed very different political paths. Indonesia chose a peace deal to end a 30-year old conflict in Aceh, while Sri Lanka opted to step up its military campaign against the Tamil Tiger separatists. As Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen finds, the decisions had a crucial impact on the recovery and healing process for those caught up in the tsunami.
Daniel Ortega has spent most of his life as a member of the Sandinista National Front. He served as the president of Nicaragua from 1985 to 1990 and was re-elected in 2006. Sir David joins him in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua to talk about politics and revolution.
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US officials are now saying that it could take months before the final results of Afghanistan’s election are known. It is hardly the kind of success Barack Obama, the US president, would have hoped for as he considers his generals’ advice on the way forward. With the US congress back in session, a political battle appears to be brewing over Washington’s Afghan strategy. Sebastian Walker reports.
After 27 years and seven presidential elections, Honduras is once again in the hands of the military after the army seized Manuel Zelaya, the country’s president. Though the Central American nation is a long-time ally of the US, Zelaya is also an ally of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez – a leader Washington does not view favourably. Al Jazeera’s Rosalind Jordan reports on the political turmoil.
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Lebanon may be on the most open societies for women in the Middle East, but they still play only a marginal role in the country’s politics. Al Jazeera’s Todd Baer reports from Lebanon, where of over 500 candidates standing in the country’s June general election only 12 are women.
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Kuwait is one of the richest economies in the world – fuelled mostly by its vast oil wealth, but a three-year standoff between the ruling family and parliament is delaying reforms and government plans to attract more investment. Kuwaitis head to the polls on Saturday following the ruler’s third dissolution of the parliament in as many years. Al-Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra reports from the world’s fifth largest oil-producer as it struggles to overcome political and economic obstacles….
The US is a deeply religious country. For almost three decades, the Christian right in the US has wielded considerable power in the political arena. Inside USA asks if Republican candidate John McCain will be able to harness that voting block in the same way George Bush did.
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