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Countering Violence At Polls For Election

Posted on 2 November 2011 | No responses

The first phase of polls for election in Assam, India passed off peacefully, with 73% voter turnout. Local authorities are more concerned about the second and final phase of polls on April 11, and they are deploying about 500 companies of additional paramilitary forces to counter the threat of violence from suspected rebels of the Ranjan Daimary faction of the NDFB.

Several violent incidents involving militant groups have taken place over the last month, and police say that they are apprehensive that violence might take place during the final phase of the Assembly poll. This is mostly due to the fact that the second phase polling will be held in the lower Assam and Bodo belt areas, along the border with Bhutan, where the Paresh Barua faction of Ulfa and the NDFB are active.

Election Polling in Nigeria

Posted on 26 September 2011 | No responses

Counting is still underway following election polling for Nigerian state governorships. There were reports that gunfire and ballot box thefts may have led to low voter turnout in some polling areas. At least one state in the north, Gombe, had seen election officials fleeing polling units due to violence. As the results trickle in, security forces are poised to clamp down on any violence that might erupt.

The situation is especially tense given the backdrop of violence in the country following the presidential elections earlier this month. At least 500 Nigerians have been killed and some 74,000 people displaced after Goodluck Jonathan, a southern Christian, was declared winner by a wide margin in the April 16 presidential election. Supporters of his northern opponent Muhammadu Buhari rejected the results and took to the streets, setting fire to churches, mosques and homes.

Polls For Election in Peru

Posted on 4 April 2011 | No responses

Peru's stock market and currency were expected to suffer on new data from polls for election showing that left-leaning nationalist leader Ollanta Humala was leading in the run up to the April 10 presidential election. Humala has gained surprising popularity recently, although he is still not seen as winning a second-round run-off against any of the other four candidates.

Stock markets in Peru were down over 3% on Monday, also hurt by lower commodity prices. The Peruvian sol currency also depreciated on the poll news, although the Peruvian Central Bank is expected to keep a lid on things to lessen volatility. Analysts believe that in the end most people in Peru do not want to deviate from current growth which has been robust. That is why they don't expect Humala to win a second-round vote.

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