THE HAGUE: Polls opened in the Netherlands on Thursday (May 23) for European Parliament elections, launching four days of voting across the EU in which populists hope to make big gains.Britain and the Netherlands are the first countries to vote in the polls, with more than 400 million voters across the 28-nation bloc eligible to elect 751 MEPs.Flamboyant Dutch eurosceptic Thierry Baudet and his populist Forum for Democracy are on course to match Prime Minister Mark Rutte's Liberals with five European Parliament seats each, according to recent opinion polls.Dutch exit polls are expected on Thursday night but official EU results will not be announced until Sunday.Rutte and Baudet held a fiesty television debate on the eve of the vote, facing off on issues including immigration, Russia and Baudet's controversial comments about women.Once best known for naked Instagram selfies and controversial comments about women, Baudet, 36, stunned Europe in March when his upstart party came out … [Read more...] about EU elections kick off as Dutch polls open
Polls open election day
Polls open in climate-dominated Australia election
SYDNEY (AFP) - Polls opened Saturday (May 18) in Australia’s nail-biter election, a race that may be the first anywhere decided on climate policy. An estimated 17 million Australians go to the polls, capping a close-run election race. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's conservative Liberals have closed the gap on Labor on the eve of the vote, but differences over climate may prove the difference between the two parties. A season of record floods, wildfires and droughts has brought the issue has been front and centre of the campaign. Labor has pledged ambitious targets for renewable energy, while the Liberals said they would not risk the coal-fuelled economy's health to make the air cleaner. Final polls show the vote is going down to the wire, with Labor ahead 51-49. But compulsory voting and a complex system of ranking candidates mean an upset is possible. There are growing signs the Liberals stance on climate may be politically unsustainable. In rural areas, … [Read more...] about Polls open in climate-dominated Australia election
On election day, lawyers urged to give free legal aid
On election day, lawyers urged to give free legal aid Kristine Joy Patag (Philstar.com) - May 13, 2019 - 9:31am MANILA, Philippines — On the day of 2019 midterm poll, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines urged Filipino lawyers to render free legal aid to help secure honest elections. IBP Vice President and President-elect Domingo Egon Cayosa, in a statement posted by News5, called on “all the IBP Chapter Presidents, Officers and volunteer lawyers all over the country to render free legal aid to ensure honest, orderly and peaceful elections.” Cayosa urged its more than 40,000 members to “actively help against vote-buying,” as stated in the cooperative arrangement between the IBP and the Commission on Elections. “We do this civic duty in a non-partisan manner in keeping with the non-political nature of IBP and to maintain its integrity and independence,” he added. Chief Justice Lucas … [Read more...] about On election day, lawyers urged to give free legal aid
News Polls open with Duterte mandate on the line
MANILA – Polls opened Monday for the midterm election seen as a referendum on the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, who remains widely popular halfway into his 6-year term. Nearly 320 seats in the 2-chamber legislature and more than 17,000 local government positions will be contested as 61.8 million voters cast their ballots. The vote would determine if Duterte can retain his strong majority in the House of Representatives and keep the opposition out of the Senate. The upper chamber of Congress has stood in the way of the President’s push for a federal system of government, while the opposition led legislative inquiries into his family and the narcotics crackdown that has killed thousands. Duterte's tough-on-crime platform -- which also includes lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 -- was key to his landslide election victory in 2016. Opposition candidates before the polling day raised alleged rights abuses under the … [Read more...] about News Polls open with Duterte mandate on the line
Comelec sees surge in election campaign
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) sees a surge in political activities this week with the campaign period now in the final stretch. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said local government units (LGUs) should be prepared now that candidates are making the final push in the last week of the campaign period. “It will spike in the last week, when there will be miting de avance and all the last push for candidates,” Jimenez said. “Now is the best time to reach out to our LGUs to make sure that their streets are able to accommodate the spike in the activities of local campaigns,” he added. Campaign period for national and local candidates is set to end on Saturday, May 11. Jimenez reminded LGUs to ensure that proper campaign procedures are in place. He said there will be an increase in the number of motorcades as well as people in the streets in the final days of the campaign period. He said rallies at all hours of the day are also … [Read more...] about Comelec sees surge in election campaign