Month: March 2008

The general elections have now been held in Zimbabwe. I have previously predicted Mr. Mugabe’s re election, though I hoped to be wrong. Now maybe just maybe I will be (and I will be delighted). The MDC are claiming victory but the results have still not been released and there is concern regarding electoral fraud. To be honest Morgan Tsvangirai is also a relatively divisive figure. In addition leading figures in the army have previously said they would not accept … Read more

The Human Rights Forum tends to provoke significant reactions from many. The Newsletter is reporting a leak of the draft document outlining current ideas for the Bill of Rights. According to the Newsletter the following may be being proposed: -Raising the age of criminal responsibility to 18 – meaning that rapists, murderers and other criminals under that age could not be prosecuted; -Defining victims as those who have survived “violent, conflict-related incidents” with no distinction between those responsible for atrocities … Read more

The Belfast Telegraph and BBC are reporting that representatives of the Winning Moves (the makers of Monopoly) were in Belfast yesterday to launch the Belfast edition and indeed to canvass opinion as to which places should be included. There is of course already a Northern Ireland edition of Monopoly. I wonder if they could make a special politically controversial version (or maybe two versions) with various places being worthless or valuable dependent on the appropriate market. We could call it … Read more

I was brought up quite near Kilrea which contrary to some people’s views is not actually noted for particularly good community relations. The latest problem has been the “tit for tat” flying of flags. Apparently this episode began when the Irish tricolour was raised over the St Patrick’s Church of Ireland church on Easter Sunday. As some form of “retaliation” the Union flag was then raised over the Marion Hall in the town. This unpleasant silliness has been condemned by … Read more

Jim Allister has made a speech tonight at a meeting in Portrush. He is claiming that part of the deal between the DUP and SF over the 11 councils will include a D’Hondt style mandatory coalition in the councils. This is odd considering that the DUP claim to be aiming to end the mandatory coalition at Stormont. If so surely this will weaken their negotiating position on such matters or maybe agreeing to D’Hondt was part of the price along … Read more

Eamon McCann verifies Richard O’Rawe’s account of the 1981 hunger strike in which he alleges that six of the hunger strikers need not have died as the prisoners had agreed to accept an offer from the Mountainclimber, only to be over-ruled by Gerry Adams. Evidence which has now become available helps clarify a dispute sparked three years ago by the assertion of former IRA prisoner Richard O’Rawe that terms for ending the strike, accepted by the prisoners’ leadership in the … Read more

Bebo has become the source of much difficulty in interface areas with the site being used to organise peace-line confrontations between young people. However, this phenomenon is not unique to Northern Ireland and in Derby police have acted on information from the site to tackle gang fights. One for the PSNI to watch. Lee Reynolds

The electoral office is planning to make an example of 50 people for not registering to vote. Vote registration is now a legal requirement and failure to do so is punishable by a £1000 fine. Lee Reynolds