Category Archives: POLITICS

The Anti-Corruption Preparatory Team established by President-elect John Dramani Mahama has introduced new platforms to encourage public reporting of corruption.  Dubbed Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), the initiative aims to combat corruption and state capture as part of the incoming administration’s efforts to promote accountability.   Reporting channels   A press statement by the Mahama Transition Team, spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu announced the launch of interactive and secure platforms for citizens to report suspected acts of corruption.   “Members of the public wishing to share any information on suspected acts of corruption can reach the team on the toll-free number 0800 900 111, its website, www.oralgh.org, or via email through [email protected],” the statement outlined.   The public was further assured that “information sent to the team will be handled expeditiously

Bangladesh’s caretaker government’s vow to hold fresh elections as early as next year or early 2026 faces a severe test amid rising unrest and expert warnings that a depleted and demoralised police force may struggle to restore order. The country’s interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, said on Monday that the voting schedule will depend on electoral reforms, political consensus, and an accurate voters’ list. Opposition parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of two dominant parties in the country alongside the Awami League, have called for elections to be held as soon as possible. Analysts say conducting a credible poll will require stabilising the country’s security landscape, which has been marred by attacks on minorities. Recent incidents, such as the detention of a Hindu priest and reports of

Despite having stepped down as Indonesia ’s president, Joko Widodo continues to cast a large shadow over the country’s political arena as speculation mounts about his future including the possibility of him forming a party. After handing the presidency to his successor Prabowo Subianto in October, Widodo returned to his hometown of Solo, seemingly ready to take a break from politics. However, ahead of regional elections in November, Widodo re-emerged and actively campaigned for candidates linked to Prabowo’s grand Onward Indonesia Coalition (KIM). In Central Java, Widodo was photographed riding a white, open-cabin jeep, joining a parade for Ahmad Luthfi, his preferred candidate who won the race to become the province’s governor. The ex-president reportedly distributed election T-shirts, including one that listed his achievements as a leader, to thousands of

The newly elected leadership of the Economic Freedom Fighters was elected unopposed at the Nasrec Expo Centre on Saturday. Julius Malema was re-elected president and Godrich Gardee was elected as deputy president replacing Floyd Shivambu. Malema’s re-election means this will be his third term as the party’s leader and he is the only president the EFF has ever had. Voting did not take place and the results were announced immediately because all those nominated, ran unopposed.  Shivambu resigned in August to join the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party as the national organiser. He has since been appointed as the party’s secretary-general. This is the position that many EFF members wanted EFF head of political education, Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, to fill within the party but the move collapsed before it could reach

Backlash has been building in the United States following a news report that links one of President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed cabinet members to an effort to revoke approval for the polio vaccine. On Saturday, The Associated Press news agency published a statement from a spokesperson for Robert F Kennedy Jr, whom Trump has nominated to lead the Health and Human Services Department. In the statement, Kennedy’s camp attempted to distance the nominee from a New York Times report that his lawyer Aaron Siri had petitioned to suspend approval for the life-saving vaccine. “Mr Kennedy believes the Polio Vaccine should be available to the public and thoroughly and properly studied,” Katie Miller, Kennedy’s spokesperson, said. But The New York Times article has raised alarm about Kennedy’s nomination to Health and Human

 The Ghana Fact-checking Coalition, a group of fact-checkers, has reported over 100 false publica­tions related to the 2024 elections in its Election 2024 Media Situa­tion Room. According to the coalition’s findings, 85.3 per cent of the false narratives were spread on social media, followed by 8.8 per cent on television stations, 4.4 per cent on news websites, and 1.5 per cent on radio stations. Mr Kwaku Krobea Asante, Coordinator of the Coalition, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Media Situation Room in Accra. The data was collected and an­alysed over the course of a week, covering publications before, during, and after the December 7 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Mr Asante noted that political parties were the primary targets of misinformation and disinfor­mation. He added that the two main

Getty Images François Bayrou has long been a centrist ally of President Macron President Emmanuel Macron has named centrist leader François Bayrou as France’s next prime minister, in a bid to end months of political turmoil. A Macron ally, Bayrou is a mayor from the southwest and leads the MoDem party. Ahead of the announcement, the two men spent almost two hours in talks described as tense by French media. The president’s task is now to ensure Bayrou lasts longer than his predecessor. Former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier was ousted by MPs nine days ago. Macron is half-way through his second term as president and Bayrou will be his fourth prime minister this year. French politics has been deadlocked ever since Macron called snap parliamentary elections during the summer. An

Citizens have a duty to respect decisions of the duly constituted courts of law: LAZ reaction to the constitutional court Judgement in the Eligibitlity case of Michelo Chizombe v Edgar Chagwa Lungu and others 2023/CCZ/0021 The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has closely monitored the developments surrounding the eligibility case of Michelo Chizombe vs. Edgar Chagwa Lungu and Others -2023/CCZ/0021 before the Constitutional Court. We acknowledge the significant public interest generated by this case,including the Judgment delivered today by the Court. By its Judgment, the Constitutional Court determined that Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the 1st Respondent is ineligible to contest any future elections having served two terms as President. This decision marks a departure from the Court’s earlier decision on the matter, specifically in the cases of Daniel Pule and

A long-serving ANC leader Bethuel Mthethwa has quit the party to join former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party. Mthethwa is the former mayor of Jozini local municipality in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). He is reportedly leaving while facing corruption allegations. He was subjected to the step-aside rule after an accusation of crime drawing back from when he was still the mayor. As reported by Scrolla, Mthethwa left because he believed the ANC no longer stands up for poor black people. According to Mthethwa, the ANC has turned into a newer version of the National Party (NP) because the party’s top leadership was doing what the NP did to black people in the past. “This is what they do whenever the organisation is heading to its elective conferences. “They make sure

Two people wearing face coverings and dark clothing were spotted near the area when the car caught fire in the eastern suburb of Woollahra. By REUTERS DECEMBER 11, 2024 09:30 View of the torched car in Sydney, Australia. December 11, 2024. (photo credit: Via Maariv) A car was set alight, and two properties spray painted with anti-Israel messages in Sydney just days after an arson attack at a synagogue in Melbourne, which is being investigated as terrorism, Australian authorities said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the latest attack, the second targeting the Jewish community in the Sydney suburb in three weeks, was an “outrage,” and he would be briefed on it soon by a new antisemitism task force. “This isn’t an attack on a government; this is an

The Women Election Situation Room Ghana (WESRG) has described Ghana’s 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections as largely peaceful and conducted in a conducive environment, despite a few isolated incidents. Speaking at a final media briefing on Sunday, the Chair­man of the WESRG, Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, praised Ghanaians for their patriotism and patience during the electoral process. He noted that the voting pro­cess unfolded smoothly in most areas, adhering to the country’s electoral laws. “The Electoral Commission (EC) prepared for the elec­tions with a Voters Register of 18,774,159 registered voters, com­prising 51.6 per cent females and 48.4 per cent males. 13 candidates contested the presidential elec­tion, while 801 candidates vied for parliamentary seats across the nation’s 40,976 polling stations,” he stated. According to Rev. Dr Adu-Gyamfi, who is the Chairman of

The indictment of Indian tycoon Gautam Adani on bribery charges by US authorities has raised questions about his close ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and created political fodder for opposition parties ahead of key state elections, analysts say. US prosecutors have accused Adani and his nephew of orchestrating a US$265 million scheme to bribe Indian officials to secure power-supply deals. The explosive allegations come at a crucial time, coinciding with the tail end of state elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The charges against Adani wiped out billions of dollars in stock market trading on domestic bourses on Thursday, with Adani Group companies losing more than US$26 billion in market capitalisation. Adani Group shares extended the losses early on Friday, but later in the day made a partial recovery. “The

Getty Images Last year’s Coronation of King Charles III cost taxpayers £72m, government figures have revealed. Just over £50m was spent by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which coordinated the event, while policing costs came to almost £22m, which were paid for by the Home Office. The DCMS described the Coronation as a “once-in-a-generation” moment and the figures came broadly within unofficial estimates, which suggested it would be between £50 and £100m. The Coronation in May 2023 had been described as a “slimmed down affair”, with the Westminster Abbey guest list only a quarter of the size of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation at the same venue in 1953. Being a state event, the Coronation was paid for by the UK Government and Buckingham Palace through the Sovereign