accountability

Wednesday 21st December

The 'Democratic Recession' has turned into a modern zeitgeist of democratic reform

Robert Battison, 21 December 2011

It is no coincidence that the wave of protests comes in the wake of a 'democratic recession'. People are increasingly demanding democracy in the Arab world, and also in the west.

Wednesday 14th December

Chinese companies under scrutiny in Zimbabwe

Andrew Mambondiyani, 14 December 2011

Ten years into the Look East policy, Zimbabwe is showing itself to be a not-so-satisfied customer of Chinese investment.

Monday 5th December

The material stakes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo elections

Pete Jones, 5 December 2011

Private interest, not public voice, governs the immediate future of the DRC - the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Friday 2nd December

SOS from a Congolese peacebuilder: rescue the young democracy of DR Congo!

Flory Kazingufu, 2 December 2011

There are concrete steps the Congolese political establishment can take to avert post-election violence, if external pressure helps to engender the necessary political will.

Wednesday 16th November

Armed conflict, land grabs and big business: Colombia’s deadly pact

Kyla Sankey, 16 November 2011

The recent assassination of Colombian marxist insurgent group leader Alfonso Cano has been hailed internationally as an advance towards peace, giving Colombia a boost down the path to becoming the latest emerging market of Latin America. A closer look at the history and nature of Colombia's nearly 50 year-long armed struggle, however, tells us otherwise.

Friday 19th November

Resisting corruption: recent progress in Indonesia and Kenya

Shaazka Beyerle, 19 November 2010

People power may be well-suited to a systemic approach to curbing corruption. Political will can be thwarted, because too many office-holders have a stake in the crooked status quo. Those benefiting from graft are much less likely to stand against it than those suffering from it.

Monday 25th October

Measuring corruption in Iraq: between perceptions and reality

Ali Al-Mawlawi, 25 October 2010

The findings of the Corruption Perceptions Index are widely anticipated by governments whose credibility is at stake. But are they always reliable?

Monday 23rd August

The Poet and the Tsar

Olga Sherwood, 23 August 2010

When Putin sat down to tea with artists and musicians before a charity concert last month, he could not have expected difficult questions, writes Olga Sherwood. He had not counted on DDT's Yury Shevchuk, who found the courage to stand out from the crowd and launch a memorable and principled criticism of the current political course. The article was first published on July 1st, 2010

Friday 30th July

Lawfair

Andy Hull, 30 July 2010

Court scrutiny of the British security services is to be welcomed; we can't debate properly our security needs without openness.

Wednesday 14th July

Kyrgyzstan’s referendum brings a flicker of hope

Baktybek Abdrisaev, Scott Horton, and Alexey Semyonov, 14 July 2010

The new constitution which the Kyrgyz people voted in on 27 June 2010 seeks to break the presidential pattern of government. But the recent violent upheaval has left the government weak. America and Russia both need Kyrgyzstan to thrive as a country ruled neither by despotism nor fundamentalism. They will have to collaborate closely to bring this about

Wednesday 20th May

Lukashenko plays with Europe

Irada Huseinova, 20 May 2009

Europe should not be deceived by recent concessions to the media, comments Irada Huseinova. Lukashenko's Belarus will remain a bastion of totalitarianism

Friday 3rd October