Election Watch

ELECTION RESULTS (June–September 2006)

Congo (Kinshasa): In a first-round presidential election on July 30, incumbent president Joseph Kabila won 45 percent of the vote, while former rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba of the Movement for the Liberation of Congo won 20 percent. The two will compete in a runoff tentatively scheduled for October 29; results will be reported in a future issue. Elections for the 500-seat National Assembly were also held on July 30; results will be reported in a future issue.

Dominican Republic: In May 16 elections for the 32-member Senate and 187-member Chamber of Deputies, the Dominican Liberation Party and its allies in the Progressive Bloc, led by President Leonel Fernández, earned 52 percent of the vote, winning 22 Senate and 96 Chamber seats. The Dominican Revolutionary Party and their allies in the Grand National Alliance, led by Ramón Alburquerque, earned 23 percent, winning 7 Senate and 42 Chamber seats. The Social Christian Reformist Party earned 21 percent, winning 3 Senate and 40 Chamber seats.

Gambia: Presidential elections were scheduled for September 22; results will be reported in a future issue.

Guyana: In August 28 presidential elections, President Bharrat Jagdeo of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) was reelected with 54.6 percent of the vote, defeating Robert Corbin of the People’s National Congress (PNC). In parliamentary elections held the same day for the 65-seat National Assembly, the PPP won 36 seats, the PNC won 22 seats, and the Alliance for Change won 5 seats.

Kuwait: Elections for the 50 elected seats in the 65-seat National Assembly were held June 29. Reformist candidates—including Islamists, [End Page 177] liberals, and nationalists—won 33 seats. Women voted and were allowed to run for the first time, but no woman won a seat.

Macedonia: In July 5 elections for the 120-seat unicameral parliament, the coalition led by opposition leader Nikola Gruevski—the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization–Democratic Party for Macadonian National Unity—won 32 percent of the vote and 45 seats, while the ruling Social Democratic Union (SDSM) led by prime minister Vlado Buèkovski won 23 percent and 32 seats. The coalition led by SDSM’s main governing partner, the ethnic-Albanian Democratic Union for Integration led by Ali Ahmeti, won 12 percent and 17 seats. Arben Xhaferi’s Democratic Party of Albanians won 7 percent and 11 seats. Despite isolated incidents, the International Election Observation Mission declared that the election largely met international standards.

Mexico: In a disputed July 2 presidential election, Felipe Calderón of the National Action Party (PAN) was elected with 36.38 percent of the vote, defeating Andrés Manuel López Obrador of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) by less than 1 percent. Roberto Madrazo of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) finished third with 21 percent. Elections for the 500-seat Chamber of Deputies and 128-seat Senate were also held July 2. In the Chamber, PAN won 33 percent of the vote and 206 seats; the Alliance for the Good of All (PRD, Labor Party, and Democratic Convergence) won 29 percent and 160 seats; and the Alliance for Mexico (PRI and the Mexican Green Ecologist Party) won 28 percent and 121 seats. In the Senate, PAN won 33 percent and 52 seats; the Alliance for the Good of All won 29 percent and 36 seats; and the Alliance for Mexico won 28 percent and 38 seats.

Montenegro: Parliamentary elections were scheduled for September 10; results will be reported in a future issue.

São Tomé and Príncipe: In July 30 presidential elections, incumbent Fradique de Menezes of the Democratic Movement of Forces for Change–Party of Democratic Convergence alliance was elected with 60 percent. Former foreign minister Patrice Trovoada of the Independent Democratic Action party followed with 39 percent.

Seychelles: In presidential elections held July 28–30, James Michel of the People’s Progressive Front was reelected with 53 percent. Wavel Ramkalawan of the National Party received 45 percent.

Slovakia: In June 17 elections for the 150-seat unicameral parliament, the Směr–Social Democrats (Směr), led by Robert Fico, won 29 percent of the vote and 50 seats; the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union, led by Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda, won 18 percent and 31 seats; the Slovak National Party (SNS), led by Ján Slota, won 11 percent and 20 [End Page 178] seats; and the Party of the Hungarian Coalition, led by Béla Bugár, won 11 percent and 20 seats. The People’s Party–Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (LS-HZDS), led by autocratic former prime minister Vladimír Mečiar, and the Christian Democratic Movement followed with 15 seats and 14 seats, respectively. Směr formed a government in coalition with the right-wing SNS and the LS-HZDS, making Fico prime minister.

Yemen: Presidential elections were scheduled for September 26; results will be reported in a future issue.

Zambia: Presidential and legislative elections were scheduled for September 28; results will be reported in a future issue.