Officially called the Republic of Albania, the country’s early history dates to over 50,000 years, where traces of villages with people have been found through fossilised bones. In the middle ages, Albania was part of the Roman Empire. The 12th and 13th centuries there was a takeover of the territory. After that, in around the […]
With a multiparty political system and regular rotations of power via credible elections, Costa Rica has a long record of democratic stability. Freedoms of association and expression are robust. The rule of law is strong in general, although presidents have often been implicated in corruption scandals. Among other enduring concerns, violence linked to drug trafficking […]
The inadequacies of the 2021 elections, including an environment of insecurity and growing repression of some opposition groups, presaged a stall in political reform. Many Ethiopians are deprived of representative rule in practice because of enduring uncertainty and because the government has imposed restrictive measures in response to that uncertainty. The escalation of violence in […]
Constitutional framework As Cuba is a unitary socialist republic, all governing power is vested in the central government. The government is totalitarian in absolute terms, exercising direct control or sway over most facets of Cuban life. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz(Fidel Castro) served as the prime minister from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to […]
A free coin identifier app can completely transform the way you interact with the coins in your home, your travel souvenirs, and even the pocket change you handle every day. With the free coin identifier app installed on your smartphone, any coin—old or new, foreign or local—can be scanned, studied, and understood within seconds. This […]
Press freedom is constitutionally guaranteed and in general it is respected too in practice. Privately owned newspapers and radio broadcasters express a variety of opinions without restrictions, although bias is common. Libel is a very rarely enforced criminal offense punishable by maximum two years imprisonment. Religious freedom is respected in general. Academic institutions are free […]
Brunei has a dual judicial system of Sharia and secular courts; all senior judges are appointees of sultan. The courts seem to act independently when handling civil matters, and have yet to be tested in political cases or under the fresh regulations recently phased in. They have not shown independence in any cases connected to […]
For more than three decades Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and Hun Sen have dominated Cambodia’s political system. While semi-competitive elections have been conducted in the past, polls are now held in an extremely repressive environment. The CPP-led government has sustained pressure on the opposition, independent media outlets, and demonstrators with intimidation, politically driven prosecutions, and […]
The 2002 constitution grants the king power over the legislative, executive, and judicial authorities. The monarch appoints and dismisses the PM and cabinet members, who are responsible to him instead of the legislature. Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa (the uncle of the current king Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa) was the nation’s only PM between independence from […]
Appointment of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2018 set off a transitional period in Ethiopia. Abiy vowed to reform Ethiopia’s authoritarian state, has conducted elections and implemented some liberalization policies. Still, Ethiopia remains plagued by internal conflict and intercommunal violence, violations of due process and abuses by security forces is common, and a lot of […]
National executive leaders are not elected through any direct or competitive elections. The state president is formally elected by the National People’s Congress (NPC) for five-year terms. State president nominates the premier. Premier’s nomination needs to be confirmed by the NPC. In practice, the top CCP leadership decide in advance who is to hold both […]
Albania is a robust democracy with a record of competitive elections. Last parliamentary elections held on 25th April 2021 was also quite competitive in which ruling left-wing Socialist Party won 49 percent of the vote and 74 of 140 seats while the main opposition centre-right Democratic Party got 39 percent of the votes and 59 seats. […]
While regular elections that are generally free are held in Guatemala, corruption and organized crime severely impact the functioning of government. Victims of rampant violence and criminal extortion have little recourse to justice. Activists, journalists, and public officials who confront corruption, crime, and other sensitive issues risk attack and judicial persecution. Guatemala’s 2023 presidential elections […]
Guarantees of free speech are respected in general, though some laws barring defamation of state institutions still remain on the books. Media ownership is extremely concentrated. Many journalists have reported facing assault and harassment, even at the hands of police. In May 2022, three journalists sustained injuries while covering a protest in Santiago, including late […]
