As the decade draws to a close, it's an opportune time to review decisions at the ballot box that flew under the global radar. My picks for each year that warranted water cooler talk.
February 7, 2010
Laura Chinchilla elected first ever female President of Costa Rica (becoming the eighth woman president of a Latin American country). Her share of the vote (46.91%) was more than the second (25.06%) and third placed (20.92%) male candidates combined. Now, if only the U.S. would copy its fellow North American country and follow suit.
May 28, 2011
Maltese divorce referendum passes with 53% of the vote, in the process making divorce legal in this staunch Catholic nation (signed into law after parliamentary deliberation on October 1, 2011). This vote left the Philippines and Vatican City as the only nations to outlaw divorce. standing true to Malta's proud bilingual tradition, ballot papers were printed in both English and Maltese.
January 22, 2012
Republika Hrvatska (Republic of Croatia) becomes the 28th member state of the European Union (EU) after 66% of the voting public vote in favor of EU accession. To happen only 23 years after the bloody end of the Croatian War of Independence (1991-95) that left 400,000 folk displaced is a minor miracle.
March 12, 2013
The opposition Siumut party led by Aleqa Hammond wins the Greendalic general election, thus becoming the nation's first ever female leader. As Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, this victory causes friction due to Hammond's support for an independent Greenland.
October 26, 2014
Tunisia holds its first free parliamentary elections since its independence in 1956. An impressive feat considering how much of the region was embroiled in the Arab spring due to political cronyism. Not one party achieved a total majority (Nidaa Tounes emerged victorious taking 86 seats out of 217), a fine example of a fledgling Arab democracy. the vote even accounted for the Tunisian diaspora with 18 seats going to six constituencies from France, Italy and Germany.
May 22, 2015
Irish constitutional referendum to permit same-sex marriage was approved 62-38%. The measure was signed into law on November 16, 2015. Not bad for an ardent Catholic nation that only legalized divorce in 1995 and abortion in 2018. It's safe to say Ireland is erasing its stuck in the past mentality and joining the progressive world at a rapid pace.
June 5, 2016
Peru Presidential election (second round) saw Pedro Pablo Kuczynski defeat Keiko Fujimori (daughter of former controversial President, Alberto Fujimori) in a nail-biter, 50.1% - 49.9%. As they say in geopolitical circles: it's not everyday a Peruvian with Polish heritage defeats one with Japanese heritage for the top job.
July 7, 2017
Mongolia doing what it does best, making China look like a backward one party state. The presidential election (second round) was another close one after the first round didn't produce a clear-cut winner. (Take note China: incumbent President, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj was constitutionally barred from running for a third term). Khaltmaagiin Battulga becomes the fifth President (since 1992 constitution) by attracting 50.61% of the vote.
May 9, 2018
Malaysia does the unthinkable, changes regimes for the first time since its independence in 1957. The Pakatan Harapan coalition becomes the first to break the status quo by securing a simple majority. Who said oldies were being discriminated against? Former Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad and spring chicken (if you ignore his date of birth, July 10, 1925) takes the helm once more.
October 27, 2019
Uruguay, a bastion of progressive Latin America took a trip down Conservative lane by handing the keys of power to National party leader, Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou. He heads the National party which is all about christian conservatism, so no surprises he went all anti Jesus by being tough on crime to sneak home in the second round by capturing 50.79% of the vote. José Mujica (40th President of Uruguay) must be ashamed, a man that sacrificed his time and money in power to advocate social justice never once used religion to garner votes and now the country is ruled by a politician that preaches christian values as a power grabbing exercise, we all know where this is headed...
There you have it, another decade of democracy in the books. If you had never heard of the above, or are rapidly googling away to find out, then you really have been brainwashed by the English-speaking world, which, let's face it, is quite boring with its stingy money hungry values. Next time you lose your marbles over the occupant in the White House, just remember that the globe is a kaleidoscope of voting patterns.
February 7, 2010
Laura Chinchilla elected first ever female President of Costa Rica (becoming the eighth woman president of a Latin American country). Her share of the vote (46.91%) was more than the second (25.06%) and third placed (20.92%) male candidates combined. Now, if only the U.S. would copy its fellow North American country and follow suit.
May 28, 2011
Maltese divorce referendum passes with 53% of the vote, in the process making divorce legal in this staunch Catholic nation (signed into law after parliamentary deliberation on October 1, 2011). This vote left the Philippines and Vatican City as the only nations to outlaw divorce. standing true to Malta's proud bilingual tradition, ballot papers were printed in both English and Maltese.
January 22, 2012
Republika Hrvatska (Republic of Croatia) becomes the 28th member state of the European Union (EU) after 66% of the voting public vote in favor of EU accession. To happen only 23 years after the bloody end of the Croatian War of Independence (1991-95) that left 400,000 folk displaced is a minor miracle.
March 12, 2013
The opposition Siumut party led by Aleqa Hammond wins the Greendalic general election, thus becoming the nation's first ever female leader. As Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, this victory causes friction due to Hammond's support for an independent Greenland.
October 26, 2014
Tunisia holds its first free parliamentary elections since its independence in 1956. An impressive feat considering how much of the region was embroiled in the Arab spring due to political cronyism. Not one party achieved a total majority (Nidaa Tounes emerged victorious taking 86 seats out of 217), a fine example of a fledgling Arab democracy. the vote even accounted for the Tunisian diaspora with 18 seats going to six constituencies from France, Italy and Germany.
May 22, 2015
Irish constitutional referendum to permit same-sex marriage was approved 62-38%. The measure was signed into law on November 16, 2015. Not bad for an ardent Catholic nation that only legalized divorce in 1995 and abortion in 2018. It's safe to say Ireland is erasing its stuck in the past mentality and joining the progressive world at a rapid pace.
June 5, 2016
Peru Presidential election (second round) saw Pedro Pablo Kuczynski defeat Keiko Fujimori (daughter of former controversial President, Alberto Fujimori) in a nail-biter, 50.1% - 49.9%. As they say in geopolitical circles: it's not everyday a Peruvian with Polish heritage defeats one with Japanese heritage for the top job.
July 7, 2017
Mongolia doing what it does best, making China look like a backward one party state. The presidential election (second round) was another close one after the first round didn't produce a clear-cut winner. (Take note China: incumbent President, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj was constitutionally barred from running for a third term). Khaltmaagiin Battulga becomes the fifth President (since 1992 constitution) by attracting 50.61% of the vote.
May 9, 2018
Malaysia does the unthinkable, changes regimes for the first time since its independence in 1957. The Pakatan Harapan coalition becomes the first to break the status quo by securing a simple majority. Who said oldies were being discriminated against? Former Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad and spring chicken (if you ignore his date of birth, July 10, 1925) takes the helm once more.
October 27, 2019
Uruguay, a bastion of progressive Latin America took a trip down Conservative lane by handing the keys of power to National party leader, Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou. He heads the National party which is all about christian conservatism, so no surprises he went all anti Jesus by being tough on crime to sneak home in the second round by capturing 50.79% of the vote. José Mujica (40th President of Uruguay) must be ashamed, a man that sacrificed his time and money in power to advocate social justice never once used religion to garner votes and now the country is ruled by a politician that preaches christian values as a power grabbing exercise, we all know where this is headed...
There you have it, another decade of democracy in the books. If you had never heard of the above, or are rapidly googling away to find out, then you really have been brainwashed by the English-speaking world, which, let's face it, is quite boring with its stingy money hungry values. Next time you lose your marbles over the occupant in the White House, just remember that the globe is a kaleidoscope of voting patterns.
