Snap Election Called in Ukraine

The Ukrainian President, Victor Yuschenko, called a the third national election in three years. Citing Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s statement of neutrality on Russia’s invasion of Georgia and Yulia Tymoschenko’s Party’s support for a bill that would grant the Prime Minister significantly more power and allow for the impeachment of the Ukrainian president, Mr. Yuschenko stated that a government was no longer operational. 

Ms. Tymoshenko is the first female Prime Minister of Ukraine and has been cited as one of the most powerful women on Earth by Forbes Magazine. 

Ms. Tymoschenko’s party and the party of the President had formed a coalition and when the two parties broke relations with each other the government no longer had a governable majority in Parliament, necessitating the election. 

Many believe that Ms. Tymoshenko has presidential aspirations and that she plans to run in the 2012 Ukrainian Presidential election.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Defeated in General Election

The defeated Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark

Helen Clark, the first woman to be elected Prime Minister of New Zealand, was defeated on November eighh in general elections. Ms. Clark’s party, the center-left Labour Party, was defeated by the center-right National Party, headed by John Key.

Helen Clark was the first female Prime Minister elected of New Zealand and one of the longest serving female rulers in the world. The Labour Party has been in power in New Zealand for a decade.

Mr. Key will likely become the next Prime Minister. He must first gain the support of a combination of several smaller parties in Parliament in order to gain a governing majority.

Tzipi Livni Calls Snap Election

Tzipi Livni, the presumptive Prime Minister of Israel

Tzipi Livni, Israel’s Foreign Minister and Prime Minister in-waiting, called a snap election on Sunday after failing to build a coalition of parties in Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, large enough to form a workable government. Ms. Livni’s party, the centrist Kadima, had garnered the support of the centre-left Labor Party (controlled by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak) and the left-wing Meretz, but could not get the support of the ultra-orthodox Sha’as Party.

Sha’as party leaders forced the election by failing to support the conditions upon which Kadima offered their party to join a potential government. 

Ms. Livni informed Israel’s President that she was unable to form a workable government and asked that the Knesset be dissolved and elections be scheduled to take place in 90 days. The President complied with the Prime Minister’s request, as is customary in most Parliamentary Republics.

The logo of the centrist Kadima Party, which Ms. Livni heads.

Originally Kadima (Ms. Livni’s party), anticipated losing ground to the right-wing Likud Party (led by yet another former Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu) if an election were called. But two polls released on Monday indicated that Ms. Livni’s party would gain a very narrow victory over Likud, with Labor polling last amont the three major parties.

Sha’as may regret having forced the election by not accepting Kadima’s government offer as both polls indicated that they will lose seats in the election.

Elizabeth May Included in Canadian Leaders’ Debates

The Green Party, the sixth-largest party in Canada, was included for the first time in the Canadian Party Leaders’ Debates. For those of you unfamiliar with Canadian politics, the Leaders’ Debates are the Canadian equivalent to the US Presidential Debates, where the leaders of all the parties in Parliament debate one another prior to a national election. In Canada, the leader of the largest party in Parliament after an election becomes the Prime Minister. Thus, inclusion in the debates is a key step in being recognized as a national contender for votes. 

Elizabeth May addressing Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper during the 2008 French Leaders' Debate

 

Elizabeth May, the leader of the Green Party, became the third female included in the Canadian Leaders’ Debate. She is currently the only female leader of a major Canadian political party. 

The Canadian Election was held on Tuesday, October 14th. The Green Party received 6.8% of the vote nationally, doubling their previous percentage of the vote, but won no seats. 

American-born Elizabeth May became the leader of the Green Party in 2006 after serving as the leader of the Sierra Club of Canada. She was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 2005 and has served as the Senior Policy Advisor to a former Environment Minister. 

Tzipi Livni Likely To Succeed Olmert as Prime Minister of Israel

Tzipi Livni

Tzipi Livni, the Israeli Foreign Minister, claimed victory today in the leadership contest of her party, the centrist Kadima, which currently is the largest party in the ruling coalition in the Israeli Parliament (known as the Knesset). Livni has been serving as Acting Prime Minister and Acting Party Leader while Ehud Olmert, the current Prime Minister, is under investigation for corruption and major ethics violations. Official results are expected to be received within hours of now. Livni will have to receive at least 40% of her party’s members’ votes in order to be declared the winner and to avoid a runoff contest with the next-highest vote-winner. Olmert is likely to remain as the official Prime Minister until a new coalition can be formed among political parties in the Knesset or until a new election is held. Polls indicate that if an election were held today, the right wing Likud Party (of which former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was a member prior to forming Kadima) would win handily, largely because of the public backlash against the largely unsuccessful government of Prime Minister Olmert. Livni could turn the party’s prospects around, however. She has publically criticized Prime Minister Olmert on a number of occasions and is seen positively among many Israelis.

 

Forefront: Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Background: Israeli Prime Minister (for now) Ehud Olmert

 

Personally, I am excited to hear the news that Tzipi Livni will most likely become the head of the Kadima Party. Her nomination as leader gives Kadima a significantly better shot at winning any future elections that may take place (and there likely will be elections soon after the new leader of Kadima takes over). While I fundamentally disagree with some of her policies in regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, she is much more pragmatic and much less hard-line than many of her predecessors have been and than the opposition party Likud would be if it were to win the next elections. I would prefer to see the election of the left wing party Meretz-Yachad, but I prefer Kadima be in power than Likud. I am also excited about the prospect of another potential woman head of government. Women are sorely underrepresented in government around the world. Since 2000, only thirteen women have been elected or appointed as either the President or Prime Minister of their respective nations. The current number of women world leaders is even more pitiful, only six nations currently have women as heads of government. This is utterly pathetic. Seeing any nation select a woman to a leadership position is always something that I passionately welcome.

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 President Michelle Bachelet of Chile, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of The Philippines, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoschenko of Ukraine, and President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia