#JAPAN: Supreme Court Invalidates Election After Ballot Fraud Exposed

[world politics news]

Japan's Supreme Court has ruled an election for the nation's Lower House of parliament last December to be invalid and unconstitutional after it was revealed that the vote for the least populated election district returned over two times as many ballots as the one for the most populated one.

#JAPAN: Regional Court Says 2014 National Election Unconstitutional; But "Do-Over" Unlikely

[world politics news]

The Nagoya High Court in central Japan ruled that last December's general election was unconstitutionally held due to the disparity in the value of votes between densely and sparsely populated areas, but it did not nullify the election. The day before, the Tokyo High Court upheld the election's constitutionality.

TUNISIA: Lawmakers Approve Groundbreaking Coalition Gov't After First Free Election

[world politics news]

Parliament has approved a coalition government led by the secular Nidaa Tounes Party and including its Islamist rivals, following landmark free elections last year. Of 204 MPs attending, 166 voted in favor, 30 against and eight abstained, after PM Habib Essid withdrew an earlier list that excluded moderate Islamists Ennahda.

#HAITI: Parliament Dissolves Today If Political Crisis Over Un-Called Elections Not Resolved

[world politics news]

#MOZAMBIQUE: Oppo. Boycotts Parliament, Threatens Secession of North, Central Regions

[world politics news]

Opposition Renamo Party leader Afonso Dhlakama has threatened to set up a "Republic of Central and Northern Mozambique." His party doesn't recognize results of October's election, in which ruling Frelimo Party presidential candidate Filipe Nyusi won 57 percent of the vote. Observers view Dhlakama's secession threat as a negotiating tactic.

#JAPAN: #ShinzoAbe Re-Elected PM, Installs New Cabinet Wednesday

[world politics news]

The Japanese Diet easily re-elected Shinzo Abe as Prime Minister Wednesday, and his new cabinet were sworn in, following his party's landslide victory in the Dec. 14 election. He reappointed all members of his previous Cabinet except for Defense Min. Akinori Eto, who refused the post.

#GREECE: Parliament Rejects Pres. Cand. In 2nd Round; New Elections Loom if 3rd Vote Fails

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’s candidate for the presidency failed to win enough support in a second round parliamentary vote Tuesday, despite managing to gather eight more votes than in the first round. If he fails again on Monday, snap elections will be held, as early as January.

#TUNISIA: In Free Elections, Tunisia Elects 88-Year-Old Moderate Beji Caid Essebsi President

[world politics news]

Veteran politician Beji Caid Essebsi has been confirmed as winner of Tunisia's first free presidential election. He secured 55.68% of the vote in Sunday's run-off, defeating Pres. Moncef Marzouki (44.32%.) Essebsi, 88, has urged all Tunisians to "work together" for stability.

#SPAIN: New "Podemos" ("We Can") Party Hopes to Rally Leftists

[world politics news]

Named after Pres. Obama's slogan, the "We Can" Party in Spain and its popular, semi-official leader Pablo Iglesias hopes to change the nation's politics, but still seeks a full policy platform. After some success in the May EU elections, it hopes to feed off mass economic discontent among young voters.

#JAPAN 130 Arrested for Election Law Violations

[world politics news]

Police have arrested 130 people on 70 election law violations. More than half were for bribery, including paying daily wages to part-time workers and harassing voters, In one case, a man even pinned a candidate against a wall, while in another case, a suspect tore up posters.

#JAPAN: PM #ShinzoAbe Coalition Wins 2/3rds of Lower House in Big Snap Election Victory; Humiliated, Democrat's Ldr to Resign

[world politics news]

PM Shinzo Abe's economic plan got a huge boost Sunday as his Party won 2/3rds of the Lower House in a snap election. Opposition Democratic Party of Japan won 11 more seats, but its leader lost his seat and will now resign. Communists won 21 seats, up from eight.

#CROATIA: "Sleeper" Anti-Establishment Candidate Among Pres. Contenders

[world politics news]

Campaigning has begun for Croatia's Dec. 28 presidential election, with four candidates qualifying to run during this sixth year of a deep recession. Among them, 25-year-old Ivan Vilibor Sinčić, leader of "Living Wall," an activist group-turned-party that opposes foreclosures, and are tapping into anti-establishment discontent.

#GREECE: Gov't Moves up Pres. Vote Two Months to Dec. 17

[world politics news]

The conservative government of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has moved up the parliamentary vote that will select the country's next president two months, to Dec. 17, in an attempt to gain a better footing for upcoming negotiations with the EU over its ongoing bailout, say coalition officials.

#MOLDOVA: Pro-EU Parties Hope To Form Coalition to Keep Nation Looking Westward

[world politics news]

#JAPAN: PM #Abe Defends Economic Policies in Debate Before Dec. 14 Election

[world politics news]

Leaders of major Japanese political parties held a debate Monday ahead of the Dec. 14 House of Representatives election, focusing on PM Shinzo Abe's deflation-busting economic policy package, or Abenomics. Abe argued that he had improved imploument and triggered pay increases at many companies.

#POLAND: First Openly-Gay Mayor Elected in Poland; Previous Served in Parliament

[world politics news]

Robert Biedron, 38, already made history once in Poland by becoming the first openly gay lawmaker in parliament in 2011. On Monday, he became the country's first openly gay mayor. Biedron is an independent who was named one of the country's best lawmakers this year by the weekly magazine Polityka.

#SWITZERLAND: Voters Reject Proposals to Restrict Immigration, Boost Gold Reserves

[world politics news]

Swiss voters have overwhelmingly rejected proposals to boost gold reserves from 8% to 20% and impose new restrictions on immigration. The direct referenda reflect a growing public view that Switzerland is under siege from the EU and foreign workers eroding its Alpine culture and banking system.

#TAIWAN: PM Jiang Yi-huah Resigns After KMT Pty Crushed In Local Elections

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Jiang Yi-huah has resigned after the ruling Kuomintang Party (KMT) experienced heavy losses in local elections Saturday. It was seen as a referendum on Pres. Ma Ying-jeou ahead of elections in 2016. The KMT has dominated Taiwan since anti-communists fled to the island in the 1940s.

#NEWFOUNDLAND: Tories Hope to Reverse Losing Streak in 2 By-Elections Today

[world politics news]

#TUNISIA: Secularist Essebsi Wins Second Round of Pres. Elections

[world politics news]

Tunisian secularist Beji Caid Essebsi beat incumbent President Moncef Marzouki in the first round of the country's presidential election, but a December run-off is needed since Essebsi received less than a majority, 39.46% of the vote. Marzouki got 33.4%. The nation's Islamist party sat out the presidential election.