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Tuesday 28 March 2023 Dublin: 8°C

# Democracy

All time
# petitions
How does the new public petitions system work?
The new system will allow citizens to get their issues “into the centre of parliament” – here’s more on how it works.
# Burma
Burma's government ends direct media censorship
Under the new rules, journalists will no longer have to submit their work to state censors before publication.
# Egypt
Clinton urges Egypt to commit to "strong democracy"
Clinton met with the country’s new president, Mohammed Morsi, this weekend, as well as other prominent Egyptians.
# crisis
Annan warns 'history will judge' the world's failure on Syria
The former UN chief has convened a meeting of foreign ministers to try and broker a deal on Syria – but it’s looking unlikely.
# Voting
Fine Gael TD calls for elections and referenda to be held at weekends
Alan Farrell wants polling days to be held on Saturdays or Sundays in order to prevent school disruptions and allow for more people to vote.
# Aung San Suu Kyi
Video: Aung San Suu Kyi making speech in Dublin
See the video from within Bord Gáis Energy Theatre where she paid tribute to Ireland’s highlighting of her case.
# Democracy
21 years later: Aung San Suu Kyi accepts Nobel Peace Prize
The Burmese pro-democracy campaigner finally delivered her Nobel Lecture in Oslo this afternoon.
# Turnout
What effect might the turnout have on the Fiscal Compact referendum?
Voting started slowly today… but does it ultimately matter? Here are the lessons learned from our previous referendums…
# Voting
Where’s my polling station? Do I need ID? How to cast your vote today
Ireland’s 3.13 million registered voters have the opportunity to cast their votes in hundreds of polling stations across Ireland’s 43 constituencies today.
# Democracy
PHOTOS: People living on Donegal islands go to the polls
Some of the 750 voters on the islands off the Donegal coast cast their ballots in the referendum today, three days before the rest of the country.
# Democracy
Egypt goes to the polls in first post-Mubarak election
Millions of Egyptians have been queuing to vote today, less than two weeks before Mubarak is due to be sentenced.
# Local governent
Explainer: Does Dublin need a directly-elected mayor and how likely is it?
It has been suggested for years, it even came close to happening two years ago but what chance a Boris Johnson or a Micheal Bloomberg for Dublin and Ireland’s other cities. TheJournal.ie investigates…
# Burma
Aung San Suu Kyi boycotts Burma's parliament over oath
Meanwhile, the EU has announced lifting sanctions against Burma after year of political reform.
# Burma
Japan to forgive €2.8 billion of Burma's debt
Japan is to take steps to forgive about 300 billion yen (€2.8 billion) of Burma’s debt and resume development aid in a bid to support democratic and economic reforms in the country.
# Burma
Aung San Suu Kyi claims victory in Burma election
The long-persecuted opposition leader could be set to take office in the isolated country for the first time.
# Unfreedom
President warns of democratic and intellectual crises
Michael D Higgins told the audience at the LSE that if Ireland had retained some of the elements of its national revival, the economic collapse may not be as bad as it is.
# Dictator
Mugabe says he is "fit as a fiddle" and compares himself to Jesus
The Zimbabwean president, speaking on his 88th birthday, also gave tips on how to live a long life.
Voices
Column: Politicians can’t fix Ireland – ordinary people must take the lead
The financial crisis was sparked by a broken system. If we’re going to fix this we can’t leave it up to politicians, write Bronagh Geraghty and John Hughes.
# Assad Regime
Syria sets date for referendum on draft constitution
Read President Assad’s rambling statement on the future of the country. Plus, rare non-government images from inside Syria.
Voices
Column: Don’t trust the government? Then let’s put local people in power
Call them gombeens if you want – but handing money and power to local councils would help fix our democracy, writes Aaron McKenna.
# Email filter
TDs play down report of possible ‘email filter’
TDs have dismissed newspaper suggestions that they are looking at ways of blocking some emails from the public.
# Democracy
Varadkar: Referendums are not "very democratic"
He’s not a fan.
Voices
Column: Ireland has moved on, and we need a new Constitution
When Ireland reframes its founding document it must be for everyone, not just politicians – writes Labour TD Dominic Hannigan.
# Explainer
The story behind the giant banner on St Stephen's Green
You may have seen the picture of Abdulhadi Al Khawaja – but do you know why a three-storey-high banner of him is hanging from a building in the centre of Dublin?
# Burma
Praise for Burma's release of political prisoners
Some 651 political activists, bloggers, a former prime minister and heads of ethnic minority groups were released yesterday under a presidential pardon allowing them to take part in “nation-building.”
Voices
Column: Abolish the Seanad? Here's a better idea to fix our political system
Parish-pump politics is crippling our democracy – so Simon Tuohy offers a radical new proposal to fix the system.
# Constituencies
Explainer: How are Ireland's constituencies being redrawn?
The Constituency Commission is cutting the number of TDs and redrawing our electoral map. Here’s everything you need to know about what will happen…
Voices
Column: UCC’s Nick Griffin invitation is a game – and fascism is the winner
The invitation to the BNP leader will spark a predictable cycle of outrage – but nobody involved is considering the real victims, writes Gavan Titley.
# Military
More than 440 wounded during clashes in Egypt
Military police have been shown in video footage dragging women by the hair, even stripping the shirt off one veiled woman, and ferociously beating, kicking and stomping on protesters.
Voices
Column: We need a new politics – and here’s how it might work
Any new system must transform public anger at politicians into real engagement. Senator Fiach Mac Conghail writes about how We The Citizens did it.
# Russia
Huge day of protest against vote fraud begins in Russia
Tens of thousands of Russians are due to attend protests today over allegedly fraudulent parliamentary elections.
# Egypt
Egypt goes to the polls - amid turmoil on the streets
The parliamentary elections are significant as it is the first time Egyptians have voted since the overthrow of former president Hosni Mubarak in February.
Voices
Column: Ireland, we need to talk about Europe
Future EU measures could mean a total fiscal union. If that’s the case, we may as well give up democracy altogether, writes Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy.
# Burma
Aung San Suu Kyi to run in Burma elections
The pro-democracy leader has announced that she is to formally end her political boycott and run in elections.
# Democracy
Fans bring a halt to Stamford Bridge move
Roman Abramovich’s plan to move Chelsea to a new, 60,000-seat stadium has been put on indefinite hold after a fractious meeting with the Chelsea Pitch Owners.
# Libya
Plans for Sharia-based law in Libya unveiled
Libya’s interim rulers have begun laying out their plans for their two-year transition to democracy – and said that Islamic Sharia law would be the “basic source” of legislation.
# Democracy
Tunisia set to vote in first free elections
Tunisian men and women go to the polls today in the first free elections since the country gained independence from France in 1956.
# Democracy
Enthusiasm builds for Tunisia's first free elections
Tunisians go to the polls tomorrow in the country’s first free elections since it gained independence from France in 1956.
# Libya
Libya's liberation to be declared on Sunday
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril has said that elections will be held within eight months.
# Libya
Gaddafi's hometown taken by Libyan forces
Libyan fighters for the interim government have reportedly hoisted their flag over the city of Sirte, the last hold-out of those loyal to former leader Muammar Gaddafi.