It's election day in Spain and observers are predicting a huge turnout at the polls thanks to the train bombings. One can only hope that Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's Popular Party will be returned -- they have been incredible allies in the war on terror.
Thursday's bombs are expected to prompt Spain's voters to turn out in their millions for elections on Sunday."One thing no-one will dispute is that we are now likely to see a massive turnout," said Charles Powell, senior European affairs analyst at the Madrid-based think tank the Elcano Royal Institute. "People are angry and upset, and they will demonstrate that by voting. It was going to be high anyway, but now I'd estimate it will be over 80%."
Professor Juan Pablo Fusi, historian at Madrid University, concurred. "These bombs are likely to increase turnout - to show that they agree with the government that the only way to defeat terrorism is through democracy, by voting.
Voters are also in action in Russia, where the presidential election is not in doubt, only the legitimacy. Chess master and pro-democracy spokesman Garry Kasparov says Vladimir Putin is returning Russia to authoriarianism.
With today's presidential elections in Russia, Vladimir Putin is on course to complete Russia's transition into an authoritarian state--and it will have happened while the West not only stood by, but nodded its benign approval.Posted by Alan at March 14, 2004 08:36 AMInstead of waiting a few years to ask "who lost Russia?," the West must speak up now and ask more pertinent questions. Why is Mr. Putin suffocating the media? Why are business leaders who do not obey his orders being jailed? Why are the elections rigged in favor of Mr. Putin and his henchmen? Most importantly, what can the West do to help preserve and strengthen democracy in Russia?
According to watchdog groups, the December parliamentary elections in Russia were "free, not fair" and marked a "regression in the democratization process." The opposition had no chance to speak to the public via the state-controlled media, which totally dominates the market. The main Russian TV channels were uniformly positive about the pro-president party.
Today's election is shaping up to be an even more blatant mockery of the democratic process.