On the anniversary of the coup d'etat of March 17,  2009  in Madagascar, individual sanctions are about to be imposed upon the current leaders of Madagascar for not respecting the resolutions of Maputo that were previously agreed upon  by all participants.  This decision come after a warning a month earlier from the African Union and the International Contact Group and follow several annulments of international trade accords that have affected the local industries. They also come on the heel of reports by Amnesty International and the US State Department that document multiple human rights violations and ongoing illegal international trafficking of precious rosewood from Madagascar rain forests. According to a Malagasy insider, the individual sanctions would result in a freeze of the financial assets of the people present in the list and possible arrest if they travel outside Madagascar (fr).

The  government remains defiant in the face of the impending sanctions, arguing that only national elections will provide an effective exit to the crisis.  The organization and monitoring of these elections are not clearly defined yet and parliamentary elections have already been postponed from the initial proposed schedule.

The political deadlock  is compounded by humanitarian concerns caused by  Tropical Storm Hubert that killed 14 and left 37,891 homeless after making landfall earlier in the week.

Flooding caused by Tropical Storm Hubert in South East Madagascar

(Photo credit: Global Green Grants Fund)

Reflecting upon the upcoming sanctions on national Malagasy leaders,  Citoyenne Malgache, a blogger based in Madagascar, has mixed feelings about the possible consequences for the everyday Malagasy citizens. She is torn between satisfaction and fear (fr):

Contente ? Si l’Union Africaine ne se contente pas de sortir sa liste des sanctionnées, mais présente aussi au peuple malgache (celui de 19 millions et pas celui de 912 personnes) les actions concrètes et immédiates pour la mise en œuvre des accords de Maputo [..] Worried ? En réaction à ce que l’Union Africaine dira ou fera, la troupe à Rajoelina et leurs bandes armées pourraient faire de la résistance[..] Ce 17 mars, je me demande quel monde je trouverais à mon réveil

Satisfied? Only If the African Union is not just posting the list of the penalized perpetrators but also presents concrete and immediate actions to the Malagasy people for the implementation of the Maputo agreement[..] Worried ? Depending on what the AU will decide to say or do, Rajoelina's group and their armed forces may provide resistance [..] On March 17, I wonder in what world I will wake up to

Madagoravox is also dreaming of a country with different standards as to not have to go through this cycle of crisis ever again (fr):

On pourrait aussi rêver d’une action politique qui ne serait le fruit ni de rencontres occasionnelles, ni d’un calcul personnel, ni d’une ambition partisane, mais le fruit d’une morale, d’une éthique qui engagerait pleinement chacun

One can dream of politics that would not come from sporadic meetings, personal agenda, or partisan ambition, but politics that would be the fruit of commitment to personal morals and ethics.

Ndimby thinks that a true exit to the crisis can only be reached through an in-depth dialog between former foes and not the make-believe meetings that both parties held earlier and that were consensual only on the surface (fr):

L’unilatéralisme ne réside pas dans l’absence ou la présence de débats mais dans le fait que le cadre du débat est déjà dès le départ tellement orienté, qu’il a empêché de parler sérieusement des choses essentielles, et de réunir les personnes qui comptent vraiment dans la résolution de crise

Unilateralism is not about whether there was a debate or not but it comes from the fact that the bases of the debate were already so skewed that it prevented a conversation on important subjects and to rally the leaders who can truly bring a resolution to the crisis.

An initiative called “Mitsangana” (Stand Up in Malagasy) to get politicians from all parties to respond to question from Malagasy citizens has been created on Facebook.

While the crisis perseveres, the social toll is gradually increasing. Health workers and physicians were on strike for months and  factory workers were seen gathering outside a factory that plans to let them go in April.

Workers protesting outside a factory in Antananarivo

(Photo credit: “Mitsangana” facebook group)

As is often the case,  rural communities are often more dramatically affected by poverty.  Louise, from Southern Madagascar, tells her story of hardship and explains that the many changes over the years have depleted her region of land resources and fish species:

People in Ilafitsignana are now deprived of their farmland… As a result, there are many more people living off fishing, and resources are no longer enough… Ambatsy and sâro are almost non-existent. fiambazahaare still around but not as many…angora lo and varavarà were so easy to catch in the past but are almost non-existent now… tofoky are also hard to find (author's note: names in italics are species of fish in Malagasy)

According to the World Bank, the struggle of the  Malagasy economy has already forced the government to slash $200 million USD for the public service from their national budget.   Achille52 explains that the educational system is the first to suffer and that this budget cut will have dire consequences on the future of the nation (fr):

C’est le manque de financement qui est la plaie de l’enseignement publique, les enseignants ne sont pas motivés à cause de leur salaire minable, et les enfants issus de la classe défavorisé ne sont pas assez concentrés. Et si on supprime les aides qui subsistent, où va-t-on ?

Lack of funding is the main problem for public schools. Teachers are not motivated enough because of their miserable salaries and the children of the disenfranchised classes are not focused on school work anymore. If we cancel subsidies now, where are we headed to?

On March 14th and 21st, French people (including Overseas residents) will be asked to vote for the “Regional elections”. In Guadeloupe, blogger Gwakafwika condemns [French Creole] the local press, which he sees as a vehicle of propaganda for the current President, Victorin Lurel.

Will the elections herald a new era of political stability for Iraq or will it be more of the same? Iraqi bloggers discuss their fears and hopes on the day of the national elections. But first…

If you read no other post this week read this one

On the eve of the poll, Sunshine writes about her wishes for the future:
We are just tired from living in horror , we don't want to lose more people we love, this war was bloody and I just want it to end and be a bad memory in my life .. I wonder if my relatives abroad will come back, I didn't see my only aunt for 5 years, and my cousins doesn't know me.. Iraqis want their lives back… I can't wait till the day I'll wake up and open the curtains in my room and see life in my neighborhood again instead of a ghost city, I can't wait till the day that we'll remove the wood we placed over the windows, I wonder always if I and all Iraqis will ever feel relief.. I have so many hopes and plans for that day, wonder when will it come ..

I want to hear good news about rebuilding my country, the developing and improving in economy, not how many people who were killed..

She reports of the current campaign by terrorists against all Christians in her home city of Mosul and writes:
Why? why did that happen? Who's behind forcing the Christians to leave?
Political parties fight each other, and the victims are those innocents.. all of that murders and frightening was because of the election, to force the Christians to go to the countryside , and ban them from participating ..
What makes me so angry and so frustrated is, when there is a “weeping ceremony ” the country become in an emergency situation, so many soldiers and a very serious secured procedures is taken to protect the Shiites ,. While the government didn't ensure the safety of the Christians who only wanted to continue their daily lives, go to school, or work normally , it is so unfair ..

Word from the streets

Sunshine photographs her ink-stained finger in a victory salute.

Baghdad Dentist tells us how his city is on the day of the vote:
Cars were banned last night and many roads that lead to the election centres were closed by barbed wires and army vhecles.
With the begining of the voting many explosions occurred in Baghdad.news were about falling many mortar in many districts in the city including Adamyah,Al-adil,Palestine street,Ur and many other places in a wave of attacks. Baghdad is not secured…

With all the fears of going to vote,Iraqis insist on democracy to stop violence and choose Iraqi citizens to represent them

Nibras voted and felt great:
The greatest thing about it was how normal it felt; elections have become a ho-hum, commonplace occurance. That's quite a feat for a country with Iraq's past and current challenges…

This was a logistical failure for the jihadists; hardly any successful suicide bombers or sniper attacks near the polling stations. Lobbing mortars indiscriminately around Baghdad is BS intimidation. It certainly didn't deter voters.

Ladybird went to watch the voting “circus” in the Netherlands and reports:
I noticed that many people chose to vote for secular parties, especially for Allawi’s list Al-Iraqiya, but there are also Maliki’s supporters…

The queue was very long, waiting time about 4–5 hours. I left the pol center on 17.00 and the queue was about 1 km.

From what I read and watch, I think Maliki and Allawi are going against each others head to head.

and McClatchy Newspapers give the most comprehensive coverage from all over Iraq in its journalists blog.

Fears and Hope

Layla feels the initial results are hopeful but expects widespread fraud. She is tweeting results as she hears them and concludes:
This is a huge MORAL defeat for the Shiite parties and for Maliki in particular… and they have also shown what I have been saying all along for the past 4 years - that we are essentially a secular people and nationalistic one.

This is ALSO a symbolic defeat for Iran and for the AMERICAN plan, the agenda with which they brutally and criminally occupied us, dividing us along sectarian lines.

… I love you Iraq.

But after constant election watching, she had enough:

I need to get out of the Iraqi election mood. I don't feel good about what's going to happen after the final results are published…my gut feeling tells me so…I need to switch off, completely switch off…
I need to get out of the Iraqi election mood. I don't feel good about what's going to happen after the final results are published…my gut feeling tells me so…I need to switch off, completely switch off…

Neurotic Wife did not vote and explained her reasons as a letter to her departed father:
Im sorry, but there is no one that I believe can bring a better life to the Iraqis. All the promises that these people claim to bring to Iraq are false. They entered the election race to satisfy their own egos. Their own egos and their own needs…

Yes Baba, I know you dont agree with me. I know that you always had hope. BIG hope… Baba, there is no honest man out there, believe me. Their words stopped meaning anything to me. For I know, I know that the Iraq you have known will never come back. Not now, not in my children's lifetime, not ever. And no, Im not being a pessimist as you used to call me, but a realist.

Many people are calling this a historical moment. What history? Are we gonna call every election a historical moment?Thats something I dont understand. What kind of history are they making. What will my little ones read when they grow up?Iraq, the Shattered Dream? Hundreds of thousands of people are risking their lives because of Hope. And maybe Hope is the only thing they have right now. But for me this is nothing but a repeat of a definite failure. Sorry Baba, I dont want to upset you, but you always told us to speak our minds, and this is exactly whats on my mind.

Sunshine could not disagree more. She writes:
How many times we think about ourselves, the things we need to do and use the term “I” in the day? It will be great if people say “Iraq”instead in this day, and put the benefit of the community before theirs, because there's nothing in this day more important than voting to build a better future for us and for our families..

All of my relatives in Baghdad and Mosul, inside Iraq and abroad voted, as well as my friends , even those who hesitated to go, decided to vote after I urged them..

I am so proud of all Iraqis who voted and will…

Hammorabi has some hope for the future, but not much:
the interference of the other countries including Iran and Saudi Arabia, the lack of plan for the foreign troops to leave a strong Iraqi army capable to protect the Iraqi borders and internal security and many other problems. All these and other problems resulted in a weak and corrupted Iraq…

Today most the Iraqis went for election looking for a change which they hope it will come after this election to result in a government and parliament without sectarian ideology. It should take the interest of Iraq on the top and not the interest of the other countries.

We feel that some change may come and we know there is nothing magic.

And Finally:

Living in the US, Iraq the Model has a somewhat different experience voting:
In December 2005 we walked from home to the voting center (which also used to be where I went to school as a kid) to a soundtrack of mortars and gunfire. Indeed, that ten minute walk was wrapped in so much fear and worry, but also in so much hope and pride.

My trip to the voting center will be less interesting this time because I'll be taking the orange line to Arlington where the place is, which happens to be some hotel whose owner will eventually be Paris Hilton.

Yes, that's a little boring.

Exclusive #iraq10 picture from polling station in #Baghdad: www.mict-international.org/1a.jpg

It's election day in Iraq and the Twittersphere has been abuzz with updates since the early morning.

To keep tweeps updated, a special service is up at @iraqelections where “30 correspondents from across Iraq will twitter report on election events from 10am hour by hour as they witness them on the ground.”  It is a project coordinated by German media development organization MICT - Media in Cooperation and Transition.

@iraqelections urges readers to:

Follow our coverage of #iraqelections on Sunday, live here on Twitter. 40 Iraqi journalists #tweeting regular election updates!

Another announcement reads:

We're live - translations are on their way! Follows us for live tweets about the #iraqelection from inside #Iraq. Join the debate #iraq10

Updates by observers on the ground are typical of many elections around the world, except that Iraq is a special case. Bombs went off throughout the day and clashes were reported between various factions.

On @iraqelections, the reporters who toyed with Twitter did a fantastic job keeping us updated using social networking tools.

In one update, Laith reports:

ليث بغداد عشرات العوائل من منطقة الكرادة يحرمون من التصويت لعدم ورود اسمائهم في سجل الناخبين #iraq10 #iraqelection Laith: Baghdad: Tens of families from the AlKaradah region denied voting because their names are not on the voters register

From Sulaimaniya, Jamal writes:

#SULAIMANIYA, Jamal: Voting stations are closed. Press is not allowed to enter and monitor the counting of votes. #iraq10

Elsewhere on the Twittersphere, @iawia1 notes:

Today Iraq's having the most democratic election in the region.Hope it holds&be example4mideast #iranelection #iraqelection #iraq

American @jeffmeyerson is positive:

Celebrate with freedom-loving Iraqis as today they make their case for democracy. #Iraq

And Miguel Marquez, ABC News' correspondent, sums up the day saying:

#Iraq elex: 38 killed,73 injured. Nearly 40 explosions. Still the Iraqis turned out to vote. Looks like vote cnt will be higher outside BGD

The Tajikistan opposition is furious at the recent parliamentary election results and is planning massive protest actions. However, Dushanbe advises caution: the opposition must be very careful not to open themselves to accusations of fomenting a Color Revolution.

Christian Bleuer opines on the aftermath of Tajikistan’s parliamentary elections and expects no serious demonstrations.

In a December 2009 Global Voices article titled “ICT4D: Past mistakes, future wisdom,” Aparna Ray points out that many technology for development projects have “started with a bang and later died with a whimper.” According to a recent article in the Financial Times, such is the fate of a multimillion dollar World Bank plan to supply Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan, with computers and Internet access.

According to Laurence Clarke, who heads the World Bank's program in the country and was interviewed for the article, the failure was not due to a lack of equipment or support. Instead, the problem is a lack of will:

Laurence Clarke, head of the bank's south Sudan programme, explains that fund money was used to buy computers, software and equipment for satellite links in Juba, the south's threadbare capital. But then “all kinds of problems came up,” he says….

“Some of the ministers apparently decided they were too old to learn to use a computer, and so they showed no enthusiasm.” In some cases even their younger assistants did not know how to log on. “So the system is lying there…moribund,” Mr Clarke says.

The recent surge in availability of mobile phones and Internet access in Africa has prompted considerable enthusiasm regarding the use of these technologies for everything from marketing and e-commerce to tracking crop diseases and reminding HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis patients to take their medicine. But the news from Southern Sudan forces the question: is the hype surrounding information and communication technology (ICT) justified? And how can those of us who work in this field make sure that our efforts don't result in moribundity?

As a researcher for the Technology for Transparency Network, I'm particularly interested in the way that ICT can help engage citizens in the governance of their country and encourage governments to be both transparent and accountable. Many projects are successfully using technology for transparency; David Sasaki's recent review of the network's first eight case studies shows as much. But, as the situation in Juba shows, technology does not magically lead toward better governance.

Sudanese blogger and Global Voices author Drima believes that Internet and mobile phones are not enough. “ICT is merely that, a technology. Its real usefulness is ultimately something that can only be realized if the users utilize such technology skillfully towards a good goal,” he writes in an e-mail.

If technology is to have an impact, Drima says, support must come not only from donors, but from within:

“When it comes to attitudes and goals, this is something the Southern Sudanese need to fix. And before we can even get into this whole idea of ICT as some kind of 'silver bullet' we really need to address many underlying concerns, beginning with corrupt leadership and destructive tribalism.”

As Sudan moves towards elections in April, technology has the potential to play a major role in both engaging citizens and in monitoring the political process. Sudan Votes, a bilingual web site sponsored by German organization Media in Cooperation and Transition along with Sudanese organizations Teeba Press and the Association of Inter-Media, hopes to “enhance the quality of media coverage on the elections” and “promote a better understanding across language barriers.” The site features articles on topics ranging from politics to health and culture, as well as a Sudan Electionnaire to help citizens learn more about the country's political parties.

Sudan Votes

Sudan Vote Monitor, led by the Sudan Institute for Research and Policy, plans to use Ushahidi to enable citizens to monitor and report on the elections.

Sudan Vote Monitor

In an election where “many citizens are unfamiliar with basic election processes, are opposed to multi-party competition and have doubts about whether the vote will be fair,” these projects may play critical roles in educating people and documenting possible problems with the voting process. In order to be successful, however, they must first find a way to convince citizens of their usefulness.

Both Sudan Votes and Sudan Vote Monitor appear to have substantial Sudanese involvement at the ground level, which may help them succeed where the World Bank program has failed. As the elections loom nearer, I'll be watching closely to see how these organizations unfold. Will they fall flat, ignored and unused by Sudanese citizens? Or will they manage to translate technology into true civic engagement?

Ianyan features a guest post by Fulbright Scholar and blogger Ashley Killough on the second anniversary of the deadly post-election clashes which left 10 dead in Yerevan, the Armenian capital. The post also includes an audio slideshow of the demonstration held to mark the occasion.

On March 1, José Mujica -also referred to as “El Pepe” by many Uruguayans- was sworn in as the new president of Uruguay. He succeeds Tabaré Vázquez from the same left-leaning coalition party, Frente Amplio (Broad Front). During and after the inauguration ceremonies, Uruguayan bloggers and Twitter users reflected on this presidential transition and what it means for their country.

Ana Rita Franco from the blog Nostalgia de Emigrante [es] writes about the public opinion surrounding Mujica and her own impressions of the new President:

Mucho se ha dicho a favor y en contra de su persona. Desde mi punto de vista creo que ha sido el politico por estos tiempos, que ha generado con su sola presencia, sentimientos muy ambivalentes: se lo idolatra o se lo detesta. Por eso hay quienes se enorgullecen y otros se averguenzan. Desde mi posicion que no es ni una ni otra, se ha ganado mi respeto por haber llegado donde hoy se encuentra, dandonos la leccion de que todos los suenos pueden ser cumplidos.

A lot has been said in favor and against him. From my point of view, I think he has been the politician in these times that has generated with his sole presence, ambivalent feelings: he is idolized or hated. That is why there are people that are proud and others ashamed. From my position which is neither one or the other, he has gained my respect for reaching the place where he is today, giving us a lesson that all dreams can come true.

Mujica stands to the right of his wife Lucía Topolanski, head of the senate. Picture uploaded by flickr user Fernando Lugo APC and used under a Creative Commons license.

Mujica has captured the attention of the world because of his background as a former Tupamaro guerrilla fighter. Víctor Bagnuoli, director of the blog Visión Universitaria [es], explains that Mujica has left that past behind and taken a more realistic approach to achieving his political ideals.

Luego de haberse jugado la vida en pos de ideales revolucionarios por medios ilegales, don Pepe Mujica hizo una profunda evolución que lo llevó, no a abandonar sus ideales pero sí, a comprender la realidad y a plantear metas factibles de corto y mediano plazo, ya que la coyuntura nacional e internacional obligan a buscar otras alternativas.

After risking his life to defend revolutionary ideals through illegal means, Mr. Pepe Mujica has made a profound evolution that has made him, without abandoning his ideals, understand reality and put forth feasible short and long term goals, since the national and international situation forced him to find other alternatives.

Constanza Moreira [es], a political scientists from the University of the Republic in Montevideo explains in the same blog that Mujica comes into power accompanied by an environment of very high expectations:

Será asimismo el tercer presidente electo del siglo XXI. Y el electo con el mayor porcentaje de votos, con la excepción de Baldomir (61,3% en 1938), Amézaga (57,2% en 1942) y Jorge Batlle (54%).

Muchas expectativas se ciernen sobre el nuevo presidente. Quizá más de las esperables, recordando que el gobierno de un país es algo más que un presidente, y recordando ­siempre es bueno­ las limitaciones de la humana condición.

He will be the third elected president of the XXI century. And the one elected with the greatest percentage of votes, with the exception of Baldomir (61.3% in 1938), Amézaga (57.2% in 1942) y Jorge Batlle (54%).

A lot of expectations are upon the new president. Maybe more than what can be expected, remembering that the government of a country is made up of more than one president, and remembering –it is always good to do so- the limitations of the human condition.

Moreira also adds that the highest expectations for Mujica come from the poorest Uruguayans:

En buena medida, Mujica es, con su propia vida, un representante “de los de abajo”. Y son estos miles de uruguayos, que lo han honrado con su voto una y otra vez, quienes más esperarán de un gobierno de Mujica.

In great measure, Mujica is, with his own life experience, a representative of the lower class. And these thousands of Uruguayans, that have honored him with their vote again and again, will be the ones that expect more from Mujica’s government.

Mujica and Frente Amplio supporters celebrating election on November 29, 2009. Photo uploaded by flickr user camerareporter and user under a Creative Commons license.

As for the ceremony and inauguration speech itself, the writers at Uruguayan blog Opinemos Hoy [es] did not come away as politically energized as they had hoped to be:

Ahora bien la primera imagen que me dejó toda la asunción (seguida por tv haciendo zapping entre el 4,10 y 12) es un Mujica cansado , cansado antes de arrancar , lo podemos acusar a su edad , pero no inyectó esa energía que necesita su gente , su pueblo sus seguidores , fueron discursos diferentes y me dió la impresión que opuestos , lo más importante lo dijo al principio en la asunción en la cámara de representantes mediante una carta leída la cual trataba varios temas yá conocidos por todos nosotros , como es la educación, seguridad , energía y el agrointeligente. […]

En fin una jornada que deja mucho por ver y mucho visto, por el momento solo resta esperar a ver que pasa , mucha ilusión y fanatísmo en la gente frenteamplista , ahora politicos Uruguayos a no defraudar.

Now the first image that the entire inauguration (followed on television surfing through channels 4, 10, and 12) left me is one of a tired Mujica, tired before taking off, we can attribute that to his age, but he didn’t inject that energy his people, his country and his followers need, they were different speeches and seemed opposites to me, the most important thing he said at the beginning in the chamber of representatives through a letter he read, which talked about various issues of which we are all already aware, like education, security, energy, and agro-intelligence.

Anyway, it was an event that left a lot to be seen and a lot that was seen, for the moment we just have to wait and see what happens, a lot of hopes and fanaticism from the Frente Amplio supporters, now Uruguayan politicians, don’t let us down.

Others thought Mujica’s speech was praiseworthy, like Mexican Twitter user @mostacho who wrote:

Escuchando el discurso de Mujica, que envidia los uruguayos,cuando nos tocará tener esa calidad de dirigentes y esa sociedad en México..

Listening to Mujica’s speech, I envy Uruguayans, when will we have that kind of leader in this society in Mexico?

A Uruguayan user on Twitter, @gaaviota, showed her support for her new president:

Estoy orgullosa de tener un lider como Pepe Mujica en mi pais. Vuelven los hijos de Artigas!!!

I am proud to have a leader like Pepe Mujica in my country. The sons of (Uruguayan Liberator José Gervasio) Artigas have returned!!

Mikaela Mia @mikiynick sent a message to Mujica through Twitter, reflecting what many Uruguayans feel -even those that did not vote for him:

José Mujica : te dejo al mando de mi país querido Uruguay. Cuidalo y mejoralo.. con amor: una uruguaya más :D

José Muijca: I leave you in charge of my dear country Uruguay. Take care of it and make it better, with love: another Uruguayan :D

A diagram showing the ratio of Chinese government / party official and ordinary people in the people's representative of the National Congress in China. It appears that more than 75% of the delegate is government / party official. (via twitterer yuanxinting)

It is official: Colombian President Álvaro Uribe is not allowed to run for a third term in office. The long expected decision [es] by the Colombian Constitutional Court on a law calling for referendum on Mr. Uribe's second re-election was finally announced on Friday, February 26. A month and a half before, the (non-binding) statement by the Inspector General was issued, favoring the referendum. However, in early February, the media leaked the main points of the motion issued by Magistrate Humberto Sierra Porto, in charge of the Court to examine the law, who was against the referendum and who noted serious flaws during its path in Congress (you can find more context on this on Global Voices' January 15 post on the Inspector General's statement).

Nevertheless, in political circles it was the talk of the week: the referendum would not be held. Expectations grew as the week progressed. The political website La Silla Vacía (LSV) 'scooped' all media early Thursday [es], stating that on Friday the referendum would not be passed, with 7 votes against 2 (with the option of a 8 - 1, since the president of the Constitutional Court Mauricio González was still ‘undecided'). LSV claimed it had consulted five sources. (LSV covered minute by minute the Court's decision on Twitter, being eventually praised by a lot of twitterers) On Thursday night, national newscast CM& seemed to confirm [es] the scoop.

Friday was the big day, as most Colombians followed the event on radio, television, and the websites of the mainstream media. But some, despite opposing President Uribe's new re-election, were already pessimistic, such as an anonymous contributor to El Pellizco [es], who wrote:

Nada cambiará con el dictamen de la Corte. Todo seguirá igual. La cacería del gato al ratón, o de los ratones al gato, será financiada con el presupuesto nacional para la salud y la educación, y cuando haga falta más con el sudor piramidal de miles de raspachines. Las mismas cuadrillas de asesinos patrullarán por Manrique, Ciudad Bolivar o Aguablanca. Los panfletos de amenazas, o su inmediata ejecución, serán recibidos con puntualidad por sus destinatarios en las veredas más cercanas, o más lejanas, al Ubérrimo. La huida de familias destrozadas bajo la cruenta barbarie, del genio insaciable que guía nuestra historia, reposará silenciosa en los informes de Médicos sin Fronteras o HRW; también en los novelones que premian los jurados de la vieja Europa. Los gobiernos, cualquiera sea la letra del alfabeto que denomine a la ralea que ostente el poder, negará el dolor y la penuria que asfixia a la nación.

Nothing will change with the Court's decision. Everything will still be the same. The cat-mouse (or mice-cat) hunt will be funded with the national budget for health and education, and when more is needed, and with the pyramidal sweat of thousands of ‘raspachines' [poor peasants living from growing illicit crops]. The same gangs of murderers will patrol Manrique (Medellín), Ciudad Bolívar (Bogotá), or Aguablanca (Cali). The threatening leaflets, or the immediate execution of such threats, will be received timely by their recipients in the closer or farther, little towns near el Ubérrimo (President Uribe's ranch). The escape of entire families torn under the cruel savagery, of the insatiable genius guiding our history, will silently rest in the reports by Médecins Sans Frontières or Human Rights Watch, also in the big novels which receive prizes in old Europe. Governments, no matter which letter of the alphabet naming the sort of people which holds power, will deny the pain and the poverty suffocating the nation.

Twittering the Decision:

Now, here are some of the thousands of tweets posted during Friday as Colombia was expecting the press conference about the Constitutional Court's decision:

@simonwilchesc

Reeleccionistas y Antireeleccionistas están exiliando a sus opositores por igual a Venezuela en #laW. Colombianos, Unidos en la ignorancia.

Pro-re-election and anti-re-election people are exiling their opponents to Venezuela on W Radio. Colombians, United on ignorance.

Claudia Otero @ClauOtero

Le exigimos a la corte constitucional que nos d[é] el derecho de elegir si queremos o no otro mandato de Uribe. Que sea la expresion del pueblo

We demand the Constitutional Court to give us the right to choose if we want another term for Uribe or not. Let it be the expression of the people

@egolaxista

Sea cual sea la decisión de la Corte, mañana Colombia seguirá jodido. Tal vez más, tal vez menos, pero igual jodido.

Whatever the Court's decision is, tomorrow Colombia will continue to be messed up. Maybe more, maybe less, but messed up the same.

José Luis Serrano @joseluisserrano

Los integrantes de la Corte son los maestros del misterio. Hitchcock, palidece en su presencia.

The members of the Court are the masters of mystery. Hitchcock pales in comparison with their presence

Jorge Ruiz @chandaxi

Ponencia negativa, votación negativa, el referendo pasa… eso es lo que no han podido entender

Negative motion, negative vote, the referendum passes… that's what they aren't able to understand

@simonwilchesc

Si pasa el referendo lo que pase en Colombia será culpa de la[s] Far[c], Si no pasa el referendo lo que pase en Colombia ser[á] culpa de la corte.

If the referendum passes, whatever happens in Colombia will be FARC's fault, if the referendum doesn't pass, whatever happens in Colombia will be the Court's fault

Lina Artunduaga @LinaArtunduaga

[¡]La emoción por transmisiones como la del fallo del #referendo es para que los más jovenes sepan lo que era ir al mundial!

The emotion for broadcasts such as the #referendum decision is intended for the young people to know how it felt when Colombia went on the World Cup!

@jorgitomacumba

Yo entiendo a Uribe. Cuando uno ve a Pastrana, a Samper y a Gaviria no le dan ganas de ser ex[ ]presidente.

I understand Uribe. When you see [Andrés] Pastrana, [Ernesto] Samper, and [César] Gaviria, you don't feel like being an ex-president.

Andrea Lozada @la_osada

Al menos a este país ya no lo une sólo el fútbol.

At least this country is united not only by football anymore

Around 17:00, several media outlets (starting with W Radio) confirmed the news: the law on a referendum seeking President Uribe's second re-election would be declared unconstitutional by 7 votes against 2.

El Chiflamicas @elchiflamicas

Uribe no puede presentarse de nuevo y ya siento nostalgia por su mandato. Ahhh, qué días aquellos.

Uribe can't run again and I already feel nostalgic for his administration. Ohhh, those were the days…

@JoseGregorio

¿Si Uribe es tan malo cual es el miedo a que la gente elija si se queda o se va?

If Uribe is that bad what is the fear of people chosing if he should stay or if he should go?

Gabriel Muelle @gabrielmuelle

Ya, listo, se hundió el #referendo, respiren tranquilos. Ahora miren a su alrededor: TODO SIGUE IGUAL.

Okay, the #referendum sank, breathe easily. Now look around you: EVERYTHING'S THE SAME

Jose Gregorio @JoseGregorio

¿Donde están los jetones que decían que esto era una dictadura?

Where are the big mouths who said that this was a dictatorship?

The press conference with Magistrate Mauricio González (who before being elected for the Court in 2007 was President Uribe's legal secretary [es]) started at 18:19. Fifteen minutes later, he officially declared Law 1354/2009 [es] as unconstitutional [es], on the grounds of that it contained several flaws during its process before and during its path on Congress. He stated, “It is not, therefore, mere formal irregularities but substantial violations to the democratic principle, one of whose essential components is respect of the ways intended for the majorities to express themselves.” At 19:15, President Uribe, who was participating on a council in Barranquilla, accepted the Court's decision [es].

Claudia Otero @ClauOtero

Quiero llorar! Pork le dieron la espalda al pueblo.

I wanna cry! Because they turned their backs on the people

Juan Pablo Tovar @JuanPTovar

Quien dijo q la era Uribe termino? Arranco en el 2002 y seguira por muchos años mas

Who said the Uribe era is over? It started in 2002 and will go on for many years

Alfredo Ramos Maya @alfredoramosm

La Corte Constitucional se cree superior al Pueblo. A tumbar estos asesinos de la democracia participativa

The Constitutional Court thinks it's superior to the People. Let's oust those murderers of participatory democracy

Juan Raul Escobar @rauldc

[¿]Quien quiere apostar que Uribito y Santos se sacaran los ojos en vez de ir juntos?

Who wants to bet that Uribito [Andrés Felipe Árias, precandidate for the Conservative Party] and [Juan Manuel] Santos [former Defense Minister and leader of the ruling Party of the U] will take each other's eyes out instead of running together?

@simonwilchesc

Quiero ver las escenas del presidente leyendo My Pet Goat al recibir la noticia de la inexequibilidad.

I wanna see the scenes of the president reading My Pet Goat when he received the news of the unconstitutionality.

Adam Isacson @adam_cip

Congratulations to Colombia. A healthy democracy doesn't change its constitution to benefit one person, no matter how popular.

Ana Amaya Villarreal @AMAV

qué puto discurso tan bueno y elocuente se está mandando Uribe. Y eso lo hace aún peor: vendiéndose como un demócrata sincero.

what a f—–, good, and eloquent speech made by Uribe. And that makes it worse: selling himself as an honest democrat.

Mónica Echeverría @monicaeche

La Corte fall[ó] y en su fallo no nos falló

The Court decided and its statement didn't let us down

Jorge Ruiz @chandaxi

Pronostico 8 años de mamertos llamando ‘títere de uribe' al nuevo presidente de Colombia

I foresee 8 years of ‘commies' calling the new president of Colombia ‘Uribe's puppet'

Daniel Arango @stultaviro

Finalmente, triste que a Uribe tuvieran que tumbarlo las leyes y no los votos. No tengo duda de que habría vuelto a ganar.

Finally, it's sad that Uribe had to be ousted by laws and not by votes. I have no doubt he would have won again.

Daniel Quiroga @SirDerigo

[¿]como pueden celebrar que no ha[y]a reeleccion? es una catastrofeeee

How can you celebrate there's no re-election? It's a catastrophe.

Pablo Vera @pdvera

ahora yo me pregunto, si veo tanta gente contenta porque se cayó el referendo…quien carajo voto por Uribe dos veces???

now I wonder, if I see so many people happy because the referendum was turned down… who the hell voted twice for Uribe???

Blog Reactions

Now, some opinions posted in Colombian blogs on the Court's decision:

Jaime Restrepo on the blog Atrabilioso [es]:

La decisión de la Corte Constitucional debe ser acatada sin ambages por los sectores reeleccionistas, pues la propuesta representaba un cúmulo de errores graves que dieron como resultado la frustración de la iniciativa: la falla impresentable de la pregunta equivocada, por ejemplo, hizo prosperar la estrategia de la oposición de ganar tiempo para dejar sin posibilidades el referendo. En el solo cambio de la pregunta se demoraron prácticamente un año, y fue el resultado de ese error, el cambio de la pregunta, uno de los factores decisivos para convertir en inviable la consulta ciudadana. Los firmantes también deben admitir que no leyeron lo que firmaron, o que si lo hicieron, no entendieron los alcances de aquello que estaban rubricando.

The Constitutional Court's decision should be bluntly observed by the re-election camp, because the proposal represented a pile of serious mistakes which resulted in the frustration of the initiative: the outrageous error made with a wrong question, for example, made the opposition's strategy to buy time in order to leave the referendum without any chance. Only changing the question would take practically one year, and it was the result of that mistake, the change of the question, one of the decisive factors to make the citizen initiative void. The signees also must admit that they did not read what they signed, or that if they did, they did not understand the implications of what they were signing.

AngelitaPerversita [es]:

Es tal el poder ejercido por el actual gobierno sobre la simpatía de los colombianos que gran parte de los mismo[s] se sienten perdido y aterrorizados ante la perspectiva de que ya no Uribe, sino un émulo de Uribe, se quede con el triunfo en la contienda presidencial. Hemos decaído a tal punto, que la alternativa de los colombianos no es votar a favor de las ideas de cualquiera de los candidatos, sino votar en contra de Juan Manuel Santos y Andrés Felipe Arias. Éste parece estar del todo perdido, pero aquel es la incomoda posibilidad que emergió ante nuestro rostro en el momento en el que la Corte Constitucional anunció el fallo el pasado viernes en horas de la tarde. Lo más preocupante del asunto es que las posibilidades de gobierno hayan sido o[b]nubiladas por la casi seguridad de que el presidente permanecería en el poder. Nos cansamos de pensar, porque ya todo nos estaba dado. Colombia no es pasión, es resignación, es indiferencia, es dejarse llevar por las ideas, las trampas, los vicios de los mismos, siempre con las mismas.

The power exerted by the current administration over the sympathies of Colombians is so big that a large part of them feel lost and terrified with the perspective that not Uribe, but an Uribe's emulator, wins the presidential election. We've fallen so low that the alternative for Colombians is not voting in favour of the ideas of any of the candidates, but voting against Juan Manuel Santos and Andrés Felipe Arias. The latter seems to be completely lost, but the former is the awkward possibility emerging right in front of our faces at the moment the Constitutional Court announced last Friday evening its decision. What brings more concern is that the possibilities that the government have been dazzled by the quasi-sureness that the president would remain in power. We got tired of thinking, because everything was already given to us. Colombia is not passion, it is resignation, indifference, and the allowance to be influenced by the ideas, the cheats, the flaws of the same people, always with the same stuff.

Noel Carrascal [es]:

El fallo de la Corte constitucional muestra una vez más las grandes fallas de la justicia [c]olombiana. Se tumbo el deseo del pueblo con argumentos jurídicos pobres y no con ponencias convincentes. De cualquier forma la democracia estaba en riesgo. Permitirle a Uribe otro mandato era tan riesgoso para la democracia como truncar ese deseo de las mayorías, o constituyente primario, abruptamente.

The Constitutional Court's decision shows again the big failures of the Colombian justice. The wish of the people was knocked down with poor legal arguments and not with convincing motions. Anyway, the democracy was at risk. Allowing Uribe another term was as risky for democracy as cutting short that wish of the majorities, or primary constituent.

Godopunk [es]:

Claro, ahora los opositores de Uribe cantan victoria, eso están que arman fiesta y es tanto el triunfalismo que ya creen que Fajardo o incluso Petro tienen la presidencia ganada. Aunque esa posibilidad es temible, y algunos uribistas parecen darles la razón al afirmar de forma alarmista que ya el país va a quedar en manos de las malas presidencias del pasado, o incluso de los elementos más nefastos de nuestra sociedad. Calmados todos, que el hecho de que Uribe deje la presidencia el 7 de agosto del presente año no es el fin de nuestro país, y mucho menos la tiene ganada la oposición; uno de los aspectos que hacen fuerte a Álvaro Uribe Vélez es la influencia tan tremenda que tiene sobre la política colombiana, ni que decir en la sociedad colombiana, sólo hay que ver como muchos se pelean el papel del ungido por el presidente, y por lo menos alguno de ellos es alguien capaz y no un mero figurín, de seguro los votantes son los suficientemente inteligentes para darse cuenta de ello, y si no es así ¿De quién es la culpa? ¿De los políticos? No lo creo.

Of course, now Uribe's opponents are singing about their victory and throwing parties and the triumphalism is so big that they already believe [former Mayor of Medellín Sergio] Fajardo or even [left-wing candidate and former guerrilla Gustavo] Petro have the presidency already won. Though that possibility is fearful, and some Uribistas seem to admit they're right by claiming in an alarmist way that our country will remain in hands of the bad administrations of the past, or even in the hands of the most harmful elements of our society. Calm down, everyone, the fact that Uribe leaves his office on August 7th this year is not the end of our country, and the opposition has not won anything; one of the aspects which make Álvaro Uribe Vélez strong is his tremendous influence on Colombian politics, let alone Colombian society. One must see how many will fight for the role of the one anointed by the president, and at least one of them is someone capable and not a mere figure; surely voters are intelligent enough to realize that, and if it isn't so, whose fault is it? The politicians'? I don't think so.

Ricardo Galán, former press secretary of President Uribe, at Libreta de apuntes [es]:

Los colombianos le acabamos de mostrar al mundo, a través del Presidente Alvaro Uribe y la Corte Constitucional que el Estado de Opinión, bien entendido y utilizado, es una herramienta poderosa para que el pueblo se comunique con sus gobernantes y con sus instituciones. Que la opinión de las mayorías es importante, pero y sobre todo, que por encima de las mayorías, el poder y la fuerza están la Constitución, la Ley y la Democracia. Lo que acaba de pasar en Colombia le envía al mundo un mensaje claro. Este es un país serio. Respetuoso de la Constitución y de la Ley en donde el Estado de Opinión está más vigente que nunca para beneficio y orgullo de todos los ciudadanos.

We Colombians have just showed the world, through the President Álvaro Uribe and the Constitutional Court, that the State of Opinion, correctly understood and used, is a powerful tool for the people to communicate with their rulers and their institutions. That the opinion of the majorities is important, but and above all, that over the majorities, the power and the strength, are the Constitution, the Law, and the Democracy. What has just happened in Colombia sends a clear message to the world. This is a serious country. A country respectful of the Constitution and the Law, where the State of Opinion is more in force than ever for the benefit and the pride of all the citizens.

Carlos Correa Cano [es]:

Y es que si alguien ganó en todo esto no fue la oposición, ni mucho menos la guerrilla como le escuché a algún uribista adolorido gritar. Ganó la institucionalidad del país. Nuestra vapuleada Constitución. Ganamos respeto internacional, dimos el ejemplo de que aquí ningún mandatario, por popular que sea, puede manosear la Constitución como le viene en gracia. Ganaron los elementos de participación ciudadana como el referendo, al dejar claro que su uso se debe hacer bajo condiciones éticas, respetuosas y trasparentes.

If someone won with all this, it was not the opposition, and even less the guerrilla as I heard some painful Uribista yell. The institutionality of our country won. Our beaten Constitution. We earned international respect, we set the example that here no president, no matter how popular he or she is, can mess around with the Constitution as they wish. The instruments of citizen participation —such as the referendum— won, by clarifying that they should be employed under ethical, respectful, and transparent conditions.

Adam Isacson from Plan Colombia and Beyond:

This is a very good step for Colombia. Its institutions, especially the balance between democratic powers, showed real strength today. Mature and stable democracies do not change their constitutions to benefit one individual, no matter how popular. Colombia is to be congratulated.

The court’s decision is also good news for the Obama administration, which certainly had no desire to work with an “ally” governed by a third-term president who proved unable to leave power voluntarily.

As the press secretary of the Colombian president states [es] that more than 10,000 messages supporting the President had arrived by Saturday morning, it can be said that finally the race for the presidential elections in Colombia has fully started. In the ruling coalition Juan Manuel Santos, leader of the Party of the U, and Andrés Felipe Árias, one of the precandidates of the Conservative Party, are seeking for Mr Uribe's approval to pick up his legacy and become his successor. But Árias should beat another four candidates (Noemí Sanín, Marta Lucía Ramírez, Álvaro Leyva Durán, and José Galat) at the internal election of his party. Meanwhile, Germán Vargas Lleras (Radical Change), Rafael Pardo (Liberal Party), Gustavo Petro (Alternative Democratic Pole), Sergio Fajardo (Compromiso Ciudadano), and minor candidates Róbinson Alexánder Devia (La Voz de la Consciencia), Jairo Enrique Calderón (Apertura Liberal DMG), and Jaime Araújo Rentería (Alianza Social Afrocolombiana) are already campaigning, and the Green Party will choose its candidate from Luis Eduardo Garzón, Antanas Mockus, and Enrique Peñalosa (all of them former Mayors of Bogotá). On March 14, the parliamentary elections will be held (along with the Andean Parliament and the internal elections of the Conservative and Green Parties), where the Uribista camp wants to keep their majority in Congress. But without Mr. Uribe running, the race to the Casa de Nariño becomes a little bit more “interesting.”

You can follow citizens' comments, opinions and reports on elections in Togo through African Elections Project blogs.

African Elections Project is twittering the upcoming elections in Togo.

Cairo International Airport is used on receiving hundreds of visitors every day, but on February 19, 2010, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed El Baradie, who has announced earlier that he may run for the presidential elections in 2011, returned to Egypt.

The blog of the journalism students in American University in Cairo, Adham Center for Graduates, wrote here about El Baradie's arrival at the Cairo International Airport and the hundreds - or even thousands - who were there to receive him.

More than two thousands people were waiting at Cairo airport last Friday for the arrival of Mr. Mohamed Al Baradie. Ordinary citizens, media figures and even movie stars gathered trying to show public support that might convince Al Baradie to run for the presidential elections in 2011.The former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has said before that he was willing to run for the presidential elections as a separate [independent] candidate, the thing that contradicts with the constitution, which confirms that any candidate should be a member of a political party.

Mostafa El Naggar wrote here about the scene in the airport:

البرادعي قالها قوية …مصر عايزة ديموقراطية…مصر فيها الف بديل ..والبرادعي اهو دليل …شد الصفوف يا برادعي …مفيش رجوع يا برادعي
كانت الهتافات تهز المكان في صالة 3 بمطار القاهرة وقد اصطف مصريون من أطياف مختلفة ينتظرون وصول البرادعي أملهم في التغيير ، لقرب بيتي من المطار لم انزل الا عندما تأكدت ان موعد الطائرة قد اصبح في الخامسة والنصف بدل الثالثة ولكن عندما ذهبت ندمت انني لم اكن متواجدا منذ الصباح مع هؤلاء الرائعين El Baradie said it loud, Egypt needs democracy … Egypt has thousands of suitable alternative candidates, and Elbaradie is the proof for that … Baradia, go on, we will never give in.
Those were the chants that rocked Hall 3 in Cairo Airport. People, from a wide social and political spectrum, stood there waiting for El Baradie's arrival. My home is close to the airport, so I decided to wait till they assured me that the plane's arrival will be at 5pm instead of 3pm. But when I reached the airport I regretted not going there in the morning, to be with those amazing people.

He then continued:

شاهدت ريفيين بسطاء جاءوا من محافظات مصر ، يحملون لافتات باسم محافظاتهم ، لم يدفع لهم البرادعي كي يأتوا ويستقبلونه ، شاهدت أسر مصرية لأول مرة تشارك في فعاليات سياسية ، اكثر من اسرة الزوج والزوجة والاطفال ، اناس لا علاقة لهم بالسياسة ولا بالتيارات السياسية
…
وجدت طلابا وخريجين من جامعات مصرية لم ينضموا يوما لجماعة ولا حركة ولا حزب ، وانما أتوا بحثا عن الأمل ، نعم الأمل هو ما جمع كل هذه الناس
…
ربما كان من اللافت للنظر هو عدد الفتيات والسيدات الذي كان كبيرا ويدل علي صحوة الفتاة والمرأة المصرية وكسرها لحواجز الخوف وتقاليد المجتمع التي تستغرب من اهتمام النساء بالشأن العام There I saw peasants, who came from various parts of Egypt, carrying banners with the name of their governorates on them; People whom El Baradie had paid nothing to come to welcome him. I saw Egyptian families for the first time taking part in political events. There were many husbands and wives who came with their children. There were people who have nothing to do with politics and political parties.
…
I saw students and university graduates who have never participated in political movements or parties. They all just came looking for hope. Yes, it's hope that gathered all those people there.
…
The number of females there was notable, this big number proves the awakening of Egyptian women movements, and how they had broken the barriers of traditions and fear than backed off their participation in public matters.

Zeinobia published here some videos taken at the airport during El Baradie's arrival and the masses who were there waiting for him:

Below a collection of videos showing ElBaradei's reception at the Cairo airport and his departure to his villa at Cairo Alexandria desert road. I post them to show you what the official media ignored and tries to underestimate.

Egyptian Wish also wrote here about El Baradie's arrival and his own wishes regarding El Baradie's next moves:

El-Baradie is back in Cairo as you know. Reports say his goal is to change the political life in Egypt and not to be the president.
I wish he accepts the Wafd Party invitation, that he runs in the next election with the rules the NDP has put to make it impossible for any one to win. and finally I wish that he wins despite all that.

Meanwhile, Eyad Harfoush mocked the Egyptian governmental newspapers here and how they dealt with the incident:

الصحف الحكومية: مفيش حاجة، الراجل طلع معاش وجاي يريح في بلده شوية: طيب هايل، خليكوا كده في دور اللي عامل ميت، على الأقل نرتاح من مقالات فقع المرارة شوية Governmental Newspapers: Nothing special, he has retired, and has came here to take some rest.
Great, keep acting this way, at least will have some rest from your provocative articles.

Sarah El Sirgany wrote in her blog about the state of opposition parties here in Egypt, and the rise of El Baradie as a suitable opponent in the upcoming elections, because of what she describes as his “Star Power”:

It’s safe to say that the countdown has officially begun. This year’s parliamentary elections will pave the way for the presidential elections in 2011, drawing clearer image of what to expect the following year.
But until then, it doesn’t need a genius to pinpoint the ills plaguing our opposition, supposedly those at the front-line of the battle for change. No single coalition seems to hold its original members for more than six months, regardless of the idea that first brings them together. Popular movements lose momentum almost instantly. Political parties are either too inconsequential to make a difference or are waist deep in internal conflicts between power hungry ‘politicians’, concerned with nothing more but their share of an imaginary power pie. Even the Muslim Brotherhood, whose solid structure and strong social presence had once refuted any allegations of internal rifts, is now seeing these rifts materialize and spiral out of control.
That’s on the institutional level.
On the more individual one, there isn’t a single charismatic leader that enjoys the approval of the majority, at least among the circles of politicians and journalists closely following the rickety non-ruling-party political scene. In fact, it seems that it’s only those in these small circles of activists, politicians and pseudo politicians, journalists and few interested intellects that actually know any names of Egypt’s opposition landscape.

She then elaborated her “Star Power” theory in more details.

That’s why Mohamed ElBaradie is perfect for the job; he has the star power that most of our opposition lack. Yes star power; like the entertainment industry, politics is all about star power. He has the mass appeal required for any candidate to challenge the current rulers and advocates pretty much the same political platform promoted by the opposition.
That’s why it was surprising that many opposition politicians and political parties opposed his emergence on the scene with the same enmity in which the government launched its attack on the Nobel Peace Prize winner, often with false unfounded accusations.

And at the end, she stressed on the fact the El Baradie is more than just an opponent, but he is also a driver for change in the Egyptian political scene.

Supporting ElBaradie doesn’t mean supporting Mubarak’s next presidential opponent; it’s uniting behind one man that has the potential of greasing the wheels of change, setting them in motion.

Even the Egyptian write Alaa El Aswany wrote here in his blog, why people should stand behind El Baradie in the upcoming elections:

Dr Mohamed ElBaradei has a number of impressive qualities which have made him popular. He is highly qualified academically, with a doctorate in law from New York University in 1974, and through his efforts and his exceptional talent he has held high-level international positions. He has won numerous international awards and acquired extraordinary legal and political experience. Elbaradei proved how much he loves his country when he donated all his Nobel Prize money to help people who live in shanty-towns, and then publicly criticized corruption and oppression in Egypt, opening for himself the gates of hell. With a little dissembling he could have stayed friends with the regime and obtained a senior position in government if he had wanted, but his devotion to the truth outweighed his personal interests. On top of that Dr ElBaradei owes the Egyptian regime no favours, in fact to the contrary. The regime refused to nominate ElBaradei to be director of the IAEA, but ElBaradei nonetheless won the position unanimously in a fair election. So in the eyes of Egyptians, Elbaradei is a patriot who is competent and honourable, whose hands are not tainted by corruption, and who has never taken part in rigging elections. They say he has not kept quiet about the detention and torture of innocent people, has not taken orders from State Security, has not flattered President Mubarak or sung the praises of his momentous and historic achievements, as sycophantic ministers do. All that earns ElBaradei the esteem of all segments of the Egyptian political spectrum, from the Muslim Brotherhood to the leftists and the liberals, and even the Copts of the diaspora

He continues:

Mohamed ElBaradei is arriving in Cairo in the same week that Egyptians were killed, not on the battlefield to defend their country but in a miserable brawl to obtain cylinders of cooking gas, so they could cook food for their children. That’s how far Egyptians have been abased.
Reader, if you want your children to live in a country which respects their human rights, where people are equal before the law and have equal opportunities in education and employment, if you want change and reform in Egypt, come with us to the airport on Friday to welcome Dr Mohamed ElBaradei

Ahmed El Doreiny wrote here about an experience he vividly recalls from 2005:

على القناة الأولى صباح أحد أيام 2005 كان التلفزيون المصري يبث وقائع حفل تكريم د.محمد البرادعي بعد حصوله على جائزة نوبل، والذي اشتمل على مراسم بروتوكولية سخيفة مثل معظم الفعاليات التي يحضرها الرئيس مبارك.
وعندما قام الرئيس بتسليم البرادعي درعا ما أو قلادة ما، لا أتذكر، جاء دور البرادعي لإلقاء كلمته، ولم أجد ساعتها وأنا طريح الفراش مصابا بدور برد من الطراز الفاتك، ما يدعوني للاستماع لهذا الخطاب الإنشائي الذي سيلقيه البرادعي في حضرة مبارك، فقررت على الفور تغيير القناة، وما بين هذا القرار وبين اللحظة التي بدأ فيها البرادعي خطابه شغلني شيء ما لا أتذكره.
أقل من خمس دقائق كان البرادعي قد ألقى خلالها كلمة عاصفة في وجه الرئيس، لا يمكن تصنيفها أخلاقيا سوى أنها “خطاب توبيخ” ولا سياسيا إلا ب “حيثيات إدانة نظام”.
أتذكر مما جاء فيها قول البرادعي لمبارك :”سيادة الرئيس، ولنعلم أن الدول لا تتقدم إلا باحترام حقوق الإنسان”. One the Egyptian first channel, back in 2005, the television was airing the ceremony of honoring Dr. Mohammad El Baradie after he had received the Nobel prize of peace. It was a dull event, just like most of the events that are attended by president Mubarak.
President Mubarak awarded El Baradie a medal or a certificate, I can't remember, and then it was El Baradie's turn to give a speech. I was suffering from a strong flu, and wasn't interested at all in listening to that rhetoric speech he was about to give. So I decided to switch the channel, and while I was about to switch the channel, I got distracted by something else.
In less the five minutes, El Baradie has delivered a strong speech, that can only be categorized morally as a “letter of reprimand”, or it can be categorized politically as a “condemnation to the regime”.
I remember then that he addressed Mubarak saying: “Mr. President, It has to be known that nations cannot develop without respecting human rights”.

He then ended his post saying:

مرحى بك يا محمد مصطفى البرادعي، آملا ألا يخذلك أنصارك وألا يلتهمك خصومك..لست متحمسا لشخصك المحترم، لكن المبدأ يروقني ويدهشني. Welcome Mohammad Mostafa El Baradie. I hope that your supporters won't turn you down, and that your opponents won't swallow you. I am not very excited for you, but I like the idea itself, and it amazes me too.