Election Watch

Election Results (September–December 1998)

Azerbaijan: In October 11 presidential balloting, incumbent Heydar Aliyev of the New Azerbaijan Party was reelected with 76.1 percent of the vote. Etibar Mamedov of the Azerbaijan National Independence Party came in second with 11.6 percent, followed by Nizami Suleymanov of the Independent Azerbaijan Party with 8.1 percent. The elections were boycotted by major opposition leaders and criticized as flawed and undemocratic by international observers. Reported voter turnout was high, with approximately 78 percent of eligible voters casting ballots.

Bosnia-Herzegovina: In elections for the three-member rotating presidency held on September 12–13, Alija Izetbegovic of the Party of Democratic Action garnered 86.8 percent of the vote for the Bosniak slot, Zivko Radisic of the Socialist Party won 51.3 percent of the vote for the Serb slot, and Ante Jelavic of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) secured 52.9 percent of the vote for the Croat slot. In concurrent voting for the 42 directly elected seats in the House of Representatives, the Coalition for a Whole and Democratic Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by Alija Izetbegovic and Haris Silajdzic, won 17 seats; the HDZ, led by Ante Jelavic, won 6 seats; the Coalition Sloga, led by Biljana Plavsic and Milorad Dodik, won 4 seats; the Serb Democratic Party List, led by Dragan Kalinic and Nikola Spiric, won 4 seats; and the Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by Zlatko Lagumdzija, took 4 seats. The remaining seven seats were split among minor parties.

Brazil: On October 4, President Fernando Henrique Cardoso of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB) was reelected to a second term in office, winning 53 percent of the vote. He defeated Luiz Inacio da Silva of the Workers’ Party (PT), who came in second with 31.7 percent, and Ciro Gomes of the Popular Socialist Party, who came in third with 11 percent. In concurrent voting for the 513-seat Chamber of Deputies, the Liberal Front Party (PFL) won 105 seats, the PSDB won 99 seats, the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) won 83 seats, the Brazilian Progressive Party won 60 seats, the PT won 58 seats, the Brazilian Labor Party (PTB) won 31 seats, and the Demo-cratic Labor Party won 25 seats. In balloting for 27 seats in the 81-seat Federal Senate, the PFL won 5 seats, the PSDB won 4 seats, the PMDB won 12 seats, and the PT won 3 seats.

Burkina Faso: President Blaise Compaoré of the Congress for Democracy and Progress was reelected in a landslide victory on November 15, capturing 87.5 percent of the vote in elections boycotted by major opposition forces. Compaoré defeated Ram Ouédraogo of the Union of Greens for the Development of Burkina, who won 6.6 percent, and Frederic Guirma of the Front of Refusal of the Democratic African Assembly, who took 5.9 percent. Voter turnout was estimated at 56 percent.

Central African Republic: Two rounds of voting for the 109-seat National Assembly were scheduled for November 22 and December 13. Results will be published in a future issue.

Czech Republic: Following two rounds of voting on November 13–14 and 20–21 for 27 seats in the 81-seat Senate, candidates of the four-party coalition led by the Christian Democrats and the Freedom Union won 13 seats. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) of Václav Klaus finished second with 9 seats. The governing Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party followed with 2 seats each. Voter turnout was a historic low, estimated at slightly over 20 percent.

Gabon: In December 6 presidential elections, Omar Bongo of the Democratic Party of Gabon was reelected with 66.6 percent of the vote. Pierre Mamboundou, leader of the Union of the Gabonese People, came in a distant second with 17 percent of the vote. Voter turnout was reported at 54 percent. Charging fraud, Mamboundou and his followers refused to accept the election results.

Guinea: Presidential elections were scheduled for December 14. Re-sults will be published in a future issue.

Latvia: In October 3 elections to the 100-seat Saeima, the People’s Party (led by Andris Skéle...