A main character on the popular television show “The Office” once humorously said,

“Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject. So you know you are getting the best possible information.”

Following the wave of election excitement and upsets across the globe, citizens of Pakistan cast their votes for their parliamentary representatives last Tuesday, and the results voiced clear discontent with the current leadership. The striking results of the elections signal a significant change in the direction of politics in Pakistan...one thing’s for sure: the future of the country is certainly headed in a new direction.

Kenyans turned out en mass on December 27th, recording turnouts as high as 98% in some areas (the U.S. is lucky to get 60%). And now, because of fraudulent elections that gave way to ethnic tensions,  the country is still in a state of turmoil. In a month and a half, 1,000 people have been killed and over 300,000 people have been displaced according to the Red Cross.

Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan arrived in Kenya at the beginning of the month to mediate talks between the opposition leaders culminating in talks that have four main points. 

Part Two:

Political corruption and intertribal tension seem to be the two issues tearing Kenya apart these days. The problems are intertwined and nearly inseparable.

The crisis in Kenya has brought up serious questions about tribal tensions, politics, and the status of human rights in the region.  The fact that Kenya’s general elections could result in a tsunami of violence, terror, and killing that has so far left a quarter of a million people displaced and some 600 dead is both shocking and disheartening to the western population, but must be analyzed from a tribal and historical perspective.