Using data from the Global Integrity Index, we put a U.S. court’s recent order to block access to anti-corruption site Wikileaks.org into context. In summary: The Wikileaks.org shutdown is unheard of in the West, and has only been seen in a handful of the most repressive regimes. Good thing it doesn’t work very well. Starting…
Incredibly, Wikileaks.org, an organization devoted to exposing corruption, has been muzzled by a U.S. court order (pdf download). Rather than attack a specific finding or document, the court has ordered their DNS registrar to essentially erase the organization’s website from the Web. While wikileaks.org is down, their site can be found via IP addess: http://88.80.13.160,…
Liberal Party of Canada officials have literally auctioned access to members of Parliament. This from Democracy Watch’s Duff Conacher (a Global Integrity contributor), who notes that a “huge loophole still exists in the Canada Elections Act that allows secret, unlimited donations to nomination race and party leadership candidates, if they don’t use what is donated…
The International Herald Tribune has a recap of a traumatic week in Timor Leste, following the shooting of President José Ramos-Horta and death of rebel leader Alfredo Reinado, who was buried today. IHT reports that emergency rule has been extended another ten days. For background on Timor Leste’s political history, see our corruption timeline, part…
“Anytime people come across the trouble,” my father, a peasant in Anhui province, said, “the first thing they have to consider is not ‘Am I right?’ but ‘Do I know someone who is in charge? How much money must I spend to avoid the unfair treatment?’” Read more in the Global Integrity Report…
Following a caucus vote that will help decide who is the Republican presidential candidate, the Washington state Republican party decides to quit counting votes with only 87 percent of precincts reporting, calling the race for Senator John McCain. His margin of victory? Only 242 votes. But who’s counting? For context, you have to consider that…