2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

World Press Freedom Day

(03/05/2012 to 03/05/2012)

World Press Freedom day is celebrated every year on 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek. The Declaration characterises free press as essential to democracy and one of the fundamental human rights. This year’s theme is “New voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies”.

Parliamentary elections: Iran (second round)

(04/05/2012 to 04/05/2012)

A total of 225 members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami) were elected in the first round of parliamentary elections in Iran, with loyalists of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gaining three-fourths of the seats in the Assembly. The remaining 65 members will be elected in the second round on 4 May.

Parliamentary elections: Armenia

(06/05/2012 to 06/05/2012)

Armenia has a unicameral National Assemby (Azgayin Zhoghov) with 131 members. Ninety are elected through a party-list proportional representation system and 41 are elected through a plurality vote in single-member constituencies. All members serve 5 year terms.

President Serzh Sargsyan has stated that Armenia is determined to conduct the elections in May in accordance with international standards after the presidential elections in 2008 were internationally condemned and instigated a series of mass protests.

Parliamentary elections: Algeria

(10/05/2012 to 10/05/2012)

The National People’s Assembly of Algeria (Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani) has 389 seats and the Council of Nations 144 seats. The members of the Assembly are elected through a party-list proportional representation system for 5 year terms. In the Council of Nations, 96 members are elected by indirect vote and the other 48 are appointed by the president for 6 year terms.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Algeria’s independence from France and also the continuous rule of the National Liberation Front (FLN). Three officially sanctioned Islamist parties have created an alliance to challenge the FLN in the upcoming elections.

Presidential elections: Mali (second round)

(13/05/2012 to 13/05/2012)

The second round of Mali’s presidential elections is currently scheduled to be held only two weeks after the first round. Elections may be postponed due to the recent military coup and the Tuareg rebellion in the north that has displaced thousands of people.

G8 Summit

(18/05/2012 to 19/05/2012) Camp David, Maryland

The 38th G8 Summit will take place in Camp David, Maryland. It was originally planned to be held in Chicago, together with the NATO Summit. G8 leaders, heads of state from non-members and leaders of major international organisations will meet to discuss matters such as the Deauville Partnership, non-proliferation and food security.

Presidential elections: Dominican Republic

(20/05/2012 to 20/05/2012)

The president is elected by absolute majority to serve a 4-year term. If none of the candidates obtains 50% plus one vote, a second round will take place. The main candidates are Danilo Medina (Dominican Liberation Party) and Hipólito Mejía (Dominican Revolutionary Party), who was president of the Dominican Republic from 2000 to 2004.

In February 2011, Congress passed a law to expand the electorate by allowing citizens living abroad to vote in the presidential elections.

NATO Summit

(20/05/2012 to 21/05/2012) Chicago

The 2012 NATO Summit will be held in Chicago on 20-21 May and will be hosted by President Barack Obama. It is the first NATO Summit to be held in an American city other than Washington, D.C. Leaders from NATO members and partner nations will discuss the next phase of transition in Afghanistan and the necessary steps to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Other issues include ways to broaden the relationship with non-NATO partners.

Large protests are expected in Chicago during the summit.

OECD Forum

(22/05/2012 to 23/05/2012) Paris

The 2012 Forum of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will be held in Paris. The forum brings together various governments, scholars, business leaders, union representative and leaders of international organisations to discuss important issues on the international agenda such as equality, job development and environmental policies.

Presidential elections: Egypt (first round)

(23/05/2012 to 23/05/2012)

The president is elected by absolute majority to serve for a 6-year term. The declared candidates are Amr Moussa (independent), Hazem Salah Abu Ismail (affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood), Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh (independent), Mohammad Salim Al-Awa (independent), Bothaina Kamel (independent), Ahmed Mohamed Shafik (formerly National Democratic Party) and Khaled Ali (independent).

Since Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in February 2011, the office of the president has been vacant. Mohammad Hussein Tantawi, the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, is currently acting head of state.

Constitutional referendum: Ireland

(31/05/2012 to 31/05/2012)

Ireland will hold a referendum on the European Union’s new fiscal treaty. It is the only member of the euro zone to subject the fiscal pact to a national vote. If the treaty is ratified, it will bind members to a maximum deficit of 0.5% of GDP.

More from the international agenda