Members of Malaysia's royal families on Thursday elected Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah as the new king, following the unexpected abdication of the previous monarch.

Sultan Abdullah, 59, ruler of the central state of Pahang, will formally take over the throne on January 31 for a five-year term, the keeper of the rulers' seal said in a statement.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with the king assuming a largely ceremonial role, including acting as custodian of Islam in the Muslim-majority country. The king's assent is needed for the appointment of a prime minister and various senior officials.

Malaysia's nine royal households take turns to provide a king, who is chosen through a vote in a Council of Rulers, made up of the nine households, most of which are led by a sultan.

The king is elected for a five-year term.

The head of the Pahang royal family was next in line in take over from the former king, Sultan Muhammad V, who is the head of the state of Kelantan.

Sultan Muhammad abdicated this month after just two years on the throne, the first time a monarch had stepped down before completing their tenure.

No reason was given for his decision, which came after images purporting to show him getting married in Russia appeared on social media in December. Posts identified his new wife as Oksana Voevodina, who won a Miss Moscow contest in 2015.

The new king, Sultan Abdullah, succeeded his ailing father as ruler of Pahang last week.

His ascent to the Pahang throne was seen as a sign that he would take over as the new monarch.

Sultan Abdullah is on the non-executive supervisory council of football governing body FIFA. He is also the president of the Asian Hockey Federation.

Members of Malaysia's royal families on Thursday elected Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah as the new king, following the unexpected abdication of the previous monarch.

Members of Malaysia's royal families on Thursday elected Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah as the new king, following the unexpected abdication of the previous monarch. Sultan Abdullah, 59, ruler of the central state of Pahang, will formally take over the throne on January 31 for a five-year term, the keeper of the rulers' seal said in a statement. Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with the king assuming a largely ceremonial role, including acting as custodian of Islam in the Muslim-majority country. The king's assent is needed for the appointment of a prime minister and various senior officials. Malaysia's nine royal households take turns to provide a king, who is chosen through a vote in a Council of Rulers, made up of the nine households, most of which are led by a sultan. The king is elected for a five-year term. The head of the Pahang royal family was next in line in take over from the former king, Sultan Muhammad V, who is the head of the state of Kelantan. Sultan Muhammad abdicated this month after just two years on the throne, the first time a monarch had stepped down before completing their tenure. No reason was given for his decision, which came after images purporting to show him getting married in Russia appeared on social media in December. Posts identified his new wife as Oksana Voevodina, who won a Miss Moscow contest in 2015. The new king, Sultan Abdullah, succeeded his ailing father as ruler of Pahang last week. His ascent to the Pahang throne was seen as a sign that he would take over as the new monarch. Sultan Abdullah is on the non-executive supervisory council of football governing body FIFA. He is also the president of the Asian Hockey Federation.

Malaysian royals elect new king after surprise abdication

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-opposition-boycotts-swearing-in-amid-calls-to-probe-vote-rigging-188025">Bangladesh's opposition </a>demanded fresh elections on Wednesday as parliament convened for the first time since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stormed to power in a disputed poll her rivals say was rigged.

Police said several hundred demonstrators gathered in the capital Dhaka to protest against Hasina and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/weakened-bangladesh-opposition-hopes-for-change-in-sundays-election-186930">her crushing victory </a>in late December, which reduced the beleaguered opposition to just eight seats.

Hasina won a third-straight term and her Awami League secured 96 per cent of the vote in an election her critics and international observers say was plagued by irregularities.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies said they would boycott parliament and vowed huge demonstrations unless fresh polls were held within six months.

"We have demanded the resignation of the government and the dissolution of the parliament, which was not elected by the people," a senior party official, Moudud Ahmed, told AFP.

"It was a stolen election. It was heavily rigged."

The December 30 election was marred by violence, the mass arrest of opposition activists and claims of ballot stuffing and voter intimidation.

Corruption watchdog Transparency International found voting irregularities occurred in 47 out of 50 electorates surveyed in an investigation into the poll.

The European Union — the number-one destination for Bangladeshi exports — has called for an inquiry into the elections, saying "significant obstacles to a level playing field... tainted the electoral campaign and the vote."

The United States too expressed concern about "credible reports of harassment, intimidation, and violence" while the United Nations raised indications of "reprisals" against the opposition since the election.

The accusations have been denied by Hasina and the election commission, which oversaw the poll in the South Asian nation of 165 million.

Hasina, 71, has presided over record economic growth in Bangladesh but critics say her rule has been marked by creeping authoritarianism.

Hasina has been accused of orchestrating mass arrests and wielding draconian free speech laws to silence critics and cling to power. Her chief rival, Khaleda Zia, is behind bars on charges her supporters say are politically motivated.&nbsp;

Bangladesh's opposition demanded fresh elections on Wednesday as parliament convened for the first time since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stormed to power in a disputed poll her rivals say was rigged.

Bangladesh's opposition demanded fresh elections on Wednesday as parliament convened for the first time since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stormed to power in a disputed poll her rivals say was rigged. Police said several hundred demonstrators gathered in the capital Dhaka to protest against Hasina and her crushing victory in late December, which reduced the beleaguered opposition to just eight seats. Hasina won a third-straight term and her Awami League secured 96 per cent of the vote in an election her critics and international observers say was plagued by irregularities. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies said they would boycott parliament and vowed huge demonstrations unless fresh polls were held within six months. "We have demanded the resignation of the government and the dissolution of the parliament, which was not elected by the people," a senior party official, Moudud Ahmed, told AFP. "It was a stolen election. It was heavily rigged." The December 30 election was marred by violence, the mass arrest of opposition activists and claims of ballot stuffing and voter intimidation. Corruption watchdog Transparency International found voting irregularities occurred in 47 out of 50 electorates surveyed in an investigation into the poll. The European Union — the number-one destination for Bangladeshi exports — has called for an inquiry into the elections, saying "significant obstacles to a level playing field... tainted the electoral campaign and the vote." The United States too expressed concern about "credible reports of harassment, intimidation, and violence" while the United Nations raised indications of "reprisals" against the opposition since the election. The accusations have been denied by Hasina and the election commission, which oversaw the poll in the South Asian nation of 165 million. Hasina, 71, has presided over record economic growth in Bangladesh but critics say her rule has been marked by creeping authoritarianism. Hasina has been accused of orchestrating mass arrests and wielding draconian free speech laws to silence critics and cling to power. Her chief rival, Khaleda Zia, is behind bars on charges her supporters say are politically motivated.

Bangladesh opposition demands fresh polls as parliament convenes

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika issued a decree on Friday calling a much anticipated presidential <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ec-may-announce-lok-sabha-poll-schedule-in-march-first-week-sources-191262&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjNu7-Br_ffAhWFq48KHceqDfcQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw3V_tomT07Q_rRCQIialXWv">election</a> for April 18 but without saying whether he will seek a new term.

The ailing 81-year-old, who uses a wheelchair and is rarely seen in public, completes a fourth term of office on April 28.

Despite his advanced age and poor health, there have been calls from his supporters for him to stand for a fifth term but he has yet to make his intentions clear.

By law, would-be candidates now have until March 4 to register with the constitutional court.

Uncertainty over whether Bouteflika will stand for re-election has frozen Algerian politics for months.

No candidate of note has thrown his or her hat into the ring while the president's intentions remain in doubt.

For the last presidential election in 2014, Bouteflika left it until just days before the deadline to register.

Algerian politics is notoriously opaque with the winner of every multiparty presidential election pre-selected by a shadowy elite, beginning in 1995 with a victory by retired General Liamine Zeroual.&nbsp;

For this year's election, the membership of the kingmaking elite has changed.

During his fourth term, Bouteflika finally made good on a longstanding pledge to reduce the power of the traditional powerbrokers by disbanding the DRS intelligence agency in 2016.

But under his watch, business networks have become increasingly entwined with the political structure, leaving it difficult to judge with confidence who will be put to voters as the regime's anointed candidate. &nbsp;

The president's brother and special adviser Said have been widely seen as Algeria's de facto ruler since Abdelaziz suffered a stroke in 2013 that severely impaired his speech.

But many believe Said will wish to remain in the shadows behind the throne, rather than be the public candidate.

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika issued a decree on Friday calling a much anticipated presidential election for April 18 but without saying whether he will seek a new term.

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika issued a decree on Friday calling a much anticipated presidential election for April 18 but without saying whether he will seek a new term. The ailing 81-year-old, who uses a wheelchair and is rarely seen in public, completes a fourth term of office on April 28. Despite his advanced age and poor health, there have been calls from his supporters for him to stand for a fifth term but he has yet to make his intentions clear. By law, would-be candidates now have until March 4 to register with the constitutional court. Uncertainty over whether Bouteflika will stand for re-election has frozen Algerian politics for months. No candidate of note has thrown his or her hat into the ring while the president's intentions remain in doubt. For the last presidential election in 2014, Bouteflika left it until just days before the deadline to register. Algerian politics is notoriously opaque with the winner of every multiparty presidential election pre-selected by a shadowy elite, beginning in 1995 with a victory by retired General Liamine Zeroual. For this year's election, the membership of the kingmaking elite has changed. During his fourth term, Bouteflika finally made good on a longstanding pledge to reduce the power of the traditional powerbrokers by disbanding the DRS intelligence agency in 2016. But under his watch, business networks have become increasingly entwined with the political structure, leaving it difficult to judge with confidence who will be put to voters as the regime's anointed candidate. The president's brother and special adviser Said have been widely seen as Algeria's de facto ruler since Abdelaziz suffered a stroke in 2013 that severely impaired his speech. But many believe Said will wish to remain in the shadows behind the throne, rather than be the public candidate.

Algeria calls April election with incumbent's plans unclear

Anupam Kher's mother has praised Dr. Manmohan Singh after watching 'The Accidental Prime Minister', in which Kher has stepped into the shoes of the former PM.

The veteran actor shared a video on social media in which his mother, Dulari Kher, heaped praises on her son as well as the former Prime Minister.

When the 'A Wednesday' star asked if she liked Singh, his mother repiled, "Manmohan Singh shareef tha bechara. Lagta tha door se shareef hai, tabhi log shareef ko bewakoof mante hain. Ye nahi pata wo bohot tez hote hain."

Praising his acting skills, Anupam's mother also said she could not believe it's her son and exclaimed, "What do you eat, I don't understand!"

She further stated, "I really liked the film and I am sure everyone will like it too."

Anupam Kher posted the video on Instagram with the caption, "Mother of all Reviews: Dulari Watched #TheAccidentalPrimeMinister and has given her review in a one minute video.&nbsp;

Her first sentence was frightening. "Aise koi acting karta hai?" And she almost acted me out."

He added, "But what followed was a great endorsement for my performance. Her observation about #DrManmohanSingh is spot on. Her review is my ultimate reward. After all these years mom is relieved that I can act. Jai Mata di. #DulariRocks #DulariReviewsTAPM #FilmReleasesToday"

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsen-iGhg9y/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Mother of all Reviews: Dulari Watched #TheAccidentalPrimeMinister and has given her review in a One minute video. Her first sentence was frightening. “ऐसे कोई acting करता है?”😳. And she almost acted me out. But what followed was a great endorsement for my performance. Her observation about #DrManmohanSingh is spot on. Her review is my ultimate reward. After all these years Mom is relieved that I can act. Jai Mata di. 🙏😍 #DulariRocks #DulariReviewsTAPM #FilmReleasesToday</a>

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'The Accidental Prime Minister' is based on facts as chronicled in a book by Sanjaya Baru - Manmohan Singh's media advisor between 2004 and 2008.

It revolves around Singh`s life, the economist and politician who served as the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014 under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

The film hits the big screens today.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Anupam Kher's mother has praised Dr. Manmohan Singh after watching 'The Accidental Prime Minister', in which Kher has stepped into the shoes of the former PM. The veteran actor shared a video on social media in which his mother, Dulari Kher, heaped praises on her son as well as the former Prime Minister.

Anupam Kher's mother has praised Dr. Manmohan Singh after watching 'The Accidental Prime Minister', in which Kher has stepped into the shoes of the former PM. The veteran actor shared a video on social media in which his mother, Dulari Kher, heaped praises on her son as well as the former Prime Minister. When the 'A Wednesday' star asked if she liked Singh, his mother repiled, "Manmohan Singh shareef tha bechara. Lagta tha door se shareef hai, tabhi log shareef ko bewakoof mante hain. Ye nahi pata wo bohot tez hote hain." Praising his acting skills, Anupam's mother also said she could not believe it's her son and exclaimed, "What do you eat, I don't understand!" She further stated, "I really liked the film and I am sure everyone will like it too." Anupam Kher posted the video on Instagram with the caption, "Mother of all Reviews: Dulari Watched #TheAccidentalPrimeMinister and has given her review in a one minute video. Her first sentence was frightening. "Aise koi acting karta hai?" And she almost acted me out." He added, "But what followed was a great endorsement for my performance. Her observation about #DrManmohanSingh is spot on. Her review is my ultimate reward. After all these years mom is relieved that I can act. Jai Mata di. #DulariRocks #DulariReviewsTAPM #FilmReleasesToday" View this post on Instagram Mother of all Reviews: Dulari Watched #TheAccidentalPrimeMinister and has given her review in a One minute video. Her first sentence was frightening. “ऐसे कोई acting करता है?”😳. And she almost acted me out. But what followed was a great endorsement for my performance. Her observation about #DrManmohanSingh is spot on. Her review is my ultimate reward. After all these years Mom is relieved that I can act. Jai Mata di. 🙏😍 #DulariRocks #DulariReviewsTAPM #FilmReleasesToday A post shared by Anupam Kher (@anupampkher) on Jan 10, 2019 at 7:30pm PST × 'The Accidental Prime Minister' is based on facts as chronicled in a book by Sanjaya Baru - Manmohan Singh's media advisor between 2004 and 2008. It revolves around Singh`s life, the economist and politician who served as the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014 under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The film hits the big screens today.

Anupam Kher's mother praises 'The Accidental Prime Minister', calls former PM 'shareef'

After two years of delays, the Democratic Republic of Congo voted Sunday in presidential elections that will determine the future of Africa's notoriously unstable giant.

The country's Catholic Bishop Council said the voting took place in "relative calm", based on their observations in 78 per cent of polling stations.

But there were reports of clashes at a polling station in the volatile eastern South-Kivu province that claimed the lives of a police officer, an electoral official and two civilians.

The vote gives DR Congo the chance for its first peaceful transfer of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960.

But analysts said the threat of upheaval was great, given organisational hitches and suspicion of President Joseph Kabila, who refused to quit in 2016 after his two-term limit expired.

Kabila appeared on public television late Sunday to congratulate the Congolese for having voted "in peace and dignity".

But the election's credibility has been strained by repeated delays, fears of chaos on polling day and accusations that electronic voting machines would help to rig the result.

Provisional results are not set to be announced until January 6.

On election eve, talks aimed at averting violence after the vote broke down.

Opposition frontrunners Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi refused to sign a proposed code of conduct with Kabila's preferred successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary. They accused officials with the Independent National Election Commission (CENI) of thwarting changes to the text.

The United Nations, United States and Europe have appealed for the elections to be free, fair and peaceful -- a call echoed by the presidents of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and the neighbouring Republic of Congo.

On Sunday evening, Tshisekedi's campaign chief said violence erupted at a polling station in the Walungu area of South-Kivu province after an electoral official was accused of trying to rig the vote in Shadary's favour.

"An agitated crowd started fighting with police. An officer was killed, which we deeply regret," said Vital Kamerhe, a former president of the National Assembly who is from South-Kivu.

The mob "then attacked the electoral official who died. Two civilians were also killed," he told AFP of the incident which South-Kivu authorities said was being investigated.

Opposition chance?

The main contenders for president posed for the cameras as they went to cast their ballot.

"You saw how I campaigned, everything that happened. I'll be elected, I'll be president from tonight." Shadary told Actualite.cd news site.

Meanwhile, Tshisekedi predicted: "Victory is ours."

Many voters said they were exhilarated at taking part in the first elections after the nearly 18-year Kabila era.

"I feel liberated, freed," said Victor Balibwa, a 53-year-old civil servant, casting his ballot in Lubumbashi, the country's mining capital in the southeast.

But there was also much evidence of organisational problems, including with the contested voting machines.&nbsp;

A monitoring commission with 40,000 grass-roots observers, set up by the influential Catholic Church, said it had received 1,543 reports of incidents by early afternoon.

Of these, 544 involved "malfunctions with voting machines," it said.

In some places, long queues built up because of a lack of electoral roll or because voters could not find their names on the lists, AFP reporters found.

At Imara in Lubumbashi, 30-year-old voter Diane Mumba, said, "The (voting) machines have been breaking down again and again for the last two hours. I don't know when I am going to vote."

An election observer in Lubumbashi confirmed that "there are five or six polling stations where the machines aren't working. You have to wait for a technician".

In Kinshasa, an elderly lady said she had trouble with the touch-screen voting.

"It's very complicated. I pressed the button without really knowing who I voted for -- I didn't see my candidate's number or face," she complained.

In the eastern city of Goma, voters who began queueing before the cut-off of 5:00 pm were allowed to stay on to cast ballots.

In the Kinshasa district of St. Raphael, where a delay in voting sparked anger earlier, ballotting was being allowed until 10:00 pm, an African Union observer told AFP.

The vote for a new president took place alongside legislative and municipal polls.

Kabila's champion Shadary is a hardline former interior minister facing EU sanctions for a crackdown on protesters.

His biggest rivals are Fayulu, until recently a little-known legislator and former oil executive, and Tshisekedi, head of a veteran opposition party, the UDPS.

If the elections are "free and fair," an opposition candidate will almost certainly win, said Jason Stearns of the Congo Research Group, based at the Center on International Cooperation at New York University.

Opinion polls make Fayulu the clear favourite, garnering around 44 per cent of voting intentions, followed by 24 per cent for Tshisekedi and 18 per cent for Shadary, he said.&nbsp;

However, "the potential for violence is extremely high," he warned. Roughly half of respondents said they would reject the result if Shadary was declared winner, and would distrust DRC courts to settle a dispute fairly.

Frail giant

Almost the size of continental western Europe, the DRC is rich in gold, uranium, copper, cobalt and other minerals, but little wealth trickles down to the poor.

In the last 22 years, it has twice been a battleground for wars drawing in armies from central and southern Africa.

That legacy endures in the jungles of eastern DRC, where militias have carried out hundreds of killings.

Insecurity and an ongoing Ebola epidemic in part of North Kivu province, and communal violence in Yumbi, in the southwest, prompted the authorities to postpone the elections there until March.&nbsp;

Around 1.25 million people in a national electoral roll of around 40 million voters are affected.

Despite this, the elections in the rest of the country have gone ahead.&nbsp;

The provisional results will be announced on January 6, final results on January 15 and the new president sworn in on January 18.

After two years of delays, the Democratic Republic of Congo voted Sunday in presidential elections that will determine the future of Africa's notoriously unstable giant.

After two years of delays, the Democratic Republic of Congo voted Sunday in presidential elections that will determine the future of Africa's notoriously unstable giant. The country's Catholic Bishop Council said the voting took place in "relative calm", based on their observations in 78 per cent of polling stations. But there were reports of clashes at a polling station in the volatile eastern South-Kivu province that claimed the lives of a police officer, an electoral official and two civilians. The vote gives DR Congo the chance for its first peaceful transfer of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960. But analysts said the threat of upheaval was great, given organisational hitches and suspicion of President Joseph Kabila, who refused to quit in 2016 after his two-term limit expired. Kabila appeared on public television late Sunday to congratulate the Congolese for having voted "in peace and dignity". But the election's credibility has been strained by repeated delays, fears of chaos on polling day and accusations that electronic voting machines would help to rig the result. Provisional results are not set to be announced until January 6. On election eve, talks aimed at averting violence after the vote broke down. Opposition frontrunners Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi refused to sign a proposed code of conduct with Kabila's preferred successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary. They accused officials with the Independent National Election Commission (CENI) of thwarting changes to the text. The United Nations, United States and Europe have appealed for the elections to be free, fair and peaceful -- a call echoed by the presidents of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and the neighbouring Republic of Congo. On Sunday evening, Tshisekedi's campaign chief said violence erupted at a polling station in the Walungu area of South-Kivu province after an electoral official was accused of trying to rig the vote in Shadary's favour. "An agitated crowd started fighting with police. An officer was killed, which we deeply regret," said Vital Kamerhe, a former president of the National Assembly who is from South-Kivu. The mob "then attacked the electoral official who died. Two civilians were also killed," he told AFP of the incident which South-Kivu authorities said was being investigated. Opposition chance? The main contenders for president posed for the cameras as they went to cast their ballot. "You saw how I campaigned, everything that happened. I'll be elected, I'll be president from tonight." Shadary told Actualite.cd news site. Meanwhile, Tshisekedi predicted: "Victory is ours." Many voters said they were exhilarated at taking part in the first elections after the nearly 18-year Kabila era. "I feel liberated, freed," said Victor Balibwa, a 53-year-old civil servant, casting his ballot in Lubumbashi, the country's mining capital in the southeast. But there was also much evidence of organisational problems, including with the contested voting machines. A monitoring commission with 40,000 grass-roots observers, set up by the influential Catholic Church, said it had received 1,543 reports of incidents by early afternoon. Of these, 544 involved "malfunctions with voting machines," it said. In some places, long queues built up because of a lack of electoral roll or because voters could not find their names on the lists, AFP reporters found. At Imara in Lubumbashi, 30-year-old voter Diane Mumba, said, "The (voting) machines have been breaking down again and again for the last two hours. I don't know when I am going to vote." An election observer in Lubumbashi confirmed that "there are five or six polling stations where the machines aren't working. You have to wait for a technician". In Kinshasa, an elderly lady said she had trouble with the touch-screen voting. "It's very complicated. I pressed the button without really knowing who I voted for -- I didn't see my candidate's number or face," she complained. In the eastern city of Goma, voters who began queueing before the cut-off of 5:00 pm were allowed to stay on to cast ballots. In the Kinshasa district of St. Raphael, where a delay in voting sparked anger earlier, ballotting was being allowed until 10:00 pm, an African Union observer told AFP. The vote for a new president took place alongside legislative and municipal polls. Kabila's champion Shadary is a hardline former interior minister facing EU sanctions for a crackdown on protesters. His biggest rivals are Fayulu, until recently a little-known legislator and former oil executive, and Tshisekedi, head of a veteran opposition party, the UDPS. If the elections are "free and fair," an opposition candidate will almost certainly win, said Jason Stearns of the Congo Research Group, based at the Center on International Cooperation at New York University. Opinion polls make Fayulu the clear favourite, garnering around 44 per cent of voting intentions, followed by 24 per cent for Tshisekedi and 18 per cent for Shadary, he said. However, "the potential for violence is extremely high," he warned. Roughly half of respondents said they would reject the result if Shadary was declared winner, and would distrust DRC courts to settle a dispute fairly. Frail giant Almost the size of continental western Europe, the DRC is rich in gold, uranium, copper, cobalt and other minerals, but little wealth trickles down to the poor. In the last 22 years, it has twice been a battleground for wars drawing in armies from central and southern Africa. That legacy endures in the jungles of eastern DRC, where militias have carried out hundreds of killings. Insecurity and an ongoing Ebola epidemic in part of North Kivu province, and communal violence in Yumbi, in the southwest, prompted the authorities to postpone the elections there until March. Around 1.25 million people in a national electoral roll of around 40 million voters are affected. Despite this, the elections in the rest of the country have gone ahead. The provisional results will be announced on January 6, final results on January 15 and the new president sworn in on January 18.

Voting winds up in volatile DR Congo's long-awaited election

The Bangladesh High Court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict over whether imprisoned former prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia should be allowed to contest the upcoming general election even as campaigning began for the December 30 polls.

One of the judges of the two-member High Court bench favoured Zia's candidacy while the other ruled that she was disqualified from the polls for being a convicted prisoner serving a 10-year jail term in two graft cases, court officials and lawyers said.

"As the two judges could not reach a consensus, in line with the practice, they referred the matter to the chief justice who will now send the case to another bench for hearing the case," an official said.

The ruling came after 73-year-old Zia challenged an earlier decision of the Election Commission to scrap her candidacy as the ex-premier filed nomination papers for contesting polls from three constituencies.

Senior judge of the bench Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed in his ruling asked the EC to accept Zia's nomination and simultaneously sought the commission's explanation on why its decision to scrap her candidacy should not be declared illegal.

But the other judge Justice Iqbal Kabir, on the other hand, blocked Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Zia from contesting the polls.

Zia on December 9 had challenged the EC order disqualifying her from contesting the polls while the High Court had earlier ruled that those jailed for more than two years, with their appeals pending in court, cannot contest polls.

She has been in prison since February this year when a lower court sentenced her to a five-year term in the first of two corruption cases while a special court in Dhaka has ordered her appearance in a third graft case.

Meanwhile, formal campaigning for the polls started on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina began the campaign for her Awami League from southwestern Tungipara sub-district, the birthplace of her father and Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who was assassinated in a 1975 coup along with most of his family members.

Hasina is contesting polls from the Tungipara constituency while she is set to travel across Bangladesh to rally support for her party candidates and alliance partners, including former president H M Ershad's Jatiya Party.

The Awami League's arch-rival BNP also launched its campaign in the absence of party chairperson Zia and her son and 'fugitive' acting chief Tarique Rahman.

Rahman is now living in London ostensibly to evade the law after a court sentenced him to life imprisonment for masterminding a grenade attack in 2004 that killed 24 Awami League leaders and activists.

The absence of the two top BNP leaders has pushed the party into a state of disarray.

The BNP had boycotted the previous 2014 polls demanding an election time neutral non-party government and instead waged a violent street campaign in subsequent years.

Analysts say political and legal considerations have forced the BNP to take part in the upcoming polls as it could lose its registration with the EC as a political party if it boycotted polls for the second consecutive time even as it faces structural erosion from within.

The BNP recently joined the new opposition alliance National Unity Front (NUF) under the leadership of eminent jurist Kamal Hossain.&nbsp;

The Bangladesh High Court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict over whether imprisoned former prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia should be allowed to contest the upcoming general election even as campaigning began for the December 30 polls.

The Bangladesh High Court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict over whether imprisoned former prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia should be allowed to contest the upcoming general election even as campaigning began for the December 30 polls. One of the judges of the two-member High Court bench favoured Zia's candidacy while the other ruled that she was disqualified from the polls for being a convicted prisoner serving a 10-year jail term in two graft cases, court officials and lawyers said. "As the two judges could not reach a consensus, in line with the practice, they referred the matter to the chief justice who will now send the case to another bench for hearing the case," an official said. The ruling came after 73-year-old Zia challenged an earlier decision of the Election Commission to scrap her candidacy as the ex-premier filed nomination papers for contesting polls from three constituencies. Senior judge of the bench Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed in his ruling asked the EC to accept Zia's nomination and simultaneously sought the commission's explanation on why its decision to scrap her candidacy should not be declared illegal. But the other judge Justice Iqbal Kabir, on the other hand, blocked Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Zia from contesting the polls. Zia on December 9 had challenged the EC order disqualifying her from contesting the polls while the High Court had earlier ruled that those jailed for more than two years, with their appeals pending in court, cannot contest polls. She has been in prison since February this year when a lower court sentenced her to a five-year term in the first of two corruption cases while a special court in Dhaka has ordered her appearance in a third graft case. Meanwhile, formal campaigning for the polls started on Tuesday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina began the campaign for her Awami League from southwestern Tungipara sub-district, the birthplace of her father and Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who was assassinated in a 1975 coup along with most of his family members. Hasina is contesting polls from the Tungipara constituency while she is set to travel across Bangladesh to rally support for her party candidates and alliance partners, including former president H M Ershad's Jatiya Party. The Awami League's arch-rival BNP also launched its campaign in the absence of party chairperson Zia and her son and 'fugitive' acting chief Tarique Rahman. Rahman is now living in London ostensibly to evade the law after a court sentenced him to life imprisonment for masterminding a grenade attack in 2004 that killed 24 Awami League leaders and activists. The absence of the two top BNP leaders has pushed the party into a state of disarray. The BNP had boycotted the previous 2014 polls demanding an election time neutral non-party government and instead waged a violent street campaign in subsequent years. Analysts say political and legal considerations have forced the BNP to take part in the upcoming polls as it could lose its registration with the EC as a political party if it boycotted polls for the second consecutive time even as it faces structural erosion from within. The BNP recently joined the new opposition alliance National Unity Front (NUF) under the leadership of eminent jurist Kamal Hossain.

Bangladesh High Court splits its judgement on permitting BNP's Khaleda Zia to contest polls

Political clashes in Bangladesh left two campaign workers dead and injured dozens more, police said on Wednesday, as tensions soared before a general election on December 30.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-opposition-to-challenge-pm-hasina-in-election-176659">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina</a> of the ruling Awami League Party is seeking a third straight term as formal election campaigning got underway on Monday.

Her old rival, Khaleda Zia, who leads the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is in jail after being convicted on charges she says were politically motivated.

The BNP boycotted the last election, in 2014, as unfair, but has said it will take part this time, though it is seeking international monitors of polls it believes will be flawed.

Workers from the two parties clashed on Tuesday in two districts outside the capital Dhaka, leaving two Awami League campaigners dead, police said.

Police in the Noakhali and Faridpur districts said cases had been opened against 45 people and more arrests were expected.

"The returning officer has convened a meeting of both parties to avoid such an incident in future," said Elias Sharif, superintendent of police in Noakhali.

Awami League spokesman Hasan Mahmud accused the BNP of trying to "foil a peaceful environment and for that they are attacking our people".

The BNP denied the accusation and said at least 200 of its supporters were injured. It also accused Awami League workers of attacking the motorcade of the BNP general secretary, a charge denied by Hasan.

Elections in Bangladesh are typically marred by violence, but tensions are particularly high during this campaign season. The BNP says scores of its workers have been detained in recent months on fictitious charges.

Hasina and Khaleda, who between them have ruled Bangladesh for over two decades, are bitter rivals, and the BNP says its leader has been jailed on trumped-up charges to keep her out of politics.

While the BNP has joined smaller opposition parties to form the United National Front, the alliance does not have a clear candidate for prime minister. BNP lawyers are still working for Khaleda's release before the December 30 vote.

Awami League "supporters and workers are desperate to keep us away from the election as they are contemplating a massive defeat," said Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, the BNP's senior joint secretary general.

Political clashes in Bangladesh left two campaign workers dead and injured dozens more, police said on Wednesday, as tensions soared before a general election on December 30.

Political clashes in Bangladesh left two campaign workers dead and injured dozens more, police said on Wednesday, as tensions soared before a general election on December 30. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the ruling Awami League Party is seeking a third straight term as formal election campaigning got underway on Monday. Her old rival, Khaleda Zia, who leads the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is in jail after being convicted on charges she says were politically motivated. The BNP boycotted the last election, in 2014, as unfair, but has said it will take part this time, though it is seeking international monitors of polls it believes will be flawed. Workers from the two parties clashed on Tuesday in two districts outside the capital Dhaka, leaving two Awami League campaigners dead, police said. Police in the Noakhali and Faridpur districts said cases had been opened against 45 people and more arrests were expected. "The returning officer has convened a meeting of both parties to avoid such an incident in future," said Elias Sharif, superintendent of police in Noakhali. Awami League spokesman Hasan Mahmud accused the BNP of trying to "foil a peaceful environment and for that they are attacking our people". The BNP denied the accusation and said at least 200 of its supporters were injured. It also accused Awami League workers of attacking the motorcade of the BNP general secretary, a charge denied by Hasan. Elections in Bangladesh are typically marred by violence, but tensions are particularly high during this campaign season. The BNP says scores of its workers have been detained in recent months on fictitious charges. Hasina and Khaleda, who between them have ruled Bangladesh for over two decades, are bitter rivals, and the BNP says its leader has been jailed on trumped-up charges to keep her out of politics. While the BNP has joined smaller opposition parties to form the United National Front, the alliance does not have a clear candidate for prime minister. BNP lawyers are still working for Khaleda's release before the December 30 vote. Awami League "supporters and workers are desperate to keep us away from the election as they are contemplating a massive defeat," said Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, the BNP's senior joint secretary general.

Two dead, dozens injured in Bangladesh clashes as election nears

Bangladesh's telecoms regulator shut down dozens of online news portals for several hours on Monday, citing security reasons, as officials scrutinise hundreds of sites before a parliamentary election this month.

The move comes as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/campaigning-underway-in-bangladesh-polls-amid-opposition-arrests-182832">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government</a> is already facing criticism for introducing laws that many journalists fear are aimed at curbing press freedom.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) asked International Internet Gateway (IIG) operators to block 58 news sites, BTRC spokesman Zakir Hossain Khan said, without elaborating on the security concerns. The portals were inaccessible for at least 12 hours.

"When an issue is raised to us by the commission which is related to law and order of the country, we are bound to comply," IIG President Sarwar Alam Shikder said.

The 58 sites were found to be not registered with the information ministry and therefore their content was being examined, said Abdul Malek, an official at the ministry.

"It is the responsibility of this ministry to bring all news portals under a system so that they can run smoothly," he said, adding that hundreds of websites were under scrutiny.

While Hasina's government has won widespread global praise for letting in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar, its critics have decried her increasingly authoritarian rule, the government's handling of student protests this year and its crackdown on free speech.

The election is being held on December 30.

Bangladesh's telecoms regulator shut down dozens of online news portals for several hours on Monday, citing security reasons, as officials scrutinise hundreds of sites before a parliamentary election this month.

Bangladesh's telecoms regulator shut down dozens of online news portals for several hours on Monday, citing security reasons, as officials scrutinise hundreds of sites before a parliamentary election this month. The move comes as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government is already facing criticism for introducing laws that many journalists fear are aimed at curbing press freedom. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) asked International Internet Gateway (IIG) operators to block 58 news sites, BTRC spokesman Zakir Hossain Khan said, without elaborating on the security concerns. The portals were inaccessible for at least 12 hours. "When an issue is raised to us by the commission which is related to law and order of the country, we are bound to comply," IIG President Sarwar Alam Shikder said. The 58 sites were found to be not registered with the information ministry and therefore their content was being examined, said Abdul Malek, an official at the ministry. "It is the responsibility of this ministry to bring all news portals under a system so that they can run smoothly," he said, adding that hundreds of websites were under scrutiny. While Hasina's government has won widespread global praise for letting in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar, its critics have decried her increasingly authoritarian rule, the government's handling of student protests this year and its crackdown on free speech. The election is being held on December 30.

Bangladesh briefly shuts dozens of online news sites citing security concerns

Senior IAS officer Sunil Arora appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) by President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday.

Sunil Arora is a 1980-batch IAS officer belonging to the Rajasthan cadre 
will be taking over on December 2 and will be in charge of the poll body when the 2019 general elections take place, media reports said.

Arora will be replacing OP Rawat for the post of the poll panel chief.

An EC or CEC has a tenure of six years. But if officers turn 65 before that, they demit office.

Sunil Arora had been the Information and Broadcasting Secretary, and Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

He has also worked in ministries and departments such as Finance, Textiles and Planning Commission.

He served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation during 1999-2002 and CMD, Indian Airlines for five years (two years as an additional charge and three years as full charge).

In Rajasthan, besides district postings in Dholpur, Alwar, Nagaur and Jodhpur, he was Secretary to the Chief Minister during 1993-1998 and Principal Secretary to CM (2005- 2008) and handled Information and Public Relations (IPR), Industries and Investment Departments.

Senior IAS officer Sunil Arora appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) by President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday. Sunil Arora is a 1980-batch IAS officer belonging to the Rajasthan cadre will be taking over on December 2 and will be in charge of the poll body when the 2019 general elections take place, media reports said.

Senior IAS officer Sunil Arora appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) by President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday. Sunil Arora is a 1980-batch IAS officer belonging to the Rajasthan cadre will be taking over on December 2 and will be in charge of the poll body when the 2019 general elections take place, media reports said. Arora will be replacing OP Rawat for the post of the poll panel chief. An EC or CEC has a tenure of six years. But if officers turn 65 before that, they demit office. Sunil Arora had been the Information and Broadcasting Secretary, and Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. He has also worked in ministries and departments such as Finance, Textiles and Planning Commission. He served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation during 1999-2002 and CMD, Indian Airlines for five years (two years as an additional charge and three years as full charge). In Rajasthan, besides district postings in Dholpur, Alwar, Nagaur and Jodhpur, he was Secretary to the Chief Minister during 1993-1998 and Principal Secretary to CM (2005- 2008) and handled Information and Public Relations (IPR), Industries and Investment Departments.

Sunil Arora appointed chief election commissioner, to take charge on 2 December

Taiwan Premier William Lai said on Saturday he had offered his resignation to the president after the ruling Democratic Progressive Party was trounced in mayoral elections.

"The election results showed that people are not satisfied. For this, I feel sorry, and have offered my resignation to President Tsai Ing-wen to accept political responsibility," he wrote in a statement on his Facebook page.

Taiwan`s pro-independence ruling Democratic Progressive Party on Saturday admitted defeat in the mayoral election in Taiwan`s second-largest city of Taichung.

Mayor Lin Chia-lung conceded defeat to his challenger from the China-friendly opposition Kuomintang Party, Lu Shiow-yen, in comments carried live on Taiwanese television channels.

Taiwan Premier William Lai said on Saturday he had offered his resignation to the president after the ruling Democratic Progressive Party was trounced in mayoral elections.

Taiwan Premier William Lai said on Saturday he had offered his resignation to the president after the ruling Democratic Progressive Party was trounced in mayoral elections. "The election results showed that people are not satisfied. For this, I feel sorry, and have offered my resignation to President Tsai Ing-wen to accept political responsibility," he wrote in a statement on his Facebook page. Taiwan`s pro-independence ruling Democratic Progressive Party on Saturday admitted defeat in the mayoral election in Taiwan`s second-largest city of Taichung. Mayor Lin Chia-lung conceded defeat to his challenger from the China-friendly opposition Kuomintang Party, Lu Shiow-yen, in comments carried live on Taiwanese television channels.

Taiwan premier offers resignation after local election trouncing

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that public opposition by a group of US&nbsp;senators to a Russian candidate to head the international police organisation Interpol amounted to election meddling.

Interpol's general assembly is due to elect a new head at a meeting on Wednesday. On Monday, four US&nbsp;senators issued a statement urging US&nbsp;President Donald Trump to oppose the candidacy of Russia's Alexander Prokopchuk.

The senators accuse Russia of abusing Interpol to settle scores and harass dissidents by issuing warrants, known as red notices, for their arrest. The senators said the election of Prokopchuk would allow Moscow to step up such abuse.

"This is probably a certain kind of interference in the electoral process of an international organisation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

Prokopchuk, a former major general in Russia's Interior Ministry and current vice president of Interpol, is generally considered the leading candidate for the presidency.

Bill Browder, a British fund manager critical of the Kremlin who has been detained repeatedly at Russia's behest before being released again, said it would be "outrageous" if Prokopchuk was named to head the global police agency.

"This particular individual has been responsible for trying to chase me down and have Interpol arrest me seven times," he said in comments to BBC radio.

"All of a sudden, this guy is now put in charge of the institution he's been trying to abuse for the last six years," he said.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that public opposition by a group of US senators to a Russian candidate to head the international police organisation Interpol amounted to election meddling.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that public opposition by a group of US senators to a Russian candidate to head the international police organisation Interpol amounted to election meddling. Interpol's general assembly is due to elect a new head at a meeting on Wednesday. On Monday, four US senators issued a statement urging US President Donald Trump to oppose the candidacy of Russia's Alexander Prokopchuk. The senators accuse Russia of abusing Interpol to settle scores and harass dissidents by issuing warrants, known as red notices, for their arrest. The senators said the election of Prokopchuk would allow Moscow to step up such abuse. "This is probably a certain kind of interference in the electoral process of an international organisation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. Prokopchuk, a former major general in Russia's Interior Ministry and current vice president of Interpol, is generally considered the leading candidate for the presidency. Bill Browder, a British fund manager critical of the Kremlin who has been detained repeatedly at Russia's behest before being released again, said it would be "outrageous" if Prokopchuk was named to head the global police agency. "This particular individual has been responsible for trying to chase me down and have Interpol arrest me seven times," he said in comments to BBC radio. "All of a sudden, this guy is now put in charge of the institution he's been trying to abuse for the last six years," he said.

Kremlin says US is meddling in selection of Interpol head

At least 76 per cent of the licensed gun owners have deposited their arms to the police in Mizoram ahead of the November 28 Assembly elections, a senior police officer said Tuesday.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) L H Shanliana said that 10,337 licensed gun owners had deposited their firearms in various police stations across Mizoram.

The deputy commissioners of all the districts in the state had issued orders asking all registered gun owners to deposit their firearms before the Assembly elections as per a directive issued by the Election Commission of India.

Shanliana hoped that all licensed gun owners, including farmers, would deposit their firearms before the polls though the farmers need guns to protect their jhums (cultivation) from animals at this time of the year.

"We have received excellent cooperation from the village councils in the rural areas and the local councils in the capital Aizawl city," he said.

Keeping in mind the gun owners' sentiments about their guns, he said they would be able to check and clean their firearms whenever they want to do so by visiting the respective police stations and outposts.

The IGP said that DGPs of neighbouring Assam, Tripura and Manipur have been asked to ensure that no persons or materials that could disrupt the poll process in Mizoram should be allowed to enter the state.

Superintendents of police and officers-in-charge of border districts have been put on high alert.

Close circuit television cameras were in place in the border outposts at Assam border Vairengte, Saiphai and Bairabi and Tripura border Zawlnuam Police outposts, the IGP added.&nbsp;

At least 76 per cent of the licensed gun owners have deposited their arms to the police in Mizoram ahead of the November 28 Assembly elections, a senior police officer said Tuesday.

At least 76 per cent of the licensed gun owners have deposited their arms to the police in Mizoram ahead of the November 28 Assembly elections, a senior police officer said Tuesday. Inspector General of Police (IGP) L H Shanliana said that 10,337 licensed gun owners had deposited their firearms in various police stations across Mizoram. The deputy commissioners of all the districts in the state had issued orders asking all registered gun owners to deposit their firearms before the Assembly elections as per a directive issued by the Election Commission of India. Shanliana hoped that all licensed gun owners, including farmers, would deposit their firearms before the polls though the farmers need guns to protect their jhums (cultivation) from animals at this time of the year. "We have received excellent cooperation from the village councils in the rural areas and the local councils in the capital Aizawl city," he said. Keeping in mind the gun owners' sentiments about their guns, he said they would be able to check and clean their firearms whenever they want to do so by visiting the respective police stations and outposts. The IGP said that DGPs of neighbouring Assam, Tripura and Manipur have been asked to ensure that no persons or materials that could disrupt the poll process in Mizoram should be allowed to enter the state. Superintendents of police and officers-in-charge of border districts have been put on high alert. Close circuit television cameras were in place in the border outposts at Assam border Vairengte, Saiphai and Bairabi and Tripura border Zawlnuam Police outposts, the IGP added.

Mizoram Assembly Election 2018: 76% licensed gun owners deposit arms in poll-bound state

Bangladesh's main opposition party announced Sunday it would not boycott next month's general election and would challenge Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the polls, despite its leader being in jail.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party said it would contest the December 23 election but has expressed fears it will not be democratic and has threatened protests.

The BNP boycotted the 2014 election over fears it would be rigged, allowing Hasina to walk into a second term unchallenged.

The prime minister's tenure has been marred by a crackdown on dissent in the South Asian democracy of 160 million.

The opposition says thousands of its activists have been detained in recent months, depriving it of a grassroots presence necessary to fight any polls.

BNP veteran leader Khaleda Zia remains behind bars, her prison sentence doubled last month to ten years for corruption charges her supporters say were politically motivated.

The two-term prime minister has virtually no time to appeal her sentence, and will almost certainly be banned from contesting the election against her arch-rival Hasina.

The opposition has said the charges against Zia, and other party activists, were deliberately planned by Hasina's increasingly authoritarian government.

Zia's exiled son and heir apparent, Tarique Rahman, will not be able to contest the polls after being sentenced to life in prison last month over a 2004 grenade attack at Hasina's rally. He lives in exile. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The arrest of activists and prominent dissidents including student leaders and a top photographer have also cast a shadow over the buildup to the vote.

Bangladesh's main opposition party announced Sunday it would not boycott next month's general election and would challenge Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the polls, despite its leader being in jail.

Bangladesh's main opposition party announced Sunday it would not boycott next month's general election and would challenge Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the polls, despite its leader being in jail. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party said it would contest the December 23 election but has expressed fears it will not be democratic and has threatened protests. The BNP boycotted the 2014 election over fears it would be rigged, allowing Hasina to walk into a second term unchallenged. The prime minister's tenure has been marred by a crackdown on dissent in the South Asian democracy of 160 million. The opposition says thousands of its activists have been detained in recent months, depriving it of a grassroots presence necessary to fight any polls. BNP veteran leader Khaleda Zia remains behind bars, her prison sentence doubled last month to ten years for corruption charges her supporters say were politically motivated. The two-term prime minister has virtually no time to appeal her sentence, and will almost certainly be banned from contesting the election against her arch-rival Hasina. The opposition has said the charges against Zia, and other party activists, were deliberately planned by Hasina's increasingly authoritarian government. Zia's exiled son and heir apparent, Tarique Rahman, will not be able to contest the polls after being sentenced to life in prison last month over a 2004 grenade attack at Hasina's rally. He lives in exile. The arrest of activists and prominent dissidents including student leaders and a top photographer have also cast a shadow over the buildup to the vote.

Bangladesh opposition to challenge PM Hasina in election

Gravitas: Last leg of Campaigning for U.S. Mid-terms

Myanmar voters cast their ballots in a small but key by-election Saturday, a rare local test of support for embattled leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party more than halfway through her time in office.

Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy (NLD) swept to power in 2015 in a landslide victory ending decades of military rule.

But her tenure has been marred by a failure to speak up for Rohingya Muslims driven out of the country by the army and stumbling peace talks with insurgent groups in lawless border areas.

A mere 13 positions are in play in the country's second by-election since the national poll three years ago, but they are spread out across the country and include parliamentary and regional assembly seats.

Some two-dozen parties are in the mix and 69 candidates are taking part.

At one polling station in Yangon's Tamwe township residents showed support for Suu Kyi while acknowleding some of the criticism.

"I voted NLD this morning," Maung Maung, 34, a software engineer who lives in Tamwe, told AFP.

"I was a strong supporter of the NLD for years but during the years when NLD took power, there were some failures that they are working on," he added, without going into detail.

Aye Soe, a 52-year-old street vendor, expressed full-throated backing.

"I will support her until I die," she said.

Initial results are expected to be announced on Sunday.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi's reputation at home is more secure than it is abroad, where her image as a rights icon has been shattered by the Rohingya crisis.

More than 720,000 from the stateless Muslim minority have fled to Bangladesh since a military crackdown in August 2017.

Huddled in crowded camps, they have recounted stories of murder, rape and villages burned to the ground.

Myanmar has denied almost all of the allegations, saying soldiers were defending themselves against Rohingya militants.

UN investigators have called for the situation to be referred to the International Criminal Court and for senior members of the Tatmadaw, as the armed forces are known, to be investigated on genocide charges.

Myanmar voters cast their ballots in a small but key by-election Saturday, a rare local test of support for embattled leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party more than halfway through her time in office.

Myanmar voters cast their ballots in a small but key by-election Saturday, a rare local test of support for embattled leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party more than halfway through her time in office. Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy (NLD) swept to power in 2015 in a landslide victory ending decades of military rule. But her tenure has been marred by a failure to speak up for Rohingya Muslims driven out of the country by the army and stumbling peace talks with insurgent groups in lawless border areas. A mere 13 positions are in play in the country's second by-election since the national poll three years ago, but they are spread out across the country and include parliamentary and regional assembly seats. Some two-dozen parties are in the mix and 69 candidates are taking part. At one polling station in Yangon's Tamwe township residents showed support for Suu Kyi while acknowleding some of the criticism. "I voted NLD this morning," Maung Maung, 34, a software engineer who lives in Tamwe, told AFP. "I was a strong supporter of the NLD for years but during the years when NLD took power, there were some failures that they are working on," he added, without going into detail. Aye Soe, a 52-year-old street vendor, expressed full-throated backing. "I will support her until I die," she said. Initial results are expected to be announced on Sunday. Nobel laureate Suu Kyi's reputation at home is more secure than it is abroad, where her image as a rights icon has been shattered by the Rohingya crisis. More than 720,000 from the stateless Muslim minority have fled to Bangladesh since a military crackdown in August 2017. Huddled in crowded camps, they have recounted stories of murder, rape and villages burned to the ground. Myanmar has denied almost all of the allegations, saying soldiers were defending themselves against Rohingya militants. UN investigators have called for the situation to be referred to the International Criminal Court and for senior members of the Tatmadaw, as the armed forces are known, to be investigated on genocide charges.

Myanmar by-election rare local test for Aung San Suu Kyi

The chances of Brazil's leftist presidential candidate Fernando Haddad narrowing the lead of right-wing front-runner Jair Bolsonaro took a hit when he failed to win a crucial endorsement on Saturday, a day before the two face off in a runoff election.

However, polls published late Saturday from Brazil's two biggest surveying firms showed momentum shifting toward Haddad, though he still trails Bolsonaro by a solid margin.

Former center-left candidate Ciro Gomes said in a video on social media that he would not take sides in the election campaign, withholding support for Haddad of the Workers Party (PT).

Gomes, a former governor of Ceará state in the northeast, is influential in Brazil's poorest region. His endorsement could have given Haddad a big lift in the South American country's most polarized election in a generation.

But Rodrigo Janot, Brazil's influential former prosecutor general under whose watch the country's unprecedented investigations and prosecutions of endemic political graft took place, tweeted late Saturday that he would vote for Haddad. That was a blow to Bolsonaro's work positioning himself as the only anti-corruption candidate.

"I think we are at the brink of a process that could push our democracy beyond its limits," Janot told Reuters late Saturday. "Freedom, equality and fraternity - always and at any cost."

MOMENTUM IN POLLS

Haddad narrowed Bolsonaro's lead to 8 percentage points in an Ibope poll released late Saturday, a survey that gave him 46 percent compared with Bolsonaro's 54 percent.

As only two candidates remain and those figures discard voters who say they will annul their votes, that in practice means Haddad needs to win 5 percentage points to overtake the right-winger.

In a Datafolha poll also released late Saturday, Bolsonaro had 55 percent of voter backing, compared with 45 percent for Haddad.

While Haddad failed to get Gomes to endorse him, he won the backing on Saturday not just of Janot but of Brazil's most popular YouTube host, Felipe Neto, who has 27.7 million followers on his channel. A popular anti-corruption judge, Joaquim Barbosa, who jailed several top PT leaders for corruption, also came out for Haddad.

Gomes finished third in the Oct. 7 first round vote with 12 percent of the vote, behind Bolsonaro's 46 percent and Haddad's 29 percent. Gomes had hoped to be the standard bearer of the left but was outmaneuvered by jailed PT leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption and anointed Haddad as his stand-in. [nL2N1WI0J7]

Bolsonaro, a former Army captain, is poised to become Brazil's first far-right president since the end of the 1964-1985 military dictatorship. The 63-year-old seven-term congressman has promised to crack down on crime and corruption, pitching himself as the anti-establishment candidate for voters fed up with political graft and violent crime.

Bolsonaro's sudden rise comes as Brazil finds itself in its worst recession and embroiled in its biggest corruption scandal after the leftist PT ran the government for 13 of the last 15 years.

Until his presidential run, Bolsonaro was best known for defending the former military regime and its use of torture. He has faced charges for misogynist, racist and homophobic rants.

The Supreme Court rejected the racism charge, but has not ruled on a charge of inciting to rape in a case in which he told a fellow lawmaker she was not pretty enough to rape. He called the case political persecution.

'SWEETENING' BOLSONARO

A week ago, Bolsonaro vowed to run all the "red" leftists out of Brazil or put them in jail, harsh words that probably contributed to the narrowing of his lead.

YouTuber Neto said he had been neutral until that point. "Everything changed when (Bolsonaro) said he will sweep opponents out of the country or into jail. In 16 years of PT I have been robbed, but never threatened," Neto said by Twitter.

In the final two days of campaigning, Bolsonaro has sounded more moderate in his statements, backing down on a plan to follow U.S. President Donald Trump's example and pull Brazil out of the Paris climate change accord.

On Friday he told Xingú tribes people they had a right to charge royalties for mining and hydro electric power generation on their reservations, a proposal welcomed by some natives but rejected by anthropologists and environmentalists who see the tribes as the last guardians of the Amazon rainforest and its biodiversity.

"You are as Brazilian as any of us," he said in a video posted on social media. "I want you to have the right to use your land and exploit its biodiversity and mineral riches."

In his final hours of campaigning in Sao Paulo, Haddad accused the Bolsonaro camp of "sweetening" their candidate to make him appear what he is not. "He is a truculent and dangerous person, and that's how he should be presented to the nation," he said.

The chances of Brazil's leftist presidential candidate Fernando Haddad narrowing the lead of right-wing front-runner Jair Bolsonaro took a hit when he failed to win a crucial endorsement on Saturday, a day before the two face off in a runoff election.

The chances of Brazil's leftist presidential candidate Fernando Haddad narrowing the lead of right-wing front-runner Jair Bolsonaro took a hit when he failed to win a crucial endorsement on Saturday, a day before the two face off in a runoff election. However, polls published late Saturday from Brazil's two biggest surveying firms showed momentum shifting toward Haddad, though he still trails Bolsonaro by a solid margin. Former center-left candidate Ciro Gomes said in a video on social media that he would not take sides in the election campaign, withholding support for Haddad of the Workers Party (PT). Gomes, a former governor of Ceará state in the northeast, is influential in Brazil's poorest region. His endorsement could have given Haddad a big lift in the South American country's most polarized election in a generation. But Rodrigo Janot, Brazil's influential former prosecutor general under whose watch the country's unprecedented investigations and prosecutions of endemic political graft took place, tweeted late Saturday that he would vote for Haddad. That was a blow to Bolsonaro's work positioning himself as the only anti-corruption candidate. "I think we are at the brink of a process that could push our democracy beyond its limits," Janot told Reuters late Saturday. "Freedom, equality and fraternity - always and at any cost." MOMENTUM IN POLLS Haddad narrowed Bolsonaro's lead to 8 percentage points in an Ibope poll released late Saturday, a survey that gave him 46 percent compared with Bolsonaro's 54 percent. As only two candidates remain and those figures discard voters who say they will annul their votes, that in practice means Haddad needs to win 5 percentage points to overtake the right-winger. In a Datafolha poll also released late Saturday, Bolsonaro had 55 percent of voter backing, compared with 45 percent for Haddad. While Haddad failed to get Gomes to endorse him, he won the backing on Saturday not just of Janot but of Brazil's most popular YouTube host, Felipe Neto, who has 27.7 million followers on his channel. A popular anti-corruption judge, Joaquim Barbosa, who jailed several top PT leaders for corruption, also came out for Haddad. Gomes finished third in the Oct. 7 first round vote with 12 percent of the vote, behind Bolsonaro's 46 percent and Haddad's 29 percent. Gomes had hoped to be the standard bearer of the left but was outmaneuvered by jailed PT leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption and anointed Haddad as his stand-in. [nL2N1WI0J7] Bolsonaro, a former Army captain, is poised to become Brazil's first far-right president since the end of the 1964-1985 military dictatorship. The 63-year-old seven-term congressman has promised to crack down on crime and corruption, pitching himself as the anti-establishment candidate for voters fed up with political graft and violent crime. Bolsonaro's sudden rise comes as Brazil finds itself in its worst recession and embroiled in its biggest corruption scandal after the leftist PT ran the government for 13 of the last 15 years. Until his presidential run, Bolsonaro was best known for defending the former military regime and its use of torture. He has faced charges for misogynist, racist and homophobic rants. The Supreme Court rejected the racism charge, but has not ruled on a charge of inciting to rape in a case in which he told a fellow lawmaker she was not pretty enough to rape. He called the case political persecution. 'SWEETENING' BOLSONARO A week ago, Bolsonaro vowed to run all the "red" leftists out of Brazil or put them in jail, harsh words that probably contributed to the narrowing of his lead. YouTuber Neto said he had been neutral until that point. "Everything changed when (Bolsonaro) said he will sweep opponents out of the country or into jail. In 16 years of PT I have been robbed, but never threatened," Neto said by Twitter. In the final two days of campaigning, Bolsonaro has sounded more moderate in his statements, backing down on a plan to follow U.S. President Donald Trump's example and pull Brazil out of the Paris climate change accord. On Friday he told Xingú tribes people they had a right to charge royalties for mining and hydro electric power generation on their reservations, a proposal welcomed by some natives but rejected by anthropologists and environmentalists who see the tribes as the last guardians of the Amazon rainforest and its biodiversity. "You are as Brazilian as any of us," he said in a video posted on social media. "I want you to have the right to use your land and exploit its biodiversity and mineral riches." In his final hours of campaigning in Sao Paulo, Haddad accused the Bolsonaro camp of "sweetening" their candidate to make him appear what he is not. "He is a truculent and dangerous person, and that's how he should be presented to the nation," he said.

Brazil leftist's hopes of catching Bolsonaro slim, but gap narrows

Brazilians fear more attacks will continue over presidential campaign after the likely election on Sunday.

Brazil's tense political situation has been compared by some to divisions in the United States, where several high-profile opponents of President Donald Trump received pipe bombs in the mail this week.

But the situation in Brazil is far more perilous, analysts say, because it already suffers from extreme violence, often without consequence for perpetrators.

In recent weeks, Bolsonaro's supporters have threatened to harm supreme Court justices, and also they physically attacked journalists and opposition voters.

Bolosonaro says that he did not condone violence carried out by his supporters, but analysts say his daily rants on social media platforms are taking a toll.

"Bolsonaro, because of his rhetoric supporting violence and the aggressive manner he has campaigned, has opened the Pandora's box on political violence in an already extremely violent country," said Rafael Alcadipani, a public security expert at the Getulio Vargas Foundation university in Sao Paulo.

"If people thought Brazil had extremely high levels of street violence in normal times, imagine what it will be like under a president who aggressively pushes violence among police and against political opponents?"

There has also been violence attributed to backers of Bolsonaro's opponent, Fernando Haddad of the Workers Party (PT).

Bolsonaro, leading candidate in polls also suffered a near-fatal stabbing last month during a campaign. And, he is still recovering.

Brazilians fear more attacks will continue over presidential campaign after the likely election on Sunday. Brazil's tense political situation has been compared by some to divisions in the United States, where several high-profile opponents of President Donald Trump received pipe bombs in the mail this week.

Brazilians fear more attacks will continue over presidential campaign after the likely election on Sunday. Brazil's tense political situation has been compared by some to divisions in the United States, where several high-profile opponents of President Donald Trump received pipe bombs in the mail this week. But the situation in Brazil is far more perilous, analysts say, because it already suffers from extreme violence, often without consequence for perpetrators. In recent weeks, Bolsonaro's supporters have threatened to harm supreme Court justices, and also they physically attacked journalists and opposition voters. Bolosonaro says that he did not condone violence carried out by his supporters, but analysts say his daily rants on social media platforms are taking a toll. "Bolsonaro, because of his rhetoric supporting violence and the aggressive manner he has campaigned, has opened the Pandora's box on political violence in an already extremely violent country," said Rafael Alcadipani, a public security expert at the Getulio Vargas Foundation university in Sao Paulo. "If people thought Brazil had extremely high levels of street violence in normal times, imagine what it will be like under a president who aggressively pushes violence among police and against political opponents?" There has also been violence attributed to backers of Bolsonaro's opponent, Fernando Haddad of the Workers Party (PT). Bolsonaro, leading candidate in polls also suffered a near-fatal stabbing last month during a campaign. And, he is still recovering.

Brazil fears more violence as they brace for far-right presidency

An Assembly constituency in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh has become a bone of contention between the Congress and Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS), a fledgling tribal political outfit, which are currently engaged in alliance talks for the next month's state polls.

The seat-sharing talks between them have apparently hit a roadblock, as both are keen on contesting election from Kukshi seat in western MP, currently held by the Congress.

The JAYS wants to field its candidate from Kukshi, although the Congress says it does not want to part with this seat as it has been its traditional stronghold. The opposition party has been winning this seat since 1972, except losing it only twice- in 1990 assembly elections and 2012 bypoll.

Talking to PTI on Friday, JAYS convener Dr Hiralal Alawa said, "Our seat-sharing talks with the Congress are underway. We want to contest the upcoming election from 40 assembly constituencies. Fighting from Kukshi due to our strong presence there is top on our agenda."

Another JAYS leader said, "We have categorically told the Congress that we want to contest from Kukshi. The fate of alliance depends on this seat. If the Congress is adamant for this seat, then the alliance talks might even fail."

"We have already demonstrated our strength in Kukshi by organising Kisan Panchayat programme held on October 2. Over one lakh tribal youths had taken part in the event," he added.

Kukshi seat is currently held by Congress' Surendra Singh Baghel, a supporter of senior party leader Digvijay Singh.

Baghel said he was all set to contest the upcoming polls from this seat, and also expressed confidence that he would win it with a huge margin.

Another Congress leader said, "Kukshi is our traditional seat and we can't let it go so easily."

The JAYS has made its presence felt in 22 tribal seats spread across Alirajpur, Ratlam, Jhabua, Dhar, Khargone, Burhanpur, Khandwa, Dewas and Barwani districts in Malwa-Nimar region of western MP, which has a sizable tribal population.

Of these 22 constituencies reserved for tribals, the Congress currently holds five seats.

The state leadership of the Congress is keen on joining hands with the JAYS in Malwa-Nimar region that comprises 66 assembly seats. The Congress does not have a strong presence in this region.&nbsp;

Currently, the Congress only has nine MLAs as against the ruling BJP's 56 legislators in the region.

Besides, this time the Congress is treading cautiously as it seems to have learnt a lesson from its disastrous defeat in the 2003 state elections when a tribal political outfit Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) in eastern MP had eaten into its vote bank.

Although the GGP managed to win only three seats in eastern MP in 2003, it had nibbled into a major share of the Congress' traditional tribal vote bank.&nbsp;

The GGP had won 5,17,270 votes, especially in the tribal-dominated areas.

The Congress had managed to win only 38 assembly seats out of all the 230 constituencies in the state, whereas the BJP had won 173 seats in the 2003 polls.

The opposition party, which has been out of power in MP since the last 15 years, had earlier tried to stitch an alliance with the BSP for the upcoming elections, although it failed to work out.

The state is going to polls on November 28.

An Assembly constituency in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh has become a bone of contention between the Congress and Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS), a fledgling tribal political outfit, which are currently engaged in alliance talks for the next month's state polls.

An Assembly constituency in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh has become a bone of contention between the Congress and Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS), a fledgling tribal political outfit, which are currently engaged in alliance talks for the next month's state polls. The seat-sharing talks between them have apparently hit a roadblock, as both are keen on contesting election from Kukshi seat in western MP, currently held by the Congress. The JAYS wants to field its candidate from Kukshi, although the Congress says it does not want to part with this seat as it has been its traditional stronghold. The opposition party has been winning this seat since 1972, except losing it only twice- in 1990 assembly elections and 2012 bypoll. Talking to PTI on Friday, JAYS convener Dr Hiralal Alawa said, "Our seat-sharing talks with the Congress are underway. We want to contest the upcoming election from 40 assembly constituencies. Fighting from Kukshi due to our strong presence there is top on our agenda." Another JAYS leader said, "We have categorically told the Congress that we want to contest from Kukshi. The fate of alliance depends on this seat. If the Congress is adamant for this seat, then the alliance talks might even fail." "We have already demonstrated our strength in Kukshi by organising Kisan Panchayat programme held on October 2. Over one lakh tribal youths had taken part in the event," he added. Kukshi seat is currently held by Congress' Surendra Singh Baghel, a supporter of senior party leader Digvijay Singh. Baghel said he was all set to contest the upcoming polls from this seat, and also expressed confidence that he would win it with a huge margin. Another Congress leader said, "Kukshi is our traditional seat and we can't let it go so easily." The JAYS has made its presence felt in 22 tribal seats spread across Alirajpur, Ratlam, Jhabua, Dhar, Khargone, Burhanpur, Khandwa, Dewas and Barwani districts in Malwa-Nimar region of western MP, which has a sizable tribal population. Of these 22 constituencies reserved for tribals, the Congress currently holds five seats. The state leadership of the Congress is keen on joining hands with the JAYS in Malwa-Nimar region that comprises 66 assembly seats. The Congress does not have a strong presence in this region. Currently, the Congress only has nine MLAs as against the ruling BJP's 56 legislators in the region. Besides, this time the Congress is treading cautiously as it seems to have learnt a lesson from its disastrous defeat in the 2003 state elections when a tribal political outfit Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) in eastern MP had eaten into its vote bank. Although the GGP managed to win only three seats in eastern MP in 2003, it had nibbled into a major share of the Congress' traditional tribal vote bank. The GGP had won 5,17,270 votes, especially in the tribal-dominated areas. The Congress had managed to win only 38 assembly seats out of all the 230 constituencies in the state, whereas the BJP had won 173 seats in the 2003 polls. The opposition party, which has been out of power in MP since the last 15 years, had earlier tried to stitch an alliance with the BSP for the upcoming elections, although it failed to work out. The state is going to polls on November 28.

Madhya Pradesh poll: Kukshi seat becomes bone of contention for Congress, JAYS

Counting of votes for 52 civic bodies&nbsp;across Jammu and Kashmir began on Saturday, polling for which was held in four phases earlier this month.&nbsp;

The counting of votes began at 9 am and will be done at the Government Polytechnic College in Jammu.

Although there are 79 civic bodies in the state, the counting to be done today will only be for 52 local bodies since elections were not held in 27 civic bodies as there was no candidate or only one candidate. &nbsp;

A total of 3,372 nominations were filed for 1,145 wards. The fate of over 3,000 candidates will be decided by the end of the day.

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Counting of votes for 52 civic bodies to be held across Jammu and Kashmir today; Visuals from a counting centre in Doda. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuAndKashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuAndKashmir</a> <a href="https://t.co/RjVoBTlWbT">pic.twitter.com/RjVoBTlWbT</a>
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The elections are a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress. A large number of independents are also in the running. The National Conference and the PDP did not participate in the polls.

The urban local bodies polls in Jammu and Kashmir took place after a gap of 13 years, with the last elections being conducted in 2005.

The polling was held amid tight security arrangements in four phases starting October 8 and ending on October 16. While moderate to heavy polling was witnessed in Jammu and Ladakh regions, the Kashmir valley saw an abysmally low voter turnout.

Nearly 17 lakh voters were eligible to vote for 79 urban local bodies of the state but polling was held only for 52. No voting was held in 27 civic bodies in the Valley either because there was no candidate or only one candidate had filed nominations for a particular ward.

Of the 598 wards in Kashmir, 231 candidates were elected unopposed, while there were no candidates on 181 wards.

The overall voting percentage for these polls in the state stood at 35.1 per cent.

(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

Counting of votes for 52 civic bodies across Jammu and Kashmir began on Saturday, polling for which was held in four phases earlier this month. The counting of votes began at 9 am and will be done at the Government Polytechnic College in Jammu.

Counting of votes for 52 civic bodies across Jammu and Kashmir began on Saturday, polling for which was held in four phases earlier this month. The counting of votes began at 9 am and will be done at the Government Polytechnic College in Jammu. Although there are 79 civic bodies in the state, the counting to be done today will only be for 52 local bodies since elections were not held in 27 civic bodies as there was no candidate or only one candidate. A total of 3,372 nominations were filed for 1,145 wards. The fate of over 3,000 candidates will be decided by the end of the day. Counting of votes for 52 civic bodies to be held across Jammu and Kashmir today; Visuals from a counting centre in Doda. #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/RjVoBTlWbT — ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2018 × The elections are a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress. A large number of independents are also in the running. The National Conference and the PDP did not participate in the polls. The urban local bodies polls in Jammu and Kashmir took place after a gap of 13 years, with the last elections being conducted in 2005. The polling was held amid tight security arrangements in four phases starting October 8 and ending on October 16. While moderate to heavy polling was witnessed in Jammu and Ladakh regions, the Kashmir valley saw an abysmally low voter turnout. Nearly 17 lakh voters were eligible to vote for 79 urban local bodies of the state but polling was held only for 52. No voting was held in 27 civic bodies in the Valley either because there was no candidate or only one candidate had filed nominations for a particular ward. Of the 598 wards in Kashmir, 231 candidates were elected unopposed, while there were no candidates on 181 wards. The overall voting percentage for these polls in the state stood at 35.1 per cent. (With inputs from PTI)

Counting of votes for 52 civic bodies to be held across Jammu and Kashmir today

The Congress on Thursday released its first list of 12 candidates for the first phase of assembly elections in Chhattisgarh on November 12.

Seven sitting MLAs figure in the party's list for these 12 seats which lie in the Naxal-affected Bastar region.

Shankar Dhruwa, MLA of Kanker, has been denied the ticket this time.

The Central Election Committee of the party announced the names of 12 candidates in Delhi, Chhattisgarh Congress's communication wing head Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said.

Sitting MLAs who have been renominated from their seats are -- Kawasi Lakhma from Konta seat (reserved for Scheduled Tribe), Devti Karma from Dantewada (ST), Mohan Lal Markam from Kondagaon (ST), Santram Netam from Keshkal (ST), Manoj Singh Mandavi from Bhanupratppur (ST), Deepak Baij from Chitrakot (ST) and Lakheshwar Baghel from Bastar (ST).

Devti Karma is the wife of late Mahendra Karma, a former Leader of Opposition, who was a guiding force behind the Salwa Judum, a movement of anti-Naxal vigilante groups.

Mahendra Karma was among 29 people, including then state Congress chief Nandkumar Patel and former Union minister Vidyacharan Shukla, who were killed in the Naxal attack in Darbha area of Bastar district on May 25, 2013.

Former IAS officer Sishupal Sori, a member of the All India Adivasi Congress, has been fielded from Kanker seat, in place of the sitting MLA Shankar Dhruwa.

Chandan Kashyap has been fielded from Narayanpur (ST) and Anoop Nag from Antagarh seat (ST).

Vikram Shah Mandavi has been fielded from Bijapur (ST) and Rekhchand Jain from Jagdalpur, the only unreserved seat in the Bastar division.

In the 2013 Assembly polls, Vikram Shah Mandavi had lost to the BJP's Mahesh Gagda, the current state forest minister.

Rekhchand Jain had lost to BJP's Santosh Bafna in 2008 polls. Bafna is the currently the BJP MLA from Jagdalpur.

Elections to the 90-member Assembly will be held in two phases: November 12 and November 20.

The first phase of polling covers 18 seats spread across eight Naxal-affected districts -- Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Sukma, Kondagaon, Kanker, Narayanpur and Rajnandgaon.

The Congress is yet to declare candidates for the six seats in Rajnandgaon district.

The party's candidates for 72 seats in the second phase will be announced later.

The Congress is out of power in the state for 15 years.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is yet to come out with the list of its candidates. Party sources said it is expected to be released on October 20.

The Congress on Thursday released its first list of 12 candidates for the first phase of assembly elections in Chhattisgarh on November 12. Seven sitting MLAs figure in the party's list for these 12 seats which lie in the Naxal-affected Bastar region.

The Congress on Thursday released its first list of 12 candidates for the first phase of assembly elections in Chhattisgarh on November 12. Seven sitting MLAs figure in the party's list for these 12 seats which lie in the Naxal-affected Bastar region. Shankar Dhruwa, MLA of Kanker, has been denied the ticket this time. The Central Election Committee of the party announced the names of 12 candidates in Delhi, Chhattisgarh Congress's communication wing head Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said. Sitting MLAs who have been renominated from their seats are -- Kawasi Lakhma from Konta seat (reserved for Scheduled Tribe), Devti Karma from Dantewada (ST), Mohan Lal Markam from Kondagaon (ST), Santram Netam from Keshkal (ST), Manoj Singh Mandavi from Bhanupratppur (ST), Deepak Baij from Chitrakot (ST) and Lakheshwar Baghel from Bastar (ST). Devti Karma is the wife of late Mahendra Karma, a former Leader of Opposition, who was a guiding force behind the Salwa Judum, a movement of anti-Naxal vigilante groups. Mahendra Karma was among 29 people, including then state Congress chief Nandkumar Patel and former Union minister Vidyacharan Shukla, who were killed in the Naxal attack in Darbha area of Bastar district on May 25, 2013. Former IAS officer Sishupal Sori, a member of the All India Adivasi Congress, has been fielded from Kanker seat, in place of the sitting MLA Shankar Dhruwa. Chandan Kashyap has been fielded from Narayanpur (ST) and Anoop Nag from Antagarh seat (ST). Vikram Shah Mandavi has been fielded from Bijapur (ST) and Rekhchand Jain from Jagdalpur, the only unreserved seat in the Bastar division. In the 2013 Assembly polls, Vikram Shah Mandavi had lost to the BJP's Mahesh Gagda, the current state forest minister. Rekhchand Jain had lost to BJP's Santosh Bafna in 2008 polls. Bafna is the currently the BJP MLA from Jagdalpur. Elections to the 90-member Assembly will be held in two phases: November 12 and November 20. The first phase of polling covers 18 seats spread across eight Naxal-affected districts -- Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Sukma, Kondagaon, Kanker, Narayanpur and Rajnandgaon. The Congress is yet to declare candidates for the six seats in Rajnandgaon district. The party's candidates for 72 seats in the second phase will be announced later. The Congress is out of power in the state for 15 years. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is yet to come out with the list of its candidates. Party sources said it is expected to be released on October 20.

Congress releases first list of 12 candidate for first phase of Chhattisgarh polls

&nbsp;More female candidates than ever are set to contest Afghanistan's upcoming parliamentary election, braving violence and opposition from social conservatives in a campaign seen as a test of the war-torn nation's democratic institutions.

"Elections in my country are not just about victory or defeat," said Dewa Niazai, a 26 year-old candidate from the eastern province of Nangarhar, who holds a degree in computer science from India. "It is about launching a small-scale war. I can get killed, injured or abducted."

Niazai is one of the 417 women candidates contesting seats across the country, despite deadly suicide attacks on election rallies and offices apparently aimed at forcing voters to boycott the vote scheduled for October 20.

She says she wants to be a voice for uneducated women who are not represented in parliament and to defend girls' rights to education - Islamic State has blown up several girls' schools in her Nangarhar constituency.

The growing involvement of women has been welcomed by the United Nations and other international bodies, which see the elections as a vital step in building trust in democratic processes.

Campaigning is fraught with risks regardless of gender. Nine candidates, including one woman, have been killed in separate attacks. Another two have been abducted, and four others have been wounded by hardline Islamist militants, election officials said.

Last week a blast at an election rally of a woman candidate in the northeastern province of Takhar killed 22 people and wounded 35.

Nazifa Yousuf Bek, the female candidate, was standing about 10 metres away when the explosion occurred.

"My supporters were waiting to listen to my speech but in a few seconds I was surrounded by their bodies," the 32-year-old teacher told Reuters. "I am shaken but I am also determined to continue the election campaign. This is my responsibility."

For women, there are additional challenges, said Maria Bashir, Afghanistan's first female prosecutor from Herat province, who like other women candidates interviewed by Reuters had until recently never seriously contemplated entering politics.

"In comparison with male candidates, women have more problems in the election race ... insecurity and harassment inhibit women's mobility and justify family restrictions," she said.

Echoing other women candidates who spoke to Reuters, Bashir says she is standing for election after growing dismayed with the direction of the country, starting with the failure of the government to improve security or safeguard women's rights.

Unable to hold open rallies because of security concerns, Bashir invites voters to attend political discussions at her home, and travels around the city at night to distribute publicity pamphlets and encourage voters to cast their ballot.

Sabri Andar, the only female candidate with disabilities, is contesting a seat in Kabul. She said her main focus would be on ensuring rights legislation was not ignored.

"Laws about equality exist on paper but they are yet to implemented," she said. "As a lawmaker I want to ensure we practice what is written in our constitution."

Women's rights advocates say that, despite the heavy emphasis placed on promoting equality by international donors, age-old scourges such as child marriage or the murder of women by family members in so-called "honour killings" remain rife. Afghan girls still routinely receive less schooling than boys.

Under the constitution written after the austere rule of the Taliban was ended by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in 2001, at least 68 of the 250 seats in the lower house of parliament are reserved for women. The quota means that Afghanistan fares better in a simple measure of female representation in the legislature than some Western nations - 28 per cent of seats in the lower house are currently held by women, 8 points higher than the U.S. Congress.

But female candidates campaigning in their constituencies say Afghanistan's patriarchal culture means they face a battle to be heard even if they win.

"We are trained to dress in a way that is acceptable to men, we talk in a way that does not anger men and, in politics, we are expected to appease them to stay relevant," said Masooda Jalal, a former minister of women's affairs.

As well as facing sexual harassment, a regular problem that is rarely discussed openly because of strict social taboos, many women MPs complain they are not taken seriously by their male counterparts.

Women in positions of authority said they were often perceived as puppets who can procure funds from international aid groups committed to promoting gender equality.

Rights group activists in Kabul said more than three dozen bills drafted to strengthen the existing laws to safeguard the rights of millions of Afghan women were pending before the parliament but have not been allotted time for debate.

Nasrullah Stanekzai, a political science professor at Kabul University and a former legal advisor to President Ashraf Ghani said ethnic, religious, political and financial loyalties of female candidate limit their role.

"Females candidates win elections with the help of powerful male politicians who in turn expects them to work as stooges in the parliament, rarely allowing them to have an independent opinion," said Stanekzai.

More female candidates than ever are set to contest Afghanistan's upcoming parliamentary election, braving violence and opposition from social conservatives in a campaign seen as a test of the war-torn nation's democratic institutions.

More female candidates than ever are set to contest Afghanistan's upcoming parliamentary election, braving violence and opposition from social conservatives in a campaign seen as a test of the war-torn nation's democratic institutions. "Elections in my country are not just about victory or defeat," said Dewa Niazai, a 26 year-old candidate from the eastern province of Nangarhar, who holds a degree in computer science from India. "It is about launching a small-scale war. I can get killed, injured or abducted." Niazai is one of the 417 women candidates contesting seats across the country, despite deadly suicide attacks on election rallies and offices apparently aimed at forcing voters to boycott the vote scheduled for October 20. She says she wants to be a voice for uneducated women who are not represented in parliament and to defend girls' rights to education - Islamic State has blown up several girls' schools in her Nangarhar constituency. The growing involvement of women has been welcomed by the United Nations and other international bodies, which see the elections as a vital step in building trust in democratic processes. Campaigning is fraught with risks regardless of gender. Nine candidates, including one woman, have been killed in separate attacks. Another two have been abducted, and four others have been wounded by hardline Islamist militants, election officials said. Last week a blast at an election rally of a woman candidate in the northeastern province of Takhar killed 22 people and wounded 35. Nazifa Yousuf Bek, the female candidate, was standing about 10 metres away when the explosion occurred. "My supporters were waiting to listen to my speech but in a few seconds I was surrounded by their bodies," the 32-year-old teacher told Reuters. "I am shaken but I am also determined to continue the election campaign. This is my responsibility." For women, there are additional challenges, said Maria Bashir, Afghanistan's first female prosecutor from Herat province, who like other women candidates interviewed by Reuters had until recently never seriously contemplated entering politics. "In comparison with male candidates, women have more problems in the election race ... insecurity and harassment inhibit women's mobility and justify family restrictions," she said. Echoing other women candidates who spoke to Reuters, Bashir says she is standing for election after growing dismayed with the direction of the country, starting with the failure of the government to improve security or safeguard women's rights. Unable to hold open rallies because of security concerns, Bashir invites voters to attend political discussions at her home, and travels around the city at night to distribute publicity pamphlets and encourage voters to cast their ballot. Sabri Andar, the only female candidate with disabilities, is contesting a seat in Kabul. She said her main focus would be on ensuring rights legislation was not ignored. "Laws about equality exist on paper but they are yet to implemented," she said. "As a lawmaker I want to ensure we practice what is written in our constitution." Women's rights advocates say that, despite the heavy emphasis placed on promoting equality by international donors, age-old scourges such as child marriage or the murder of women by family members in so-called "honour killings" remain rife. Afghan girls still routinely receive less schooling than boys. Under the constitution written after the austere rule of the Taliban was ended by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in 2001, at least 68 of the 250 seats in the lower house of parliament are reserved for women. The quota means that Afghanistan fares better in a simple measure of female representation in the legislature than some Western nations - 28 per cent of seats in the lower house are currently held by women, 8 points higher than the U.S. Congress. But female candidates campaigning in their constituencies say Afghanistan's patriarchal culture means they face a battle to be heard even if they win. "We are trained to dress in a way that is acceptable to men, we talk in a way that does not anger men and, in politics, we are expected to appease them to stay relevant," said Masooda Jalal, a former minister of women's affairs. As well as facing sexual harassment, a regular problem that is rarely discussed openly because of strict social taboos, many women MPs complain they are not taken seriously by their male counterparts. Women in positions of authority said they were often perceived as puppets who can procure funds from international aid groups committed to promoting gender equality. Rights group activists in Kabul said more than three dozen bills drafted to strengthen the existing laws to safeguard the rights of millions of Afghan women were pending before the parliament but have not been allotted time for debate. Nasrullah Stanekzai, a political science professor at Kabul University and a former legal advisor to President Ashraf Ghani said ethnic, religious, political and financial loyalties of female candidate limit their role. "Females candidates win elections with the help of powerful male politicians who in turn expects them to work as stooges in the parliament, rarely allowing them to have an independent opinion," said Stanekzai.

Women candidates face 'small-scale war' in Afghan election

An Afghan lawmaker contesting this week`s parliamentary elections was among four people killed on Wednesday by a bomb planted under his office chair, officials said, in an attack claimed by Taliban militants.

Abdul Jabar Qahraman was killed as he prepared for Saturday`s election, a senior government official said, becoming the 10th candidate killed in the past two months, with two more abducted and four wounded by hardline Islamist militants.

"Such brutal acts of the terrorists and their supporters cannot weaken people`s trust in the peaceful and democratic processes," President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement condemning the attack.&nbsp;

The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast in the southern province of Helmand, saying in a statement: "We have killed Qahraman, a renowned communist."

Qahraman had spearheaded the formation of Sangorian, a secret militia trained by Afghan intelligence to infiltrate the Taliban. The militia has been heavily targeted by the Taliban in recent years.

The Taliban, who ruled from 1996 to 2001, have ordered Afghans to boycott the much-delayed polls in their battle to overthrow the Western-backed government and restore their own Islamist regime.

Three men sitting in Qahraman`s office were also killed, said interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi, adding that police had arrested three suspects in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah.

The blast wounded seven people, said Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor.&nbsp;

"A bomb was placed below Qahraman`s chair in his campaign office," he added. "We are investigating."

Wednesday`s blast follows the deaths of 22 people last week in an explosion at an election rally for a woman candidate in the northeastern province of Takhar 
The Taliban on Wednesday directed teachers not to set up their schools as polling stations.

Thousands of teachers across the country have been trained to work as polling officers and more than 5,000 polling stations will be set up in schools, mosques and medical centres.&nbsp;

"Teachers and students of educational institutes must stay away from all enemy political processes and must not allow the invaders and their stooges to utilize their schools for the implementation of their evil projects," the Taliban said in a statement.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

An Afghan lawmaker contesting this week`s parliamentary elections was among four people killed on Wednesday by a bomb planted under his office chair, officials said, in an attack claimed by Taliban militants.

An Afghan lawmaker contesting this week`s parliamentary elections was among four people killed on Wednesday by a bomb planted under his office chair, officials said, in an attack claimed by Taliban militants. Abdul Jabar Qahraman was killed as he prepared for Saturday`s election, a senior government official said, becoming the 10th candidate killed in the past two months, with two more abducted and four wounded by hardline Islamist militants. "Such brutal acts of the terrorists and their supporters cannot weaken people`s trust in the peaceful and democratic processes," President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement condemning the attack. The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast in the southern province of Helmand, saying in a statement: "We have killed Qahraman, a renowned communist." Qahraman had spearheaded the formation of Sangorian, a secret militia trained by Afghan intelligence to infiltrate the Taliban. The militia has been heavily targeted by the Taliban in recent years. The Taliban, who ruled from 1996 to 2001, have ordered Afghans to boycott the much-delayed polls in their battle to overthrow the Western-backed government and restore their own Islamist regime. Three men sitting in Qahraman`s office were also killed, said interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi, adding that police had arrested three suspects in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah. The blast wounded seven people, said Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor. "A bomb was placed below Qahraman`s chair in his campaign office," he added. "We are investigating." Wednesday`s blast follows the deaths of 22 people last week in an explosion at an election rally for a woman candidate in the northeastern province of Takhar The Taliban on Wednesday directed teachers not to set up their schools as polling stations. Thousands of teachers across the country have been trained to work as polling officers and more than 5,000 polling stations will be set up in schools, mosques and medical centres. "Teachers and students of educational institutes must stay away from all enemy political processes and must not allow the invaders and their stooges to utilize their schools for the implementation of their evil projects," the Taliban said in a statement.

Afghan election candidate killed by bomb under office chair

BJP chief Amit Shah on Saturday challenged Congress president Rahul Gandhi to a debate with any leader of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) on the development track record of the two parties in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.

"I challenge Rahul baba (Rahul Gandhi): decide the city, forum, date and time, and I will send the chief of my Yuva Morcha (youth wing) of that city and let there be a debate on development... (during) your 55 years of rule and (chief minister) Shivraj Singh Chouhan's 14 year-rule," Shah said, addressing a gathering here.

However, he said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had much more to achieve.

"There is a lot to be done. (West) Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have to be won. Until the saffron flag of the BJP flutters from the south to the eastern coast, no BJP worker has the right to rest," he said.

Shah stressed the victory in November 28 polls in Madhya Pradesh will boost the enthusiasm of party workers in West Bengal and provide some succour to "mothers of martyred party workers in Kerala".

"MP victory should be so big that the BJP should win all elections from Panchayat to Parliament for the next 50 years," he said further.

Shah said BJP had won all the states which went to polls after 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the Gandhi scion should not "even dream" about winning in Madhya Pradesh.

"Be it Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal, Goa, Gujarat, BJP won every state. How can you (Rahul Gandhi) even dream (of a victory in Madhya Pradesh)?" Shah asked.

Shah also accused former prime minister Manmohan Singh of not uttering a word while infiltrators sneaked into the country and beheaded Indian soldiers.

"After the BJP came to power, they (terrorists from Pakistan) made the mistake of attacking our jawans at Uri at 3 AM and did not give a chance to retaliate. Twelve soldiers were killed," he said.

"On the tenth day (of the attack), Modi ordered our soldiers to retaliate. Our brave jawans conducted a surgical strike and took revenge," the BJP chief said.

Earlier only the US and Israel were known for avenging the death of their soldiers, now India's name has been added to this list, he said.

BJP chief Amit Shah on Saturday challenged Congress president Rahul Gandhi to a debate with any leader of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) on the development track record of the two parties in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.

BJP chief Amit Shah on Saturday challenged Congress president Rahul Gandhi to a debate with any leader of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) on the development track record of the two parties in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. "I challenge Rahul baba (Rahul Gandhi): decide the city, forum, date and time, and I will send the chief of my Yuva Morcha (youth wing) of that city and let there be a debate on development... (during) your 55 years of rule and (chief minister) Shivraj Singh Chouhan's 14 year-rule," Shah said, addressing a gathering here. However, he said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had much more to achieve. "There is a lot to be done. (West) Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have to be won. Until the saffron flag of the BJP flutters from the south to the eastern coast, no BJP worker has the right to rest," he said. Shah stressed the victory in November 28 polls in Madhya Pradesh will boost the enthusiasm of party workers in West Bengal and provide some succour to "mothers of martyred party workers in Kerala". "MP victory should be so big that the BJP should win all elections from Panchayat to Parliament for the next 50 years," he said further. Shah said BJP had won all the states which went to polls after 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the Gandhi scion should not "even dream" about winning in Madhya Pradesh. "Be it Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal, Goa, Gujarat, BJP won every state. How can you (Rahul Gandhi) even dream (of a victory in Madhya Pradesh)?" Shah asked. Shah also accused former prime minister Manmohan Singh of not uttering a word while infiltrators sneaked into the country and beheaded Indian soldiers. "After the BJP came to power, they (terrorists from Pakistan) made the mistake of attacking our jawans at Uri at 3 AM and did not give a chance to retaliate. Twelve soldiers were killed," he said. "On the tenth day (of the attack), Modi ordered our soldiers to retaliate. Our brave jawans conducted a surgical strike and took revenge," the BJP chief said. Earlier only the US and Israel were known for avenging the death of their soldiers, now India's name has been added to this list, he said.

Amit Shah dares Rahul Gandhi to debate with youth wing leaders over development in MP

Yaound, Oct 7 (AFP) Cameroonians are voting in crunch presidential polls on Sunday, with octogenarian leader Paul Biya seeking a seventh term against a backdrop of unprecedented violence in the country's English-speaking regions.

The vote follows a last-minute opposition unity bid to dislodge the 85-year-old incumbent, one of Africa's longest-serving rulers.

Two leading opponents have formed the first electoral union since 1992, but talks between the array of other opposition parties to create a "super-coalition" to deny Biya another seven years were apparently fruitless.

In the Bastos public school in the capital Yaounde, where Biya will later cast his vote, voting was brisk throughout the morning.

"I feel proud," said Patrick, 38, an airport worker after voting. "I want the next president to consolidate what we have achieved in Cameroon. I want the elections to pass off peacefully, that's my only hope for the polls."

Voters in the queue were surrounded by a heavy security presence including members of the presidential guard, deployed ahead of Biya's arrival.

Cameroon's 6.5 million eligible voters are casting their ballots as violence rages in the anglophone southwest and northwest, which have been rocked by a separatist insurgency launched a year ago against the mainly francophone state.

The violence has claimed the lives of at least 420 civilians, 175 members of the security forces and an unknown number of separatists, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank.

After voting got underway on Sunday, security forces shot dead three suspected separatists who had allegedly been firing at passersby from a motorcycle in Bamenda, the main city in the northwest region, a local official said.

And in Buea, capital of the southwest, three separatists of the so-called Ambazonia Republic were gunned down on Friday while a priest was executed by soldiers on Thursday, according to witnesses.

The far north is also mired in insecurity, as Nigeria-based Boko Haram fighters mount attacks despite efforts by the US to equip and train Cameroon's military to battle the jihadists.

In a rare coordinated political manoeuvre, a key opposition frontrunner, Maurice Kamto, agreed late Friday to a unity deal between his Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC) and the People's Development Front (FDP), meaning he will stand for both parties.

It is the first tactical tie-up since John Fru Ndi stood as the sole opposition candidate in 1992 in polls that his supporters say he won, but allege were manipulated to hand victory to Biya.

However, it is unclear whether the eleventh-hour deal will sway the vote, which runs until 1700 GMT Sunday.

"This alliance, though interesting for the vitality of Cameroonian democracy, may have arrived too late," said Hans de Marie Heungoup, an ICG researcher.

Kamto's MRC has warned that a "massive fraud" is underway to secure a Biya win.

"We're not preparing for war, but wherever there is fraud, there will be a firm response," said MRC spokesman Paul-Eric Kingue.

But the government hit back, apparently in response to the MRC, saying that it would "not tolerate any disorder before, during or after the presidential vote".

The opposition has long accused the authorities of supporting Biya. But despite the ubiquity of Biya's posters, he has been virtually invisible during the campaign, except for a single event last weekend.

It is unclear if polling will proceed normally across Cameroon's English-speaking regions, where separatists hold a "significant" amount of territory, according to the ICG, and have threatened to disrupt the vote.

A team of election officials received a military escort as they travelled to the outskirts of Buea on Sunday, according to AFP journalists.

The government said it was possible there were "troublemakers" in the anglophone regions.

"But the vast majority of residents are ready and willing to vote," said Communication Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary.

Authorities have imposed a raft of security measured including a ban on inter-regional and sealing the borders.

A total of 246,000 people have fled their homes in the southwest and 25,000 have left the country altogether for Nigeria, according to UN figures.

It is thought that the displaced will struggle to cast ballots, which could favour Biya as anglophones have traditionally backed the Social Democratic Front (SDF) party of candidate Joshua Osih.

Results must be posted within 15 calendar days of the poll.&nbsp;

Yaound, Oct 7 (AFP) Cameroonians are voting in crunch presidential polls on Sunday, with octogenarian leader Paul Biya seeking a seventh term against a backdrop of unprecedented violence in the country's English-speaking regions.

Yaound, Oct 7 (AFP) Cameroonians are voting in crunch presidential polls on Sunday, with octogenarian leader Paul Biya seeking a seventh term against a backdrop of unprecedented violence in the country's English-speaking regions. The vote follows a last-minute opposition unity bid to dislodge the 85-year-old incumbent, one of Africa's longest-serving rulers. Two leading opponents have formed the first electoral union since 1992, but talks between the array of other opposition parties to create a "super-coalition" to deny Biya another seven years were apparently fruitless. In the Bastos public school in the capital Yaounde, where Biya will later cast his vote, voting was brisk throughout the morning. "I feel proud," said Patrick, 38, an airport worker after voting. "I want the next president to consolidate what we have achieved in Cameroon. I want the elections to pass off peacefully, that's my only hope for the polls." Voters in the queue were surrounded by a heavy security presence including members of the presidential guard, deployed ahead of Biya's arrival. Cameroon's 6.5 million eligible voters are casting their ballots as violence rages in the anglophone southwest and northwest, which have been rocked by a separatist insurgency launched a year ago against the mainly francophone state. The violence has claimed the lives of at least 420 civilians, 175 members of the security forces and an unknown number of separatists, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank. After voting got underway on Sunday, security forces shot dead three suspected separatists who had allegedly been firing at passersby from a motorcycle in Bamenda, the main city in the northwest region, a local official said. And in Buea, capital of the southwest, three separatists of the so-called Ambazonia Republic were gunned down on Friday while a priest was executed by soldiers on Thursday, according to witnesses. The far north is also mired in insecurity, as Nigeria-based Boko Haram fighters mount attacks despite efforts by the US to equip and train Cameroon's military to battle the jihadists. In a rare coordinated political manoeuvre, a key opposition frontrunner, Maurice Kamto, agreed late Friday to a unity deal between his Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC) and the People's Development Front (FDP), meaning he will stand for both parties. It is the first tactical tie-up since John Fru Ndi stood as the sole opposition candidate in 1992 in polls that his supporters say he won, but allege were manipulated to hand victory to Biya. However, it is unclear whether the eleventh-hour deal will sway the vote, which runs until 1700 GMT Sunday. "This alliance, though interesting for the vitality of Cameroonian democracy, may have arrived too late," said Hans de Marie Heungoup, an ICG researcher. Kamto's MRC has warned that a "massive fraud" is underway to secure a Biya win. "We're not preparing for war, but wherever there is fraud, there will be a firm response," said MRC spokesman Paul-Eric Kingue. But the government hit back, apparently in response to the MRC, saying that it would "not tolerate any disorder before, during or after the presidential vote". The opposition has long accused the authorities of supporting Biya. But despite the ubiquity of Biya's posters, he has been virtually invisible during the campaign, except for a single event last weekend. It is unclear if polling will proceed normally across Cameroon's English-speaking regions, where separatists hold a "significant" amount of territory, according to the ICG, and have threatened to disrupt the vote. A team of election officials received a military escort as they travelled to the outskirts of Buea on Sunday, according to AFP journalists. The government said it was possible there were "troublemakers" in the anglophone regions. "But the vast majority of residents are ready and willing to vote," said Communication Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary. Authorities have imposed a raft of security measured including a ban on inter-regional and sealing the borders. A total of 246,000 people have fled their homes in the southwest and 25,000 have left the country altogether for Nigeria, according to UN figures. It is thought that the displaced will struggle to cast ballots, which could favour Biya as anglophones have traditionally backed the Social Democratic Front (SDF) party of candidate Joshua Osih. Results must be posted within 15 calendar days of the poll.

Cameroon votes in presidential polls as conflict rages

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