The Capitals: From Lisbon to Delhi, inside world's longest spring of elections

In New Delhi this weekend, the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the biggest election exercise in human history so far.Up for a vote are all 543 constituenciesfor the reconstitution of the 18thLok Sabha, India’s lower house of Parliament, with the winning party selecting the country’s prime minister and forming a government.

"We will take democracy to every corner of the country," the chief election commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, said at a press conference in New Delhi announcing the voting dates, which will take place across six weeks.

India Elections 2024: Voting schedulefor the constitution of 18th Lok Sabha | WION

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A total of 970 million people are eligible to vote in the election. This is more than the populations of the US, European Union and Russia combined.

More than a million polling stations will act as the lifeblood of the world's biggest democratic exercisein an operation staffed by 15 million poll workers, the election commission said.

In 2019, the National Democratic Alliance led by BJP got 353 members elected.

17th Lok Sabha Results | WION

Also watch |India, US, UK, Bangladesh, Pakistan: 2024 the Biggest Election Year ever?

Lisbon, Portugal

For the democratic control of the Portuguese capital, the country's general election handedthe centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD)a slim victory, setting the stage for a potentially unstable governing scenario without an outright majority.

The far-right party Chega issued warnings of instability if it is not included in the government coalition.

The Democratic Alliance (AD) secured 80 seats in the 230-seat legislature, edging out the Socialists who won 77 seats.

The story of the Portugal elections is the rise of Chega, literally meaning "enough". The far-right partyemerged as a significant player secured third place and quadrupled its parliamentary representation to 48 lawmakers.

File photo of far-right political party Chega leader Andre Ventura during a rally in Lisbon | Reuters

The result of these elections marks a new political chapter in Portugal after alternate governance by two mainstream parties for the past 50 years.

Moscow, Russia

The Russian corridors of power are poised to stay withPresident Vladimir Putin in what is expected to be a landslide victory for the former KGB spy in the country's presidential elections that concluded on March 17.

Electronic screens on the facade of a building show an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow | Reuters

Putin, who rose to the presidency in 1999, is on track to secure another six-year term, a distinction that would make himRussia's longest-serving leader in over two centuries, surpassing Josef Stalin.

The voting also took place in what Moscow says are its new territories, parts of internationally-recognised Ukrainian territories captured by Russia during the war in Ukraine.

The votes were polled even asUkraine launched attacks on Russian oil refineries, shelled regions within Russia, and attempted to breach Russian borders with proxy forces.

At polling stations in Russian diplomatic missions across Asia and Europe, sizable crowds gathered, with hundreds of demonstrators voicing their opposition. Notably, Yulia Navalny, wife of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, made an appearance at the Russian embassy in Berlin where she wasgreeted by cheers and chants of support.

Cairo, Egypt

Three key Libyan leaders announced their agreement to establish a new unified government during a meeting convened in Cairo at the invitation of the Arab League. This government would play a definingrole in supervising long-awaited elections in what could be a potential turning point in the country's tumultuous political history. Libya descended into chaos during the 2010-11 anti-Gaddafi revolution. The crisis was exacerbated after the NATO forces intervened in the country in March 2011, an event that culminated in the brutal death ofColonel Muammar Gaddafi.

The leaders involved in thisagreement include the President of the Presidential Council (PC) Mohamed Menfi, Head of the High State Council (HSC) Mohamed Takala, and Aguila Saleh, Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) in Benghazi.

Their joint statement underscored a collective commitment to advance the political process.

The three leaders outlined their vision for a unified government and called upon the international community, as well as the UN Mission in Libya, to lend their support to this critical endeavour.

The agreement among Libya's key leaders signals a crucialmoment in the nation's quest for peace and stability.Libya now expects tochart a new course towards democracy and prosperity.

Paris, France

This photo from Oct 2023 shows a view through a fence shows the Russian Olympic Committee headquarters in Moscow | Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Russia will be urged to adhere to a ceasefire in Ukraine during the Paris Olympics later this summer.

During an interview, the interviewer, speaking through an interpreter, said, "The demand for a ceasefire during the Olympics. They (the Russians) must do this. That is what has always happened." Macron, responding in French, affirmed the intention to request such action, stating, "It will be requested."

Macron added, "The rule of the host country is to move in step with the Olympic movement," underscoring the message of peace. He further expressed the commitment to follow the decision of the Olympic Committee.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has previously condemned Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, citing a breach of the Olympic Truce. The truce aims to utilise the power of sports to foster peace and dialogue globally.