Yearbook 2008 Monaco. The election to the National Council, the Legislative Assembly, held in February did not lead to any changes in the composition of the Council. While the Union for Monaco (UPM) received a slightly lower voter turnout than in the previous election, 52 percent was enough to retain 21 of the 24 seats….
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Moldova 2008
Yearbook 2008 Moldova. In March, after seven years as prime minister, Vasile Tarlev was replaced by former Finance Minister Zinaida Grecianii, who thus became M’s first female head of government. Grecianii emphasized the importance of freedom of the press, active dialogue with citizens and the independence of the judiciary. In April, Moldovas president and leader…
Micronesia 2008
Yearbook 2008 Micronesia Federation. Raised food prices worldwide during the first half of 2008 prompted Micronesia President. Manny Mori to appeal to the population to switch to locally produced foods. The price increases were noticed in Micronesia not least on the rice, a staple that is largely imported from Australia. Drought in Australia forced the…
Mexico 2008
Yearbook 2008 Mexico. An increasingly dominant problem in Mexico is the dramatically increased crime rate, especially the drug trafficking and the murder wave that followed in its wake. On November 18, the government sent marines and federal police to patrol the streets of the crime-stricken city of Tijuana on the border with the United States….
Mauritius 2008
Yearbook 2008 Mauritius. The mountain Le Morne in southwestern Mauritius was listed on the UN agency UNESCO World Heritage List in July. Le Morne’s caves and cliffs were used as hiding places by escaped slaves during the 18th and 19th centuries, and the mountain is therefore an important symbol of the slaves’ freedom struggle. In…
Mauritania 2008
Yearbook 2008 Mauritania. The annual Dakarrally, which is partly run in Mauritania, was canceled in January 2008 for safety reasons at short notice. The reason was that four French tourists had been killed in the vicinity of Aleg in southwestern Mauritania December 24, 2007. The French government recommended organizers to stop rallying and advised everyone…
Marshall Islands 2008
Yearbook 2008 Marshall Islands. The recalculation of some of the votes in the regular parliamentary elections in November 2007 meant that the results of the elections did not become clear until 2008. When the re-election was carried out on 5 January, the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) became the largest party with 15 seats, compared…
Malta 2008
Yearbook 2008 Malta. On 1 January, Malta introduced the euro and thus became the fifteenth country to participate in EU currency cooperation. In the election campaign ahead of the March 8 parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi pressed on the reigning Nationalist Party’s successful economic policies, including reducing the budget deficit and reducing unemployment. The…
Mali 2008
Yearbook 2008 Mali. Tuaregic rebels in northern Mali returned to arms in March, despite several previous peace agreements with the government. Several civilians were killed in rebel attacks and dozens of soldiers were taken hostage. Through mediation of Libya, a ceasefire agreement was concluded in April and the army promised to reduce its troop presence…
Maldives 2008
Yearbook 2008 Maldives. The transition to a democratic system that has been incremental since 2004 was completed in August, when President Maumun Abdul Gayum signed a new constitution. The new Constitution is inspired by the US, with a strong executive presidential power and with a clear distinction between legislative, executive and judicial bodies. ABBREVIATIONFINDER: Click…