Viet Nam News LOS ANGELES — Voters headed to the polls in eight US states for key primary elections Tuesday, with all eyes on California, where the outcome could swing the balance of power in Congress. Democrats in the country’s most populous state are battling to ensure they come out on top in several congressional districts that voted for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. However, given the state’s unusual election system in which the two top vote-getters move on to the general election in November, regardless of party affiliation, Democrats fear they may give Republicans the upper hand in some districts where they have a glut of candidates. Democrats splitting vote? “The worry is that with so many enthusiastic Democrats running for Congress, the Democrats will split up the Democratic vote and you’ll end up with one or two Republicans in the top two slots,” said Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the … [Read more...] about Key US primary elections with California in spotlight
Who votes in primary elections
Trump, Clinton win Mississippi as 4 states vote in presidential race
Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton rolled to wins in the Mississippi primary on Tuesday as four states voted in presidential nominating contests in both parties. But early results showed both presidential front-runners were in close fights in Michigan, the night's biggest prize, even though opinion polls had given both of them comfortable leads heading into the voting. With 12 percent of votes in, Trump had a narrow lead over Ohio Governor John Kasich, and Clinton slightly trailed rival Bernie Sanders with about 18 percent of the Democratic vote tallied in Michigan. Trump was hoping to restore some momentum for his campaign after a barrage of attacks from establishment Republicans and a tightening race gave new life to those seeking to block him. Trump split four nominating contests on Saturday with conservative rival Ted Cruz, who positioned himself as the prime alternative to the brash New York billionaire in the race to be the party's candidate in the Nov. … [Read more...] about Trump, Clinton win Mississippi as 4 states vote in presidential race
Combating corruption for improved quality of public services in Vietnam
Introduction Experiences from developed countries have shown that transparency, accountability and participation significantly reduce corruption, which in turn helps increase access to and improve the quality of public services. When it comes to developing countries, the links between governance, corruption and public service quality are under debate due to the prevalence of corrupt practices in public services and challenges in combating corruption in the public sector. In Vietnam, corruption has been formally and openly recognized by top leaders as a key obstacle for the country to prosper. However, it is also commonly but arguably perceived that, under a complex public sector and malfunctioning formal institutions like those in Vietnam, corruption may help "greasing the wheels", thus promoting efficiency of public services, because it creates incentives for public employees to earn their living from serving the state and its people. Efforts to promote transparency, accountability … [Read more...] about Combating corruption for improved quality of public services in Vietnam
Portugal votes in early election overshadowed by bailout
LISBON, June 5, 2011 (AFP) - Portugal voted Sunday in an early election to decide who implements a 78 billion euro bailout deal, with the opposition favourites to win after six years of Socialist rule and near financial collapse. Opinion polls give the centre-right Social Democrats (PSD), who last ruled between 2002 and 2005, around 36 percent of the vote against 31 percent for Prime Minister Jose Socrates' Socialists. PSD leader Pedro Passos Coelho campaigned on a promise to "go beyond" the demanding bailout conditions set by the International Monetary Fund and the European Union in terms of privatisations and economic reforms. "We expect a great result," the 46-year-old, who wore a blue suit jacket and stripped shirt with the top buttons undone, said as he arrived to vote at a primary school in the Lisbon suburb of Amadora. "The next two to three years will be hard. I am sure that we will make the necessary changes and Portugal will achieve prosperity. We are confident that we will … [Read more...] about Portugal votes in early election overshadowed by bailout
Divided Egypt votes in first post-Mubarak poll
Post-revolution Egypt headed to the polls Monday for a chaotic election clouded by violence and a political crisis that is intended to usher in democracy in the Arab world's most populous nation. Ten months after the end of 30 years of autocratic rule by Hosni Mubarak, ousted by popular protests in one of the seminal events of the Arab Spring, up to 40 million voters are being asked to choose a new parliament. Voting initially takes place in three stages beginning on Monday in the main cities of Cairo, Alexandria and other areas, but the drawn-out and highly complex procedure will last until March and results are due at the end of that month. The backdrop is ominous after a week of protests calling for the resignation of the interim military rulers who stepped in after Mubarak's fall. Forty-two people have been killed and more than 3,000 injured. At the Omar Makram school, in the working class central Cairo neighbourhood of Shubra, men and women queued in separate lines before the … [Read more...] about Divided Egypt votes in first post-Mubarak poll