SEVEN COUNTRIES WENT TO THE POLLS SUNDAY: HERE’S WHAT WAS AT STAKE
Canada isn’t the only country facing a significant shakeup of its political leadership. Elections were held around the world on Sunday. Here’s a look at seven countries and how they are or are not different today, by the numbers. Guatemala Politics in Guatemala is no laughing matter, but that didn’t stop former TV comedian Jimmy Morales from winning a runoff vote to become president. Morales won by a landslide, earning 67.4 per cent of the vote, more than double that of former first lady Sandra Torres, who was considered by some to represent the country’s political elite. Anti-corruption protests and aggressive prosecutors drove the country’s last elected president out of office and into jail. Ivory Coast Ivory Coast voters went to the polls Sunday for the first time since a disputed vote five years ago led to conflict that killed thousands of people. Incumbent President Alassane Ouattara is expected to defeat a divided opposition and win enough of the vote to avoid a runoff, but the results won’t be known until the end of the week. Three of the original 10 candidates dropped out of the race citing concerns about fairness. Poland Conservative Law and Justice Party vice-chairwoman Beata Szydlo is set to become Poland’s third female prime minister. The party — which opposes adopting the euro and is anti-migrant — won 37.6 per cent of the vote and enough seats to govern alone, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in 26 years. The election also marked the first time in Poland’s post-communist history that no left-wing party won a single seat in Parliament. Republic of Congo A referendum was held to decide whether the constitution of the Republic of Congo should be changed to allow the country’s longtime president to run for another term. Under current laws, President Denis Sassou N’Guesso, 71, will be too old to seek re-election when his second seven- year term expires next year. The referendum asked voters to eliminate the two-term limit for presidents, as well as the 70-year-old age limit for candidates. Tanzania Long lines marked an unusually high turnout as Tanzanians went to the polls Sunday. Chama Cha Mapinduzi, the current ruling party, has been in power for 54 years but faces a strong challenge from the Ukawa coalition, led by former prime minister, Edward Lowassa. Lowassa defected from the CCM earlier this year after failing to win the party’s presidential nomination. Results are not expected until mid-week. Ukraine The results of Ukraine’s local elections won’t have national repercussions, but they are seen by some as a way to measure the power of President Petro Poroshenko’s government and the strength of the oligarchs that run parts of this country. Exit polls indicated the governing coalition remains popular in the west and centre of the country, while the south and east favoured the Opposition Bloc. Voting did not take place in regions of eastern Ukraine that are controlled by Russia-backed rebels. Argentina For the first time in Argentina’s history an election will have to be decided by a second round. The vote spread between Buenos Aires mayor Mauricio Macri, at 34.5 per cent, and ruling party candidate Daniel Scioli, at 36.7 per cent, was so tight it forced a runoff. Scioli, a former powerboat racer, was picked by President Cristina Fernandez, a controversial figure who is constitutionally barred from running for a third term.