Democracy

Meeting with European leaders over the last few days, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has played the card that proved a winner for him in the past: Their continent's security depends on Pakistan, and Pakistan's security depends on his game plan. The embattled Pakistani leader went home with far less than a resounding endorsement.

For President Bush, creating a peaceful democracy remains the overarching U.S. goal in Iraq. Last week, he again described his vision for a "stable democracy" that can "promote our common interests in the Middle East." But in two days of exhaustive testimony before the House and Senate, the top U.S. commander in Iraq said conspicuously little about democracy in that nation. That's because, without saying so publicly, U.S. war planners have moved further from those idealistic goals.

The elected president of Mauritania was ousted Wednesday in a bloodless military coup that appeared to spell the end for the Arab nation's experiment in democracy. A council led by a military commander ousted President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi and placed him and other government officials in the North African country under house arrest. There were no reports of gunfire or violence.

Myanmar's military regime handed down harsh prison sentences to 14 pro-democracy activists Tuesday, a slap in the face to the United Nations and foreign governments that have demanded reforms from the ruling generals. Some of the activists were sentenced to 65-year terms after being found guilty of rallying opposition to the junta a year ago, when a sharp rise in government-controlled fuel prices set off a wave of street protests.

Before thousands of anti-government demonstrators could finish packing up their giant woks, folding cots, golf clubs and other articles of airport occupation today, their leader was warning of the possibility of more crippling protests.

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, who is due to step down next year at the end of his second term, pledged Thursday that his successor would be chosen in a free and democratic election. Despite widespread expectations that he will choose a successor who will then become unbeatable at the ballot box, Putin said in a Kremlin news conference that he would not reveal his preference until the campaign began and that authorities must ensure a fair contest.

Every time Senegalese rapper Xuman performs onstage, he calls out to the audience, "You got the card?" The young fans reach into their pockets, pull them out and wave them: voting cards. Now his new album has delivered an even stronger message ahead of the election Sunday: a burning condemnation of 80-year-old President Abdoulaye Wade, whose seven years in office are seen by many disaffected Senegalese as either a disappointment or a downright betrayal of hope.

Police clubbed protesters and dragged them into waiting buses Saturday in response to a demonstration against the Kremlin in the heart of President Vladimir V. Putin's hometown. Several thousand members of liberal and leftist groups chanted "Shame!" as they marched down St. Petersburg's main avenue to protest what they said was Russia's rollback from democracy. The demonstration, called the March of Those Who Disagree, was a rare gathering of the country's often fractious opposition.

China is on the road to democracy, but not necessarily to Western-style democracy, China's premier said Friday, citing the country's unique concerns and the challenge of operating within a socialist framework. During a rare two-hour meeting with journalists in the cavernous Great Hall of the People, Wen Jiabao delivered a series of messages meant to reassure constituencies inside and outside the country.

Thousands of opposition supporters marched through Taipei to denounce a government campaign condemning modern Taiwan's founder, Chiang Kai-shek, for stifling the island's early attempts at democracy. Chiang exerted a tight control over Taiwan after his Nationalists fled Communist forces when they took over mainland China in 1949. The Nationalists, now the main opposition party, credit him with developing Taiwan's economy and fending off a possible Chinese invasion by building a strong army.