Kameel Majdali's Road Ahead

First, there was the UK ‘In or Out’ Referendum on European Union membership on June 23, 2016. Despite the support of business, media, major political parties, and the UK Prime Minister himself, the ‘Leave Campaign,’ popularly known as ‘BREXIT,’ prevailed. Immediately, the pound sterling dropped to a 30 year low, the stock market fell, and the global economy was shaken. On the other side of the world, Australia went to the polls on July 2nd in a ‘double-dissolution’ election. This means that all seats in the Australian parliament, the House of Representatives and the Senate, were up for grabs. By all accounts, the fact that the election was on a knife’s edge for days afterwards, and the prospect of continued political instability, does not bode well for the ‘land down under.’ The ruling Liberal-National Coalition government, led by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, asked to be returned to power for a second term. Mr. Turnbull, who was not originally elected as PM, successful...

THE QUESTION: Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union  or leave the European Union?’ Remain a member of the European Union   [    ]  Leave the European Union                            [   ] On the morning of June 24, 2016, the United Kingdom and the world woke up to the news that on the previous day the electorate, 52% to 48% with a 72% turnout, voted to leave the 28-member European Union (EU). Britain’s 43 years of membership is coming to an end. A four-month long, bitterly fought campaign between those that wanted to remain in the EU (called Bremain ) and those who wanted to leave ( Brexit - British exit ) has culminated in a shock result - Brexit prevailed, though it was the underdog (BREMAIN had the support of key British political leaders, business leaders, billion...

United Kingdom: The UK went to the polls on May 7, 2015, with a 66% turnout. Current Prime Minister David Cameron, in power since 2010, was in coalition with the Liberal Democrats because he failed to gain a majority. During the 2015 campaign, the media and pollsters said there would be another hung parliament. The ultra left-wing Scottish National Party (SNP), led by Nicola Sturgeon, was poised for a landslide victory of taking seats in Scotland at the expense of Ed Milliband and the UK Labour Party. She promised to prop up Mr. Milliband and put him at Number 10 Downing Street - but at a price: at least GBP 148 billion of borrowing, spending and entitlements. The SNP was the party that agitated for the failed independence referendum in September 2014 and will not fail to try again if they got a chance. To the surprise of everyone, David Cameron and the Conservative Tory party won 331 seats, up by 25, thus giving them a clear majority without the need of a coalition. Labour had...

In less than 5 months in 2015, three national elections have been held where the results were a shock. An upset win. Totally unexpected, especially by the pollsters and the media. After three in a row, it is time for comment. The three countries involved: Sri Lanka, Israel, and the United Kingdom. Sri Lanka: The Sri Lankan election was held on January 8, 2015. Incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa was heading for an easy victory. In power since 2005, he is the man who presided over the end of the blood-filled Sri Lankan civil war of 1983-2009. He finally defeated the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) and its effective, ruthless leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. Having won the war, Rajapaksa proceeded to consolidate and lengthen his hold on power. After changing the constitution to abolish presidential term limits, Rajapaksa took his nation down the pathway of autocratic rule: media freedom were curbed, an authoritarian style came in, plus there were accusations of corruption, nepotism, poor...