Displaying items by tag: Corruption

President Nicolás Maduro won a controversial election for a new Constituent Assembly with the power to rewrite Venezuela’s constitution,  allowing him to replace the current National Assembly with an assembly of 545 members nominated by his administration. The impoverished nation - wracked by an economic crisis, hyperinflation, food shortages, medicine shortages, starvation, skyrocketing infant mortality, civil unrest and street violence - has endured months of anti-government protests with many violent deaths. Maduro said his new Assembly ‘would bring peace to a polarised country, with all branches of the government falling under the political movement.’ Two of Australia’s major trade unions pledged support for the socialist dictator of Venezuela and his Bolivarian Revolution Socialist Government while America has imposed sanctions and the international community are discussing ways to stabilise the country after allegations of election ballot fraud. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/02/venezuela-voting-fraud-corruption-allegations-protests.

Churches must be officially registered with the authorities. A recently passed new law  guaranteed religious freedom, but vague legislation banning religious activity that could ‘harm social order and/or national unity’ appears to give authorities freedom to crack down on religious freedom where it is deemed to be against the interests of the state. Vietnam’s communist government considers Christianity an opponent to the one-party state. Christians are facing harassment and violence. Gangs of nationalist youths have terrorised a Christian community in Song Ngoc, attacking a church and homes and targeting Christian business owners. Weeks of intimidation and low-level violence carried out in an orchestrated manner is being ignored by police. Church leaders helping impoverished local fishermen in a legal case following a marine pollution disaster have appealed to the authorities. Pray for church leaders to have strength as they stand against the government for the rights of poor fishermen.

After only six months, Romanian prime minister Sorin Grindeanu has been forced from power, losing a no-confidence vote in parliament by 10 votes to 241. His left-wing Social Democrat party (PSD) had accused him of failing to carry out necessary economic reforms. He had also been involved in a power struggle with party leader Liviu Dragnea, who was barred from office after a conviction for voter fraud. The decision by his own party and its allies to oust him was seen as a first, even for Romania's turbulent politics. The PSD won elections in December, but within weeks protests erupted across the country over a decree seen as weakening anti-corruption measures in one of the European Union's most corrupt member states. Although Mr Grindeanu withdrew the decree, the crisis weakened his government and soured relations between himself and Mr Dragnea. In its most recent report, the EU's executive praised Romania's anti-corruption agency (DNA), but warned that the fight against corruption was under serious threat from political and media attack.

South Africa needs change, and churches there have just completed fifty days of blessing the nation through prayer (16 April to 4 June). Human Rights Watch reports that ‘public confidence in the government’s willingness to tackle human rights violations, corruption, and respect for the rule of law has eroded’, and ‘an estimated half-million children with disabilities have no access to basic education’. The government continues to fail to combat the high rate of violence against women and the continued under-reporting of rape. The national police commissioner is deemed unfit to hold office, and xenophobic attacks on businesses and homes of refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants increase. We can stand with the South African Church and declare, ‘IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE’. Pray for an end to the spiritual drought over South Africa. Pray for God to rain down His righteousness on His Church and drench His people with power. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s power to flow like a river through the streets, families, police, commerce, industry and government. See also

Iran’s presidential election today is seen as a referendum on Hassan Rouhani’s outreach to Western nations and his nuclear deal with world powers. The following are comments by some Tehran residents: ‘- I decided not to vote; candidates do not consider the future of our youth. - People have difficulty making a living. - I will not vote, I do not know any of these candidates and I do not trust any of them. - Voting or not voting will not make any difference. - I vote because of Israel, Saudi Arabia and the enemies around my country. - The biggest challenge of Iran is the mismanagement. If the president stops the reckless use of people’s assets by officials, it is possible to improve the situation. - 80% of the young people I know are jobless even though they hold master’s degrees. - Voting is a way of showing our protest to the heads of the ruling system.’

As Papua New Guinea’s official election campaign period started, violence dominated the news. Three people were killed and more injured, following fights between supporters of two candidates. Shops, schools and businesses are shut in Kimbe. Things are very tense. The electoral commission needs another $US25 million for polling officials' allowances. The People's National Congress Party is confident it will win in two months’ time. A Christian in PNG writes, ‘Please stand with us in prayer for our elections. We are praying that no unrighteous leader will rise up again to lead our nation, and for God to intervene and establish a Kingdom-model nation.’ See also and

The UK is not the only country preparing for an election. On 4 May, Algeria’s parliamentary poll will be the first since the legislature adopted landmark constitutional reforms last year. France’s second round of voting, on 7 May, could trigger colossal changes in European politics. South Korea, in the world's most volatile region, has a presidential election on 9 May following the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. Politics in the Bahamas is expected to become nastier, dirtier, and crazier ahead of the election on 10 May, after questions over lucrative brokerage, trucking, and limousine contracts. On 19 May Iranians go to the polls (see below), and on 24 May the Cayman Islands will be voting. Many of these nations desperately need change. When people pray, God answers; may He bring judgment and promotion where he deems it should be in the coming months.

In 2014 shocking corruption was reported in Paraguay. The frontrunner in the presidential election, Horacio Cartes, described as a homophobe, was jailed after accusations of currency fraud, investigated for alleged tax evasion, and widely accused of drug trafficking. He is now President Cartes, attempting to run for office again in 2018. This decision led to protests and violent unrest. Police killed one protester. Cartes’ attempt to seek the second term in office has been through behind-the-scenes wrangling. By constitutional law he should not run for office again. The first round of talks to settle the volatile political crisis around his attempt for re-election ended with no progress on Wednesday. Oxfam reports that 90% of the land is owned by 5% of the population. The government talks about presidential re-election and constitutional amendments while the people are without schools or health services. See

A Christian in Romania writes, ‘We need prayer for President Klaus Iohannis to be strong in this time of battle against corruption. The left wing want to remove his right to nominate the general prosecutor and the director of the National Direction against Corruption. Until this time the justice representatives did their job and thousands are in prisons or attending court. The coalition majority is very corrupted. Many have committed felonies and should be in prison, but they have parliamentary immunity. Pray for those who are honest to dissociate from those corrupted and for this coalition to be dissolved. In this way we can hope for the election of a new government.’ The current law pardons politicians who commit felonies, receive bribes or offer favourable contracts for families and friends. This parliament wants to decriminalise these actions and set prisoners free. The people are demonstrating in the streets against this proposals.

Following further pressure from public protests, Romania’s parliament has agreed to hold a referendum on fighting corruption. An estimated 70,000 people took to the streets last Sunday, the thirteenth consecutive night of anti-government demonstrations. They have accused the government of attempting to water down anti-corruption laws. As reported in Prayer Alert last week, the parliament has already backed down over a planned decree that would have made the crime of abusing power punishable only if the sum exceeded 200,000 lei (£37,600). Prime minister Sorin Grindeanu withdrew the decree more than a week ago, but nightly demonstrations have continued to draw large crowds demanding the resignation of his government, which assumed power last month. On Monday, 310 lawmakers voted in favour of the referendum proposed by the president, Klaus Iohannis. The exact wording of the referendum has not yet been decided, but it is seen as a way to bolster support for the fight against corruption. See also: