Take 5 Elections

US

President Obama formally launched his re-election campaign on Monday by releasing a video on his official website and sent an e-mail to supporters announcing his plans. The video focuses on grassroot campaigners who were seen as a key to his election success in 2008. Were doing this now because the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas,but with youwith people organising block-by-block,talking to neighbours,co-workers,and friends, he said in an e-mail.

Canada

After Stephen Harpers Conservative government was toppled in a no-confidence vote on March 25,elections have been slated for May 2. Governor General David Johnston granted Harpers request to dissolve Parliament,paving the way for the fourth election in seven years. Harpers Opposition,comprising the Liberals,New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois parties,passed a no-confidence motion by a vote of 156-145 on March 25,following which the legislature was dissolved.

Kazakhstan

President Nursultan Nazarbayev recorded a 95 per cent victory on Sunday in elections that observers said fell well short of democratic standards. The Central Election Commission said the first official results showed he had won 95.5 per cent of the vote after a mass turnout of 89.9 per centboth figures bettering his performance in his last re-election in 2005. Nazarbayev,70,has ruled the country unchallenged since the 1980s,when it was still part of the Soviet Union.

Nigeria

The country has postponed its parliamentary elections till next April 9the vote was supposed to initially take place on April 2,but staff and papers failed to materialise at polling stations around the country. While parliamentary elections will be held on April 9,the presidential election will be on April 16 and the election for governorship and state assembly polls will be on April 26. The Peoples Democratic Party has won all three elections since the end of military rule in 1999.