Smacks Ahoy!

The results are in: New Zealand voters overwhelmingly back smacking as part of good parental correction, and do not believe it should be made a criminal offense. So the debate over corporal punishment will continue for the foreseeable future, though Prime Minister John Key of the center-right National Party recently stated,

"My view is the law is working as was intended but I think the very strong message that comes through from this referendum is that New Zealand parents don't want to see themselves or their neighbours or anybody else criminalised for lightly smacking a child."

Key made known his distaste for the wording of the referendum from the start, and many "Yes" supporters said the question was leading, accounting for the lopsided result of the vote. So decide for yourself,

Once again, the question, as posed by main-in ballot:

Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?

And the result:

Yes------------201 541------------11.98%
No-----------1 470 755-----------87.40%

Election News Snapshot - Afghanistan

Despite threats from an increasingly insurgent Taliban, voters turned out for today's Presidential election in Afghanistan, albeit at lower levels than the first go-round in 2004. Early predictors indicate another victory for current President Hamid Karzai, though he probably will not pull enough of the vote to avoid a runoff. His likely opponent in a second round would be Abdullah Abdullah, the candidate representing the United National Front - a hodgepodge of parties mainly representing the multi-ethnic Northern tribes. Karzai is an independent, although his main support comes from the majority Pashtun South. The disparate backgrounds of the two leading candidates lent an ethnic tinge to the campaign that would have dominated headlines had it not been for the brutal Taliban offensive.

End of Democracy in Niger?

Though results have not yet been released, chances are today's Constitutional Referendum in Niger will pass, giving President Mamadou Tandja new sweeping powers, including unlimited terms in office. Opposition leaders, such as former Prime Minister Mohamadou Issoufou called on "sincere democrats and patriots" to boycott the election, and the Associated Press reported that turnout was very low. The referendum will also turn the National Assembly into a bicameral legislature, likely abolishing the post of Prime Minister, making the President both Head of State and Head of Government.