Kenya's assistant Minister for Trade Omingo Magara, who is a top leader of the ruling Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), lost his parliamentary seat this week after a petition against his 2007 parliamentary victory succeeded, following months of trial.

Many of you will be familiar with Sokari Ekine who has been writing the Africa Blogging feature on Pambazuka News since 2005 as well as contributions to our C& A and book reviews. Her blog Black Looks has been submitted for this year's BOBs awards under the category of "Best Blog in English". We at Pambazuka believe she deserves our support and if you agree you can vote for Black Looks .

The African Civil Society have condemned the proposed appeal by PM of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi with French President, Nicolas Sarkozy. In proposing such an appeal, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is undermining the bold positions of our negotiators and ministers represented here, and threatening the very future of Africa.

A project entitled Promoting the Effectiveness of Democracy Protection Institutions (DPIs) in Southern Africa was recently undertaken by the Governance Institutions & Processes Programme at EISA. Eight EISA research reports (numbers 39-46) are the culmination of this regional project. Empirical research was conducted in early 2009 on the performance of 12 human rights state institutions established to promote democratic governance. Research focused on two types of DPIs in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, where they exist.

Carleton University’s Centre for Media and Transitional Societies (CMTS), in collaboration with Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), is pleased to launch a call for concept notes, in French or English, outlining proposed research examining the impact of convergence between traditional radio and new information and communications technologies (ICTs) in sub-Saharan Africa.

A dramatic ‘realignment’ in the coalition of political forces that came together at South Africa’s ruling African National Congress’ 2007 Polokwane conference – which swept Thabo Mbeki out of the presidency of the party and country and lifted Jacob Zuma to the pinnacle of power – is currently taking place, writes William Gumede in this week’s Pambazuka News.

Sokari Ekine presents a selection of posts from her favourite commentators on the arts and literature in the African blogosphere.

Petina Gappah isn’t betraying her roots by objecting to ‘being labelled the voice of Zimbabwe’, Chielo Zona Eze writes in this week’s Pambazuka News, she just doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed into the ‘transcendental role of saving the African, by telling his or her story’.

Moves to create a new leftist platform focused on addressing issues that affect people and on building socialism from the ground up rather than through state power are noble and worthy of support, Mphutlane wa Bofelo writes in this week’s Pambazuka News. But, says wa Bofelo, for the ‘soul-searching efforts to find and build a new platform for building power from below to yield a united socialist front’, they must be informed by and acknowledge the ‘multiplicity, plurality and diversity of traditions within the so-called “old left”, instead of lumping all past and present leftist and socialist/communist platforms with soviet-style communism.’

A recent round of brutality against civilians by Camara’s junta has left Guinea on the brink of civil war, Jeggan Grey-Johnson writes in this week’s Pambazuka News. The international community must intervene, Grey-Johnson argues, as left unchecked the instability could have grave consequences, not just for Guinea but also for its neighbouring countries, many of which are ‘still recovering from the horrors of war and brutality’.

‘Active and engaged public intellectuals play a crucial role in the ongoing life of democratic societies’, perhaps even more so in new democracies like South Africa, William Gumede and Leslie Dikeni write in this week’s Pambazuka News. In an extract from their new book, ‘The Poverty of Ideas’, Gumede and Dikeni make the case for opening up the ‘space for debate, dissent and public dialogue’ and reversing a culture of intolerance that flourished under the Mbeki administration.

Following the recent Namibian elections, Henning Melber discusses the results of the National Assembly and presidential votes. With President Hifikepunye Pohamba achieving re-election, long-time dominant political force Swapo (South West Africa People's Organisation) has retained the reins of power, a power that it will need to exercise in the interests of peace and stability, Melber cautions.

The United Nations Democracy Fund is now accepting applications from civil society organizations to apply for funding for projects to advance and support democracy. Project proposals should be submitted on-line before December 31, 2009.

Burkina Faso is one of continent’s main producers with cotton making up about 60 per cent of its export revenues. Yet Africa’s textile producers still prefer to buy their cotton from America or Asia instead.

Corruption in Kenya has been a challenge since colonial times and the enthusiasm to fight it seems to be diminishing if Kenya’s poor score on the 2009 TI Corruption Perception Index is anything to go by. Kenya now ranks with Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone and well below Nigeria. This publication is an extract form a forthcoming report which reviews the effectiveness of the KACC after five years of it existence. (AFRICOG)

Matteo Fraschini Koffi writes of his experiences of racism in Italy, the brutal treatment of fellow individuals of African ancestry in the country, and how the problem should be overcome.

Looking back on the September attacks on Abahlali baseMjondolo members in Kennedy Road, Durban, Raj Patel profiles the views of key Abahlali activists including S’bu Zikode, Zodwa Nsibande and Mazwi Nzimande. Though strongly disrupted by the African National Congress-led (ANC) attack in September, Abahlali has continued to meet, while the absence of its leaders from the Kennedy Road settlement has illustrated the deficiencies of the ANC.

The controversial re-arrest of Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJP) opposition chair Birtukan Midheksa exposes the efforts of Meles Zenawi's government to crush its political opponents, writes Etyopian Simbiro. As Ethiopia's 2010 elections draw ever closer, Midheksa's role as 'the darling of the pro-democracy movement' has seen further damage inflicted on the position of the government. While it remains to be seen whether Midheksa's inspirational experience can translate into concrete political action, in the meantime, Simbiro contends, it is in everybody's interests that she be set free by the country's government.

Countries taking part in Africa's most detailed survey of research and innovation to date have been given a three-month extension to gather the required data. The extension was granted at a workshop for the African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (ASTII) initiative that took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last week (30 November – 3 December).

‘Whatever our culture, we must treat animals in a humane way,’ William Gumede writes in this week’s Pambazuka News, following the recent approval of South African courts for the sacrifice of a bull as part of a traditional thanksgiving ritual. ‘African culture has a long tradition of democratic practices,’ writes Gumede, but it also ‘has some very autocratic practices’ and it isn’t wrong to admit this or to say ‘let’s discard such aspects’.