Mexico party selects first woman presidential candidate (via BBC)

The Mexican voters choose a new president in July of this year (when the US political parties are just settling on their nominees). 

Current president Felipe Calderón is not eligible for a second term (Mexico's presidents are limited to a single six-year term).  He chose as his successor Ernesto Cordero (who was, up until September of 2011, the finance minister).

However, the PAN (National Action Party) did not agree, and chose a different candidate.  The current nominee of the PAN is Josefina Vazquez Mota , who was formerly the education minister. 

According to the BBC, though:

Opinion polls place her some distance behind the current frontrunner, Enrique Pena Nieto, the candidate of the party which ruled Mexico for more than 70 years, the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party).  

And, it is most likely that the next president will be Enrique Peña Nieto from the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party). 

The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which ruled Mexico for 71 years until 2000, leads the pack and looks set to return under the slick candidacy of Enrique Peña Nieto, a former governor of Mexico’s most populous state.  

However, there’s been some corruption corruption associated with Mr. Peña Nieto:  

It was a mere $1.8 million, stuffed as brand new bills into two suitcases on a small jet travelling from the drug-raddled state of Veracruz to the home town of the man likely to be Mexico's next president.  Suspicious? Officers from Mexico's Attorney-General's office confiscated the money last weekend during a search of the plane, which landed in Toluca, capital of the state of Mexico. They arrested the two men transporting the cash, who said they were Veracruz officials but could not present any paperwork on where the money came from.  As rumours and speculation swirled, officials in the government of Veracruz acknowledged the money (25 million pesos) was theirs. They said they'd sent it to a publicity agency to pay for promotions for a carnival.  

It happens in the US, too.

It happens in France.

It happens in Australia.

It happens in the UK, though it's been illegal since 1275...

AND because Elections ought to be free, the King commandeth upon great Forfeiture, that [no Man] by Force of Arms, nor by Malice, or menacing, shall disturb any to make free Election.

New Trial Begins for Jailed Russian Tycoon

Mikhail Khodorkovsky's trial opened today in Moscow, though it's not entirely clear what the purpose of the trial is. No, actually, the purpose is quite clear. Khodorkovsky was formerly the head of the Russian oil company Yukos. And,

Khodorkovsky, at one point estimated by Forbes magazine to hold a $15 billion fortune, built Yukos into Russia's largest oil company and defied the Kremlin by publicly criticizing its policies and lending financial support to opposition groups critical of then-President Vladimir Putin.

That puts it all together, doesn't it?

Khodorkovsky was originally arrested in 2003 on charges of tax evasion (shocking, isn't it?), tried and sentenced, in 2005, to a nine year prison term, to be served in Siberia (a long Russian tradition). He's been brought back to Moscow to face additional charges, presumably to ensure that he stays in Siberia permanently, where he can work in the prison garment factory.

If you's like to show your support for Mr. Khodorkovsky, you can visit his webpage, though you'll need to speak Russian to do so (sorry, there is an English version).

More on Mr. Khodorkovsky from Frontline

"Emblems of Corporate Corruption"

Very nice look, with a historical perspective, at the public image of Big Business. It's a British perspective, meaning close enough to understand US thinking, yet far enough to have some objectivity. I especially liked the insight about our love-hate realtionship with W**Mart.

America's most-hated companies The very bottom line Economist.com

Corruption Perceptions Index 2005 Released

This is the index from Transparency International, which the folks from the international business class should recall.

And the winners this year.....

Bangladesh is, again, the most corrupt, followed by Chad. The three most honest -- Iceland in first place, with Finland and New Zealand tied for second. The US comes in at #17.

BBC NEWS: South Asia: Bangladesh tops most corrupt list

Transparency International

Ukraine president sacks his cabinet

Just what we needed -- more depressing news. Incidentally, a lot of the background on this comes from an excellent paper written by one of this spring's graduating MBA students.

Earlier this year, the Ukrainian Orange Revolution gave us hope that not all of the former USSR was doomed to eternal corruption and tyranny (the Baltics excepted). A reform cadidate, Viktor Yushchenko, survived attempted poisoning and one rigged election to become the democratically elected president of Ukraine. (map and information) Yushchenko rose to power in part because he was seen to be highly competent -- his background was in finance and banking, and people believed that he could put the government's financial house in order and begin to eliminate corruption. In addition, Yushchnko was a good-looking, charismatic speaker (his present appearance owes a lot to the dioxin poisoning).

Fast-forward from January to September. The financial and corruption issues haven't really been addressed; according to the BBC, "infighting" among the Yushchenko administration has taken precedence over getting things done. So, yesterday, Yushchenko cleaned house; chief among the cleanees was Yulia Tymoshenko, the prime minister (head of state). Did Yushchenko want to get to work without political conflict among his top advisors? Did he want to dispose of a potential threat to his power? It's worth noting that Tymoshenko has been urged to form an opposition party or bloc. The defeated candidate for president, Viktor Yanukovich, is returing to Kiev and has "hinted he may cooperate with sacked PM Yulia Tymoshenko." Now, if you really want to go in for conspiracy theories, read this article from Pravda......

For complete coverage of this story and some background, see:

Ukraine President Sacks his Cabinet

Orange Revolution in Turmoil

Putin Still Bitter over Orange Revolution

Ukraine: Why The Road West Will Be Rocky