EVERYBODY'S DOIN' IT:

Guinea-Bissau votes in key poll (BBC, 6/19/05)

The people of Guinea-Bissau have voted to elect a president in an effort to restore stability to the impoverished, coup-prone west African state.

Among the 13 candidates are two former presidents, including Kumba Yala, who was deposed in a bloodless coup in September 2003.

His government was replaced by a civil administration headed by interim President Henrique Rosa.

Correspondents say campaigning for the election has been lively but orderly.

Long lines formed in several districts of the capital outside polling stations which opened at around 0730 GMT.

Sunday's vote aims to build on the March 2004 parliamentary elections, which were praised as "free, fair and transparent".

Rice urges Egypt to extend change (BBC, 6/20/05)

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has urged Egypt to press ahead with democratic reforms, following talks with President Hosni Mubarak.

She welcomed the recent constitutional amendment that allows for presidential elections with more than one candidate.

But she said the opposition must have access to the media and it is important to have "a sense of competition" in the poll planned for September.

Ms Rice is on a Middle East tour aimed at backing democratic change.

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 20, 2005 7:20 AM