The Overview: 06.05.08

After an ignominious world tour, the Olympic torch arrived in China, where there will probably be less bad press, but not necessarily less badness.

There is no shortage of world leaders drunk on their own power, but surely Turkmenistan's previous president, Saparmurat Niyazov, deserves special mention. The current president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamadov, has ordered a massive statue of his predecessor moved from the centre of the capital, Ashgabat, where it looms over everything. Previously, Berdymukhamadov scrapped a plan to name the months and days of the week after Niyazov. See also: Papa Bongo in Gabon.

Evo Morales has declared invalid the results of the volatile weekend referendum in Bolivia's Santa Cruz province, in which 80 percent of voters supported greater autonomy for the region. Again, great analysis, news, and background at the Democracy Centre's blog, which notes:

At a practical level, the Morales government and Santa Cruz leaders remain in a stalemate. Those things that Santa Cruz leaders can do without national government permission they will likely do, such as creating a state-level police force and blocking Morales’ efforts at land reform. Morales, who spent today playing soccer in La Paz, will not send in the Bolivian army to stop them. That would actually bring civil war.

Two women activists received prison sentences in Iran, where a repressive crackdown against women is ongoing.

In Kenya, efforts have begun to return the 140,000 people displaced by post-election violence.

Further readings: How the Maoist victory in Nepal affects India on OpenDemocracy; Gender equality vs. religious freedom in the Guardian; the BBC on Clinton, Obama, and the popular vote; and the NY Times on Kuwait's frustration with democracy.