Guardian.co.uk
13 May 2010
From Zimbabwe to Belize, how the world waited to discover who would run Britain next – and what they think of the outcome.
Russian coverage of the vote may say more about Russia itself than its attitude to Britain. Komsomolskaya Pravda, the country’s biggest tabloid, made a big show of Gordon Brown’s meeting with the Queen, in which he was reported to have personally nominated David Cameron as his successor. That’s not quite how it works, but it’s something Russian readers will understand. President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Cameron, saying: “Russia views all-embracing cooperation and establishment of equal partnership with Great Britain as a major direction in its foreign policy.”
Miriam Elder
France
“For several days,” remarked journalist Pierre Rousselin in France’s rightwing daily Le Figaro, “London political life – in general so well ordered – seemed Levantine.” During the post-election chaos the French could hardly mask their mirth at the sight of the British stiff upper lip wobbling over the intricacies of the country’s electoral system, but the appointment of David Cameron as prime minister soon put an end to the glee. “A marriage of reason at 10 Downing Street,” headlined Le Monde, declaring that “British fair play” had won out in the end. But the paper added Britain’s budget deficit meant Cameron and Clegg will only be able to offer their countrymen “blood, sweat and tears”.
Lizzy Davies
The People’s Daily predicted an ebbing of the UK’s influence in world affairs as the new government focused on domestic issues to reassure an unhappy electorate. “The main area of compromise is likely to be foreign policy,” noted the mouthpiece of the Communist party. “Britain may well enter an era in which it lacks sparkle on the world stage.” The Sina website had kind words for Gordon Brown, who was described as a strong economist who was unfortunate to come to power at a time of great turmoil. It predicted more instability ahead. “Running a coalition government at this moment is going to be very difficult.”
Jonathan Watts
In Afghanistan, people know that it is American elections and the complexion of US administrations that really matter, and the British elections have received scant coverage. Daud Sultanzoi, an independent member of parliament, said the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition was “a very interesting mix of red hot pepper and ice – the mellowness of one side and the heat of the other, I hope will create a balance that is good for the people of not only Britain, but Afghanistan too. I hope that left and right can swing to the middle. Right now, the hottest issue for them is this region’s problems.”
Saeed Shah
Iraqis have been captivated by the British election, not so much for who won, but for how relatively little time it took for a new leader to start work. More than two months after their own hung parliament, neither a political coalition nor a leader are within sight. “We could learn something from Britain,” said a weary Iyad Allawi, who won the popular vote here, but unlike the conservative prime minister, has had no such luck luring a partner. The head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Jaber Habib, said: “We hope … the new British prime minister will continue to fulfil Britain’s commitment to democracy in Iraq and he will not consider Iraq as a burden from the ex-government.”
In a country with possibly the most violent political coalition of all David Coltart, education minister and MDC member, said: “The big difference is how a hung parliament is dealt with in Britain and Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe there was some of the worst violence in decades. In Britain it’s been a genteel process of negotiation and reaching an agreement. So we have many lessons to learn from Britain.” Jonathan Moyo, central committee member and MP for Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF, saw it rather differently. “Britain’s reputation as the mother of parliaments is not even tarnished; it’s gone. It’s become some kind of grandmother rather than a mother. The grandmother is now dead.”
David Smith
There was considerable interest in the UK election in Belize, the small central American country that Lord Ashcroft, the Conservative party’s most generous donor, calls home. Harry Lawrence, publisher of the Reporter newspaper, who has watched Ashcroft’s Belizean affairs closely, said there was concern among some that the Conservatives might “get back” at Belize because of various financial disputes between Belize and “The Lord” – as Ashcroft is known there. “We hope that the Liberal Democrats will be a restraining influence even though William Hague is foreign secretary,” said Lawrence. Lawrence said there were fears that British aid for poverty alleviation in Belize could be cut or that Britain might reduce – or even remove – a training base in Belize.
Mark Tran