Of particular concern is the expected high rate of abstention. One in three people intends not to vote in the first round. Agence France-Presse on 25 May reported that Poles began voting Sunday on a new constitution which is expected to be approved in spite of criticism from the Roman Catholic Church and its allies in the Solidarity trade union movement. Reuters on 23 May reported that Cheung Chau island voters go to the polls today in local elections, their first by universal suffrage, in one of the final exercises of Hong Kong's lately established democracy under British rule. Today's The New York Times has coverage.
Voters here go to the polls today in a referendum.
They will face 14 questions in but two are clearly the most important. The first asks whether people support Congress' decision in February to remove former President Abdala Bucaram from power. The second question asks Ecuadoreans if they support Congress' decision to replace Bucaram with President Fabian Alarcon. Agence France-Presse in 24 May reported that the ruling conservative clergy suffered a huge political setback with the surprise landslide victory of moderate candidate Mohammad Khatami as the Islamic republic's new president. Radio Australia on 25 May reported that nearly 90 per cent of Iran's eligible voters took part in national presidential polls.