India, Bihar: if you want to be elected, get a toilet first

First we had “no toilet, no bride“, now you need a toilet to be elected in India. At least that’s  what chief minister Nitish Kumar is proposing for his state Bihar. He made the announcement on World Toilet Day, 19 November.

Candidates who don’t have a toilet in their home will not be allowed to contest rural (panchayat) and urban local body elections in the state.  The chief minister said he would ensure that relevant legislation (Bihar Panchayati Raj Act) would be amended to make this possible.

USA: sanitation workers figure in presidential election campaign

“We’re kind of like the invisible people. He doesn’t realize, you know, the service we provide,” says sanitation worker Richard Hayes, who has picked up the trash at Mitt Romney’s Californian house.

Hayes and fellow sanitation worker Joan Raymond appear in an online ad campaign by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The campaign suggests that Republican presidential candidate Romney is benefiting from government services while threatening to cut them back. Representing 1.6 million public service workers, AFSCME is supporting President Barack Obama in the 2012 US election.

Ghana – ‘I will solve sanitation problems when elected’ – Nduom

The Presidential Candidate of the CPP, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom says when elected President, the first 100 days of his government will focus on issues of climate change as well as sanitation. He said well meaning but ineffective efforts to deal with the problem of sanitation can engender a national cancer. Dr. Nduom stated this at a Presidential debate on environment and climate change at the Fourth Annual Environmental Film Festival in Accra.

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