Democracy gives us a voice in what happens in the world.  Here then is a wrap up of ballots and bickering that may have ripple effects upon your corner of Oz.  Hey, you never know:

Residents of the Falkland Islands began a vote to determine if the disputed territory would remain part of the United Kingdom.  The result is expected to be almost unanimously for sticking with the Union Jack.  Argentina says the ballot is a mere publicity stunt that does not effect its increasingly firm claims over the islands it calls “Las Malvinas”, which Buenos Aires says are illegally occupied by the U.K.

Venezuela has set 14 April for the presidential election to replace the late Hugo Chavez who died last week after a long battle with cancer.  Recent polls indicate Chavez’s preferred successor, acting President Nicolás Maduro, is way ahead of conservative perennial candidate Henrique Capriles.  But harsh language being unleashed before the election, and that has some fearing of a rough campaign in the next few weeks.

Aung San Suu Kyi won reelection as chairwoman of Myanmar’s opposition party National League for Democracy.  The 67-year old Nobel winner is seeking closer ties with the military to help her achieve changes in Myanmar’s constitution, which was written in a way that precludes her becoming president:  It says the chief executive can’t have a child who is a citizen of a foreign country.  Both of Suu Kyi’s sons have British citizenship.

Kenya is not burning.  And riot police have been mostly unneeded following the election results that have the controversial Uhuru Kenyatta winning the presidency.  He’s denying charges at the International Criminal Court accusing him of instigating deadly violence in Kenya’s last Presidential election.  But this time around, the top two finishers are being praised for maintaining statesmanship after the closely contested ballot.  The losing challenger Raila Odinga is peacefully challenging the vote.