NDI - Debates

A Historic Debate | Jan. 10, 2013

fstovall — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:14:36 +0000

Trinidad and Tobago Newsday | Link to story »

BEGINNING at 8:05 tonight, the Trinidad and Tobago Debates Commission (TTDC) will facilitate a debate between the leaders of the political parties contesting the upcoming Tobago House of Assembly Elections which will be carried live on major television and radio stations across the country.

The TTDC received technical assistance from the US National Democratic Institute and the Jamaica Debates Commission to both establish the Commission and plan the debate for Local Government.

Link to story »

The Case for Political Debates | Jan. 3, 2013

fstovall — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:10:17 +0000

Trinidad and Tobago Newsday | Link to story »

WITH the Tobago Hose of Assembly election date having been called, the Trinidad and Tobago Debates Commission will be hosting a Leaders’ Debate among the political leaders in the Tobago on January 10, 2013, for which plans are already well advanced.

Countries around the world are fast recognising the benefits of independently run political debates before national elections.

Link to story »

Report on Survey Findings from the 2012 Commune Council Candidate Debates

fstovall — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:36:26 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

09/01/2012

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

In May, 2012, NDI organized 10 public debates for candidates competing in the June 3, 2012, commune council elections. To promote a wider audience than the public in attendance, NDI recorded and broadcast the debates prior to the election on three Cambodian radio stations. NDI commissioned a Cambodian research firm to conduct a 1,200 person survey from Aug. 16 to Sept. 4, 2012, approximately three months after the debates and election occurred.

Thirteen percent of respondents reported listening to the debates on the radio, equivalent to almost one million of the Cambodian adult population. Among the respondents who reported listening:

79% said the debates changed their opinion of one or more of the political parties or their candidates;
82% reported the debates treated the candidates fairly and respectfully;
89% said the candidates spoke to the issues that are most important to them and their family; and
85% reported the debates increased their confidence in election fairness in Cambodia.

English

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Read the report	1.2 MB

A Bipartisan Vision for 21st Century American Foreign Policy | Oct. 26, 2012

fstovall — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 20:41:05 +0000

CNN | Link to story »

I was in the auditorium at Lynn University - a place dedicated to educating a diverse student body from 87 nations. Worldwide press, 40% of which was international, was covering the debate. And through a partnership between the Commission for Presidential Debates and the National Democratic Institute, foreign delegations were learning how to develop their own candidate debates.

A perfect teachable moment to showcase (more) civility and comity about America's intentions. Though not as warm or humorous as the Al Smith dinner four days earlier, the candidates performed well for a worldwide audience.

Link to story »

Sierra Leone: Presidential Candidates' Debate October 30th | Oct. 15, 2012

fstovall — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 20:17:09 +0000

Patriotic Vanguard | Link to story »

Eight organisations, led by the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), have reached agreement with the two main presidential candidates for the first head-to-head Presidential Debate in the history of Sierra Leone, according to a SLAJ press release sent to us.

The other organisations are Democracy Sierra Leone, Campaign for Good Governance, Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation, BBC Media Action, National Democratic Institute (NDI), Action Aid Sierra Leone, Search for Common Ground (SFCG) and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).

Link to story »

International Visitors Share Experiences on Organizing Debates

fstovall — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:16:59 +0000

With the 2nd U.S. presidential debate as a backdrop, 25 visitors from 12 countries came to Hofstra University in New York in mid-October to exchange information about putting on debates in their own countries and witness first-hand the intricacies of organizing the Oct. 16 matchup between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney.

Janet Brown, executive director, Commission on Presidential Debates; Trevor Fearon, advisor, Jamaica Debates Commission

The visitors’ countries – Argentina, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, Serbia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Tunisia – are in different stages of debate development. But all share the belief that debates benefit new democracies in many ways, including helping voters make an informed choice at the ballot box, reducing the potential for violence in countries coming out of civil war, encouraging candidates to focus on public policy issues rather than personality and holding elected officials accountable to their campaign promises after elections.

The visit was sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) and NDI in collaboration with Hofstra. The CPD, in partnership with NDI, has since 1994 assisted debate sponsors around the world to take advantage of their collective expertise and help each other organize debates for the first time or make improvements where debates have taken place before. The assistance is based on the two organizations’ experience with more than 200 debates in 30 countries.

Many of the visitors were representatives of the International Debates Network, an organization created in 2009 with CPD and NDI assistance that now has 17 member countries.

While at Hofstra, the visitors got a backstage look at the production and organization of a “town hall” style debate. They visited the set and sat on chairs that would be occupied on debate day by 80 uncommitted voters chosen by an independent public opinion survey to ask questions of the presidential candidates. Executive producer Martin Slutsky laid out the debate’s production details including the moderator’s role in facilitating discussion, camera positions and timing lights for the candidates.

Earlier, CPD staff discussed debate formats, ticketing procedures, arrangements for the 3,500 U.S. and international media covering the debate, how debate rules are set, debate-related Internet voter education activities, and a host of operational and logistical details that go into debate preparation. They also talked with CPD leaders and staff, public safety officials and Hofstra representatives, who discussed what goes into hosting a debate and the more than 100 courses and activities designed to engage students, faculty and the community in the debates.

On debate night, the visitors were all in the Hofstra arena to watch the candidates face off. In a pre-debate program, CPD Executive Director Janet Brown recognized their presence as a “network that goes very far in time and mileage of people who are helping each other start debates in their own countries…”

An important part of the meeting was the information the visitors shared among themselves. Some of the countries represented, such as Ghana, Nigeria, Colombia and Jamaica, have considerable experience in debate organization, which they were able to share with the group and especially with colleagues from Argentina, Egypt and Tunisia, which are just beginning to move in that direction.

NDI and the CPD have carried out debate programs in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East; hosted the forum that led to the establishment of the International Debates Network; initiated a web-based debate resource center and commenced a comparative guide to organizing debates. NDI and the CPD have received support for debates programs from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.K. Department for International Development and the National Endowment for Democracy.

Supporting the Global Movement for Candidate Debates

The printed program provided to the audience present for each of the three 2012 U.S. presidential debates and the vice presidential match up included a reference to the international work that the Commission on Presidential Debates and NDI do together. Here is a brief excerpt:

“Presidential debates in the United States are watched in real time by audiences worldwide. Increasingly, other countries – particularly emerging democracies – believe that starting their own debate traditions will strengthen their electoral processes…

“The CPD, in partnership with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), helps debate sponsors around the world pool their expertise and assist each other, both in organizing debates for the first time and improving debates where they have taken place before…”

Haitian Presidential Debates

The program also includes a brief case study of the work the CPD, NDI and the Jamaican Debates Commission did together to help with the organization of debates for Haiti’s last presidential election.

“As the country was continuing to recover and rebuild from the devastating 2010 earthquake that claimed more than 200,000 lives and left more than a million homeless, the Public Affairs Intervention Group (GIAP) of Haiti organized seven presidential debates for 19 candidates that were broadcast nationally on more than 30 radio and television stations. The CPD, NDI and Jamaican Debates Commission assisted GIAP over a period of several months as the group planned and held the debates. GIAP’s final March 2011 debate for the run-off election between Mirlande Manigat and now president Michel Martelly reached an estimated 71 percent of Haitians. GIAP also facilitated a joint appearance by both candidates at the conclusion of the debate where they encouraged Haitians to vote, sending a message of tolerance to their respective supporters to refrain from the street violence that has historically plagued Haitian elections.”

Related:

Published Oct. 22, 2012

International Visitors at Hofstra to Hold Press Conference to Discuss Value of Organizing Debates in Their Countries

fstovall — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:42:21 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute, Commission on Presidential Debates

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute, Commission on Presidential Debates

Published Date:

10/15/2012

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

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Gwen Ifill Debunks Five Myths About Presidential Debates

dleonard — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 21:27:16 +0000

Source:

The Washington Post

Article Link:

Published Date:

09/28/2012

In The Washington Post, Gwen Ifill, the former moderator of the two most recent vice presidential debates, debunks the “many misconceptions about these events and their impact on a race.”

Ifill writes that while “televised presidential debates serve to focus the mind,” they are only “part” of a voters’ decision-making process. Ifill also disputes the myth that candidates pre-approve questions beforehand, recalling the extensive measures she took to protect her questions.

She explains that the role of the moderator is never to argue with the candidates. “Why, after all, are there two candidates on stage if not to debate each other?” Ifill also notes that he “who zings” does not always win, citing many scathing comments, including one between Walter Mondale and Ronald Reagan in 1984 that had no effect on the election outcome.

Finally, Ifill notes that sometimes candidates can be defined more by “Saturday Night Live” than by the debates. Conceding that, “a dead-on impersonation that lampoons a candidate’s most cartoonish qualities can leave a nasty mark.”

'Rec na Rec:' Serbian Debates Connect People with Politicians

fstovall — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 21:02:38 +0000

As Serbia’s eight million citizens geared up for elections, a series of nationally televised debates, called Rec na Rec (Word on Word), connected voters with candidates.

A Rec na Rec parliamentary debate held April 26

Serbian politics in the past decade have been characterized largely as a contest between pro-western democrats and revisionist nationalists, as the country sought to remake itself as a stable democracy after the disastrous rule of Slobodan Milosevic ended in 2000. The 2008 victory of pro-European Boris Tadic and his Democratic Party (DS) heralded a repudiation of the Milosevic era and opened a path toward eventual membership in the European Union (EU). But ensuing economic woes, a complicated democratic reform agenda, consternation around Kosovo’s independence from Serbia, and a new center-right option in the pro-EU Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) conspired against the government in general elections this past May.

Voters came to the election seeking change and change they made, handing power to SNS leader Tomislav Nikolic, who bested Tadic in their presidential run-off. Ivica Dacic, who succeeded Milosevic as leader of the Serbian Socialist Party, is to serve as the country’s new prime minister.

As the country’s eight million citizens geared up for the elections, polling conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) revealed their disenchantment with the political process and desire for substantive public dialogue about economic and social reform in such areas as job creation and health care. To help address this need, Serbia’s Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID) and Radio Televizija Srbija (RTS), in partnership with NDI, sought to break new ground with a series of nationally televised debates, called Rec na Rec (Word on Word), to connect voters with candidates. Support came from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

From the Debates

During the presidential run-off debate, Tadic sought to provide rationale for the actions his party (DS) has taken and what they would do should he be re-elected. Tadic offered his thoughts on the economy - a major issue in the election - including his plan to reach out to foreign companies to bolster investment in Serbia: "Without big investments we cannot solve unemployment. That is why foreign policy is important for the economy." Nikolic, on the other hand, took the opportunity to point out some flaws in the DS-led government, saying: "I would like to hear if it is really on the agenda of DS to combat corruption and to change the public procurement act."

The debates gave parties and candidates the opportunity to present clear policy positions and presented voters with information they could use to hold office holders accountable after the election. The U.S. Commission on Presidential Debates, which has worked with NDI on debate programs around the world since 1987, provided technical assistance with debate rules, format and production.

Modeled on the U.S. presidential debates, the Serbian series provided a constructive environment for political dialogue in an electoral process that is often marred by name-calling, shouting and little mutual respect among candidates. For three consecutive Thursday nights in April and May, representatives of the seven political party groupings in the National Assembly presented their platforms and policies in three, prime time debates. The debates captured an average 42 percent share of the television audience, some 1.7 million viewers. For the presidential runoff debate between Nikolic and Tadic, nearly 50 percent of the Serbian TV audience – approximately 2.5 million viewers – tuned in.

In advance of those debates, which originated in the RTS Belgrade studio without a live audience, the political parties agreed on the issues to be discussed, and the theme of each debate was tailored to citizen concerns as determined by the IRI poll. The final topics were social issues, including health care; the economy, unemployment and the national debt; and Serbia’s foreign policy, including the politically-charged issue of Kosovo independence and EU integration. At times, the debates resembled a joint press conference. There were several charged moments as candidates exchanged views on corruption and the economic outlook for the young people of Serbia.

In addition, there were 15 local debates held throughout the country hosted by the Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability, an NDI grantee. Conducted in theaters, auditoriums, municipal council chambers and youth centers, these debates allowed citizens to pose questions directly to party representatives. Among the topics were economic development, reducing unemployment, environmental protection, health care reform and youth policy. A recurring theme was the lack of transparency in local budgeting and the need for more safeguards against the misuse of public funds.

In a poll conducted by the Serbian media company B92 and Ipsos Strategic Marketing after the presidential debate, 12.5 percent of viewers said they changed their minds about which candidate to support after watching the debate. The sample size was 1,002 respondents.

Looking to the future, Rec na Rec is becoming a permanent part of Serbia’s political landscape with assistance from CeSID, which received NDI training in organizing and staging debates, and RTS, which has agreed to promote and televise debates for future elections.

Related:

Published August 6, 2012. Updated August 7, 2012.

Cambodians Emphasize Issues Over Personality at Local Debates

dleonard — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 20:02:11 +0000

Before heading to the polls to elect local representatives on June 3, Cambodian voters learned about political parties’ platforms at 10 public debates held around the country. Cambodia has 1,633 commune councils – a governing body with five to 11 members responsible for the oversight of land use, licensing and development for approximately 10 villages. In this predominantly rural nation, commune councils serve an important role in establishing trust at the local level between government and citizens.

Building on its experience organizing debates for the 2002 and 2007 commune council elections, NDI organized the debates to help candidates clarify and share their parties’ message. The Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has ruled national politics for nearly three decades, while opposition parties have struggled to play a larger role. Debates provide voters with information beyond posters and rallies to learn about each party’s campaign message, allowing for a substantive exchange of ideas. To further the impact of the debates, the Ministry of Information allowed them to be broadcast on the radio, giving candidates a rare opportunity to share campaign messages with a national audience, in addition to the more than 7,000 people who attended.

Before the debates, all participating parties agreed on and signed a code of conduct, which explained the debate format and stressed respect for other candidates and a focus on issues. To prepare, candidates worked on key messages and on contrasting their positions against their competitors. They learned to remain focused on their party’s message and past performance rather than resort to personal attacks. Candidates practiced public speaking, including vocal techniques, eye contact, body language and memorable opening and closing statements.

The debates consisted of two parts, one in which members of the local community asked candidates questions and the other in which the candidates asked each other questions. Queries from the community focused on property rights, access to markets and government transparency. A neutral moderator enforced time limits and the code of conduct and ensured that questions from the audience addressed local concerns.

A post-debate survey showed that the debates changed most audience members’ opinion of at least one candidate or party. Candidates said that participating in the debates improved their ability to communicate with voters and they were treated fairly and with respect.

Although the CCP maintained its dominance in the commune councils with 62 percent of votes, the opposition Sam Rainsy and Human Rights parties together were able to garner 30 percent. Building on the success of the commune council debates, plans are moving ahead for debates for parliamentary elections in 2013.

Related:

Published July 27, 2012

Commune Election Debates Put Focus on Future | May 22, 2012

fstovall — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:59:52 +0000

Phnom Penh Post | Link to story »

Voters were proving they are less likely to buy into lofty political promises and past achievements and were more interested in action and the betterment of their future, the organisers of nationwide commune election debates said yesterday.

Ahead of 10 consecutive days of national radio broadcasts of the debates, scheduled to begin today, organisers at the National Democratic Institute said they had been blown away by the level of participation in the debates so far.

Link to story »

Learning Curve Steep, But Debates Key: NDI | May 8, 2012

fstovall — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:32:28 +0000

Phnom Penh Post | Link to story »

Candidates from all 10 political parties competing in the June 3 commune elections will vie for voter support in a series of commune-level debates intended to better inform voters, debate organisers said yesterday.

The NGO National Democratic Institute, which promotes transparency and accountability in government, is organising the debates in 10 provinces that will be aired nationwide, with the aim of fostering critical debate on concrete issues.

Link to story »

NDI E-news: Nigeria, Tunisia, The Roma | April 2011

fstovall — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:23:44 +0000

April 2011

Nigerian Elections Hold the Promise of Setting New Integrity Standard, NDI Mission Finds

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Election official with National Assembly ballot at Lugbe polling station outside Abuja.

Nigeria's recent presidential and National Assembly elections "represent a step forward from seriously flawed elections of the past" and "hold the promise of setting a new standard for integrity in Nigeria's electoral process," NDI said in a preliminary statement after the presidential poll.

The Institute fielded international observer delegations for both the April 9 National Assembly elections
and the April 16 presidential poll. The first observation mission was co-led by Joe Clark, former Canadian prime minister; Mahame Ousmane, former president of Niger; Antonio Manuel Mascarenhas Monteiro, former president of Cape Verde;
Jon S. Corzine, former U.S. senator and governor of New Jersey;
Marietje Schaake, member of the European Parliament from the Netherlands; Natasha Stott Despoja, former senator from Australia; and Kenneth Wollack, president of NDI. Clark and Ousmane stayed on as co-leaders of the presidential observation mission and were joined by Robin Carnahan, secretary of state of Missouri; and Christopher Fomunyoh, NDI senior associate and regional director for Central and West Africa.

The delegations found that, despite problems, the elections gave Nigerians a real chance to vote, and they commended the millions of Nigerians who braved long lines and hot weather to participate.

A voter marks her presidential ballot in Abuja.

NDI also partnered with a coalition of four Nigerian civil society organizations in Project 2011 Swift Count, which fielded more than 8,000 observers to conduct a parallel vote tabulation (PVT) for the presidential and gubernatorial elections, held on April 26. A PVT is a sophisticated election observation tool used to assess the integrity of the vote and count, and verify official vote totals. Observers relayed their findings by SMS messages, which were then compiled and analyzed at Project Swift Count's headquarters in Abuja.

Project Swift Count issued an interim statement
after the presidential poll confirming the results announced by Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission. With the northern part of the country protesting the re-election victory of President Goodluck Jonathan, Project Swift Count
called upon all candidates and their supporters to "respect the will of the Nigerian people and to accept the results in good faith." They also asked that all political leaders "immediately and clearly make statements denouncing all acts of post-election violence."

NDI also partnered with the National Elections Incidents Center (NEIC), a coalition of three civil society groups doing citizen observation of the presidential election. The NEIC catalogued and mapped incidents and irregularities in the voting on election day. The center concluded that "the accreditation and voting process was smooth and peaceful" at the polling stations they observed.

NDI's mission in Nigeria builds on a pre-election assessment
conducted by the Institute in October. NDI has been working in Nigeria since 1999 and has fielded international observation missions to previous elections there in 1999,
2003
and 2007.

NDI Commemorates International Day of Roma with Film Featuring Music by Academy Award Winner Hans Zimmer

NDI celebrated the culture and achievements of the 10 million Roma, commonly called Gypsies, with a short public awareness film released on International Day of the Roma. The film, Who are the Roma?, is scored with original music by Hans Zimmer. Read more»

Watch the film»

'Future Women Mayors' Academy Kicks Off in Mexico

The Academy for Future Women Mayors kicked off last month in the Mexican state of Michoacán to combat the low rate of women seeking and winning office at the municipal level across the country. The academy helps provide women activists with the motivation, skills and networks to position themselves to win mayoral races. Read more»

In Guinea, Political Parties Strive to Improve its Next Elections

In Guinea, more than 40 political parties agreed to a set of principles aimed at making upcoming legislative elections — only the second competitive elections in the nation's history — less violent, more inclusive, more efficient and ultimately more democratic. Read more»

Albanian Women Finish Political Leadership School with Chance to Test New Skills in May Elections

Local elections on May 8 in Albania are an opportunity to put more women in public office in a country with one of the lowest percentages of elected women in Europe. That was the message delivered by Jozefina Topalli, Albania's speaker of parliament, to women who had just completed a 10-month program on campaign management, messaging and advocacy organized by NDI. Read more»

Contribute Now to Help Build Democratic Societies

When you contribute to NDI, our board of directors will generously match your gift dollar-for-dollar, up to $1 million. Contribute»

NDI Staff Member Seeks to Bring Women into Elections, Politics in Liberia

Mardia Greaves-Bloh visited the U.S. from Liberia for three months as NDI's latest Andi Parhamovich fellow. While in Washington, D.C., Bloh researched how civil society groups build coalitions and how to ensure that women's needs are considered and accomodated throughout the election process. She will use what she learned back in Liberia for presidential and legislative elections this year. Read more»

Assessing Public Attitudes in Tunisia, Georgia, Burundi

NDI recently conducted focus group research in Tunisia with young people, the demographic that led the revolutionary movement that overthrew President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January. The research finds that young people are concerned about being sidelined in the transition process and have a lingering distrust of political parties. NDI is sharing these findings with Tunisian leaders in the transitional government, political parties and civil society to develop policies that are responsive to and inclusive of youth. Read more»

A recent poll conducted for NDI shows that economic and social issues are the major sources of concern for Georgians. Unemployment tops the list of those concerns, followed by rising prices. Respondents also felt that politicians were not doing enough to fix these problems. Read more»

Focus groups in Burundi, a country historically fraught with ethnic conflict between Hutus and Tutsis, show that citizens today are focused less on ethnic differences than on their regional, political and economic differences. They also continue to embrace the democratic process, despite politically motivated violence and an opposition party boycott of the 2010 elections. Read more»

Our Perspectives: Debates, Yemen, the Roma and Haiti

Don't miss these pieces by NDI staff:

Matt Dippell, debates program advisor, explains how a free press contributes to a culture of debate. Read more»

Les Campbell, director of Middle East and North Africa programs, talks to NPR's Morning Edition about the future for Yemen's President Saleh. Listen»

Catherine Messina Pajic, deputy director of Central and Eastern Europe programs, describes the plight of the Roma and ways you can help. Read more»

Jim Swigert, director of Latin American and Carribbean programs, looks at the challenges facing Haiti's new president in this speech he delivered at the U.S. Institute for Peace. Read more»

Electoral Fairs Bring Politics Out of the Box in Peru

rrunyan — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:01:25 +0000

Mandatory voting in Peru leads to high turnouts, but the numbers belie a disenchantment with political parties among the electorate, which often feels isolated from campaigns, particularly in rural areas.

So in the weeks leading up to April 10 presidential and congressional elections, Transparencia (Transparency), a leading civic group working to consolidate democracy in Peru, organized a series of candidate debates accompanied by electoral fairs that provided an opportunity for citizens outside the capital of Lima to interact personally with candidates and campaign staffs.

Transparencia organized five fairs in different areas of the country, all within a day of the congressional debate in the respective region. Attendees could speak directly with candidates and learn about their electoral platforms or views on specific policy issues.

The fairs were conducted in large public spaces and featured booths hosted by political parties, regional political movements, civic groups and election officials. By including civil society organizations and electoral institutions, citizens could learn both about the voting process while also comparing the positions of candidates.

The political parties presented information on their key issues and candidates. For candidates, the fairs were a chance to present their platforms to voters in a more informal setting than through debates or campaign speeches. At the end of the fairs, candidates made closing statements on their platforms.

More than 5,000 Peruvians visited the fairs, which were held in Ayacucho and Cusco in the south and Cajamarca, Lambayeque and San Martín in the north. Transparencia is an NDI partner and the Institute helped with organizing both the fairs and debates. NDI also organized workshops for congressional candidates on political communication and on-camera techniques to help them communicate more effectively with voters at the fairs and debates.

Transparencia and NDI also organized electoral fairs during the 2006 election cycle. A goal this year was to make them appealing and accessible to a greater number of citizens, and one tactic employed was to bring arts and culture into the fairs.

A local theater group performs an election skit at the electoral fair in Cajamarca.

The Lambayeque electoral fair, for example, featured a local theater company performing short skits related to the elections. The skits attracted crowds and led to exchanges between candidates and audience members. Additionally, the fairs enabled citizens to post questions for candidates to answer during their public remarks. Candidates were sometimes forced to address tough questions that were not pre-screened.

Peru is now preparing for a second round of presidential elections on June 5 since no candidate achieved the necessary majority of votes to win outright. The candidates are Ollanta Humala, a former army officer, and Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori.

NDI is continuing to work in partnership with Transparencia and the National Board of Elections (Jurado Nacional de Elecciones, JNE) for second round presidential debates. Additionally, NDI is supporting the launch of a citizen monitoring website with local partner Proetica (ProEthics) to monitor the platform and campaign promises of congressional candidates in three pilot regions: Cusco, Lambayeque and San Martín.

Related:

Pictured above: A representative of the National Office of Electoral Processes (Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales, ONPE), shows a citizen a sample ballot and how it should be filled out.

Published May 3, 2011

Softening the Ground for Presidential Debates | March 14, 2011

fstovall — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:58:00 +0000

The Nigerian Daily | Link to story »

"The stage appears set for the 2011 presidential and vice presidential debates billed for March 28, 29 and 30, 2011 at ECOWAS Commission Auditorium, Abuja. The Nigerian Elections Debate Group (NEDG) in collaboration with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is facilitating the program. Already, all the 19 presidential candidates approved by INEC have been invited to participate in the debate.

"And as part of efforts to mobilize Nigerians to vote as well as ensure the success of the forthcoming presidential debates, the NEDG held a one-day workshop last Thursday in Abuja."

Link to story »

NDI - Debates

A Historic Debate | Jan. 10, 2013

The Case for Political Debates | Jan. 3, 2013

Report on Survey Findings from the 2012 Commune Council Candidate Debates

A Bipartisan Vision for 21st Century American Foreign Policy | Oct. 26, 2012

Sierra Leone: Presidential Candidates' Debate October 30th | Oct. 15, 2012

International Visitors Share Experiences on Organizing Debates

Janet Brown, executive director, Commission on Presidential Debates; Trevor Fearon, advisor, Jamaica Debates Commission

Supporting the Global Movement for Candidate Debates

Haitian Presidential Debates

International Visitors at Hofstra to Hold Press Conference to Discuss Value of Organizing Debates in Their Countries

Gwen Ifill Debunks Five Myths About Presidential Debates

'Rec na Rec:' Serbian Debates Connect People with Politicians

A Rec na Rec parliamentary debate held April 26

From the Debates

Cambodians Emphasize Issues Over Personality at Local Debates

Commune Election Debates Put Focus on Future | May 22, 2012

Learning Curve Steep, But Debates Key: NDI | May 8, 2012

NDI E-news: Nigeria, Tunisia, The Roma | April 2011

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Electoral Fairs Bring Politics Out of the Box in Peru

Softening the Ground for Presidential Debates | March 14, 2011