NDI - Eurasia

Civic Network OPORA Local Election Monitoring Highlights

rrunyan — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:16:41 +0000

Author:

OPORA

Publisher:

OPORA

Published Date:

10/15/2010

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Media Type:

PDF

English

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OPORA_Ukraine_civic_network_report.pdf	115.59 KB

Public Hearing on Ukraine's Upcoming Elections: A Pivotal Moment

mglauberman — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:45:05 +0000

Source:

NDI Katie Fox

Article Link:

Published Date:

05/17/2012

Testifying before the Helsinki Commission, Katie Fox, deputy director for Eurasia programs at NDI, urged the international community to use both words and actions to “guard against the erosion of democratic rights in Ukraine.” With elections still several months away, the Ukrainian government maintains that it will hold a fully, democratic election that will show the ability to balance a centralized government with democratic values. Meanwhile, observers have noted a “general deterioration of political pluralism in Ukraine.” Specifically, the ruling party has assumed control over most institutions and governments, Ukraine’s Constitutional Court has invalidated portions of the parliamentary election law, and popular opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has been imprisoned.

To restore credibility in the upcoming election, Ukrainians and elections observers must focus on ensuring the following: government impartiality in the administration of the elections; a campaign environment in which “candidates, campaign activists and observers can operate free of harassment and intimidation;” transparent formation of precinct electoral commissions; adherence to the legal framework for elections; and, “a post-election environment free from pressure or incentives to induce deputies to switch allegiance.”

Ukraine's Upcoming Elections: A Pivotal Moment

fgalleto — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:54:26 +0000

Author:

Katie Fox

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

05/17/2012

Resource Type:

Testimony

Language:

English

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Ex-State Senator From Hendersonville Helps Uzbekistan Develop Leaders

fgalleto — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:18:41 +0000

Source:

Blue Ridge Times-News

Article Link:

Published Date:

05/06/2012

Clark Plexico, a former three-term state senator from Henderson County during the 1990s, serves as NDI country director in Uzbekistan, where he works with government leaders and continues to focus on emerging leaders. During his recent trip to the U.S., Plexico brought along nine political leaders from Uzbekistan to visit Raleigh and Washington, D.C.

“If you talk to someone who has never had that history of having a democracy or federal system,” Plexico said, “the only way you can really understand it is to see it. So I said, ‘To get to Washington, we have to go to North Carolina.' ” Plexico's group met with several state leaders — some of whom were former colleagues in the '90s — and discussed how things work at the state level. Plexico said the hope is that regional legislatures may be formed in Uzbekistan that would bring elected leaders there “closer to the people.”

Kyrgyzstan: Women Leadership Advocates Win NDI Albright Grant | March 19, 2012

fgalleto — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:18:51 +0000

Women News Network | Link to story »

o support greater engagement for women’s leadership inside the expanding political terrain in Kyrgyzstan, the NDI – National Democratic Institute will be hosting a luncheon to celebrate the Albright grant award for supporting democracy in action to bring women into the process.

With celebrity studded hosts that include PBS News Hour moderator Judy Woodruff, former United States Secretary of State Madeline K. Albright, current Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues at the State Department Melanne Verveer and U.S. Congresswoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), the award ceremony will highlight the work of women in Kyrgyzstan, a region that is seldom covered by the western media.

Link to story »

Jobs Remain Top Issue as Georgian Elections Approach, NDI Survey Finds

fgalleto — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:10:02 +0000

A survey of public opinion in Georgia released by NDI shows that jobs, territorial integrity and affordable healthcare are the top three priority issues for Georgian citizens, while concern about rising prices and inflation has dropped. In the survey, 63 percent mentioned jobs, 36 percent mentioned territorial integrity and 31 percent mentioned affordable healthcare as among their top three priority issues.

Speaking at a press briefing, Luis Navarro, NDI’s country director in Georgia, said, "Georgians are optimistic about the direction of the country and the government is seen as being able to make changes that matter to citizens."

Sixty-four percent of respondents indicated they are likely to vote if parliamentary elections, anticipated for October 2012, were held tomorrow. This represents a 13 percent increase since NDI’s last poll in September 2011.

Eighty-seven percent of respondents were aware that Bidzina Ivanishvili had been stripped of his Georgian citizenship and 70 percent believe his citizenship should be reinstated compared with 8 percent who do not.

While 70 percent of Georgians support the goal of joining NATO, 88 percent disapprove of Georgia’s current relationship with Russia.

Asked whether Georgia is a democracy now, 49 percent of respondents said yes compared to 34 percent who said no. These figures represent a slight increase from NDI’s September survey when 45 percent said yes and 39 percent said no.

The results reflect data collected Feb. 22 – March 5 in face-to-face interviews with a nationwide representative sample of 3,161 Georgians. The survey looks at issues of public importance, perceptions of democracy and attitudes toward reforms, as well as various domestic and foreign policy issues.

NDI’s survey work is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and carried out by the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC).

Related:

Published March 26, 2012

Rep. Wasserman Schultz Says Women’s Voices Are Crucial to Democracy at NDI’s Madeleine K. Albright Awards Luncheon

rrunyan — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:51:52 +0000

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) delivered the keynote address at a March 22 luncheon honoring the Women’s Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan, the 2012 recipient of the Madeleine K. Albright Grant awarded by NDI.

In her address, Wasserman Schultz challenged women to take the lead. “Too often, women don’t speak up,” Wasserman Schultz said. “But women's voices are crucial to democracy.”

The luncheon, hosted by NDI Chairman Albright, at the Ritz Carlton also featured remarks from Melanne Verveer, the State Department’s ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues.

“When women are discriminated against in the political arena, their experiences, talents and perspectives are shut out of policy decisions,” Verveer said. “Our democracies are worse off for it and the prospects for a better world are certainly short changed.”

Verveer presented the Albright grant to Dinara Aitkulova, chair of the Women’s Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan, and introduced a short documentary detailing the work of the club.

The Discussion Club, launched with NDI support in 2006, was one of the first groups in Kyrgyzstan to bring together women from diverse backgrounds and political parties to defend the rights and interests of women nationwide. The women will use the award’s $25,000 grant to form a coalition of political party women’s wings to advocate on behalf of women’s rights within the legislature and their respective parties.

Watch the video from the luncheon

“The Women’s Discussion Group from Kyrgyzstan is precisely the kind of innovative and grassroots organization that can help to make real democracy possible,” Albright said. “When women have the power to make their own economic and social choices – the cycle of poverty can be broken, environmental awareness increases, rates of sexually-transmitted disease decline, and constructive values are more likely to be passed on to the young.”

The award luncheon was preceded by a panel discussion on women in politics featuring Albright; Winnie Byanyima, director of the gender team at the United Nations Development Programme; Donald Steinberg, deputy administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development; and Anders B. Johnsson, secretary general of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. NDI Vice-President Shari Bryan moderated the panel.

The panelists shared their experiences that have demonstrated both the progress women have gained in politics and the room for growth. They agreed that political parties can be a vehicle for equal participation as long as the parties are internally democratic.

"We were talking to women, telling them to work harder, bang on more doors,” said Byanyima, a former member of parliament in Uganda who led its women’s caucus. “Now we're asking parties to open those doors."

At the event, NDI and the UNDP released a joint publication entitled "Empowering Women for Stronger Political Parties." The guide provides strategies for those who work in and with political parties to increase women's political participation as candidates, party members, leaders and office holders.

Related:

Public Attitudes in Georgia: Results of a February 2012 Survey

fgalleto — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:19:37 +0000

Author:

Luis Navarro, Ian T. Woodward

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

03/21/2012

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
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Jobs Remain Top Issue as Elections Approach, NDI Survey Finds

fgalleto — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:11:29 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

03/21/2012

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
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Rep. Wasserman Schultz to Deliver Keynote Address at NDI’s Madeleine K. Albright Awards Luncheon

rrunyan — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:34:22 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

03/13/2012

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Media Type:

PDF

English

Attachment	Size
MKA-lunch-2012-release.pdf	148.62 KB

Citizen Monitors: Russian Election 'Was Not Free and Fair'

fgalleto — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:17:52 +0000

Russia's leading independent election monitoring organization, Golos, said the March 4 presidential election was not free or fair, relative to either international electoral standards or the Russian constitution.

In a preliminary report issued March 5, Golos took note of government responses to new popular demands for reform and clean elections, which included both political liberalization, such as easing registration of new parties and cameras in polling stations. Ultimately, however, Golos said the number of reported violations on March 4 was comparable to that during the December 2011 Duma elections. There were fewer attempts to bar observers from polling places, and cameras and transparent ballot boxes helped to cut some overt fraud. However, Golos observed a major increase in mass coercion of voters, particularly through abuse of absentee voting procedures. In total, Golos concluded that the elections were, like previous Russian elections, characterized by "an insufficient level of competition, government interference with the electoral process and some degree of coercion to vote."

Read Golos' full statement, including analysis of election day and the pre-election period, and results of more than 15,000 citizen reports to Golos' hotline and on-line "map" of electoral violations, here»

Related:

Published March 7, 2012

Preliminary Report of the Russian Presidential Elections

fgalleto — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:06:53 +0000

Author:

Golos

Publisher:

Golos

Published Date:

03/05/2012

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
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Women’s Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan Awarded 2012 Madeleine K. Albright Grant

ntekeei — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:43:43 +0000

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) announced today that it will award its 2012 Madeleine K. Albright Grant to the Women’s

Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan. The Discussion Club, launched with NDI support in 2006, was one of the first groups in Kyrgyzstan to bring together women from diverse backgrounds and political parties to defend the rights and interests of women nationwide.

NDI announced today that it will award its 2012 Madeleine K. Albright Grant to the Women’s Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan.

In 2010, the club was instrumental in supporting women candidates for parliament, and it has organized citizens around key issues, including a successful campaign to halt the legalization of polygamy. The group plans to advocate for stronger quota laws that would increase the number of women in parliament and local government.

The Discussion Club will use the award’s $25,000 grant in these new initiatives and to form a coalition of political party women’s wings to advocate on behalf of women’s rights within the legislature and their respective parties.

“If Kyrgyzstan is to realize its full democratic potential, women must be equal and active partners in shaping society,” said Susan Markham, NDI’s director for women’s political participation.

The Madeleine K. Albright Grant supports community-based organizations that create greater roles for women in political and civic life. It is part of NDI’s Win with Women Global Initiative, which promotes women’s political leadership worldwide. The Albright Grant is made possible through the generosity of the Melvin and Bren Simon Foundation. NDI is deeply grateful to the foundation for its steadfast commitment to the Institute’s political participation programs for women.

Winners of the Albright Grant, which was established in 2005, are selected from a competitive pool of applicants seeking to promote women's participation in civic or political life. The 2011 grant was awarded to Appropriate Communication Techniques for Development (ACT), a women’s rights organization from Egypt, which is using the grant to help organizations and women leaders identify and advocate for women as Egypt works to develop a new constitution and transition to a democratic government.

Other past winners are the Departmental Network of Chocó Women of Colombia (Red Departmental de Mujeres Chocoanas), the Women’s League of Burma, the Indonesian Women’s Political Caucus (KPPI), the Mostar Women’s Citizen Initiative of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone.

Read more:

Published Jan. 26, 2012

Women’s Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan Awarded 2012 Madeleine K. Albright Grant

ntekeei — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:38:05 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/26/2011

Resource Type:

Press Releases

Language:

English

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New Website Facilitates Communication between Citizens and Their Elected Representatives

fgalleto — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:56:24 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

12/15/2011

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the release	243.83 KB