NDI - Gabon

Report of the Pre-Election Mission to Gabon, May 29 - June 3

erodriguez — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 21:32:04 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

07/20/2016

Resource Type:

Pre-Election Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
GABON-NDI 2016 English.pdf	722.86 KB

Preliminary statement of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) mission to Gabon

erodriguez — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 15:04:40 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

06/03/2016

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) deployed an international delegation to Gabon from May 29 to June 3. The purpose of the mission was to assess preparations for the 2016 presidential election and to support Gabonese efforts at ensuring a peaceful, transparent and credible election.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : June 3, 2016

Washington Press contact:

Emily Rodriguez, erodriguez@ndi.org, +1 202-728-5527

version française

Libreville, June 3, 2016 -- The National Democratic Institute (NDI) deployed an international delegation to Gabon from May 29 to June 3. The purpose of the mission was to assess preparations for the 2016 presidential election and to support Gabonese efforts at ensuring a peaceful, transparent and credible election.

Traveling at the invitation of the Gabonese government and welcomed by all Gabonese political parties – from the majority and opposition – the delegation included political and civic leaders, and election and regional experts from North America, Europe and Africa. It comprised Right Honorable Joe Clark, former Prime Minister of Canada; Ambassador Maria Leissner, Secretary General of the Community of Democracies; Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate for Africa at NDI; and Dr. Sophia Moestrup, Deputy Director for Central and West Africa at NDI.

During its stay in Gabon, the delegation met with election authorities, notably the Ministry of Interior, the election commission (CENAP), the Constitutional Court and the National Communications Council (CNC); members of the major political parties from ruling and opposition coalitions; the Council for Democracy (CND); representatives of civic organizations and labor unions; the Mediator of the Republic; and representatives of international development partners present in Libreville, to elicit their views on the electoral framework and political process. The team was also received by the Head of State. The delegation conducted its activities in conformity with Gabonese law and international standards as reflected in the 2005 “Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.”

While awaiting a more detailed assessment report, the delegation offers its preliminary findings and recommendations on steps that could enhance confidence and participation in the election process.

Overview of the electoral context

The delegation observed that there is intense political debate around the elections with several political parties and groupings planning to participate actively in the upcoming presidential race. The Gabonese expect the outcome of the electoral process to contribute significantly to the consolidation of peace and democracy in the country.

The delegation noted considerable concerns among many of its interlocutors pertaining to growing tensions and the possibility of violence during the election period. These concerns derive in large part from the history of past presidential elections in Gabon, coupled with an increasingly polarized socio-political environment. Under these circumstances, concrete steps should be taken to increase transparency and calm tensions. Such actions would reassure citizens that disputes and acts of violence would be prevented before, during and after the election.

These tensions also stem from grievances about the constitutional and legal framework of elections in Gabon, including the electoral system, term limits and the representation of civil society on election management bodies - highly relevant questions on which Gabonese actors should be able to agree in order to consolidate democracy in the country. These differences of opinion are exacerbated by the lack of equal access to public media by opposition parties and the lack of professionalism in information dissemination by some private media outlets.

While many Gabonese political leaders call for dialogue, they each complain of the lack of good faith efforts on the part of their opponents. Although prior attempts at dialogue may not have succeeded, most Gabonese that met with the delegation would like to see those efforts pursued.

The delegation is aware that Gabon has some institutions that could play a catalytic role in fostering citizen participation in politics, such as the National Council for Democracy (CND) and the office of the Mediator of the Republic. These innovative institutions are assets for the consolidation of democracy in Gabon, and strengthening their capacity would provide additional platforms for Gabonese politicians and citizens by facilitating communications and regular interaction. Similarly, the delegation acknowledges early steps over the past few years to modernize the Gabonese electoral system and hopes those initiatives will be further perfected.

The delegation also heard concerns about potential shortcomings in the operationalization of the electoral framework that could undermine the inclusivity, peacefulness, transparency and credibility of the August 2016 presidential poll. These concerns touch on important aspects of the electoral process such as: the reliability of the voters list; the bi-partisan make-up of the CENAP national commission and its decentralized components; and the counting, compilation, centralization and announcement of election results. Under these circumstances, extraordinary steps should be taken beyond the letter of the law by election authorities in consultation with political actors to build citizen confidence in the election and its outcome.

Recommendations

In the spirit of international cooperation and the principles of the African Union Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and taking into consideration the open-mindedness of the Gabonese with whom we met which aligns with their best national traditions, the delegation offers the following recommendations:

Political and civic leaders should be mindful that elections are a key pillar of democracy; and viewing them as a purely recurring administrative exercise would undermine the free expression of the will of the people.
Concrete steps should be taken to enhance confidence amongst candidates and political parties in the voters list, and could include a professional, public audit of the registry.
The election management body (CENAP) should take concrete steps to speed up the vote counting and transmission of election results. It should also emulate best global practices in the consolidation of results by releasing figures in both aggregated and disaggregated forms at each level of compilation in order to enhance transparency and confidence amongst voters, candidates and political parties.
The National Communication Council (CNC) should adopt measures in partnership with public media to guarantee equitable access to public media during the two-week election campaign as provided for by law. Additionally, the CNC should make accommodations to reflect the reality that the country is already in campaign mode.
The Code of Conduct recently adopted by the National Council for Democracy (CND) as a moral and ethics charter, should be publicly endorsed and implemented by all presidential candidates and party leaders in order to reassure the population of their commitment to contribute to peaceful, transparent and credible elections.
Steps should be taken to facilitate the optimum participation of civil society groups and enhance their capacity to recruit, train and deploy citizen observers to monitor all phases of the electoral process across the country before, during and after the election.
Political and civic leaders should manifest their commitment to peaceful elections by initiating a high level dialogue as soon as possible in order to lower tensions in the pre- and post-election periods.

The delegation calls on all Gabonese leaders across the political spectrum from majority as well as opposition parties, heads of institutions, civil society, labor unions, the media, religious leaders and the population at large to consider upcoming elections as a historic moment to consolidate peace and democracy and preserve the highest interests of the country.

The delegation thanks all Gabonese with whom we met for their warm welcome.

The mission was funded by a grant from the Department of State under the Fundamental Freedoms Fund.

###

NDI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

Déclaration préliminaire de la mission de l’Institut National Démocratique (NDI) au Gabon

emalina — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 16:04:12 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

06/03/2016

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

French

Une délégation internationale de l’Institut National Démocratique (NDI) a séjourné au Gabon du 29 mai au 3 juin. L’objectif de la mission était d’évaluer les préparatifs de l’élection présidentielle d’août 2016 et d’identifier les possibilités d’appuis éventuels à l’organisation d’une élection paisible, transparente et crédible en République Gabonaise.

POUR DIFFUSION IMMEDIATE : 03 Juin, 2016

Pour plus d’informations, contactez:

Emily Rodriguez, Washington, erodriguez@ndi.org, +1 202-728-5527

English Version

Libreville, le 3 juin 2016 -- Une délégation internationale de l’Institut National Démocratique (NDI) a séjourné au Gabon du 29 mai au 3 juin. L’objectif de la mission était d’évaluer les préparatifs de l’élection présidentielle d’août 2016 et d’identifier les possibilités d’appuis éventuels à l’organisation d’une élection paisible, transparente et crédible en République Gabonaise.

La délégation, invitée par le Gouvernement Gabonais et accueillie par l’ensemble des partis politiques du pays - de la majorité comme de l’opposition - était composée de leaders politiques et civiques, et d’experts électoraux et régionaux de l'Amérique du Nord, de l’Europe et de l’Afrique, a savoir : le Très Honorable Joe Clark, ancien Premier Ministre du Canada; l’Ambassadeur Maria Leissner, Secrétaire Générale de la Communauté des Démocraties; le Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, Directeur Régional, Afrique au NDI; et le Dr. Sophia Moestrup, Directrice Adjointe, Afrique Centrale et de l’Ouest au NDI.

Pendant son séjour au Gabon, la délégation a rencontré les responsables des institutions chargées des élections et de la concertation politique, notamment le Ministère de l’Intérieur, la Commission Electorale Nationale Autonome et Permanente (CENAP), la Cour Constitutionnelle, le Conseil National pour la Communication (CNC) et le Conseil National pour la Démocratie (CND); les leaders des principaux partis politiques, de la majorité et de l'opposition; des responsables des organisations de la société civile et des syndicats; le Médiateur de la République; et des représentants des partenaires au développement résidents à Libreville, pour recueillir leurs perspectives sur le cadre électoral et le processus politique. Elle a été aussi reçue en audience par le Chef de l’Etat. La délégation a mené ses activités en tenant compte de la loi Gabonaise et des normes internationales telles que contenues dans la déclaration de 2005 sur « Les principes pour l’observation internationale des élections. »

En attendant la publication d’un rapport détaillé, la délégation se permet de livrer ses observations préliminaires et quelques recommandations sur des mesures à même de renforcer la confiance et la participation citoyenne au processus électoral.

Aperçu général du contexte électoral

La délégation a remarqué une effervescence dans le débat politique, avec l'émergence de plusieurs courants politiques qui envisagent de participer de manière active à la prochaine élection présidentielle. Elle a aussi constaté que les attentes de la population sont assez élevées à ce que l’issue de l’ensemble du processus électoral contribue de manière significative à une consolidation de la démocratie et de la paix au Gabon.

La délégation a constaté des appréhensions assez fortes quant à la possibilité de tensions ou de violences pendant la période électorale. Ces appréhensions sont motivées en grande partie par l’historique des élections présidentielles compétitives au Gabon et par un climat socio-politique qui se polarise. Ainsi, les Gabonais souhaiteraient-ils voir adopter des mesures d’apaisement et de transparence pour rassurer les citoyens afin d’éviter des contestations et des actes de violence avant, pendant et après le scrutin.

La tension dont redoutent certains Gabonais provient aussi de griefs par rapport à certaines dispositions constitutionnelles et légales relatives à l’organisation des élections, comme par exemple le mode de scrutin, le nombre de mandats présidentiels et l’inclusion de la société civile dans les instances de régulation des élections – des questions très pertinentes sur lesquelles les Gabonais devraient pouvoir s’entendre afin de consolider la démocratie dans leur pays dans la durée. Ces points de divergence sont exacerbés par le faible accès aux medias publics par l’opposition et le traitement non professionnel de l’information par certains medias privés.

La délégation a noté que pendant que les appels au dialogue fusent de toute part, les uns et les autres se plaignent de la mauvaise foi de la partie d’en face. Même si certaines tentatives de dialogue n’ont pas abouti, la plupart des interlocuteurs rencontrés souhaitent la poursuite des démarches dans ce sens.

La délégation a remarqué que le Gabon dispose d’institutions à même de réguler et de jouer un rôle catalyseur dans la gestion des espaces de participation citoyenne et politique, comme le Conseil National de la Démocratie (CND) et les offices du Médiateur de la République. Ces institutions sont innovatrices et des vrais atouts pour la consolidation de la démocratie au Gabon. Leur renforcement apportera à la classe politique et à la société Gabonaise des plateformes susceptibles de gérer les relations multi partisanes et interinstitutionnelles. La délégation apprécie aussi les efforts de modernisation du système électoral Gabonais de ces dernières années et encourage la poursuite de ces actions.

En même temps, la délégation a noté un certain nombre de préoccupations de ses différents interlocuteurs quant à l’aboutissement d’un processus électoral inclusif, paisible, transparent et crédible en août 2016. Ces appréhensions portent sur certains aspects pertinents du processus électoral comme : la fiabilité du fichier électoral ; la mise en place de façon paritaire de commissions ad hoc de gestion des élections au niveau national et décentralisé de la CENAP ; le traitement et la transmission dans la transparence des résultats depuis les différents bureaux de vote jusqu’au centre de centralisation par la CENAP et l’annonce des résultats. Nous avons aussi ressenti des inquiétudes que pendant cette période préélectorale certains acteurs veulent se servir d’instruments juridiques pour régler des questions politiques qui pourraient être résolues par la voie des urnes. Dans toutes ces circonstances, et au-delà des textes de loi, des mesures extraordinaires devraient être prises par les autorités publiques et les acteurs politiques eux-mêmes pour renforcer la confiance des citoyens à l'élection et à ses résultats.

Recommandations

Dans une démarche de coopération internationale qui reflète les principes énoncés par la charte de l’Union Africaine sur la Démocratie, les Elections et la Gouvernance, et en tenant compte de l’ouverture d’esprit des acteurs que nous avons rencontrés et qui, par ailleurs, est dans la meilleure des traditions gabonaises, la délégation émet ainsi les recommandations suivantes:

Que les acteurs politiques et les chefs des institutions se rappellent que les élections constituent l’un des piliers du processus démocratique, et les traiter comme une simple formalité administrative et ponctuelle entacherait l’objectif principal qui est la libre expression de la volonté des populations.
Que des mesures concrètes soient prises pour renforcer la confiance des candidats et des partis politiques dans la fiabilité du fichier électoral par exemple par un audit dont les résultats seront rendus publics.
Que des dispositions particulières soient envisagées par la CENAP pour rendre la collecte et la transmission des résultats des élections plus rapides et transparents. Elle devra également s’inspirer des meilleures pratiques universellement reconnues dans la consolidation des résultats du vote qui consistent à publier les résultats globaux en même temps que des chiffres désagrégés de chaque étape de la compilation, ceci afin d'améliorer la transparence et la confiance des électeurs, des candidats, des partis politiques et de la population en général.
Que le CNC en partenariat avec les medias publics prenne des dispositions pour garantir l’accès équitable aux medias publics pendant les deux semaines de campagne prévues par la loi, et envisage des dispositions supplémentaires favorable à l’expression politique pour tenir compte de la réalité effective selon laquelle le pays vit déjà une période de campagne.
Que le Code de Bonne Conduite récemment adopté par le CND sous forme d’une charte d’éthique et de morale, soit signé de façon solennelle par l’ensemble des acteurs politiques, y compris les candidats et les chefs des partis politiques; et qu’il vulgarisé afin de rassurer les populations de l’engagements de ces leaders à contribuer à l’organisation d’élections paisibles, transparentes et crédibles.
Que des dispositions soient prises pour favoriser au maximum la participation active des organisations de la société civile dans le recrutement, la formation et le déploiement des observateurs nationaux pour suivre toutes les étapes du processus électoral, avant, pendant et après le jour du scrutin.
Que l’ouverture au dialogue manifestée par l’ensemble de la classe politique soit matérialisée par des actions concrètes dans un proche avenir afin de mieux assainir le climat politique aussi bien dans la période pré-électorale que post-électorale.

La délégation lance un appel solennel à l’ensemble de la classe politique gabonaise, de la majorité comme de l’opposition, aux chefs des institutions, à la société civile, aux syndicats, aux medias, aux chefs religieux et à la population dans toutes ses composantes de ne ménager aucun effort pour que les élections à venir soient considérées comme un moment historique de consolidation de la paix et de la démocratie dans l’intérêt supérieur de la Nation Gabonaise.

La délégation remercie l’ensemble des Gabonais qui l’ont reçue pendant cette mission.

La mission a bénéficié d’un financement du Département d’Etat Américain au titre du fonds des libertés fondamentales (Fundamental Freedoms Fund).

###

Le NDI est une organisation non gouvernementale qui œuvre pour le renforcement et le développement de la démocratie à travers le monde, en encourageant la participation des citoyens à la vie publique, la transparence et la responsabilité gouvernementale en matière de gestion publique.

French

MISSION PRE-ELECTORALE NDI AU GABON

erodriguez — Fri, 27 May 2016 16:28:13 +0000

Author:

l’Institut National Démocratique

Publisher:

l’Institut National Démocratique

Published Date:

05/27/2016

Resource Type:

Communiqué de Presse

Language:

Français

POUR DIFFUSION IMMEDIATE : 27 Mai, 2016

Pour plus d’informations, contactez:

Emily Rodriguez, Washington, erodriguez@ndi.org, +1 202-728-5527

Paul Amegakpo, Libreville, pamegakpo@ndi.org, +241 04 92 50 40

English version

MISSION PRE-ELECTORALE NDI AU GABON

LIBREVILLE – Une délégation internationale de l’Institut National Démocratique (NDI) est au Gabon pour évaluer les préparatifs de l’élection présidentielle de 2016. Invitée par le Gouvernement Gabonais, la présence de la délégation est bien accueillie par l’ensemble des partis politiques Gabonais, de la majorité comme de l’opposition. La délégation est composée de leaders politiques et civiques, et d’experts électoraux et régionaux de l'Amérique du Nord, de l’Europe et de l’Afrique, et sera constituée de : Honorable Joe Clark, ancien Premier Ministre du Canada ; Ambassadrice Maria Leissner, Secrétaire Générale de la Communauté des Démocraties ; Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, Directeur Régional, Afrique au NDI ; et Dr. Sophia Moestrup, Directrice Adjointe, Afrique Centrale et de l’Ouest au NDI.

Media Type:

Communiqué de Presse

POUR DIFFUSION IMMEDIATE : 27 Mai, 2016

Pour plus d’informations, contactez:

Emily Rodriguez, Washington, erodriguez@ndi.org, +1 202-728-5527

Paul Amegakpo, Libreville, pamegakpo@ndi.org, +241 04 92 50 40

English version

MISSION PRE-ELECTORALE NDI AU GABON

« La délégation s’attend à des discussions franches et ouvertes devant permettre un consensus sur des mesures concrètes pouvant favoriser une élection présidentielle crédible en août », a déclaré l’Honorable Clark.

L'objectif de cette mission est de soutenir les efforts Gabonais pour assurer une élection pacifique et crédible en 2016. Pendant son séjour au Gabon, la délégation rencontrera les leaders des principaux partis politiques de la majorité et de l'opposition, des responsables des organisations de la société civile, et les chefs des institutions chargées des élections pour recueillir leurs perspectives sur le cadre électoral et le processus politique. La délégation mènera ses activités conformément à la loi Gabonaise et aux normes internationales telles que contenues dans la déclaration de 2005 sur « Les principes pour l’observation internationale des élections. »

A l’issue de cette mission, le NDI publiera un rapport avec des recommandations sur des mesures à même de renforcer la confiance et la participation au processus électoral.

« Le NDI se réjouit de l’opportunité d'appuyer les Gabonais dans le renforcement de leurs institutions démocratiques et de leur système électoral. Une élection pacifique et crédible en 2016 au Gabon, aurait également un impact positif dans toute la sous-région, » a déclaré le président du NDI, Kenneth Wollack.

La mission est appuyée par une subvention du Département d’Etat Américain au titre du fonds des libertés fondamentales (Fundamental Freedoms Fund).

xxxxxx

PS : La délégation donnera une conférence de presse le vendredi 3 juin à Libreville.

French

NDI PRE-ELECTION MISSION ARRIVES IN GABON

erodriguez — Fri, 27 May 2016 16:16:22 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

05/27/2016

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 27, 2016

For more information, contact:

Emily Rodriguez, Washington, erodriguez@ndi.org, +1 202-728-5527

Paul Amegakpo, Libreville, pamegakpo@ndi.org, +241 04 92 50 40

version française

NDI PRE-ELECTION MISSION ARRIVES IN GABON

LIBREVILLE – The National Democratic Institute (NDI) is deploying an international delegation to assess preparations for Gabon’s 2016 presidential election. The group, traveling at the invitation of the Gabonese government, is being welcomed by all Gabonese political parties. The delegation includes political and civic leaders, and election and regional experts from North America, Europe and Africa. It will comprise Right Honorable Joe Clark, former Prime Minister of Canada; Ambassador Maria Leissner, Secretary General of the Community for Democracies; Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate for Africa at NDI and Dr. Sophia Moestrup, Deputy Director for Central and West Africa at NDI.

Media Type:

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 27, 2016

For more information, contact:

Emily Rodriguez, Washington, erodriguez@ndi.org, +1 202-728-5527

Paul Amegakpo, Libreville, pamegakpo@ndi.org, +241 04 92 50 40

version française

NDI PRE-ELECTION MISSION ARRIVES IN GABON

“The delegation looks forward to open discussions that would foster consensus building around concrete steps that should be taken to ensure a credible presidential poll in August,” said Right Honorable Clark.

The delegation’s purpose is to support Gabonese efforts at ensuring peaceful and credible elections in 2016. During its stay in Gabon, the delegation will meet with representatives of the major political parties from ruling and opposition coalitions, leaders of civic organizations and election authorities, to elicit their views on the electoral framework and political process. The delegation will conduct its activities in conformity with Gabonese law and international standards as reflected in the 2005 “Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.”

Shortly after the mission, NDI will issue a report with the delegation’s findings and recommendations on steps that could enhance confidence and participation in the election process.

“NDI is proud to assist Gabonese efforts to advance their democratic institutions and electoral systems,” said NDI President Kenneth Wollack. “A peaceful and credible election in Gabon in 2016 would also have a positive impact throughout the region.”

The mission is supported by a grant from the United States Department of State under the Fundamental Freedoms Fund.

###

PS: The delegation will hold a press conference on June 3 in Libreville.

NDI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

English

Sandra Pepera

skincaid — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 18:41:17 +0000

Sandra Pepera is a career diplomat and international development professional. Before joining NDI as its director for Gender, Women and Democracy in 2014, she spent thirteen years as a senior officer at the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), including leading programs in the Caribbean, Rwanda-Burundi and Sudan. Prior to joining DFID, Sandra spent time in British domestic politics; lecturing in political science and international relations at the University of Ghana; and as a political analyst in the Political Affairs Division at the Commonwealth Secretariat. She has a portfolio of skills and experience which include strategy development, political and risk analysis, diplomacy, general management and corporate governance.

Much of Sandra’s career has been spent working in or on transitional economies, focusing on the building of resilient and inclusive institutions. She led work on women and politics at the University of Ghana and in outreach public policy during the period of intense and unstable political transition in the early 1990s. This included participating in a program that supported the ANC Women’s League during South Africa’s transition from apartheid to majority democratic rule in 1993.

Sandra is a member of the Cambridge Sustainability Leaders Network, the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Global Board Ready Women initiative, and the International Advisory Board of the Commonwealth Journal for International Affairs (the Round Table). She holds the Financial Times Diploma for Non-Executive Directors, and serves as a trustee for the pension fund of an intergovernmental organization.

NDI’s Pat Merloe Testifies Before Congress on U.S. Election Support in Africa

blesswing — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 18:32:58 +0000

NDI Director of Electoral Programs Pat Merloe testified at a hearing, “U.S. Election Support in Africa” on March 18 before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations.

“Support for democratic elections in Africa should build longer-term democratic political dynamics that result in responsive, accountable governance,” Merloe said. “International election observation can play an important role in achieving peaceful, credible elections in Africa.”

Watch the hearing »

Read Pat Merloe’s full statement here »

Read more:

NDI's Christopher Fomunyoh Testifies Before Congress on "Nigeria on the Brink?"

Experts to Discuss Critical African Elections at NDI

Published on March 18, 2015

Attachment	Size
See the 2015-2016 calendar for African elections	60.27 KB
See a map of 2015-2016 African elections	129.47 KB

Experts to Discuss Critical African Elections at NDI

Thu, 25 Sep 2014 22:09:17 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

09/25/2014

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The implications for democracy of 30 African elections slated through 2016 will be discussed next week by senior Africa experts during a briefing and roundtable discussion at the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

The event will be held on Thursday, Oct. 2, at 9:30 a.m. at NDI, 455 Massachusetts Ave., NW. It is cosponsored by NDI and the Constituency for Africa (CFA).

Johnnie Carson, former assistant secretary of state for African Affairs and a member of the NDI Board of Directors, will open the forum. Panelists are Christopher Fomunyoh, NDI regional director for Central and West Africa programs; Keith Jennings, NDI regional director for Southern and East Africa programs; Jeffrey England, NDI deputy director for Middle East and North Africa programs; and Richard Klein, senior advisor for NDI Elections. Kenneth Wollack, NDI president, and Melvin Foote, president of the Constituency for Africa, will provide welcoming remarks.

Thirty African countries are slated to hold elections between now and the end of 2016. They are Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Libya, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.

The conduct of the elections and their outcome could help consolidate nascent democratic institutions and practices across Africa. But if they are viewed as flawed, the elections could result in violence, protracted conflict and democratic backsliding.

The event is part of the Ronald H. Brown African Affairs discussion series sponsored by the CFA.

The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

Every year, CFA holds the Ronald H. Brown African Affairs series in conjunction with the Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Weekend. The program is named for the late Commerce Secretary, Ronald H. Brown, who was a leader in forging ties between the U.S. and Africa.

###

WHAT: NDI/Ron Brown Roundtable Discussion on “Critical Elections in Africa 2015/2016”

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 2, 9:30 a.m. — 12 p.m.

WHO: Johnnie Carson, former assistant secretary of state for African Affairs;

Kenneth Wollack, NDI president; Mel Foote, president of the Constituency for Africa (CFA);

Christopher Fomunyoh, NDI regional director for Central and West Africa programs;

Keith Jennings, NDI regional director for Southern and East Africa programs;

Jeffrey England, NDI deputy director for Middle East and North Africa programs; and

Richard Klein, senior advisor for NDI Elections

Moderated by
Jennifer Cooke, director, CSIS's Africa program

WHERE: National Democratic Institute, 455 Massachusetts Ave, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001

Attachment	Size
Event invitation.	115.24 KB

Empowering Women for Stronger Political Parties: A Good Practices Guide to Promote Women's Political Participation (Now available in Burmese)

fstovall — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 14:31:07 +0000

Author:

Julie Ballington

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute United Nations Development Programme

Published Date:

10/31/2011

Resource Type:

Manual|Handbook

Language:

Arabic, Burmese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Urdu

English

Arabic

French

Spanish

Russian

Urdu

Attachment	Size
Read the manual (English)	2.49 MB
Read the manual with case studies (English)	3.45 MB
Read the manual (Arabic)	1.9 MB
Download the poster (Arabic)	1.18 MB
Read the manual (Burmese)	4.59 MB
Read the manual (French)	2.57 MB
Download the poster (French)	670.54 KB
Read the manual (Russian)	2.82 MB
Download the poster (Russian)	256.16 KB
Read the manual (Spanish)	2.59 MB
Download the poster (Spanish)	680.95 KB
Read the manual (Urdu)	3.74 MB
Read the manual with case studies (Albanian)	10.91 MB

Equal Access: How to Include Persons with Disabilities in Elections and Political Processes

dleonard — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 14:59:44 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

03/06/2014

Resource Type:

Manual|Handbook

Language:

Arabic, English, French, Indonesian, Russian, Spanish, Uzbek

English

Arabic

Spanish

Russian

Attachment	Size
Download the manual in Arabic	2.54 MB
Download the manual in English	3.24 MB
Download the manual in French	2.36 MB
Download the manual in Indonesian	16.34 MB
Download the manual in Russian	2.37 MB
Download the manual in Spanish	16.87 MB
Download the manual in Uzbek	3.85 MB

Increasing Women’s Political Participation Through Effective Training Programs: A Guide to Best Practices and Lessons Learned

fstovall — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 20:08:23 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

10/23/2013

Resource Type:

Training Manual

Language:

Arabic, English, French, Russian, Spanish

English

Arabic

French

Spanish

Russian

Attachment	Size
Download the manual (English)	994.16 KB
Download the manual (français)	1.02 MB
Download the manual (РУС)	1.31 MB
Download the manual (español)	1.08 MB
Download the manual (بالعربية)	787.23 KB

Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations and Code of Conduct for Nonpartisan Citizen Election Observers and Monitors

fstovall — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:06:44 +0000

Publisher:

United Nations

Published Date:

04/03/2012

Resource Type:

Declaration

Language:

Arabic, Bangla, English, French, Mongolian, Romanian Russian, Spanish

English

Arabic

French

Spanish

Romanian

Russian

Attachment	Size
Read the declaration (Arabic)	267.58 KB
Read the declaration (English)	897.79 KB
Read the declaration (Bangla)	8.27 MB
Read the declaration (Burmese)	302.33 KB
Read the declaration (French)	327.02 KB
Read the declaration (Indonesian)	16.61 MB
Read the declaration (Mongolian)	345.97 KB
Read the declaration (Romanian)	275.41 KB
Read the declaration (Russian)	286.22 KB
Read the declaration (Spanish)	326.57 KB
Read the declaration (Urdu)	370.99 KB

Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and Code of Conduct for International Election Observers

vrao — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 04:00:00 +0000

Publisher:

United Nations

Published Date:

10/27/2005

Resource Type:

Manual|Handbook

Language:

English, Albanian, Arabic, Armenian, Azeri, Bosniak-Cyrillic, Bosniak-Latin, Chinese, Croatian, Dari, French, Hungarian, Kazakh, Latvian, Macedonian, Moldovan, Pashtu, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish, Ukrainian

Media Type:

PDF

The Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the Code of Conduct for International Election Observers were developed through a multi-year process involving more than 20 intergovernmental and international nongovernmental organizations concerned with election observation around the world. The process began informally in 2001 at the initiative of NDI and the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division (UNEAD) and included an initial meeting at the UN in New York and a meeting in Washington co-hosted by the OAS and NDI. The declaration was commemorated at the UN on Oct. 27, 2005, and is now endorsed by 52 intergovernmental and international organizations, which are engaged in the process of improving international election observation.

Note: The first link below connects to the English-language version of this document. The subsequent links connect to the document in other languages, following the same alphabetical order as the list of languages above.

English

Arabic

French

Spanish

Albanian

Armenian

Azeri

BiH Latin

Bosnian

Bosnyak-Cyrillic

Chinese (Mandarin)

Croatian

Dari

Hungarian

Kazakh

Macedonian

Molodav

Pashto

Polish

Portuguese

Romanian

Russian

Serbo-Croatian

Turkish

Ukrainian

Attachment	Size
Read the declaration (English)	87.82 KB
Read the declaration (Albanian)	52.76 KB
Read the declaration (Arabic)	139.49 KB
Read the declaration (Armenian)	78 KB
Read the declaration (Azeri)	291.5 KB
Read the declaration (Bosniak-Cyrillic)	260.88 KB
Read the declaration (Bosniak-Latin)	204.71 KB
Read the declaration (Chinese)	194.03 KB
Read the declaration (Croatian)	145.88 KB
Read the declaration (Dari)	175.76 KB
Read the declaration (French)	75.93 KB
Read the declaration (Hungarian)	224.26 KB
Read the declaration (Kazakh)	234.13 KB
Read the declaration (Latvian)	256.82 KB
Read the declaration (Macedonian)	282.39 KB
Read the declaration (Moldovan)	166.21 KB
Read the declaration (Pashto)	273.96 KB
Read the declaration (Polish)	304.49 KB
Read the declaration (Portuguese)	146.22 KB
Read the declaration (Romanian)	244.08 KB
Read the declaration (Russian)	86.82 KB
Read the declaration (Serbian)	236.55 KB
Read the declaration (Spanish)	77.38 KB
Read the declaration (Turkish)	300.9 KB
Read the declaration (Ukrainian)	222.71 KB

Political Parties and the Transition To Democracy: A Primer in Democratic Party-Building for Leaders, Organizers and Activists

vrao — Mon, 09 May 2005 04:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/01/1997

Resource Type:

Manual|Handbook

Language:

Arabic, English, French, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish

This handbook discusses organizational and procedural elements necessary for the daily operation of a political party and emphasizes the need to develop a party’s outreach capacity at the local level. It outlines strategies for long-term party development and for maintaining effectiveness between elections.

الأحزاب السياسية والانتقال إلى الديمقراطية

الناشر: منشورات المعهد الديمقراطي الوطني.

تفصيل: يناقش هذا الكتيّب العناصر التنظيمية والإجرائية الضرورية لعمل الأحزاب السياسية اليومي، ويشدّد على الحاجة إلى تنمية القدرات التواصلية لدى الأحزاب على المستوى المحلي. ويستعرض أيضاً الاستراتيجيات الآيلة إلى تطويرِ عمل الأحزاب على المدى الطويل وتفعيلِ دورها باستمرار بين انتخابات وأخرى.

English

Arabic

French

Spanish

Russian

Serbo-Croatian

Attachment	Size
Read the manual (English)	236.98 KB
Appendix A	2.63 MB
Appendix B	2.33 MB
Appendix C	722.22 KB
Appendix D.1	2.12 MB
Appendix D.2	2.6 MB
Appendix E	1.31 MB
Appendix F	2.04 MB
Appendix G	953.17 KB
Appendix H	1.93 MB
Appendix I	1.89 MB
Read the manual (Arabic)	677.21 KB
Read the manual (French)	646.12 KB
Read the manual (Russian)	453.34 KB
Read the manual (Serbo-Croatian)	242.9 KB
Read the manual (Spanish)	108.21 KB

Legislative Public Outreach on Poverty Issues, Parliaments and Poverty Series, Toolkit No. 3

vrao — Wed, 05 May 2004 04:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

05/01/2004

Resource Type:

Manual|Handbook

Language:

Arabic, English, French, Russian, Spanish

This publication seeks to assist parliaments in facilitating and improving communication on poverty reduction issues with the electorate. It details various audiences and the types of public outreach strategies to implement.

تعزيز المشاركة البرلمانية في الأهداف الإنمائية للألفية الجديدة والعملية الاستراتيجية للحدّ من الفقر - المساعي التشريعية للتواصل مع الشعب في قضايا الفقر

الناشر: برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي - منشورات المعهد الديمقراطي الوطني.

تفصيل: يسعى هذا الكتاب إلى مساعدة البرلمانات في تسهيل التواصل بين الهيئة التشريعية وجمهور الناخبين حول قضايا الحدّ من الفقر. فيتحدث تفصيلاً عن مختلف استراتيجيات التواصل التي يجب أن تتبنّاها والفئات التي تستهدفها.

English

Arabic

Attachment	Size
Legislative Public Outreach on Poverty Issues (Arabic)	1.13 MB
Legislative Public Outreach on Poverty Issues (English)	1.33 MB
Legislative Public Outreach on Poverty Issues (French)	1.28 MB
Legislative Public Outreach on Poverty Issues (Russian)	1.43 MB
Legislative Public Outreach on Poverty Issues (Spanish)	1.22 MB