NDI - Kosovo

Laura Nichols

fgalleto — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:19:13 +0000

Laura Nichols is NDI’s resident country director in Kosovo, where she oversees the political parties program in Kosovo which seeks to help parties with their policy and platform development, internal decision-making and campaign conduct. She has more than 20 years experience in grassroots organizing, government, elections, media, fundraising and political party financial management.

In Canada she worked at the provincial and national levels of the New Democratic Party (NDP), serving as general party secretary in both Alberta and British Columbia. She also worked as chief of staff for three NDP opposition party leaders in provincial assemblies and as chief of staff for Alexa McDonough, former leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada.

Ms. Nichols played a leading role in fostering the participation of women as key players in the political process. During the last provincial election in British Columbia she led the recruitment and training of women candidates and senior campaign staff under a ground-breaking Equity Mandate program that resulted in a significant increase in the number of women elected to the NDP caucus in the British Columbia legislature.

Ms. Nichols has also worked with the NDI Iraq program, traveling to Erbil to participate as guest speaker in the National Platform for Women conference which brought together a cross-section of over 200 Iraqi women with the goal of developing a common agenda in advance of the general elections.

Ms. Nichols has a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of Alberta.

New Mandate, New Opportunities: Evaluation of the Work of the Assembly of Kosovo and Recommendations for Further Development

fgalleto — Tue, 31 May 2011 17:50:38 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

10/01/2008

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

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NDI E-news: Democracies in Transition, African Elections | March 2011

fgalleto — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:25:16 +0000

March 2011

Emerging Democracies Learn from Transition Experiences of Other Countries

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Sergio Bitar, who helped found the Party for Democracy during Chile's democratic transition, recently returned from Cairo.

Democratic transitions take time and patience. Each country is different, seeking to adapt the principles common to all democracies to its unique character and circumstances.

But there are also lessons to be learned from the experiences of other nations that have made the shift from autocracy to democracy — a process that has just begun in Tunisia and Egypt, where citizens are deciding on new constitutions, leaders, political parties and other elements of their new societies.

In Tunisia, NDI recently brought experts from Bulgaria, Hungary and Portugal to meet with Tunisian political party leaders to share experiences from their countries' democratic transitions. Similarly, in Egypt, transition leaders and experts from Chile, Indonesia, Poland, Romania and Serbia are meeting with civil society and party leaders. They were able to discuss a range of issues including relations with the military, reconciliation processes, coalition building, and electoral and constitutional reform.

Krastyo Petkov, involved in the democratic transition in Bulgaria, with NDI Senior Program Officer Gabriella Borovsky in Tunis.

Against this backdrop, 50 experts from Europe and North America met in Brussels this month as part of an ongoing transatlantic dialogue on democracy support, co-chaired by by Jerzy Buzek, president of the European Parliament; Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. secretary of state and chairman of NDI; Javier Solana, former EU high representative for the common foreign and security policy; and Vin Weber, former U.S. representative and board member of the National Endowment for Democracy. In a statement, the participants expressed their support for democratic reform movements and called on the transatlantic community to emphasize democracy assistance within the transatlantic relationship.

NDI also hosted a roundtable for rising democratic powers, including representatives from Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa, on democracy support. These countries have valuable experience in democratic and economic development, but they are often not present in discussions on democracy support because they tend to be neither major donors nor recipients of development assistance.

As part of the two-day roundtable, Indonesia's ambassador to the U.S., Dino Patti Djalal, spoke about his country's transition to democracy and compared it to events unfolding in the Middle East and North Africa. "My advice to many of the countries undergoing democratic transitions is, don't let fear drive you," he said in a talk at NDI.

Youth Academy Empowers Tomorrow's Political Leaders in Rwanda

People under the age of 25 comprise two-thirds of Rwanda's population, but they are largely excluded from political life. NDI's recently expanded Youth Political Leadership Academy helps young leaders acquire practical political skills needed to have a say in their country's future. Read more»

Film Urges Nigerians to "Activate the Power of their Thumb"

As Nigeria prepares for presidential, legislative and gubernatorial elections, a new short film, "My Vote Fit Change Naija," urges Nigerians to vote as a peaceful means to achieve change in their country. Produced by Youngstar Foundation and NDI, the film links voting to potential improvements in jobs, roads, electricity and health care, and stars a number of famous actors from the Nigerian film industry. Read more»

Election Monitors Note Minor Problems as Niger Peacefully Elects New President

Peaceful elections in Niger this month received praise from nonpartisan citizen election observers, despite a number of administrative problems surrounding the voting. NDI's partner, the Nigerien Association for the Defense of Human Rights, trained 2,025 observers who were stationed in all of Niger's eight regions on election day. Read more»

West African Election Observers Promote Credible Elections

In West Africa, some elections have led to successful transfers of power, while others have been marked by widespread fraud. Citizen election observation groups from 11 countries have formed the West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON) to help ensure accountability, increase honesty and accuracy, and improve the credibility of elections in the region. Read more»

NDI Reports: Spring 2011

The new issue of NDI's newsletter, NDI Reports, explores how the mapping of election data can identify trends or anomalies in election results, examines recent advances and setbacks in women's political participation, and reports on a new global network for citizen election monitors.

Read the newsletter or browse the archives»

First Parhamovich Fellow Bringing More Young Women into Politics

Two years after her visit to the U.S., Ferdos Majeed, the Institute's first Parhamovich fellow, helped to launch the Young Women's Leadership School in Iraq. Read more»

Tijuana Civic Groups Use Opinion Research to Strengthen Police Reform Proposal

A recent study conducted by NDI's partner, the Citizen Coalition for Public Security, shows that while residents of Tijuana believe security improvements have been made, the perception of municipal police is still largely negative. The coalition is using the data to work with local elected officials on making improvements in public security. Read more»

Policymakers Share Strategies to Help Roma Minorities

A summit meeting held recently in Romania brought together officials from eight countries in Central and Eastern Europe who are responsible for policies to assist Roma minorities. Though there are an estimated 10 million Roma in Europe, they remain largely excluded from the political system due to discrimination, segregation and poverty. Read more»

NDI Celebrates 100th Annual International Women's Day

Hon. Nora Shimming-Chase (right) speaks with a participant at NDI's International Women's Day event in South Africa.

The 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, an annual observance of the achievements of women around the world, was celebrated this year with a recognition of past triumphs and calls to action for promoting women's equality. NDI marked the occasion with events in Colombia, Kosovo, South Africa and Washington, D.C.

At any given time, nearly 75 percent of NDI country programs have a dedicated component addressing women's political participation, a recognition of the words of NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright that "the political participation of women results in tangible gains for democracy, including greater responsiveness to citizen needs, increased cooperation across party and ethnic lines, and more sustainable peace."

Women in Politics Mean Tangible Gains for Democracy (Kosovo)

fgalleto — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:52:30 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

03/08/2011

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

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Policymakers Share Strategies to Help Roma Minorities

fgalleto — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:50:16 +0000

When a Roma camp in the northern, Serbian part of Kosovo’s divided city of Mitrovica was found to have lead contamination, the government built new houses for those affected in the south of the city. The new housing has gone unoccupied, however, as Roma have balked at moving into a new community without talking with residents in advance about how they would integrate into the area's economy, education system and other aspects of community life.

This is the sort of well-intentioned but less than effective initiative that government agencies tasked with Roma relations are trying to learn from and avoid in the future. A recent summit in Bucharest, Romania, attempted to do just that, convening policymakers from eight countries in Central and Eastern Europe who are responsible for carrying out national strategies for inclusion of Roma minorities, also known as Gypsies. The officials’ job is to overcome deeply entrenched mistrust, segregation and poverty in Roma communities, despite their shoestring budgets with few staff, minimal political capital and little real authority within their governments.

Though there are an estimated 10 million Roma in Europe, they generally live outside mainstream society and are excluded from the political system through discrimination and segregation. Despite an emerging middle class, most Roma communities remain impoverished, plagued by crippling unemployment, high illiteracy rates, poor infrastructure, and lower-than-average life expectancy, conditions that stem from centuries of ethnic persecution, including slavery and genocide.

In a candid exchange at the NDI-sponsored summit, policymakers shared their frustrations and triumphs securing resources, finding accurate Roma demographics and building support for their initiatives, both within their governments and Roma communities. Participants consistently stressed the importance of listening to the communities’ needs to avoid well-intentioned but ineffective projects. The group agreed on eight ways to increase the agencies’ effectiveness, including improving data collection on Roma communities to get a better handle on the need for their programs, and promoting and protecting the political participation of Roma women.

Doru Romulus Costea, Romanian state secretary for foreign affairs, and Ilie Dinca, president of Romania’s National Agency for Roma opened the event, which also featured Istvan Gyarmati, representing Hungary’s newly-formed Lantos Institute. Jan Marinus Wiersma, former member of the European Parliament from the Netherlands and president of the European Roma Grassroots Organizations Network, emphasized European cooperation in his remarks. "It is essential that more information is exchanged about what works and what not," he said. "Good intentions are not enough and many projects have failed because of bad judgements caused by a lack of intimate knowledge about the Roma community."

The idea for the summit stemmed from a 2009 NDI report, Assessment of Barriers to Roma Political Participation in Romania, which found that the country’s National Agency for Roma was plagued by high leadership turnover, a lack of long-range planning, limited financial backing and little influence within the Romanian government. To give it more authority, NDI recommended, among other things, that it partner with civil society and local governments. The Institute concluded that similar actions would benefit Roma agencies throughout the region, which, in many cases, are struggling to improve their outreach to Roma communities.

The Institute will continue to work with leaders of Roma policy agencies as they seek to build collaborative relationships, share best practices, and engage regional institutions, such as the European Union and the Decade of Roma Inclusion, toward their common goals.

The conference was funded by the National Endowment for Democracy with support from the Open Society Institute.

Related:

Pictured above: Gabriela Hrabanova, director of the governmental council for Roma community affairs in the Czech Republic, speaks at the summit.

Published February 28, 2011

NDI E-news: Egypt, Kosovo, Sudan | Dec. 2010

fgalleto — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:01:11 +0000

December 2010

Local Partners Work to Bring Accountability to Elections

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Egyptian candidate debate organized by Partners in Change.

Millions of citizens around the world, sometimes at great personal risk, work to safeguard elections in their countries by monitoring, reporting on and helping citizens participate in all aspects of the elections process. NDI regularly supports and works with many of these individuals and organizations as they seek to deter and expose fraud, ensure voters' rights and shine a light on sometimes secretive government procedures. Here are some examples:

In Egypt, which recently held elections for its lower house of parliament, the Institute worked with the Egyptian Association for the Support of Democracy (EASD) to train and deploy 5,000 observers who documented fraud, violence and election law violations. Using text messaging technology, EASD monitors reported real time information from polling stations that was posted to
the organization's website, drawing a local and international audience of more than 30,000 people. Another NDI partner in Egypt, Partners in Change, sponsored debates and street theater performances as part of get-out-the-vote efforts in the run-up to the elections. The events educated voters on the importance of voting and provided forums for voters to hear from individual candidates about their platforms.

Recent
parliamentary elections in Kosovo were generally peaceful, but some irregularities will need to be investigated more fully, according to a
preliminary statement from the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), an international election observation group. ENEMO fielded 12 long-term observers and 188 election day observers from 23 countries, including 37 American observers organized by NDI, who monitored 861 polling stations.

SuNDE observers attend a training session on the voter registration process.

The voter registration process has just ended in Sudan, which is preparing for a referendum that will determine whether the southern part of the country secedes from the north. The Sudanese Network for Democratic Elections (SuNDE) and the Sudanese Group for Democracy and Elections (SuGDE), both nonpartisan coalitions of civil society groups and NDI partners, are monitoring all steps of the referendum, including the registration process. Seven hundred SuNDE and SuGDE observers monitored registration centers in both the north and south and in five of the eight international registration centers. The groups
released a joint statement saying registration "was conducted free from violations
that could significantly impact the integrity of the process, despite some shortcomings."

Before Peru's Dec. 5 run-off elections for department presidents (similar to state governors), NDI's civic partner, Transparencia, organized, recorded and broadcast debates
among the top candidates on radio and television. The debates aimed to help citizens become more informed about the candidates’ election platforms and compare their leadership styles. Now, in the wake of the elections, NDI is collaborating with Cuidadanos al Dia, a government watchdog group, to create a website where citizens can track how well the newly-elected officials live up to their campaign promises.

Nicaragua Leadership Program Supports Emerging Leaders

In Nicaragua, where opionion research shows young people increasingly dissatisfied with political parties and institutions, a consortium of academic institutions has created a new program to help engage the next generation in the political process. Young men and women from 49 civic organizations and 10 of the country's major political parties and movements are earning a Certificate on Leadership and Political Management focusing on democratic values and leadership. By providing this type of training, which will be expanded in the coming years, the certificate aims to empower the part of the population with the greatest potential for political involvement. NDI helped organize the consortium. Read more»

Montenegrin Ministries Changing the Way they Approach Policy Making

Scott Persons, NDI's resident director in Montenegro, discusses the Institute's work with government ministries to improve their internal and external communications. The program has resulted in more community input on how to solve problems facing the country and more efficient operations within the ministries. Read more»

Electoral Reform Needed to Build Public Confidence in Afghan Electoral Process and Political Institutions

As Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission released the final results for the Sept. 18 parliamentary elections, NDI called for a formal and comprehensive review of the country's electoral system that would lead to reforms. Noting systemic flaws and tensions resulting from credible allegations of fraud and other irregularities, the Institute said that without electoral reform, public confidence in Afghan elections and governance will continue to erode. Read more»

Election Commission Chair Pledges Best Effort to Improve Elections in Nigeria in 2011

A legacy of electoral fraud, political violence and stalled democratic development has marred the past decade of civilian rule in Nigeria, which is planning for elections in 2011. Speaking at NDI, Attahiru Jega, the new chairman of Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission, said that improving the electoral process is vital to the country's democratic development and noted the growing consensus on the need for credible elections. NDI President Kenneth Wollack noted that with Jega's appointment "hope has replaced pessimism" regarding upcoming polls. Read more»

Women Win, Lead in Jordan and Southern Africa

Jordanian women candidates enjoyed record levels of success in the country's Nov. 9 parliamentary elections. For the first time, a woman candidate from Amman won her seat outside of the country's quota system; six of Jordan's 12 governorates elected the first women from their regions; and, for the first time, a Bedouin woman was elected. Jordan's new election law doubled the number of seats reserved for women from six to 12. The increase, coupled with the additional woman candidate who won outside the quota, will bring to 10.8 percent the number of women in parliament. Read more»

In southern Africa, women's political participation in Zambia and Lesotho lags behind other countries in the region. Women from both countries have participated in an NDI leadership academy where they learn campaign, advocacy and public speaking skills, and practice techniques to build coalitions and raise funds. Participants will use these skills in upcoming local and national elections. Read more»

2011 World Press Freedom Day to be Held in U.S. for the First Time

NDI has joined a number of democracy, human rights and free press organizations in the preparations for World Press Freedom Day, which will be held in Washington, D.C., May 1-3, 2011. The events will focus on media freedom in the digital age. More than 20 organizations working to advance free expression worldwide are collaborating with the U.S. Department of State and UNESCO to plan the program, 21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers. Read more»

Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions - ENEMO Kosovo

fgalleto — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:58:17 +0000

Author:

European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO)

Publisher:

European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO)

Published Date:

12/13/2010

Resource Type:

Statement

Language:

English

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Kosovo Elections Peaceful, Challenges Remain

fgalleto — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:53:42 +0000

Kosovo's Dec. 12 parliamentary elections were generally calm and peaceful, but some irregularities were observed and will need to be investigated more fully, according to the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), which organized an international mission to observe the vote.

The elections were the second to be held in the country since it declared independence in 2008. The first were municipal elections in 2009, which were to be followed by parliamentary elections in February 2011. However, the date was moved up after a Nov. 2 parliamentary vote of no-confidence in the current government, resulting in just a 10-day campaign period.

ENEMO fielded 12 long-term observers and 188 election day observers from 23 countries, including 37 American observers organized by NDI, who monitored 861 polling stations. The observation was supplemented by the findings of more than 26,000 accredited domestic observers from various parties and political organizations, including 4,000 non-partisan observers from Democracy in Action (DiA), the largest domestic monitoring group in the country.

A pollworker seals a ballot box after the polls close.

In a preliminary statement issued the day after the voting, ENEMO said the elections "were organized in an orderly manner meeting many international standards, but procedural shortcomings and challenges remain." It noted that many recommendations from the ENEMO observation of the 2009 elections remained valid, including the need to improve voters' lists and set clear and understandable rules on what types of identification can be used to vote.

The statement also noted the high incidence of group or family voting, observed in 36 percent of polling stations, which it called a "serious breach of procedures" that shows a disregard for the secrecy of an individual's vote.

The statement cited the "questionable" turnout rates reported in some areas, particularly in Skenderaj and Gllogocv, where turnout figures were 94 percent and 87 percent respectively. Turnout figures in the rest of the country were around 50 percent, and the high turnout could be a sign of multiple voting or ballot box stuffing.

Conversely, it said that in the largely Serb-populated North, "the continued complexity of the political situation resulted in a tense election environment where those seeking to vote were highly restricted in their access to the polls."

ENEMO urged all parties who questioned the validity of the process to register complaints with the Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel and respect its findings.

"These elections mark a very important occasion in Kosovo's democratic development,” said Robert Benjamin, NDI senior associate and regional director for Central and Eastern Europe, who spoke at ENEMO's Dec. 13 press conference. "The degree to which the will of thousands of voters has been genuinely expressed and faithfully respected will determine the impact of these elections on Kosovo's democratic course."

Related:

Pictured above: Poll workers count ballots as monitors observe the process.

Published December 16, 2010

Events

Event: Kosovo’s Democratic Transition: The Impact of the 2010 Parliamentary Elections

Public Opinion in Kosovo, Baseline Survey Results November 2010

fgalleto — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:32:46 +0000

Author:

UBO Consulting

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

12/10/2010

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
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Remarks In the Assembly of Kosovo on the Occasion of International Democracy Day

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 21:54:25 +0000

Author:

Robert Benjamin

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

09/15/2010

Resource Type:

Speech

Language:

English

Media Type:

PDF

English

Attachment	Size
Read the speech	11.7 KB

Kosovars Celebrate Democracy Day with Greater Citizen Engagement

fgalleto — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:46:49 +0000

Citizen participation as a centerpiece of Kosovo's democracy was the theme of a week-long series of International Day of Democracy (IDD) events held in Pristina last month. Kosovars from a wide variety of ethnic communities attended the events, and most expressed an eagerness to learn about, and participate in, the legislative process.

The government of Kosovo joined with civil society organizations in the celebration, which featured an open house by parliament with tours of the assembly, speeches by members of parliament (MPs) and a documentary highlighting the assembly's history and progress in the two years since Kosovo's independence. An information fair sponsored by nongovernmental organizations connected civil society with MPs, building relationships for future collaboration on legislation and government oversight.

The occasion was the Sept. 15 International Day of Democracy, declared by the United Nations in 2007 as a day when citizens and governments around the world recognize the importance of human rights, the rule of law and other principles that unite democracies around the world.

The Assembly of Kosovo, in partnership with NDI, invited citizens, civic groups and members of parliament to recognize the role each plays in building representative institutions in one of the world's youngest democracy.

President of the Assembly Jakup Krasniqi hosted the many citizens and organizations who participated in IDD events, while taking the opportunity to remind Kosovars of the progress made over the past few years. "Democracy," he said in his welcoming address, "is the realization of freedom for all. To appreciate democracy means accepting the diversity in society and respecting the values and interests of different groups within it."

"Democracy is a long-term process," said Robert Benjamin, NDI regional director for central and Eastern Europe, who welcomed Kosovars to the events along with Krasniqi. More than 350 high school students arrived in Pristina from throughout the country to tour the assembly chambers and share their views on Kosovo's economic development and educational system with their elected officials.

"Kosovars have accomplished a lot, and they recognize there is still much to do. More people need to participate in politics in more ways, more often, with more views expressed about what should be done," Benjamin said. "And political institutions, from the government to the Assembly to political parties, need to open themselves to this participation."

NDI also hosted a reception to recognize the inspiring individual stories of leaders, organizers and activists who, over the last 10 years, have demonstrated remarkable dedication to building the young country's democratic institutions.

Other events included a discussion at the American University of Kosovo on the role of the international community in transitions to democracy and a policy briefing exploring the role of parliament in a democracy. The briefing showcased regional parliamentary models and inspired discussion among MPs, joined by colleagues from Albania, on best practices on the technical structure of a legislature.

As Kosovo seeks greater European integration, the Kosovo Assembly has been reaching out to other legislative bodies and welcomed officials of the Northern Ireland Assembly to its IDD events. They discussed areas of potential cooperation. Northern Ireland's history of sectarian strife and continuing reconciliation serves as a useful example for government leaders in Kosovo, as they continue to work with the country's Serbian minority toward greater peace and unity.

NDI launched its Kosovo Assembly Strengthening Program (KASP) in August 2009 to help the Assembly increase its research capacity, improve day-to-day operations, facilitate civil society participation in the legislative process, and exercise its oversight role, all while becoming more transparent and accountable to the public. NDI collaboration with the Assembly includes enhancing its information technology, supporting the efforts of women parliamentarians, and working with individual caucuses, including minority MPs. NDI also supports political parties, democratic elections and the participation of young people in local politics. NDI programs in Kosovo are funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the National Endowment for Democracy.

Related:

Pictured above: A parliamentary intern distributes brochures on the work of the Assembly of Kosovo to visiting high school students.

Published on October 1, 2010

NDI E-news: Afghanistan, Kosovo, Tunisia | Dec. 2009

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:21:34 +0000

December 2009

NDI and its Partners Observe, Assess and Report on Elections in Afghanistan, Honduras, Kosovo and Tunisia

In recent weeks, NDI and its local partner organizations were on the ground to observe, assess and report on elections in Honduras, Kosovo and Tunisia, and the cancelled presidential runoff election in Afghanistan.

NDI was preparing to observe the Nov. 7 runoff when the Afghan Independent Election Commission cancelled the vote and declared Hamid Karzai the winner. In the days before the runoff, NDI issued a series of recommendations suggesting ways to improve security and prevent the massive fraud that marred the Aug. 20 general election.
The Institute's election analysts prepared several reports looking ahead to procedures for the runoff and analyzing the results of a fraud audit of the Aug. 20 polls conducted by election authorities.
After the election was cancelled, NDI noted that the questions of fraud surrounding the August vote had not been fully addressed and called for a high-level commission to conduct an inquiry into the problems. An op-ed piece on the Huffington Post by NDI's regional director for Asia, Peter Manikas, pointed out the importance of the inquiry as a credible first step in the new government's anti-corruption campaign, as a means to enact meaningful reforms before legislative elections scheduled for next year.

In Honduras, NDI conducted an international election assessment mission for the Nov. 29 general elections. In a statement after the vote, the Institute noted the special challenges presented by the sharp divisions within the country and between Honduras and the international community after the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya on June 28. NDI's assessment mission did not take a position on these larger political issues; rather, it sought to provide an impartial assessment of the conduct of the electoral process. NDI also worked closely with its local partner,
Hagamos Democracia, a nonpartisan domestic election monitoring organization. Hagamos dispatched more than 1,000 observers to all 18 departments and 283 of the 298 municipal districts and released three election bulletins. Its "parallel vote tabulation" accurately projected the results of the presidential race.

Kosovo's municipal elections on Nov. 15 were the first polls conducted there since the nation became independent last year. NDI was on the ground before the election and released a pre-election assessment with recommendations for the vote, as well as how to improve the system in the future.

In Tunisia, political parties united to observe voting around the country for the first time since the country began holding multiparty elections a decade ago. After months of preparation, and with assistance from NDI, senior members of the Ettajdid (Renewal) Movement and the Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties (FDTL) deployed 400 party agents to polling stations on election day, Oct. 25. The two parties then analyzed their results to identify common problems surrounding the administration of the election. Read more»

iKNOW Politics Celebrates Arabic Launch

iKNOW Politics, an online network dedicated to the advancement of women in politics, launched a new Arabic language version in Amman, Jordan, in October opening it up to potentially millions of new users in a region where women are underrepresented politically.

The site had 23,000 visitors last month and 6,100 are registered members who contribute to online discussions and share resources.

About 150 women leaders, political candidates, activists and representatives of women’s organizations primarily from the Middle East and North Africa attended the two-day launch event, which focused on the impact of media and information technology on the number and effectiveness of women in politics in the region.

NDI is one of five partner organizations in the project, along with International IDEA, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, UNDP and UNIFEM.

In Liberia, Radio Station Brings Representatives Closer to their Constituents

In Liberia, NDI is working to help connect lawmakers with their constituents and foster open and substantive public policy debates. To aid that effort, the Institute has partnered with STAR radio to launch a weekly program, The Legislative Spotlight. The roundtable discussion features different topics and legislators each week, and has helped lawmakers to address key public policy issues with constituents who call in to the program.

NDI Organizes Parallel Vote Tabulation Academy

Parallel vote tabulations (PVTs), a powerful citizens' tool to analyze the integrity of voting and counting processes as well as the accuracy of official election results, were the subject of a "PVT Academy" held at NDI's Washington office Nov. 17-20. Some 23 participants from 17 countries, all experienced in conducting PVTs, came together to share expertise and harmonize best practices.

The participants — from Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East — included leaders from citizen groups who have joined NDI in conducting PVTs, NDI staff and consultants who are PVT experts. They came together to share lessons learned and explore nuances in PVTs, which demand precision in training, communications, analysis and reporting.

In Iraq, Women's Platform Becomes Focus of Campaigns

Though Iraqi women are slowly increasing their involvement in government, political parties and civil society organizations, they are still largely absent from decision-making positions within those bodies. To improve that situation, more than 200 women and men from a range of parties, regions and occupations came together in Erbil, Iraq, Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 to develop a unified vision for a National Platform for Women in advance of parliamentary elections scheduled for next March.

Conference participants chose four issues to be the major components of the platform: healthcare, education, employment and political participation. Proponents hope the platform will be at the center of the debate between parties and candidates in the upcoming elections.

Indigenous Women in Guatemala Enhance Their Leadership Skills

To address a pattern of historic exclusion and marginal-ization among Mayan women in Guatemala, NDI has partnered with the Political Association of Mayan Women (Asociación Política de Mujeres Maya) to organize an indigenous women's political leadership academy. Its goal is to provide the women with the skills needed to participate in political life in Guatemala at all levels, including obtaining leadership roles in political parties, participating in local advisory councils and promoting women's issues in civil society organizations.

Afghan Provincial Councilors Adapt to Growing Role

Afghanistan's
provincial councilors (PCs), the only elected officials who interact with citizens at the local level, have seen their roles change and expand since their offices were created four years ago. Many of them had little political experience, so they’ve had to learn on the job. NDI has played a significant role in that learning process.

Devin O’Shaughnessy, NDI’s resident senior program manager in Kabul, recently explained how NDI has worked to support PCs through their first four years in office and discussed the challenges that await the newly-elected and returning PCs who won seats in Afghanistan’s Aug. 20 elections.

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

NDI E-news: Colombia, Haiti, Ukraine, Bahrain | Feb. 2010

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:20:53 +0000

February 2010

Chocó Women Win 2009 Madeleine K. Albright Grant

The Departmental Network of Chocó Women of Colombia (Red Departmental de Mujeres Chocoanas) has been chosen by NDI to receive the 2009 Madeleine K. Albright Grant for its work to create greater roles for women in the region's civil and political life.

The network is an umbrella group of 52 civic organizations from 18 towns in the primarily Afro-Colombian department of Chocó in the western part of the country. It will receive $25,000 for a political training school and to create a network of women political leaders in Chocó. Both will further the organization’s mission: to help Chocoan women achieve greater equality between the sexes and encourage women’s political participation. Read more»

NDI established the Madeleine K. Albright Grant in 2005 to support organizations that create greater roles for women in political and civic life. Winners are selected from a competitive pool of applicants seeking to promote women's political participation. Past recipients include 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.

The Madeleine K. Albright Grant is made possible through the generosity of the Melvin and Bren Simon Foundation.

Initiative Committees Working to Distribute Aid and Information in Haiti

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12 brought suffering and destruction to a country that was already facing major development challenges. The situation on the ground changes daily as Haitian and international relief efforts try to help the millions of citizens who now lack food, water, medical care and shelter.

In response, members of a Haitian network of community organizing groups, or Initiative Committees (ICs), are mobilizing to support national and international relief efforts. Developed over more than a decade with NDI support, the ICs are present in 179 municipalities across the country and involve 35,000 Haitians and 3,500 civic organizations, including 400 women's groups.

African Experts Lay Out Recommendations for Credible Elections

Election experts and practitioners from 25 African nations meeting in Ghana last November called for the ratification of the African Union's charter on elections and enforcement of its standards to achieve more peaceful and credible elections on the continent.

The gathering, organized by NDI and nine other organizations, issued a communiqué with recommendations for standards that could mitigate conflict and improve election processes.

Ghana was chosen as the site for the colloquium because of its successful 2008 elections, which were considered credible, despite heated political tensions and a razor-thin margin between the presidential candidates.

NDI Launches Website That Adds Transparency to Afghanistan Election Data

NDI has launched an innovative online mapping tool for analyzing election data from Afghanistan's flawed Aug. 20 presidential and provincial council elections. Designed to make the data more accessible and transparent, the site uses demographic, ethnographic, topographic and security information. The tool also identifies areas that had significant electoral irregularities.

Using a data browser that provides tools to manage a series of maps, filters and overlays, the site provides numerous ways to segment and visualize raw vote count data. Visitors can run customized queries with the results displayed as lists, charts and maps. The website uses all open source software and makes the data easily available for download in CSV format.

NDI Partner Groups Commend Ukrainian Elections, Offer Recommendations for Sunday's Runoff

After the Jan. 17 Ukrainian presidential election, two NDI partner groups that had observed the election issued statements hailing the vote as an improvement over the 2004 presidential poll but also citing shortcomings that they said should be addressed before the runoff on Feb. 7.

Both Opora and ENEMO highlighted procedural and organizational problems with the vote, including updates made to the voter lists on election day and uneven enforcement of provisions regarding mobile voting (voting from home). Both groups directed their recommendations to the Central Election Commission, which has jurisdiction over the issues.

Youth Leaders Declaration from Belgrade Summit Seeks Regional Cooperation and Peace

With the goals of increasing communication and fostering a network of politically active youth across Europe, NDI co-sponsored a three-day summit in Belgrade that brought together young people from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia to address issues of war crimes, rule of law, discrimination and xenophobia.

On the final day of the summit, the group released "The Belgrade Declaration," which pledged to strengthen their ties with their governments, promote new political values and use new technologies to improve communication and understanding.

Bahrain Women’s Union Calls for Action on Domestic Violence Law

The Bahrain Women's Union (BWU) launched an advocacy campaign last month calling for a law against domestic violence. The campaign kicked off with a march to demonstrate public support for addressing the issue, followed by a roundtable for MPs to discuss the cultural roots of domestic violence and ways to legislate against it. The Kingdom currently has no laws or government policies to address domestic violence, despite the fact that it has seen a sharp increase in domestic violence reports over the last four years.

Before the launch of the campaign, NDI worked with the activists to refine their advocacy plan and strategy for reaching key decision makers and allies.

NDI E-news: African Elections, Serbia, Cambodia | June 2010

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:11:19 +0000

June 2010

Delegations Praise, Suggest Improvements for African Elections

Keith Jennings, NDI's Southern and East Africa regional director, and Ambassador Nora Schimming-Chase of Namibia present the delegation's findings in Tanzania.

Elections do not begin and end on election day. Successful polls require months of pre-election preparations by candidates, civil society, election commissions and domestic and international observer groups. Successful elections also require transparent counting procedures, a timely and fair adjudication of electoral complaints and a peaceful transfer of power.

In the pre-election periods in Tanzania and Guinea, NDI fielded delegations that assessed conditions and made recommendations to improve transparency, participation and fairness in upcoming elections.

In Tanzania, elections slated for October 2010 will be a milestone in the country's democratic development. The NDI delegation released a statement praising Tanzania's electoral process for its innovation and reform, but pointing out several aspects of the process that need to be strengthened. The delegation focused especially on a July 31 referendum that could enable Zanzibar to form a government of national unity. It also focused on the Election Expenses Act, which could exacerbate the resource imbalance between the government and opposition parties, and the voter registration process, which it said still requires significant improvements. Read more»

In Guinea, where the military junta is preparing to hand over power to a civilian government after the country's June 27 presidential election, members of the NDI delegation were optimistic that the election would be conducted peacefully. Their optimism was merited when the voting proceeded in what was initially seen as a largely peaceful and fair election. In a communiqué released prior to the vote, the delegation said, "The electoral campaign is being held without clashes and major incidents." Areas cited as needing improvement were the election commission's communications with the public as well as Guinea's security forces' role in the electoral process. Read more»

These two elections, in addition to upcoming polls in Rwanda, Kenya and Niger, underscore the value of the guidelines, recommendations and a sample of best practices included in a new report from last year's Ghana colloquium on African elections. The gathering was attended by more than 100 participants from 25 African nations. The report is available in both English and French.

Citizen Hotline Launched Ahead of Ugandan Elections

In an effort to curb electoral irregularities in Uganda, DEMGroup and the Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy (CCEDU), both domestic election monitoring organizations, are using technology.

They have put in place a citizen hotline that Ugandans can use to call or text in concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. The comments are being collected, organized and checked out by DEMGroup and CCEDU monitors and digitally mapped on a public website to add transparency to the voting process.

The project is being conducted in partnership with NDI.

In Serbia, Five Pillars for Strengthening Parliament

As the political situation in Serbia has stabilized, attention has shifted to operation of its parliament and the lawmakers' responsibilities to constituents. Rebecca Shoot, a resident program officer in NDI's Belgrade office, discusses the Institute's work helping parliamentarians engage with the electorate.

NDI Brings Together Parliamentary Monitoring Groups in Jakarta

The efforts of civil society organizations to monitor and assess the work of legislatures was the subject of a recent meeting of representatives of parliamentary monitoring organizations (PMO) at the Sixth Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The findings of a project to identify and map PMOs around the world were presented at the conference, as was an introduction to the AGORA Portal for Parliamentary Development, an online resource for sharing parliamentary best practices.

Watch the Winning Videos!

You voted for your favorites, now see who won! The Democracy Video Challenge has announced its six winning filmmakers— from Ethiopia, Indonesia, Spain, Iran, Nepal and Colombia — who earned the most votes for their three-minute videos completing the phrase "democracy is..." The six will now visit New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, where they will meet with representatives from government, democracy and other nongovernmental organizations, and the film and television industries.

Watch the winning videos»

Congress Looks to Women as Agents of Change

Women's meaningful participation in politics affects both the range of policy issues considered and the types of solutions that are proposed. In places such as Timor-Leste, Croatia, and South Africa, an increase in the number of female lawmakers has resulted in more legislation related to domestic violence, inheritance and security.

NDI President Kenneth Wollack testified about these gains at a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on "Women as Agents of Change: Advancing the Role of Women in Politics and Civil Society."

Read Wollack's testimony»

Constituents, Representatives Mix in Expanded Program in Cambodia

In Cambodia, members of the National Assembly have few chances to interact with constituents, and citizens rarely have an opportunity to express their views to their elected representatives in Phnom Penh. To address these challenges, NDI is expanding its constituency dialogue program as part of a five-year USAID-funded effort called Accountability in Governance and Politics. The dialogues are attended by 400 to 600 citizens and are similar to town hall meetings. Citizens can speak to and ask questions of their elected representatives.

Analysis: Signs of Optimism in the Balkans

Efforts in the Balkans to turn the page on a troubled past and look to democratic rule as a foundation for political stability are having an effect, according to Robert Benjamin, NDI's regional director for Central and Eastern Europe. In a recent talk, he discussed the outlook in the Western Balkans — Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia — and concluded that despite challenges the region is making real progress toward peace, stability and democracy.

"My optimistic message is that the region is stabilizing in ways we've never seen before," he said.

Read Benjamin's full remarks»

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.

Maturing and Developing Democracies Share Experiences on Parliamentary Research Services

fgalleto — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:41:07 +0000

"Democracy," said U.S. Rep. David Price, "cannot be imposed from without but must grow from within, organically and at its own pace."

Price was speaking at a unique week-long event in Warsaw, Poland, last month that exemplified that theme. Representatives of maturing and developing democracies gathered for two purposes. The first was to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Frost-Solomon Task Force, which in 1990-96 provided assistance from the U.S. Congress to new parliaments in Central and Eastern Europe that were emerging from communist rule. The second was a Parliamentary Staff Institute to use the lessons learned through that experience to assist representatives of 11 parliaments from different parts of the world that are making their own transitions to democratic governance.

The particular focus of the institute was the development and strengthening of parliamentary research services. It was organized by the House Democracy Partnership (HDP), a successor organization to Frost-Solomon that is chaired by Price, in cooperation with NDI and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

"Where democratic governance has taken root," Price said, "where elected leaders are already working to reform and strengthen their institutions — then commissions such as ours can provide an added boost by sharing our own experiences, good and bad...because when we speak, we speak as peers, as fellow elected officials and professional staff members who are driven by many of the same motivations and ideals. We also have firsthand knowledge of the things that make our own legislature more effective, and can bring that knowledge to bear in targeted ways."

The commemoration events were hosted by the Senate and Sejm of Poland, one of the parliaments that benefitted from the Frost-Solomon program that is now helping other countries with democratic development. Also in attendance was former U.S. Rep. Martin Frost, D-TX, for whom the task force was named along with the late U.S. Rep. Gerald B. H. Solomon, R-NY. Additional participants were Dan Mulhollan, director of the Congressional Research Service (CRS), a group of veteran CRS employees who worked with the task force and representatives from 10 Frost-Solomon countries who all shared their expertise on developing research services.

Speakers underlined the importance of reliable, impartial, timely and accurate research for parliaments drafting legislation. And they shared tips on how to engage legislators and help them see the value of research, which was a concern of a number of representatives from the 11 developing parliaments who feel the importance of their work is not recognized.

"The key to democracy is effective legislation," which requires good information, said William Robinson, former deputy director of CRS. Paul Rundquist, formerly of CRS, emphasized the significance of visibility, flexibility, confidentiality and reliability as researchers prepare information for lawmakers and encourage them to see its value.

Renata Blagniene speaks at the commemoration at the Polish Senate.

Renata Blagniene, head of the General Information Division of the Lithuanian parliament, who was one of the original Frost-Solomon participants, said the vision provided by CRS in those early days "forced us to work hard and to achieve standards." She and her team learned how to be active, be visible and gain political support for their research.

Frost-Solomon provided assistance to parliaments in 10 emerging democracies — Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Its programs were based on the principle that successful democratic transitions in the former communist countries depended on the establishment of effective democratic legislatures.

Those programs, administered by CRS, provided more than 1,200 computers, printers, faxes and other office equipment; more than 9,300 books and other materials for parliamentary libraries; and training programs for more than 2,200 staff and members. "[A] lasting positive impact on the democratic work of parliaments can be demonstrated in all of the countries," according to the task force's final report, published in 1998.

HDP comprises a bipartisan group of 20 members of the U.S. House who work to promote and support the development of democratic governments around the world. It is co-chaired by Price and U.S. Rep. David Drier, R-CA. Attending the staff institute were representatives from HDP partner legislatures in Afghanistan, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Kosovo, Liberia, Macedonia, Mongolia, Pakistan and Timor-Leste.

"While our work has evolved considerably since the first Frost-Solomon delegations 20 years ago," Price said, "one constant remains at its core: the importance of a legislative research service to an independent legislature. For policymaking is often a battle of ideas, and ideas must be supported by facts."

Related:

Pictured above: Former U.S. Rep. Martin Frost (left) and Rep. David Price (center) speak to Ibrahim Samadi, a participant in the parliamentary research service institute from Afghanistan.

Published on July 7, 2010

NDI - Kosovo

Laura Nichols

New Mandate, New Opportunities: Evaluation of the Work of the Assembly of Kosovo and Recommendations for Further Development

NDI E-news: Democracies in Transition, African Elections | March 2011

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Women in Politics Mean Tangible Gains for Democracy (Kosovo)

Policymakers Share Strategies to Help Roma Minorities

NDI E-news: Egypt, Kosovo, Sudan | Dec. 2010

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Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions - ENEMO Kosovo

Kosovo Elections Peaceful, Challenges Remain

Public Opinion in Kosovo, Baseline Survey Results November 2010

Remarks In the Assembly of Kosovo on the Occasion of International Democracy Day

Kosovars Celebrate Democracy Day with Greater Citizen Engagement

NDI E-news: Afghanistan, Kosovo, Tunisia | Dec. 2009

December 2009

NDI and its Partners Observe, Assess and Report on Elections in Afghanistan, Honduras, Kosovo and Tunisia

NDI E-news: Colombia, Haiti, Ukraine, Bahrain | Feb. 2010

February 2010

NDI E-news: African Elections, Serbia, Cambodia | June 2010

June 2010

Delegations Praise, Suggest Improvements for African Elections

Maturing and Developing Democracies Share Experiences on Parliamentary Research Services