NDI - Peru

Statement of the National Democratic Institute/Carter Center Pre-Election Delegation to Peru

fstovall — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:50:35 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/26/2001

Resource Type:

Statement

Language:

English, Spanish

English

Spanish

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Read the statement (English)	205.62 KB
Read the statement (Spanish)	141.96 KB

International Visitors Share Experiences on Organizing Debates

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Supporting the Global Movement for Candidate Debates

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

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

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

Haitian Presidential Debates

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

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

Related:

Published Oct. 22, 2012

131 Voices: Accountability and Transparency in the Peruvian Parliament

mglauberman — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:57:55 +0000

Though Peru has shown robust economic growth and relative resilience in the face of a global economic slowdown, many Peruvians continue to face a widening socioeconomic divide, poverty and exclusion from political life. Surveys conducted by the polling firm Ipsos Apoyo show that Peruvians harbor growing mistrust and pessimism about their leaders. Last November, for example, the approval rating for the Peruvian Congress hovered at 24 percent. Results from a 2011 survey indicated that 30 percent of Peruvians believed that their quality of life was stagnant despite economic growth and democratic advances.

Congresswoman Luz Salgado, an original 131 Voices participant, learns how to navigate her personal page on the site.

A new website on the Peruvian Congress, 131 Voices (131 Voces), seeks to address this sense of dissatisfaction by opening voting records and pending legislation to public scrutiny and feedback. The goal is to keep Peruvian lawmakers accountable on policy decisions and make government more accountable. With a name reflecting the 130 members of parliament and the voice of the Peruvian people, 131 Voices was created by Citivox, a web company that also created Curul501, a tool that monitors Mexico’s parliament, in partnership with Democratic Reflection (Reflexión Democrática), a Peruvian civil society organization, and NDI.

Organized by issues, ranging from consumer protection to human rights, 131 Voices is designed to make Peru’s government more transparent by encouraging parliament to use the site as an interactive, personalized tool to stimulate dialogue and open lines of communication with constituents.

Citivox and Democratic Reflection designed a unique page for each member where users can read about the member’s work history and political affiliation, and monitor news about new or pending legislation.

Thirteen of the parliamentarians have partnered with Democratic Reflection to use their pages to create a personalized, interactive profile that provides access to their Twitter feeds, information about their pending or proposed legislative initiatives, and a comment box where citizens can discuss proposals for new laws and provide other feedback.

One example of how the site connects leaders with constituents was the commentary generated by a proposal by Luis Iberico of the Alliance for Great Change party (Alianza por el Gran Cambio) for the “creation of a National Institute for Information and Transparency” that would seek to promote greater access to information and openness in government. Citizens expressed support for the objective of improved transparency, which was noted as a key to fighting corruption, but also suggested that the initiative should avoid creating a new, ineffective bureaucracy.

Read more:

Published Aug. 2, 2012

NDI E-news: North Africa, Liberia, Ecuador | May 2011

fstovall — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:27:35 +0000

May 2011

Across North Africa, Citizens Find Their Voice

STAY CONNECTED

CONTRIBUTE

On one wall of Tahrir Square in Benghazi, Libya, people leave pictures of those who died during the reign of Muammar Gaddafi, including during the uprising that began in February. Photo by Maroun Sfeir.

With the major changes taking place across North Africa, NDI is expanding its activities in Egypt and Tunisia, where citizen uprisings led to the overthrow of authoritarian rulers and events are unfolding quickly as citizens work to organize new democratic systems.

In Libya, where citizens are fighting for freedom, NDI sent a team to Benghazi earlier this month to assess what Libyans will need for a democratic transition. Les Campbell, NDI director of Middle East and North Africa programs, writes about his experiences in this first-person account. "There is such a hunger for information ... The isolation of this part of Libya was profound and what is going on now is a genuine awakening."

NDI has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Transitional National Council (TNC), outlining ways the Institute can support Libya's transition by working with both the TNC and civil society.

Young people protest against regional discrimination in Le Kef, a city in northwestern Tunisia.

In Tunisia, NDI is beginning a second round of focus group research to learn how political parties are viewed and what issues citizens are most concerned about. As Tunisia prepares for its first democratic elections in more than 20 years, set for July 24, the Institute will share the findings with political parties to help them draft platforms and campaign strategies that address the needs of Tunisians.

In April, NDI brought Polish Solidarity leader and former defense minister Janusz Onyszkiewicz and retired Indonesian general Agus Widjojo to Cairo for a series of consultations with Egyptian political leaders and civic activists on political transitions. Discussions focused on how opposition groups can prepare for elections on an accelerated timetable, overcome internal divisions and navigate a transition to democracy that is being directed by the military with limited public input. Most Egyptian political parties are focused on September's parliamentary elections. NDI has been helping them develop campaign strategies and skills, and work on new campaign techniques, such as door-to-door campaigning, that have traditionally been resisted by Egyptian activists. NDI has also been working with parties to organize candidate debates and with civic groups to discuss electoral reform.

Meanwhile, NDI and the government of Bulgaria signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at sharing that nation's experience in democratic transitions with countries in the Middle East and North Africa. "As a country that has spent the past two decades undergoing a massive and often difficult transformation from dictatorship to democracy, Bulgaria has much to share with those who are now struggling to instill those same changes in their societies," said Nikolay Mladenov, Bulgaria's foreign minister, at a signing ceremony at NDI. Already, Bulgarian political leaders have visited with new political parties in Tunisia to share lessons learned.

Arabic language publications

NDI offers a number of manuals and handbooks designed to help civil society organizations, political parties and governments through democratic transitions. The Institute's most recent manual,
Political Process Monitoring: Activist Tools and Techniques, helps citizen groups monitor electoral campaign conduct as well as scrutinize government performance. The Institute also offers 75 Arabic language publications on topics such as advocacy, women's participation, democratic governance and using technology for more effective communications.

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Democracy is...Tolerance

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Watch»

Join the conversation»

Parliamentarians, Business Leaders Work Together in Mauritania to Improve Economy

In Mauritania, parliamentarians joined forces openly with representatives of the business community for the first time in the country's history this month. The two groups agreed to submit an official report to the Mauritanian National Assembly detailing issues and recommendations, and to establish a commission promoting ongoing collaboration between government and the private sector. Read more»

Cleaner Hospitals is Subject for Legislator Training in Ecuador

The poor hospital hygiene that may have been responsible for a recent string of infant deaths in Ecuador became a case study for a legislative training program organized by NDI. The program simulated ways to seek and incorporate citizen input into legislation that would improve regulation of hospital conditions. Read more»

Macedonian Code of Conduct Asks 'What Mark Will We Leave?'

Macedonian political parties signed a code of conduct ahead of snap parliamentary elections, calling on parties to respect the electoral law and foster a tolerant campaign atmosphere free of violent or intimidating rhetoric, fraud, bribery and proxy voting. The code is the eighth NDI has sponsored, and adherence to the codes has increased over the last eight elections. Read more»

Electoral Fairs Bring Politics Out of the Box in Peru

In the weeks leading up to last month's Peruvian elections, NDI partnered with Transparencia, a leading civic group, to organize a series of candidate debates and electoral fairs that gave citizens from outside the capital the opportunity to interact personally with candidates. Read more»

Marching Ahead: A Profile Book of Women Constituent Assembly Members

The April 2008 elections in Nepal marked a historic and unprecedented step forward for that nation's women, who won one-third of the seats in the Constituent Assembly, the body tasked with drafting the new Nepali constitution. A new book, Marching Ahead: A Profile Book on Women Constituent Assembly Members, profiles 24 of these women, sharing their stories as inspirations and role models for the next generation of women leaders. Read more»

Electoral Fairs Bring Politics Out of the Box in Peru

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related:

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

Published May 3, 2011

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

fstovall — 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

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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

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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»

Candidate Debates Focus on Issues, Solutions in Peru

rrunyan — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:27:37 +0000

Voters in several areas of Peru will head to the polls on Dec. 5 to take part in run-off elections for department presidential candidates who did not achieve the required 30 percent of the vote during first-round elections Oct. 3. Ten departments – or states – will hold runoffs for the top two candidates.

Voters in several areas of Peru will head to the polls on Dec. 5 to take part in run-off elections for department presidential candidates who did not achieve the required 30 percent of the vote during first-round elections Oct. 3. Ten departments — or states — will hold runoffs for the top two candidates.

In preparation for the vote, NDI is working with its Peruvian civic partner, Transparencia (Transparency), to organize, record and broadcast debates between the top candidates on television and radio. The goal of the debates is to help citizens become more informed about the candidates’ election platforms and compare their leadership styles. NDI is also collaborating with local partner, Cuidadanos al Dia (CAD) to create a monitoring website where citizens can track how well the newly-elected officials live up to their campaign promises.

In advance of the Oct. 3 municipal and regional elections, NDI, the Peruvian National Elections Board (Jurado Nacional de Elecciones, JNE) and Transparencia, organized debates for 44 department presidential candidates in five of the country’s 25 departments. Department presidents are the highest authority at the department level and serve four-year terms.

The debates were shown numerous times during prime time on local television and in other formats including streaming Internet video. In the department of Lambayeque alone, the debate was broadcast 20 times on radio, television and the Internet. On average, some 47,000 people viewed or listened to the debates in each of the five regions.

Debates were structured around five main topics of particular importance in each region. Themes ranged from economic productivity and tourism to the environment, natural resources and quality of life for children and youth. The moderators, many of them journalists, allowed the candidates to choose a topic from their policy platform. This gave them the opportunity to focus on one topic, differentiating between candidates and providing citizens with information on the proposed policy solutions.

With few exceptions, all major candidates participated in the debates and sought to explain why their parties were the most able to address citizen concerns and promote economic development in their departments. As one media outlet reported, the debates helped citizens prepare to cast their ballots: “voters aren’t the same as before, now that they are informed.”

Watch television coverage of the debates

Prior to the debates, NDI organized a series of dialogues between candidates and civil society organizations so that candidates could get a better sense of the issues that are important to local communities and address them in their election platforms. In collaboration with the United Roundtables in the Fight against Poverty (Mesa de Concertación en la Lucha contra la Pobreza, MCLCP) in different regions, these discussions led to candidates signing commitments to pursue “consensus plans for regional development” should they be elected.

These plans highlight the developmental priorities of the region – from tourism to natural resources to education – and were created by regional governments with input from citizens and civil society organizations in each region. Civil society groups will also monitor the progress of elected officials regarding the priority issues as identified by the MCLCP in each department.

Transparencia and NDI will also collaborate on debates next spring for the presidential election scheduled for April 10, 2011.

Pictured above: Department presidential candidates in San Martín participate in a debate prior to October 2010 regional elections in Peru.

Published November 16, 2010

NDI E-news: Democracy Day, Middle East, Cambodia | Sept. 2009

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:25:17 +0000

September 15, 2009

Happy Democracy Day!

NDI wishes you a happy International Day of Democracy, an annual global celebration of human rights, the rule of law and other principles that unite democracies around the world. This day, Sept. 15, was designated by the United Nations to reaffirm the universality of democratic values and recognize the aspirations of people around the world to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems.

Supporting and strengthening democratic institutions is the main mission of NDI, which works in nearly 80 countries to advance citizen participation, safeguard elections and promote open and accountable government. Our primary focus is people — bringing together individuals and groups to share ideas, knowledge, experiences and expertise with the goal of improving the responsiveness and effectiveness of democratic governance. You can learn more about our work at www.ndi.org.

Afghans Pursue Democracy Despite Violence

NDI, which fielded more than 100 international and Afghan observers for Afghanistan's Aug. 20 presidential and provincial council elections, found that aspects of the election were in accordance with democratic principles. But the Institute also identified serious flaws in the process that needed to be addressed and offered 17 recommendations for improvements. The delegation's full preliminary statement can be found here.

Last week, as election authorities grappled with what they termed “clear and convincing evidence of fraud,” NDI expressed deep concern, noting that “it will be impossible to determine the will of the Afghan people” unless those issues are addressed.

The August delegation was led by former U.S. Senator Gary Hart; Karl Inderfurth, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs; John Manley, former Canadian deputy prime minister and foreign minister; Nora Owen, former minister of justice in Ireland; Karin von Hippel, co-director of the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Jamie Metzl, executive vice president of the Asia Society; Kenneth Wollack, president of NDI; and Peter Manikas, NDI's director of Asia programs.
Both Hart and Manley wrote op-ed pieces about their experiences. In addition, Metzl coauthored an op-ed with Christine Fair of Georgetown University, who also was an NDI election observer.

Inderfurth, von Hippel and other members of the election mission spoke about their impressions and answered questions about the vote at an event sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Read more about the event and watch the video»

NDI has been working in Afghanistan since early 2002 and has since conducted programs to promote the participation of Afghan civic groups and political parties in the country's political and electoral processes. A major component of NDI's work involves building the capacity of provincial councils, the only elected bodies below the national level.

Code of Conduct Takes Macedonia Toward Democracy and Europe

With its eye on membership in the European Union, Macedonia held peaceful local and presidential elections this spring without the violence that marred previous polls. The success of the election process was attributable, in part, to a Code of Conduct campaign that rallied political party leaders, candidates and voters alike to show that Macedonia can hold elections consistent with international standards. Chris Henshaw, NDI's resident director in Macedonia, discusses the Institute's history with Code of Conduct campaigns in Macedonia, dating to 2002, and their effect on the country's democratic transition.

Latest Iran Bulletin Explores Religion and Politics

Iran's religious institutions play a prominent role in the country's politics. Now, the disputed presidential election and its violent aftermath have led members of the Iranian religious establishment to question the moral, legal and religious foundations of the Islamic Republic. Prior to the election, Shi'a clerics mostly debated the relative balance of the Republic's Islamic and democratic aspects. Now debate has shifted to the fundamental nature, pillars and theoretical justifications for the regime itself.

NDI has been chronicling developments in Iran since February in its Iran Bulletin. Read the latest issue»

Save the Date!

NDI will celebrate its first quarter century with a special event on Nov. 3 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. More details will be available on the NDI website .

Training the Next Generation of Leaders...

...in the Middle East

Convening for the second year in Doha, Qatar, NDI's Young Women Leaders Academy brought together women aged 19 to 28 from across the Middle East who aspire to political careers. The women came from 12 countries to learn political skills and increase their knowledge about how to run a successful campaign and advocate effectively for a cause.

Meet some of the women who participated in the YWLA.

... in Latin America

NDI's Political Leadership Program, now in its 1oth year, brings together young leaders from Latin America to study international best practices. During the last decade, participants from 56 major political parties and movements from across the ideological spectrum have learned about political party renewal and reform. This year, national academies were held in Ecuador, Mexico and Peru for 69 emerging leaders who learned about the role of political parties, transparency and outreach, and planned individual projects for their parties.

Meet some of the attendees.

Visiting Cambodian MPs See Congress Up Close

Members of Cambodia's National Assembly, seeking to strengthen democracy in their country, visited both the U.S. Congress and the Maryland State Capitol as part of a recent study mission focused on issues of transparency, public access and the balance of power in government. The visit was sponsored jointly by NDI and the Institute for Representative Government.

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.

Video Conference Offers Opportunity for Latin American Legislative Staff to Exchange Ideas

ggreene — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:39:07 +0000

Congressional staff members from Colombia, Guatemala and Peru had a valuable opportunity to exchange information during a recent video conference program on legislative strengthening put on by NDI and the World Bank Institute (WBI). The video conference series—the second in two years involving NDI and the WBI—brought the participants together to explore good practices in the areas of lawmaking, effective committees, and oversight and transparency.

With funding and support from WBI, the video conference series provided an opportunity for legislative staff to explore common challenges in modernizing their legislatures. Colombia, Guatemala and Peru are all trying to bring more stability to their legislative and committee staffs, which have struggled with high turnover. During the video conference, the staff members shared strategies for keeping staff longer so they could gain policy expertise in areas under the committee’s jurisdiction. Participants also discussed their challenges and successes in other areas, such as carrying out effective public hearings.

The video conferences also drew on emerging international standards for democratic legislatures, an effort on which NDI has worked closely with other organizations, including WBI, the United Nations Development Programme and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. In partnership with WBI, NDI is working with the three countries that participated in the video conference to compare their existing norms and practices against these international norms. In each of these countries, NDI is collecting information from members of Congress, congressional staff and members of civil society organizations about congressional practices. The survey instrument has been designed to identify gaps between formal powers and informal practices, as well as to analyze differences in perceptions about the legislature among legislators, staff and civil society.

–

Published on June 24, 2009

Latin American Women Legislators Share Ideas for Advancing Women’s Issues Across the Region

ggreene — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:46:06 +0000

While women in Latin America have significantly increased their political participation and successes since the early 1990s and won a growing number of seats in legislatures, advances have not been uniform across countries. To help move their agenda forward, senior women legislators from seven countries recently gathered in Mexico City to exchange information about best practices and lessons learned.

Since the early 1990s, women in Latin America have significantly increased their political participation and successes. But while the number of women legislators has increased, advances have not been uniform across countries and women are continuing to seek more recognition of their interests. In some countries, women legislators have formed committees on gender; in others, more informal groups have been created to address specific issues. But the strength and effectiveness of these groups differ from country to country.

To help move their agenda forward, senior women legislators from seven countries gathered in Mexico City in February 2009 to exchange information about best practices and lessons learned.

“If we do not design concrete strategies for our work,” said Uruguay Senator Monica Xavier, “we could not advocate effectively, even with a great agenda and a higher number of female legislators.”

The senators and deputies – from Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, México, Peru and Uruguay – participated in a series of panel discussions that addressed challenges faced by women working in parliaments and how to increase women’s participation in public life. The group included presidents of gender commissions, heads of parliamentary caucuses, former ministers and recently-elected legislators.

The gathering, “Women Working Together: Promoting Gender Perspective in the Legislative Agenda,” was organized by NDI with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and the Mexican Chamber of Deputies. It was held Feb. 26 to 28.

Among the challenges identified by the group were the lack of teamwork among women legislators both within party caucuses and across party linesand problems created when party agendas compete with women’s priorities. Another challenge was establishing collaborative relationships with civil society groups.

After three days of discussion, the women legislators concluded that:

Women participating in commissions and/or caucuses should do a better job of informing citizens about their work and achievements, and should use the media more effectively.
Women should establish a common agenda with specific strategies to carry it out.
Women parliamentarians should create a regional network that would encourage stronger relationships among the region’s women’s caucuses and commissions.
Support from international organizations is a key element to facilitating exchanges between women legislators and women’s commissions, and caucuses should seek that support.
Participants should share information across the region on women’s legislation, such as preventing violence against women, so best practices can be identified and exchanged.

The regional meeting sparked activities in the individual countries after participants returned home. The delegation from Guatemala, for example, decided to create its own national caucus.

The regional meeting also included a two-hour advanced training program on consensus building and a presentation on iKNOW Politics, an online portal through which women in politics network and share information, knowledge and expertise. The portal was launched in 2007 by NDI in partnership with the International IDEA, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Development Fund for Women.

The program is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy.

Pictured above: Participants in the recent NDI gathering of women in Latin American parliaments.

–

Published on April 3, 2009

London DFID Presentation

jbowen — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:20:15 +0000

Author:

Jim Swigert

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

06/12/2008

Resource Type:

Speech

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the speech	47.89 KB

Peru’s Political Party System and the Promotion of Pro-Poor Reform

jbowen — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:25:52 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

03/01/2005

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Cover	1.24 MB
Full Report	1.74 MB
Text Only	515.46 KB

Statement of the NDI / Carter Center May 2000 Pre-Election Delegation to Peru

jbowen — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:09:13 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

05/05/2000

Resource Type:

Press Release

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the release	23.41 KB

Plenary Session 1: Making Democracy Work

jbowen — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:44:17 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

04/06/2008

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the report	15.21 KB

Peru

ggreene — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:36:35 +0000

Current Activities

Promoting Accountability and Responsiveness Through Citizen Monitoring Initiatives

NDI is working with a Peruvian partner, Democratic Reflection (Reflexión Democrática, RD), to develop a web platform to promote accountability of elected officials and constructive citizen interaction with members of Congress. The website 131 Voices (131 Voces) hopes to respond to dissatisfaction with Congress by presenting voting records and pending legislation for public scrutiny and feedback. On unique pages for each member of Peru’s parliament, users can read about the member’s work history in Congress, monitor news about legislation and contact the legislator. To date, 20 parliamentarians have partnered with RD to promote the use of the site. NDI and its Peruvian partner are working with party leaders and regional governments to raise awareness of the web platform and encourage legislators’ participation. NDI plans to support exchanges among regional civil society organizations to share their experiences on the use of virtual tools to promote transparency and accountability within the Andean region. This citizen monitoring strategy seeks to help overcome high levels of citizen distrust of political parties and leaders.

Past Programs

Helping Promote Responsive Political Parties for the 2010 and 2011 Elections

NDI worked in partnership with Peruvian civic organizations and institutions, including Transparency (Transparencia) and the National Electoral Board (Jurado Nacional Electoral, JNE), to help national political parties and regional and local movements be more representative of and responsive to citizen needs. NDI shared comparative international approaches to effective political communication and policy platform development through “new media” tools to increase outreach to voters and improve internal communications. The Institute also supported presidential debates hosted by the JNE and Transparencia for the first and second rounds, which boasted over 50 percent viewership ratings by leading Peruvian news sources.

Supporting Poverty Eradication and Helping Parties Address Poverty in the Regions

From 2007-2010, NDI helped facilitate collaboration between regional governments and political and civic groups to develop poverty-reduction proposals and action plans. Through discussions on poverty-related issues and policies with regional governments, political parties, regional movements and civic organizations in Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cusco, Lambayeque and San Martín, NDI helped facilitate the creation of institutional mechanisms for continued collaboration with regional governments. These events helped facilitate multiparty agreements on poverty reduction in Lambayeque and Cusco and fostered opportunities for dialogue on poverty reduction in Ayacucho, Arequipa and San Martin.

Political Party Strengthening

In 1999, NDI launched the Political Leadership Program (LP), a regional program to strengthen the leadership skills and ability of emerging political leaders to promote reform within political parties. Since 2003, 90 young Peruvian leaders from 11 political parties have participated in a regional leadership skills development seminar and returned to Peru to implement party strengthening projects that increased youth training and political participation; improved internal and external party communication through the use of new technologies and social networks; and strengthened party training.

Election Monitoring

NDI began working in Peru in 1994, sharing ideas and comparative international experiences that contributed to the formation of Transparencia, the first Peruvian independent nonpartisan national election observation group. During 2000 and 2001, NDI collaborated with The Carter Center to conduct election observation missions in Peru during the authoritarian government of Alberto Fujimori. For the 2001 electoral process, the presence of NDI and The Carter Center was fundamental in establishing the necessary conditions and international support for free and fair elections.

Promoting Policy Debate in the 2006 Elections

Leading up to the 2006 elections, NDI and Transparencia collaborated closely with Peruvian NGOs throughout the country to provide political parties and regional movements with information and training on key issues identified by Peru’s multiparty and cross-sectoral National Accord process, as well as on platform development and media strategies. NDI and Transparencia also held candidate debates; distributed hundreds of thousands of “Who’s Who” guides and comparative policy fact sheets providing objective information on candidates and their policies; organized election fairs to connect candidates, civil society groups and voters; and designed and broadcast radio segments on key electoral issues. According to a national poll, 57 percent of voting-age Peruvians—about 9.1 million—were exposed to candidate debates, presentations or materials organized or produced by NDI and Transparencia. Of these, 51 percent—about 4.6 million citizens—indicated that their voting behavior was influenced by these activities. In 2005, NDI and policy experts helped inform political parties on health and education issues, leading to an agreement on health policy that was signed by 16 parties and implemented by the García administration.

Legislative Strengthening

From 2001-2005, NDI formed part of the Consortium for Democratic Society in Peru (Consode) and worked to increase public participation in the legislative process as well as the adoption of key reforms. NDI focused on increasing citizen participation in the legislative process, enhancing access to information on the legislature, and promoting transparency and accountability within Congress. Significant legislative-strengthening initiatives included the drafting of a new ethics code and rules of procedure to ensure multi-partisan representation and effective handling of ethics complaints, the drafting of Peru’s citizen participation law to solicit citizen input on the legislation through public hearings and new e-governance technology and the design of citizen participation curricula and training programs to provide Peruvian legislators with low-cost tools for communicating with their constituents.

Political Party Strengthening

From 2004-2005, NDI implemented the regional Program for Party Renewal (PREPA) in Peru to promote reform within parties by strengthening party training services. Using reform-oriented methodologies, NDI worked with political parties to improve their training curricula on internal democracy, transparency and outreach practices.

Contact Information

For more information about these programs, use our contact form or contact:

Washington, D.C.

Claudia Pirela, Program Officer
cpirela@ndi.org

Lima, Peru
Victor Rojas, Resident Director
vrojas@ndi.org

Although Peru continues to benefit from one of the strongest economic performances in the region in the face of a global economic slowdown, many Peruvians continue to live in poverty and face exclusion from political life. Since winning the presidency in 2011, Ollanta Humala has sought to balance his social priorities with economic growth. However, ongoing social unrest over mining projects has created challenges for the Humala administration, and his management of conflicts has created divisions within his governing coalition. Peruvians harbor growing mistrust and pessimism about their leaders, with Congressional approval hovering at 24 percent in November 2011. Continuing social protests demonstrate a perceived disconnect between elected officials and citizen concerns, and without a more responsive political system, Peru runs the risk of increased social conflict and a decline in support for democratic institutions.

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NDI - Peru

Statement of the National Democratic Institute/Carter Center Pre-Election Delegation to Peru

International Visitors Share Experiences on Organizing Debates

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

Supporting the Global Movement for Candidate Debates

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131 Voices: Accountability and Transparency in the Peruvian Parliament

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September 15, 2009

Afghans Pursue Democracy Despite Violence

Code of Conduct Takes Macedonia Toward Democracy and Europe

Latest Iran Bulletin Explores Religion and Politics

Save the Date!

Training the Next Generation of Leaders...

...in the Middle East

... in Latin America

Visiting Cambodian MPs See Congress Up Close

Video Conference Offers Opportunity for Latin American Legislative Staff to Exchange Ideas

Latin American Women Legislators Share Ideas for Advancing Women’s Issues Across the Region

London DFID Presentation

Peru’s Political Party System and the Promotion of Pro-Poor Reform

Statement of the NDI / Carter Center May 2000 Pre-Election Delegation to Peru

Plenary Session 1: Making Democracy Work

Peru

Current Activities

Promoting Accountability and Responsiveness Through Citizen Monitoring Initiatives

Past Programs

Helping Promote Responsive Political Parties for the 2010 and 2011 Elections

Supporting Poverty Eradication and Helping Parties Address Poverty in the Regions

Political Party Strengthening

Election Monitoring

Promoting Policy Debate in the 2006 Elections

Legislative Strengthening

Political Party Strengthening

Contact Information