Keeping Election Observers Safe in Guatemala
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The campaign for Guatemala’s Sept. 6 presidential, legislative and municipal elections is unfolding against a backdrop of ongoing protests and unrest, including intimidation and threats of violence against Guatemalan observers monitoring election preparations.
Representatives from Citizen Action, an election observation group and NDI partner; the Guatemalan Human Rights Ombudsman; and Young People (Gente Joven), Citizen Action’s local partner in Coatepeque, convened a press conference in Guatemala City to denounce a recent instance of intimidation during a political rally. Read more »
Iraqi Council of Representatives Partners with NDI on Parliamentary Assistance
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Saleem al-Jabouri, speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives (CoR), and a delegation of Iraqi parliamentarians and political advisers joined U.S. foreign policy and political experts June 10 for dinner and a discussion about U.S. and Iraqi politics in the lead up to the November 2016 U.S. presidential election.
During the visit, Jabouri and NDI President Kenneth Wollack signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the CoR and NDI, pledging a continuing partnership. The MoU said that NDI will continue to work closely with the speaker’s office, parliamentary institutions, elected officials and staff to assist with the development of legislative functions essential to Iraq’s democratic progress. Read more »
Hondurans Debate Reforms Amid Growing Protests
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Public unrest in Honduras has been noticeable for years, particularly following a 2009 constitutional crisis that culminated in a coup removing President Manuel Zelaya from office. The 2013 elections highlighted the need for electoral reforms to instill greater transparency in the election process and the management of state agencies, and to raise voter confidence.
Against this background, NDI brought together more than 160 representatives from congress, electoral authorities, political parties, civil society organizations, academia, the international community and the media for a forum to discuss electoral reforms. Read more »
Common Principles Improve Coordination and Quality of Parliamentary Support
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What does effective support to parliaments look like?
A new set of common principles, drafted by NDI, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the United Nations Development Programme, the European Parliament and the French National Assembly, outlines nine principles on effective and efficient support to parliaments.
Endorsed to date by more than 80 parliaments and international organizations, the document is grounded in the overarching principle that successful parliamentary development must be driven by the parliamentary institution, and that parliamentary support must be inclusive of all political tendencies. Read more »
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