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Afghans Defy Threats of Violence to Vote in April Polls
Defying terrorist threats, Afghans went to the polls on April 5 to vote in presidential and provincial council elections that could mark the first democratic transfer of power in the country’s history.
More than 100 Afghan staff members of NDI visited 327 polling stations in 26 provinces to observe election day activities. The Institute dedicated its mission to Luis Maria Duarte, one of its long-term observers who was killed in the March 20 attack on the Kabul Serena Hotel. The remarkable turnout along with the significant participation of Afghan election monitors, political parties, women, young people and others contributed to the credibility of the electoral process, NDI said in a preliminary statement.
Ahead of election day, NDI helped prepare 46,000 candidate and political party polling agents, trained 281 of 299 women provincial council candidates and put on a candidate orientation program for 1,715 (more than 60 percent) of provincial council candidates. Read more»
NDI’s Afghanistan election data website provided data on the locations of polling stations and observer deployments, and will be updated with data on vote totals, security and reports of election irregularities as the process continues. Read more»
Ukraine Following Democratic Path,
but Faces Significant Challenges, NDI Mission Finds
While Ukraine is on a decidedly democratic path, the country faces an extraordinary set of challenges ahead of May 25 presidential, parliamentary and local elections, according to findings of an NDI pre-election mission that was in Ukraine April 7-11. The polls will be the most important in the country since it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the delegation said.
The mission was co-led by former Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy and former U.S. Senator Edward “Ted” Kaufman. Read more»
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International Roma Day
April 8 marked International Roma Day, which celebrates the culture of Europe’s largest transnational minority while drawing the world’s attention to the discrimination and hardships that millions of Roma deal with every day. NDI sat down with Florin Priboi, an alum of NDI's regional Roma program and visiting Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow, to discuss the significance of International Roma Day, as well as his own efforts to help Roma in his home country of Romania realize political equality. Read more»
2014 Andi Parhamovich Fellow Seeks to Help More Guatemalan Women Run for Office
Margarita Alonzo began her career in Guatemala as a scientist. But after years of working in the Ministry of Economy gave her a taste of public service, she decided to become involved in politics. Now she is using NDI's Andi Parhamovich Fellowship to help women across Guatemala run for office, get elected and govern. Read more»
In Mali, Activists Renew Efforts to Increase Women in Government
After 2013 parliamentary elections in Mali yielded a step back for women’s representation, civil society activists and political party leaders came together to prepare a draft law that would require each political party to field at least 30 percent women candidates for local and national elections. A cross-party coalition of women and local civic groups are advocating for its passage in the National Assembly. Read more»
What is a PVT?
NDI has assisted civic groups in 46 countries perform over 180 parallel vote tabulations (PVT). Want to learn more about what a PVT is and how it works? Check out NDI's PVT infographic. You can also visit www.ndi.org/pvt for information on performing PVTs, analyzing PVT findings and more. Read more»
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30 Years of Working for Democracy and Making Democracy Work
In honor of its three decades supporting those who share a common desire to live in free societies that recognize basic human rights, NDI has published a 30th anniversary report highlighting its global efforts to advance the promise of democracy. A new "What We've Learned" section on the NDI website also features lessons the Institute has learned over the past 30 years. Read more»
Pre-Election Survey Shows Growing Optimism and Support for Elections in Iraq
Ahead of Iraq's first national elections since the U.S. troop withdrawal, citizens appear to be more positive about where their country is heading than they were last fall, according to the findings of a new NDI pre-election survey. Iraqis will go to the polls April 30 to elect a new 328-member Council of Representatives (CoR), which will ultimately elect a new prime minister, president and cabinet. Read more»
Somalia Civic Education Campaign Involves Citizens Through Drama
Somalia’s new federal government, formed in 2012, faces significant challenges as it seeks to rebuild institutions and deliver on democracy. A critical part of stabilizing the country lies in establishing a permanent constitution. After years without a functioning central or federal government, Somalis lack access to basic information about political and constitution-making processes. But a civic education campaign of TV and radio dramas is seeking to change that. Read more»
Youth Party Activists Promote Peaceful Elections in Haiti
In Haiti, young people make up 70 percent of the population and are disproportionately caught up in politically-motivated violence. Now, young people are using the power in their numbers to advocate against violence and promote peaceful participation ahead of national elections expected this year. Read more»
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Join NDI for the Madeleine K. Albright Luncheon on Monday, May 19, at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. The event will honor Aswat Nisaa of Tunisia, the 2014 recipient of the Madeleine K. Albright Grant. Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, will deliver the keynote address. Before the luncheon, a panel discussion will explore women's political participation as a means to economic empowerment. Panelists are Madeleine Albright, NDI chairman; Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California and former secretary of Homeland Security; Liberata Mulamula, Tanzanian Ambassador to the U.S. and Mexico; and moderator Katty Kay of BBC World News America. Purchase tickets here»
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