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As contributing authors of a new book, Legislative Oversight and Budgeting, John Johnson, NDI director for governance programs, and Robert Nakamura, former NDI resident country director in Nigeria, explore oversight and budgeting challenges facing legislatures around the world.

Using case studies from numerous countries, including the Czech Republic, Israel, Italy, Poland and South Africa, the book brings together knowledge from scholars and practitioners to explore oversight from a variety of perspectives and legislative settings.

The preservation of democracy is key to stability and security in the wake of the August conflict with Russia, former Georgian Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze said at a Dec. 19 briefing at NDI. Burjanadze discussed the importance of strong democratic institutions, free media and an independent judiciary. She expressed hope that the establishment of a new political party launched in October, the Democratic Movement-United Georgia, would provide another constructive opposition voice.

More than 90 representatives of women’s wings from five major political parties developed and endorsed a National Action Plan to strengthen their women’s wings and boost their representation on party decision-making bodies.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is continuing to have a devastating impact on Africa, particularly in the southern region, where some countries have prevalence rates that exceed 20 percent.

Brionne Dawson (pictured at left), NDI’s resident program manager in South Africa, discusses how the Institute has helped lawmakers play a larger role in addressing the issue and its greater societal effects.
 

• How did NDI become involved in HIV/AIDS issues in Southern Africa?

This month marks the sixth anniversary of Cuban Black Spring – the Cuban government’s arrest and imprisonment of 75 Cuban journalists, librarians, and democracy and human rights activists. These individuals, arrested March 18, 2003, were subjected to summary trials, sentenced to prison terms of up to 28 years, and are currently living under brutal conditions for threatening the Cuban government’s tight grip on society.

To enrich their understanding of mining policy issues, a group of East African legislators visited diamond and gold mines in Tanzania recently as part of an effort to improve legislative oversight of extractive industries. NDI helped arrange the visit and created background materials on the issues for the lawmakers.

As Sierra Leone continues to rebuild after a decade-long civil war, the issue of land reform has emerged as a topic with particular political sensitivity because it cuts across both ethnic and party lines. Moving land reform forward would have positive implications for natural resource management, agricultural production, and addressing the challenges of rapid urbanization in the country.