Decades-long misuse and mismanagement of oil and mining revenues have fueled devastating spirals of corruption, conflict and poverty in many resource-rich countries. Some international efforts, such as the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Campaign, are focusing on these problems through partnerships between industry, government and civil society. But many legislatures, particularly in Africa, are not addressing this critical area - despite the lawmaking and oversight responsibilities that make them uniquely placed to do so.

Hopes that Kenya's 2007 elections would be seen as a model for African democracies were dashed within 48 hours of the December vote when violence erupted amid charges of manipulation in the tabulation of results. Once a bastion of stability in a volatile region, Kenya seemed perched on the brink of civil war as violent clashes claimed over 1,000 lives, displaced more than 300,000 citizens, and cost the nation's economy more than $1 billion.

The disputed oil-rich Iraqi city of Kirkuk, claimed historically by both Kurds and Turkmen, encompasses all of the major challenges that impact the country as a whole -- sectarian clashes, security crises, disputed natural resources, forced displacement, and foreign political involvement. A referendum will determine whether the city will become part of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region or part of greater Iraq. Left unresolved, tensions between the different ethnic communities in Kirkuk could exacerbate conflicts throughout the country.

Despite a seriously flawed process, Pakistani voters chose a return to democratic rule over dictatorship in February parliamentary polls. Opposition candidates swept to victory over the party of President Pervez Musharraf, leading to the formation of a coalition government led by historic political rivals, the Pakistan Peoples Party of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated seven weeks before the election, and the Pakistan Muslin League-N, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Broadcasts from wind-up and solar-powered radios distributed across remote areas of Southern Sudan are helping the region's citizens prepare for elections to be held in 2009. Since July, NDI has placed more than 40,000 of the distinctive blue-colored radios in the hands of prospective voters in Sudan's Three Areas -- Abyei, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Kosovo declared independence in February after lengthy U.N.-sponsored talks with Serbia failed to produce an agreement on Kosovo's status. The declaration was welcomed by Washington, London, and Paris, but derided by Moscow and condemned by Belgrade, which vowed never to recognize what it considers an illegitimate act of a breakaway province. In Kosovo's capital, Pristina, majority Albanians rejoiced, recalling Slobodan Milosevic's murderous campaign of expulsion in 1999.

Three new NDI publications address different aspects of the democratic process – selecting candidates for legislative office, establishing the legal framework for democratic elections and conducting effective constituent relations.