2018 marked a year of significant political change for Armenia. After weeks of protests, decade-long ruler Serzh Sargsyan resigned. Protest leader and opposition parliamentarian Nikol Pashinyan was then elected Prime Minister. With promises to fight corruption and improve economic conditions, the prime minister’s My Step alliance swept the December 2018 snap parliamentary elections. The political transition presents Armenia with an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen democratic institutions and practices.

Since 1994, NDI has worked to strengthen Thai civil society, political parties and democratic institutions.

NDI has actively supported democratic development in Pakistan since 1997, working with civil society organizations and political groups to strengthen democratic institutions and facilitate greater political participation of women and young people.

NDI has worked in Nepal since 1994, conducting programs on political party and parliamentary development, voter and civic education, domestic election observation, and youth and women’s political empowerment.

Since 1992, NDI has partnered with Cambodians, elected representatives, political parties, and civil society organizations to encourage transparent governance and inclusive political participation. The Institute has helped to promote political party codes of conduct, women’s participation in the political process and citizen-led initiatives to monitor and reform the electoral process. 

NDI has worked in Indonesia since 1996, supporting programs that build the capacity of domestic monitoring groups, strengthen political party operations, and support women and youth political activists to participate in the 1997, 1999, 2004 and 2014 elections. After the 2005 Aceh Peace Agreement was signed, NDI conducted programs to assist civil society and political parties in Aceh participate in elections and establish democratic political institutions.

Since 2004, NDI has supported Ugandan efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and advance democratic reforms. Past programs assisted in developing issue-based parliamentary caucuses, strengthening linkages between women’s-focused civil society organizations (CSOs), female members of parliament and their constituents, and working with local nonpartisan civic groups to monitor elections.

Since 2004, NDI has partnered with civic and political organizations in Tanzania to support and strengthen democratic development efforts. As a part of that goal, NDI has worked with citizen observer groups to promote electoral integrity in the 2010, 2015, and 2020 general elections. The Institute has also supported political parties’ internal organization and election preparation through its regional program activities.

After three decades of repressive rule in Sudan under President Omar al-Bashir, widespread civilian protests in 2018 and 2019 led to his ouster on April 11, 2019. For the first time in 30 years, the protests successfully organized a nationwide network of civil society groups, youth, women, political parties and individual activists to work together to achieve political change. Following the uprising, a transitional government made up of a civilian-military coalition was established to govern for 39 months in the lead up to democratic elections.

NDI promoted democratic governance in Somalia through its partnerships with transitional and federal government institutions from 2005 to 2015.  During this time, the Institute worked with the offices of the president, prime minister and speaker of parliament; with political and administrative heads of more than 30 ministries; and with nearly 400 members of parliament to enhance their governing abilities.