Tandis que la Guinée se prépare pour les élections législatives prévues pour la fin de l’année (ces élections multipartites ne sont que les secondes du genre dans l’histoire du pays), les partis politiques déploient beaucoup d’énergie pour inscrire un plus grand nombre d’électeurs sur les listes électorales, choisir plus démocratiquement leurs candidats et renforcer la sensibilisation des partis et des électeurs des zones rurales.

An unusual witness testified before the Russian Duma recently on a topic — legislative oversight — that is not frequently discussed in the Russian parliament.

Monitoring how governments work is an important citizen responsibility in democracies. Have elected officials fulfilled their campaign promises and are they worthy of being returned to office? Have there been abuses of power? Are taxpayer funds being spent in a responsible manner?

These are just some of the questions facing citizens as they scrutinize government performance, which can be a daunting task, particularly in new and emerging democracies where few citizens have the experience or tools to monitor effectively.

Mexico’s gender quota system has made a significant difference for women seeking election to the Mexican Congress. In the last 15 years, the percentage of seats occupied by women has increased from 10 to 26 percent.  

But at the municipal level, women have not had such success. The number of women mayors in the country averages 5.5 percent, and in some areas the percentages are smaller. An example is the Mexican state of Michoacán, on the central western coast, which elected just three women mayors in its 113 municipalities.