The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended Sudan's civil war gives Southern Sudanese the opportunity to vote next January on whether they want to secede from the north and create their own country. The credibility of this historic election will depend in part on thorough and professional election observation during the pre-, post- and election day periods to help ensure that the referendum is carried out in a transparent way.

Voters in several areas of Peru will head to the polls on Dec. 5 to take part in run-off elections for department presidential candidates who did not achieve the required 30 percent of the vote during first-round elections Oct. 3. Ten departments — or states — will hold runoffs for the top two candidates.

NDI has recognized the courage of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her years of sacrifice working for a democratic Burma. Suu Kyi was released Saturday after being illegally detained by Burma's military regime for 15 of the last 21 years.

"Her release marks a new chapter in the career and life of one of the world's great heroines," said NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Aung San Suu Kyi and her people, and we will do everything in our power to be supportive as she continues the struggle to bring true democracy to Burma."

The conduct of Jordan's Nov. 9 parliamentary elections showed a clear improvement over the nation's 2007 polls, although a number of structural shortcomings and other problems should be addressed for future elections, according to the findings of an NDI election observation mission.