Citizen Participation

Major New Report Shines Light on Public Perceptions of the New Libya | June 11, 2012

Libyans believe that the success of last year’s revolution is being compromised by poor security, weakness in the rule of law and the slow pace of transition, according to a new report.

In spite of these challenges however, Libyans still believe the country to be moving in the right direction, citing new freedoms, a flourishing civil society and small improvements in local security as specific examples.

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Building a More Reponsive Democracy: Citizens of Mozambique Express Their Views

Mozambicans want to have a say in their government’s pending overhaul of the electoral and governing systems, according to NDI’s new public opinion study, Building a More Representative Democracy.

Citizen-Candidate Dialogues in Mexico Seek to Increase Government Responsiveness

In some of Mexico’s states most affected by violence, voters are getting a rare chance to put questions about citizen security to candidates seeking their support in the country’s July 1 congressional elections.

In a country that has been plagued by organized crime and violence, safety issues continue to be a top priority for voters. A poll from September 2011 found that 55 percent of Mexicans want the government to put a high priority on strengthening public security.

Political-Process Monitoring: Considering The Outcomes and How They Can Be Measured

A new NDI publication, Political-Process Monitoring: Considering the Outcomes and How They Can Be Measured, helps inform the design and evaluation of programs supporting political-process monitoring.

Liberian Election Observers Plan for Future with Help of Regional Coalition

When Liberians went to the polls to elect a president last fall, 1,801 citizen observers fanned out across the country to observe voting, counting, tallying and recording of results. They were part of the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC), a coalition of more than 30 civil society organizations that observed all aspects of the election process, which it found to be “free, fair and transparent.”

Citizens living outside of Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), get little attention from the country’s central government and have poor access to public services like health care, electricity and education. The federal government makes all decisions and there has been little progress in efforts to give local governments power over such services, a process known as decentralization. In addition, there have been no municipal elections in almost 20 years, so local officials are appointed by the central government.

As the political transition proceeds in Libya, leaders continue to struggle to meet public expectations on key issues such as security, political reform and standard of living, according to a new public opinion study by NDI.

For The First Time, Libyan Citizen Network Will Observe Elections

A coalition of civil society organizations from across Libya has launched the Shahed Network for election observation, the first citizen election monitoring effort ever attempted in the country.

New focus group research from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) finds an overwhelming majority of participants believe the country can become a full-fledged democracy, provided it has better leadership and unity among the people. Those surveyed were also especially concerned with the corrosive power of corruption in the country, and they want political parties and elected leaders to be more responsive to citizens.