NDI today condemned the decision by Burma’s military junta to imprison Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and called for her immediate release.

“This action must not go unanswered by the international community,” said Madeleine K. Albright, chairman of NDI. “The leadership of Burma had an opportunity to show the world that it was ready to move in a different direction. Instead, Burma’s leaders have taken a tragic step backward.

Making contact with busy lawmakers and staff to advocate public policy changes can be a daunting task for civic groups. Protocols and procedures are sometimes complicated and the right point of entry may not be clear. In Nigeria, the National Assembly Civil Society Organization Liaison Office (CSOLO) has been working to help smooth that process. 

Stigma, misinformation and denial have impeded efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic that afflicts more than 20 percent of the population in some countries in Southern Africa. With powers to oversee spending, pass laws and influence government priorities on behalf of citizens, members of parliaments are well placed to make an impact.

But a survey by NDI and the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) found that legislators were “not taking full advantage of their constitutionally mandated powers to address the HIV/AIDS crisis.”

An office intended to strengthen communication between Serbian citizens and members of parliament (MPs) is paying dividends less than a month after opening. A new initiative in Serbia, the nonpartisan office provides a place where constituents can speak individually with their MPs or with office staff well versed in government services.

In just the first few weeks, six cases have been resolved. They varied from a Serbian citizen seeking a lawyer to another looking for help in starting a businesses.

As Liberia continues on the path to democratic governance, one of the key institutions in this transition is the legislature, the most diverse in the country’s history. Twelve percent of the House of Representatives and 17 percent of the Senate are women, and first-time legislators form a significant portion of the membership.

The importance of assisting developing democracies at the legislative level was among topics discussed by Representatives David Price (D-N.C.) and David Dreier (R-Calif.) of the House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) during a Feb. 10 panel discussion with Kenneth Wollack and Lorne Craner – the presidents of the National Democratic Institute and International Republican Institute.