IFES Partners with Mexican Electoral Commission on International Training on Political Campaign Finance

October 25, 2011

To help election officials in the Latin American and Caribbean regions share their experiences and knowledge in campaign finance, IFES partnered with the Mexican Electoral Federal Institute (IFE) on a first-of-its-kind workshop for Latin American election management bodies.

Political Finance, Financial Disclosure, Elections

Abuse of State Resources: A brief introduction to what it is, how to regulate against it and how to implement such resources

July 2011

This brief paper deals with three separate but closely related issues – how to understand state/administrative resources and the way they can be abused; how to regulate the (ab)use of state resources in political and electoral affairs, and how to implement or enforce such regulations.

Financial Disclosure, Political Finance, Public Funding

Use of Administrative Resources for Election Campaign in Georgia - 2nd Report

May 11, 2010

The second interim report on monitoring the use of administrative resources for election campaign covers the period of time between 15 March and 5 May 2010 and focuses on the four main types of administrative resources: coercive, financial, material‐technical and human. The analysis shows that there have, so far, been fewer violations during the campaign for the 30 May local elections than was the case during the 2008 early presidential and parliamentary ballots. However, the general picture is still far from positive.

Governance, Election Management, Democracy Assistance, Financial Disclosure, Political Finance

Philippines COP Presents on Electoral Management Organizations

April 15, 2010

On April 13, 2010, Beverly Hagerdon Thakur, IFES Chief of Party in the Philippines, delivered a presentation on electoral management organizations at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City.

Elections, Election Management, Electoral Systems, Political Finance, Political Parties

Use of Administrative Resources for Election Campaign in Georgia - 1st Report

March 29, 2010

There has been an unprecedented increase in the funding allocated to local government entities in Georgia’s state budget ahead of the 2010 local elections. The total transfers to local government bodies in the state budget exceed the previous year’s figure by 34%. At the same time, there has been a considerable increase in the number of employees in the Tbilisi Mayor’s Office and in the regional administrative bodies. The resulting growth of salary funds is at odds with President Saakashvili’s policy of reducing bureaucracy costs. Those who oppose this approach have suggested that state money is being used to employ the people who are to participate in the ruling party’s election campaign.

Governance, Election Management, Democracy Assistance, Financial Disclosure, Political Finance

Focus on Lebanon | Control of Financial Assets Topic Brief

February 18, 2010

This topic brief presents key findings about asset control based on data from the 2009 SWMENA survey in Lebanon. It includes an analysis of women’s control over assets, focusing on how earnings are spent, financial decision making and control over personal property and financial savings.

Gender Issues, Public Funding, Political Finance, Financial Disclosure

Observing International Anti-Corruption Day

December 09, 2009

December 9 was designated as International Anti-Corruption Day by the United Nation’s General Assembly on October 31, 2003. This was done in order to raise awareness of corruption and of the role of the United Nations Convention against Corruption in combating and preventing it.

Governance, Financial Disclosure, Civil Society, Public Opinion

Global Practices in Campaign Finance-an Excerpt from IFES' New Book

November 23, 2009

On November 19, 2009, IFES released Political Finance Regulation: The Global Experience, edited by Magnus Ohman and Hani Zainulbhai. The book offers insight into how the often-muddy intersection between money and politics can be regulated, taking into account the experiences of various countries around the world.

Political Finance, Financial Disclosure, Public Funding

Political Finance Regulation: The Global Experience

November 19, 2009

Political Finance Regulation: The Global Experience offers insight into how the often-muddy intersection between money and politics can be regulated, taking into account the experiences of various countries around the world. The concept for the book arose from the two-plus years of IFES’ work on a United Nations Democracy Fund project aimed at establishing global standards for political finance.

Political Finance, Financial Disclosure, Public Funding

IFES Launches Innovative Civic Education Program in the Democratic Republic of Congo

October 07, 2009

USAID recently awarded IFES a $5.2 million contract to conduct a 2‐year civic education program in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The program is designed to help fulfill the Congolese government’s commitment to a process of decentralization to reverse the country’s legacy of poor governance, corruption, and geographic inequality by bringing greater accountability and inclusion at the local level.

Civic Education, Civil Society, Governance, Post-conflict, Financial Disclosure