Prospects for Change in Turkmenistan

IFES Expert, Anthony Bowyer, testifies Turkmenistan may be slow to change, but is changing. While sweeping change to liberalize society and boldly move the country towards democracy have not taken place, there have been efforts to take baby steps in the last two years towards balancing power. read more » November 19, 2008

Ukraine Poll - Political Disaffection Grows as Economic Distress Increases

Politicians not trusted, disenchantment with democratic process: Ukrainians are becoming increasingly disenchanted with their political leaders generally and feel less engaged with the democratic process read more » November 11, 2008

IFES 2008 U.S. Election Program

Top election officials from more than 40 countries participated in Washington DC in an IFES-sponsored three-day conference, which concluded November 5. The officials explored key election issues and democracy-development challenges - from voter registration to voter fraud, and from political communication to polling. read more » November 10, 2008

Rwanda's Continuing Genocide

Fourteen years after the fact, the Rwandan genocide continues to play itself out on the soil of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There, rebel forces of warlord Laurent Nkunda, ostensibly acting to protect Congo's endangered Tutsi minority read more » November 07, 2008

Afghan Election Education Center Opens

On October 28th 2008, The Election Education Center based at The Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan (IEC) officially opened as a venue from which democracy would flourish in Afghanistan read more » October 28, 2008

Recommendations for Sudan's Civic and Voter Education Outreach

IFES presents its report on Sudan’s civic and voter education outreach for upcoming general elections in 2009. The report provides key recommendation for the short and long term identifying opportunities read more » October 23, 2008

Democracy Promotion, As It Continues

This year, hundreds of millions of US taxpayer dollars, as well as major contributions from European Union countries, will be spent to foster democratic values and practices abroad, in countries ranging from Armenia to Zimbabwe. While this amounts to only a small read more » October 17, 2008

Empowering the Powerless: Internally Displaced Persons in Georgia

As a result of fighting in South Ossetia, the Russian incursion, and the 1994 conflict with Abkhazia 247,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) exist in Georgia. Aside from resettlement solutions and provision of aid, the problem read more » October 17, 2008

Azerbaijan Presidential Elections

On October 15, 2008, Azerbaijan held its fifth presidential election since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. This year’s presidential election was held read more » October 15, 2008

National Media Briefing on Post-Election Dispute

Islamabad, Pakistan -- On 14 October 2008, IFES and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) briefed Pakistan’s national media on Election Tribunals. The briefing covered IFES’ recently released report on the Election Tribunals Monitoring read more » October 14, 2008

Ethnic Divisions and Electoral System Design: Prospects for Reform in Kenya

Designing an effective electoral system is vital for shaping political institutions. In emerging democracies with deep ethnic cleavages, this decision is more critical because of the potential for political read more » October 14, 2008

Kenya Inquiry Commission Adopts IFES Recommendations

An Independent Review Committee led by retired South African judge Johann Kriegler reported last week that the 2007 elections in Kenya that unleashed a wave of violence were so badly flawed that it is impossible to know who won. IFES studied the 2007 election process and delivered its findings to the seven-member Kriegler commission. Many of the IF… read more » September 29, 2008

Nepal's Election Commission gets local feedback

In spite of monsoon rains, the meeting room at hotel Jagadamba in Dhangadhi, a town in the far west region of Nepal bordering India, is full of animated representatives from political parties, members of civil society, the police read more » September 12, 2008

History Made: Angolan Legislative Elections of September 5, 2008

After a 16-year interregnum since the last elections, Angolans went to the polls to elect 220 Representatives for the National Assembly. The first and last general elections were held in September 1992, read more » Yinka Oyinlola September 12, 2008

Philippines' ARMM region holds historic elections

On August 11, 2008, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) held its 6th election since its creation in 1989. The ARMM is the only autonomous region in the Philippines as a result of a peace pact between the Moro National Liberation Front read more » September 11, 2008

Summary of Findings: Revenue, Representation, and Regime in Africa

One of the most salient external influences on African politics and economy is foreign aid. According to the World Bank's African Development Indicators, in 2005, foreign aid funded 28.1% of central government expenditures in sub-Saharan Africa. read more » September 09, 2008

id21 insights Features IFES Expertise

id21 insights' latest issue on "Elections and the democracy challenge" explores the conduct of elections in emerging democracies as part of the democratization process. id21 insights, published by the Institute of Development Studies at the University… read more » September 04, 2008

Financial Disclosure: a Global Issue

At the beginning of 21 century even the most established democracies need to combat grand political corruption. As recently reported by the New York Times, U.S. Senator Ted Stevens, 84, was indicted for failing to report read more » August 12, 2008

Gender Budgeting:Initiatives in the Context of Local Government in India

National budgets are tools of financial policy that determine how governments mobilize and allocate public resources. A typical budget is gender-neutral or more accurately is gender-blind. read more » August 07, 2008

New Release: Kosovo National Post-Election Survey Report

In the countdown to Kosovo’s declaration of independence in January-February 2008, IFES conducted a survey to elicit attitudes and opinions of the November 2007 elections and to evaluate IFES and its partners’ programs in Kosovo. read more » August 06, 2008

Local Elections a step forward for Sierra Leone

Saturday, July 5, 2008, was unusually sunny as Sierra Leone held elections for local government offices. The opportunity was unique; local elections have only been held three times in over four decades. read more » July 10, 2008

Field Notebook: Tweaking the framework for credible elections

In a move to become more financially independent from the government and build trust with stakeholders, the National Elections Commission of Liberia and IFES held an Electoral Democracy Training Conference with key stakeholders using the Bridge Curriculum. read more » By Almami Cyllah and Skye Christensen July 10, 2008

Election Law Reform Event Inaugurates IFES Summer Program In Kyrgyzstan

The round table was held in accordance with lawmakers' desire to reform the election code in light of early December 2007 parliamentary elections, which exposed inadequacies in electing representatives to Kyrgyzstan’s highest legislative body. read more » June 27, 2008

Battling Paper Cities: Harmonizing Local Boundaries in Liberia

In the middle of Liberia’s northern region, a town hall is packed with a crowd unusually concerned with the future of their county, and the country at large. Some of Liberia’s most eminent movers and shakers are present and engaged in heated debates and discussions, sometimes in Liberian English read more » By Almami Cyllah and Skye Christensen June 20, 2008

From Nigeria, A Simple Idea Leads To Significant Improvements

The Resource Centre is critical during this time for development of electoral and political processes in Nigeria since all IFES partners interested in contributing to reform efforts can now benefit from a searchable electronic catalogue. This catalogue includes more than 800 different resources classified according to the Dewey Decimal system. read more » June 18, 2008

Paraguayans Vote in Historic, Transparent Election

On Sunday morning, April 20th, Paraguayan voters were ready and in-line prior to the 7:00 am opening of the polls to participate in what was to become a historic election. read more » May 12, 2008

Mock Elections Offer Model for Change in Mindanao

Gunshots provide a chilling soundtrack to a video showing vote counting in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, or ARMM read more » May 12, 2008

Special Report: IFES welcomes entry of UN Convention on Persons with Disabilities into force

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities enters into force on May 3, 2008. For the United Nations this is a significant milestone in its efforts to protect and ensure fundamental human rights of persons with disabilities and promote respect for their inherent dignity. read more » May 02, 2008

Nepal holds historic Constituent Assembly Election

April 10, 2008, heralded Nepal’s historic Constituent Assembly election. Brightly colored queues of people all over the country waited enthusiastically since dawn to cast their vote in 9,821 polling centers, in hopes of shaping the political future of their nation. read more » April 18, 2008

IFES Urges Paraguay to Increase Election Transparency

IFES observers in Paraguay are urging electoral officials to change the way they transmit and release preliminary results before general elections on April 20. read more » April 04, 2008

IFES Announces Launch of BRIDGE, Election Administration Training

IFES and its partners launched Version Two of the Building Resources in Democracy and Governance (BRIDGE) Project in New York on March 26, 2008. The event drew dozens of international electoral experts and members of the diplomatic, non-profit and United Nations communities at International IDEA’s headquarters. read more » April 02, 2008

IFES Project Aims to Cool Tensions in East Timor

Concern that political tensions in East Timor could lead to more violence is the driving force behind a new IFES project that seeks to teach citizens about the laws that govern peaceful political transition. read more » March 26, 2008

Nepali Actors Set Scene for Upcoming Elections

Men climbed trees and a woman peered between the legs of audience members to get a glimpse of the drama unfolding in Kathmandu’s Ratna Park. More than 1,000 Nepalis came to watch the Aarohan theater group entertain and inform citizens about the Constituent Assembly election scheduled for April 10. read more » March 24, 2008

Analysis: What Next for Kosovo?

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci declared Kosovo’s independence from Serbia on February 17. The announcement was widely anticipated following the inability of the international community to broker a compromise between Kosovo and Serbia. read more » Dickson Bailey March 24, 2008

New Pakistan Parliament Faces Challenges

Pakistan’s voters signaled their strong desire for democratic change on election day, but domestic and international analysts question whether the country’s new parliament will be able to deliver meaningful reform. read more » March 02, 2008

U.S. Debates: A Model for Export?

U.S. presidential candidates are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on campaign ads while research suggests that voters care more about their performance in the presidential debates. “Debates are the single most important decision maker for people,” said Diana Carlin, a leading expert on political communications and former member of the a… read more » March 01, 2008

Summit Promotes Peaceful Elections in Mindanao

Filipinos fed up with the violence that mars elections in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao pledged to work together to find solutions at the second Summit on Election Security in Cotabato City on February 25. Policemen, media, community leaders, soldiers and election officials were among the 72 participants at the summit, organized by IFES … read more » February 28, 2008

Europe's Experiments in E-Voting

During federal elections last month, more than 1,500 Swiss electors voted online in the Neuchâtel canton, one of Switzerland’s 26 states. This is the sixth time that voters have used this electronic voting system in Neuchâtel for federal elections and it went off without a hitch. read more » Richard Twigg February 28, 2008

IFES Supports Launch of Nepali Election Portal

The Democracy and Election Alliance Network, one of the largest networks of domestic election observers in Nepal launched a new election portal in late February at a ceremony in Kathmandu. DEAN, an initiative of the National Democratic Institute, created the website with support from IFES. read more » Ben Goldsmith February 27, 2008

IFES Taps International Electoral Talent

With the enthusiastic approval from his Board of Directors, IFES CEO and President Jean-Pierre Kingsley announced the creation of the IFES Executive Advisory Council. This is an exclusive group of internationally-renowned and experienced senior practitioners recognized for their seasoned contributions in the field of electoral cycle assistance and… read more » February 08, 2008

New Thai Parliament Faces Tough Legal Legacy

A civilian government is back in power in Thailand, but the country’s new parliament faces a host of challenges including laws enacted by the outgoing military government that shape the conduct of elections and the power structure of the new government. IFES consultants Catherine Barnes and Robert Dahl examined these challenges and future prospects… read more » February 08, 2008

IFES Helps Thailand Reduce Vote-buying, Return to Democracy

Candidates have been buying votes in Thailand since at least 1936 when the practice was first recorded, according to King Prajadhipok’s Institute, a respected Thai organization partnering with IFES. Since then, the practice has become highly sophisticated, with a Thai government commission finding evidence of at least... read more » Andrew Matthews February 08, 2008

Guinea Faces New Strike Deadline

In January, the country’s main coalition of labor unions demanded that the government led by Prime Minister Lansana Kouyaté meet its obligations under the three-party accords signed January 27, 2007. The call for a new strike was meant as a wake-up call on the anniversary of last year’s unrest and it worked. read more » Elizabeth Coté February 06, 2008

Security Key Challenge in Pakistan Election
Q&A with IFES Chief of Party Staffan Darnolf

Pakistan’s government is urging political parties to avoid large rallies in the lead up to the February 18 parliamentary election, citing an increased threat of terrorism. The announcement follows a series of deadly bombings, including a bomb attack this month in Karachi that killed 10 people. read more » January 18, 2008

Pakistan Presses Ahead with Election Preparations

IFES is advising the Election Commission of Pakistan, or ECP, as it prepares for the election. IFES Chief of Party in Islamabad Staffan Darnolf recently spoke with IFES.org about the challenges ahead. read more » January 09, 2008

Kenya at the Crossroads

Following the recent botched elections, mayhem enveloped Kenya resulting in over 300 dead and more than 100,000 persons displaced. Important urban areas including Nairobi, Eldoret and Kisumu became battlegrounds pitting neighbor against neighbor and offering opportunities for looting, arson, score settling and rape. read more » Chris Hennemeyer January 04, 2008

Pakistan in Crisis
Q&A with IFES Chief of Party Staffan Darnolf

The public outcry and violence following the assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has led the country’s election commission to postpone elections until February 18. IFES is advising the Election Commission of Pakistan, or ECP, in this difficult time. IFES Chief of Party in Islamabad Staffan Darnolf recently spoke with … read more » January 03, 2008

Program Helps Nicaraguans Probe Politicians' Finances

Giselle Poveda knew IFES’ political finance program in Nicaragua was making a difference when a politician gave an unexpectedly frank answer at a public forum in Matagalpa. A woman had just stepped up to the podium and asked the representative where his party was getting the money to finance his campaign. read more » January 03, 2008