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News & Updates
Press Release
Ballot Guide Developed for Blind Voters in Ghana
Representatives of the Ghana Electoral Commission and the Ghana Association of the Blind have jointly developed a ballot guide which will allow voters who are blind in Ghana to vote independently and in secret. A prototype of the ballot guide was designed during a two-day workshop in Accra on February 18 and 19, 2002. Also participating in the workshop were representatives of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled, the Ghana Federation of the Deaf, Action on Disability and Development/Ghana, and the International Foundation for Election Systems.
Publication
Electoral Assessment
Angola Pre-Election Assessment Report (2001)
From August 4-20, 2001, the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) conducted a joint pre-election assessment in Angola. The objective of the assessment was to: (1) Determine the prospects for holding general elections at such a time when the conditions that affect elections are conducive to a participatory and open process; and (2) Provide a set of baseline data from which to assess the readiness of Angola for elections and to make recommendations to the Government of the Republic of Angola, United States Government, the United Nations organizations in Luanda, and other donors, in preparation for such elections, including a timeline by which key actions need to occur.
February 28, 2002
Publication
Book
Information on Registering as a Political Party (March 2002) - UK
Handbook for political parties published
by the Electoral Commission of the UK.
by the Electoral Commission of the UK.
February 28, 2002
Publication
Report/Paper
Electoral Conflict and Violence: A Strategy for Study and Prevention
An electoral process is an alternative to violence as it is a means of achieving governance. It is when an electoral process is perceived as unfair, unresponsive, or corrupt, that its political legitimacy is compromised and stakeholders are motivated to go outside the established norms to achieve their objectives. Electoral conflict and violence become tactics in political competition. There are examples of elections that have exacerbated long-term conflict (Angola 1992) or have politically hardened conflict-related alliances (Bosnia and Herzegovina 1996). From these experiences, it is generally recognized that post-conflict elections can be held too early and produce results that may extend the conflict rather than resolve it. However, in most cases, such elections mitigate the effects of larger conflict issues and reduce them into localized, manageable incidents...
February 04, 2002
Publication
Survey
2001 Electoral Administration and Performance: Findings from the IFES Survey on the November 2001 Kosovo Assembly Election
The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) has been working within Kosovo since the cessation of NATO bombing in 1999 by providing technical assistance to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the administration of Kosovar elections. IFES assisted the OSCE and UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in creating a civil registration system, a necessary step to normalize public administration and to register voters. Leading up to the successful October 2000 Municipal Elections, IFES assisted the OSCE in establishing a legal electoral framework, developing a technical infrastructure, and training election officials and poll workers. Fueled by the success of the Municipal Elections, the OSCE, with assistance from IFES, decided to strengthen the capacity of the newly formed Municipal Election Commissions. In order to pinpoint exactly what aspects of electoral administration needed to be developed, IFES conducted a post-election survey after the municipal elections. Based on the results of that survey, IFES and the OSCE planned its activities for the upcoming Assembly Elections in Kosovo, which were scheduled to be held on 17 November 2001 and would result in the formation of Kosovo’s first elected Assembly, which would then elect Kosovo’s first democratically elected President. On Election Day, 65 percent of the Province’s 1.25 million people visited the polling stations in order to participate in the highly successful democratic election of Kosovo’s Assembly. Following the 17 November 2001 Assembly Election, IFES conducted its second postelection survey of people from Kosovo who had participated in the elections as either election administrators or observers. This survey follows the format of the survey conducted after the 2000 Municipal Elections in Kosovo. The sample included Municipal Election Commission (MEC) members, Polling Station Committee (PSC) members, and representatives from political entities and NGOs that fielded election observers. The sample was composed of representatives from all political and ethnic groups and covered every municipality in Kosovo. The survey had two main goals: first to assess the performance of electoral administrators in the 2001 Kosovo Assembly Election and to compare this performance with 2000 and second to assess the role the international community is playing in election administration in Kosovo and make recommendations regarding the process of transferring election administration to Kosovo institutions. In total, 1,200 questionnaires were distributed between 28 November and 18 December. Of these, 979 were returned, resulting in a response rate of 81.6 percent.
January 31, 2002
Publication
Report/Paper
Womens Leadership Training Program: Paraguay IFES Final Activity Report
This report summarizes IFES’ efforts from the League of Women Voters projects in Paraguay. The project’s aim was to prepare women leaders for the November 2001 municipal elections on topics such as voters, campaign workers, constituency organizers, issue advocates and candidates.
January 28, 2002
Publication
Report/Paper
Peru Judicial Conference - Final Report
As agreed upon by all of the organizers and sponsors, the event was intended to and served multiple purposes. Among other things, it imparted a wealth of rich, new comparative information, as well as lessons learned, through a serious, well-organized discussion of judicial independence issues of concern to Peruvian and Latin American reformers alike. Key research findings and lessons learned were gleaned from both the Guide for Promoting Judicial Independence and Impartiality, in special reports related specifically to Peru and through thoughtful discussions and papers presented by country, regional and international experts.
January 27, 2002
Publication
Report/Paper
Judicial Independence Conference Lima, Peru Nov 29-30, 2001
This report summarizes the Judicial Independence Conference in Lima, Peru from November 2001. The event was intended to and served multiple purposes. Among other things, it imparted a wealth of rich, new comparative information, as well as lessons learned, through a serious, well organized discussion of judicial independence.
January 27, 2002
News & Updates
Press Release
Finnish Grant Awarded to IFES' Disability Project
IFES has been awarded a grant from the Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs to design and pilot test a ballot in Ghana that will enable blind voters to vote secretly and independently. As in most developing nations, Ghanaian voters who are blind rely on assistants to help them vote. The ballot to be pilot tested will not use Braille, but will rely on tactile cues, as less than once percent of blind adults in Ghana are literate. The ballot will be tested in elections in June or July of 2002, and will be designed in collaboration with the Ghana Electoral Commission, the Ghana Federation of the Disability Associations, and Action on Disability and Development of Ghana.
Publication
Report/Paper
IFES in Indonesia
-Legal and Constitutional Reform- IFES promotes legal and constitutional reform in Indonesia as part of an overall effort to encourage democracy in the region, working closely with key government agencies involved in drafting new electoral and political laws for the country. We have provided strategic advice and analysis to the drafting team within the Ministry of Home and Regional Affairs (MoHARA) and will continue to provide expert commentary to the parliamentary commission charged with review of the draft laws submitted by the government. We have also produced a report on voting systems that could work under the new electoral laws, including detailed analysis of possible voting districts using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. In June 2002, IFES co-sponsored a Political Party Reform Conference with the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute. The conference was a working session for Indonesian political parties and broke ground on a number of innovative research projects in such areas as the influence of money in politics and the public’s opinion of Indonesian political parties. We presented a paper on electoral systems, such as open list proportional representation and multi-member district proportional representation, which could be used for the 2004 elections in Indonesia. IFES has taken the lead in addressing the issue of women’s representation in politics. In April 2002, we collaborated with an Indonesian NGO, GPSP, to develop an agenda for a nationwide training program and an action plan to increase women’s representation in local parliaments. The training program and action plan were presented at regional workshops where participants developed local strategies to address obstacles to women’s representation. -Election Administration- For four years IFES has provided technical advice to the Indonesian National Election Commission (KPU) and its Secretariat in such areas as electoral management, public relations, organizational structure and procurement policies. In May 2002, IFES embarked on a new initiative in the province of Aceh, participating in a seminar sponsored by the Center for Electoral Reform (CETRO) on the draft Qa’nun, or electoral law, for direct elections in the province. We made a presentation at the seminar on the timeframe required to prepare for such an important and complex election cycle. -Legislative Transparency- IFES is expanding efforts to increase legislative transparency, particularly at the local level. Through the use of an innovative program known as Local Consultative Forums (LCF), we have built strategic partnerships between local NGOs, community groups, businesses and government. The aim of the LCFs is to increase public awareness and input on issues of interest to the community and to coordinate the production of relevant radio and television programming for regional media. IFES began the program by producing and distributing an LCF handbook, which provides guidance in identifying community needs and methods for participation. We have then assisted local leaders to establish LCFs and facilitated the production of radio and television programs in conjunction with local government and civil society groups. IFES also works with the Indonesian parliament to provide citizens unfettered access to government institutions. In October 1999, we helped launch SWARA, a government affairs television channel based on C-SPAN in the United States. SWARA airs 24 hours per day and features live broadcasts of parliamentary proceedings. Coverage has recently been expanded and enhanced through a number of original new shows, including interviews with the heads of factions, coverage of leadership activities, profiles of parliamentary members, and highlights of key debates and activities within the parliament. SWARA has also extended its coverage in key regions outside of Jakarta where provincial parliaments (DPRD) have requested SWARA programming. SWARA recently began to broadcast DPRD sessions from the troubled province of Aceh in an attempt to make the local government more transparent to the Acehnese people. SWARA also broadcasts DPRD sessions in East Java and Sulawesi. -National and Regional Surveys- IFES has played a lead role in the design, implementation and analysis of public opinion surveys in Indonesia since 1998. Under the auspices of the parliament, we conducted a national public opinion poll in 2002. The poll revealed public perceptions on a wide range of topics, including the performance of the Indonesian government and national leaders, the popularity of political parties, the electoral law reform process and regional autonomy. The results of the survey were presented to the two houses of parliament, their secretariats, the president and her cabinet. These surveys enable government institutions to develop policies that take into account the beliefs and aspirations of the Indonesian people. IFES also recently conducted a public opinion survey in the semi-autonomous region of West Papua in collaboration with eight Papuan research institutes and universities. The survey evaluated the knowledge, opinions, practices and attitudes of people living in West Papua, and the findings will be analyzed for opportunities to create a stable and peaceful society in this ethnically diverse province.
December 31, 2001