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News & Updates
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Southern Sudan Registers to Vote in the Referendum
An estimated 3.9 million Southern Sudanese registered in November and December 2010 to cast a ballot in the referendum occurring between January 9-15, 2011. The SSRC has established polling centers in the north and in eight countries (Australia, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, the UK, and the USA) and the SSRB has established polling stations throughout Southern Sudan. As a key milestone of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the referendum will determine whether Sudan remains unified or if the ten states of Southern Sudan will secede. At least 60% of those registered to vote must cast a ballot for the results to be binding.
News & Updates
Feature
Ruling of the Palestinian High Court on Cancelling Elections in the Territories
On December 13, 2010, the Palestinian High Court issued its final verdict on the lawsuits challenging the Council of Ministers (Cabinet) of the Palestinian Authority decision to cancel the local elections scheduled for July 17, 2010. The Court ruled that once the cabinet calls for elections, it does not have authority to cancel them.
News & Updates
Feature
IFES Assists Kosovo with First-Ever Parliamentary Elections Since Independence
In cooperation with the Central Election Commission of Kosovo, IFES administered 14 alternative polling stations during the parliamentary elections on December 12, 2010. The parliamentary elections were Kosovo’s first since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008. The alternative polling stations were positioned in northern Kosovo where the Election Commission experienced difficulty recruiting for and opening regular polling centers. IFES arranged international teams of poll workers to staff the stations and help ensure proper handling of election materials before the votes were counted.
News & Updates
Press Release
Yemenis Are Open to Improving Status of Women, but Obstacles to Gender Equality Remain.
CAIRO (December 5, 2010)— The latest nationwide survey conducted by the Status of Women in the Middle East and North Africa (SWMENA) project finds that while majorities of both Yemeni women and men indicate support for introducing gender quotas in elected bodies and setting a minimum marriage age for girls, overall, different roadblocks remain on Yemeni’s path to achieving gender equality.
News & Updates
Feature
IFES’ 2010 U.S. Election Program
During every U.S. congressional and presidential election since 1992, IFES has held its U.S. Election Program. The three-day event brings together diplomats, parliamentarians and election officials from around the world to observe the voting process in the United States and exchange ideas and experiences on voting. This year’s program consisted of panel discussions, tours of polling stations in the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland, and an evening reception at the House of Sweden during which the returns of the U.S. elections were followed. Ghanaian Electoral Commission Chairman Kwadwo Afari-Gyan was also presented IFES’ Joe C. Baxter Award for his extraordinary contributions to promoting democratic practices.
News & Updates
Interview/Speech/Testimony
Haiti’s Upcoming Elections
On November 28, Haiti will have the first round of presidential and parliamentary elections. These polls will determine who will be the country’s next president before the current government’s tenure expires in early February 2011. It will also allow for the replacement of a third of the Senate and the entire House of Representatives whose term expired last May.
News & Updates
Feature
Kyrgyzstan's Democratic Experiment
On June 27, 2010 Kyrgyzstan adopted a new constitution via nationwide referendum. Introducing a new or revised governing charter was nothing new for the Central Asian republic—they have seen many since their independence in 1991. This new constitution, however, ushered in a new era for the country as it established a parliamentary system that would allow power to be decentralized and shared among different political parties.
News & Updates
Press Release
Top Elections NGO Hosts Over 100 International Election Officials for Its U.S. Election Program
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is hosting a two-day visitor’s program focusing on the U.S. elections. The program will bring together over 100 diplomats, parliamentarians and election officials from all over the world to observe the voting process in the United States and exchange ideas and experiences on voting.
News & Updates
Feature
IFES Kicks Off BRIDGE Training in Niger
In September 2010, IFES hosted a showcase of BRIDGE training programs in Niger. The showcase introduced BRIDGE — which stands for Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections — to Nigerien elections officials and representatives from international partner organizations who will participate in more extensive training during the coming year. The professional development modules and activities that comprise BRIDGE have been used around the world to help local and national administrators develop the skills and abilities to carry out fair, efficient elections. IFES’ work with the Nigerien Commission Electoral Nationale Indepéndante (CENI) during the 2010-2011 election process marks the first time BRIDGE has been offered in Niger.
News & Updates
Press Release
Top Elections NGO Honors Pioneer of Electoral Democracy in Africa
Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, chairman of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, is the recipient of this year’s Joe C. Baxter Award. The Baxter Award is presented annually to professionals whose work epitomizes the mission of IFES—to promote citizen participation, transparency, and accountability in political life and civil society. “Dr. Afari-Gyan has made remarkable contributions to electoral democracy in Ghana, Africa, and throughout the world. He is a shining example of how much one individual can contribute to the advancement of a human right,” says Bill Sweeney, IFES president and CEO.