The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and The Republic of Yemen Cosponsored by The United Nations Development Programme and The Government of Japan In Partnership with the Governments of: The Netherlands The United Kingdom The United States And the: Canadian International Development Agency Friedrich Ebert Stiftung International Labour Organization Irish Aid National Endowment for Democracy United States Agency for International Development Westminster Foundation for Democracy World Bank		Summary of Discussions & Recommendations for Action (results of small group discussions) TOPIC II: BUILDING PUBLIC TRUST Elections and Legislatures Topic 1 - Topic 2 - Topic 3 - Topic 4 Purpose: To discuss effective methods for increasing public confidence and participation in electoral and legislative processes. Overview: Credible elections are the first, key step to the establishment of democratic structures and an open, transparent election system is essential to building public trust. Elements vital to building confidence in, and support for, electoral processes include: transparency, independence/neutrality, communication/information and consensus/inclusiveness. Legislative transparency is also vital to building public confidence in the legislature as a representative and democratic institution. Recommendations: International observers should make a long-term commitment to examine all aspects of the election environment, including the pre- and post-election periods. Otherwise, they run the risk of deeming elections "free and fair" without knowing all the facts. Domestic observers have a good understanding of the overall election context and are better equipped to make accurate assessments. A non-permanent, non-partisan or multi-party Election Commission is a key element in ensuring neutrality. Other factors that contribute to electoral transparency include access to voter lists and open Electoral Commission proceedings. In addition, the judiciary must be unbiased in order to process complaints fairly. Another important aspect of creating neutrality is limiting the advantages of ruling parties during election campaigns: access to state-run media and to public funds can give ruling parties unfair advantages over the opposition. Good elections seek to engage all citizens in the political process. Elections with low voter turnouts do not provide governments with the legitimacy they require. The public and political parties should play a part in developing, and should be educated about, laws governing electoral processes, including elections procedures and political party codes of conduct. Efforts should be made to conduct extensive voter education, particularly in isolated rural areas. Voter education should not start just a few months prior to elections, but should be incorporated into school curricula, and religious and social programs. Opposition parties must accept defeat under well-administered elections. Transparency of the legislature is important. Mechanisms include opening the parliament building to the public, publishing the parliamentary record and making it widely accessible, holding public hearings and encouraging media coverage of the parliament's activities. [ Introduction ] [ Worldwide Activities ] [ What We Do ] [ Feedback ] [ Jobs/Links/Archives ] [ NDI Home ]