The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

Tunisia will hold presidential and parliamentary elections in October 2009. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, currently serving a fourth term after amending the constitution in 2004 to permit his candidacy, has pledged that the elections will be held in a transparent, democratic manner and will be monitored by independent observers from “international bodies” that have yet to be specified.

Robert Benjamin, NDI’s Central and Eastern Europe Regional director, offered remarks on Albania’s upcoming June 28 parliamentary elections in the context of its democratic transition as part of a briefing hosted by the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe on June 4 and chaired by commission Co-Chairman U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2009

Contact: Kathy Gest, kgest@ndi.org, 202-728-5535

Young Women Meet in Morocco
with Future Leadership in Mind

RABAT – Twenty-five young women from across North Africa will convene in Rabat, Morocco, for leadership exercises over the next four days, hoping to carry the lessons learned back to their communities and into their futures.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2009

Contact: Kathy Gest, kgest@ndi.org, 202-728-5535

Young Women Meet in Morocco
with Future Leadership in Mind

RABAT – Twenty-five young women from across North Africa will convene in Rabat, Morocco, for leadership exercises over the next four days, hoping to carry the lessons learned back to their communities and into their futures.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2009

Contact: Kathy Gest, kgest@ndi.org, 202-728-5535

Young Women Meet in Morocco
with Future Leadership in Mind

RABAT – Twenty-five young women from across North Africa will convene in Rabat, Morocco, for leadership exercises over the next four days, hoping to carry the lessons learned back to their communities and into their futures.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2009

Contact: Kathy Gest, kgest@ndi.org, 202-728-5535

Young Women Meet in Morocco
with Future Leadership in Mind

RABAT – Twenty-five young women from across North Africa will convene in Rabat, Morocco, for leadership exercises over the next four days, hoping to carry the lessons learned back to their communities and into their futures.

On the occasion of the 64th birthday of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, NDI President Kenneth Wollack joined the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, U.S. Campaign for Burma and others to honor the incarcerated leader of Burma’s democratic opposition. Daw Suu Kyi, who has been in custody for 13 of the last 19 years, was sent to Rangoon’s notorious Insein Prison on May 14 on charges she violated the terms of her house arrest.

NDI’s Regional Director for Eurasia Laura Jewett addressed the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also called the Helsinki Commission, on Kyrgyzstan’s July 23 presidential election. Jewett outlined several areas in which the government of Kyrgyzstan could take steps to improve the electoral environment, which would in turn help rebuild citizen confidence in the process.