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NDI Pre-Election Delegation Finds "Remarkable Progress" in Kenya Election Framework

Ayo Obe speaks at the delegation's press conference announcing its findings, with President Quett Ketumile Masire. Immediate and Concerted Efforts Needed to Prevent Violence, Remove Uncertainties Remarkable progress has been accomplished in reforming the framework for Kenya’s elections, an NDI delegation found during a pre-election assessment mission. Nevertheless, immediate and concerted efforts are needed to prevent political violence and to remove uncertainties in the electoral environment that could threaten the integrity of elections. 

Agenda and Presentations, PMO Leaders' Conference

Below is the PMO Leaders Conference Agenda from April 30 to May 2, 2012. Please click on the name of presenters, when hyperlinked, to view a copy of their presentation. In cases where organizations' websites were presented, the websites are hyperlinked. Video archive of the conference will be available in the coming weeks.

In Burkina Faso, Legislators Emphasize Mining Oversight

Members of Burkindi visit the Mana gold mine. Burkina Faso, one of the world’s poorest countries, has turned to gold exports as a way to boost its economy. It doubled gold production from 2009 to 2010 and launched two more mining projects late last year. These developments have created new jobs and other financial benefits, but have also raised some of the concerns that have plagued mining operations in other countries, such as environmental degradation or exploitation of workers.

With Elections in Sight, Libyans Concerned about Security, Country's Direction

Young Libyans in Benghazi celebrate Liberation Day. Photo by Megan Doherty. As the political transition proceeds in Libya, leaders continue to struggle to meet public expectations on key issues such as security, political reform and standard of living, according to a new public opinion study by NDI.

Notes from Benghazi: Local Elections

Women wait to vote in Benghazi municipal elections. Photo by Megan Doherty. Libyan voters went to the polls in Benghazi May 19 to elect members of the city’s local council. It was the first election held there in more than four decades. Though NDI did not field an international observation mission, Megan Doherty, NDI resident senior program officer in Libya, was accredited to observe the vote. Here she shares her informal observations of the voting process.

In Liberia, Training Staff for Stronger Lawmakers

Senator Geraldine Doe-Sheriff's chief of staff presents on behalf of her discussion group during a review of staff roles within personal offices. When the Liberian legislature convened in January, about 60 percent of its members were new, as were most of their staff members.  As the new lawmakers got their bearings and learned their way around the Capitol, their staffers were learning the best ways to support their bosses through a first-of-its-kind week of training sessions for legislative staff.

Albright, Shultz Honored with Democracy Service Medal

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is honoring former Secretaries of State George P. Shultz and Madeleine K. Albright with the Democracy Service Medal at a June 4 gala dinner in Los Angeles. The medal, which reads "For Service in the Cause of Democracy," was first presented to Polish President Lech Walesa and AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland in 1999. The medals will be presented by NED Chairman Richard A. Gephardt, former Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In Central African Republic, Civic Groups Seek to Improve Public Services

Workshops focused on advocacy, political organizing, identifying local issues of concern, creating consensus and data analysis. Citizens living outside of Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), get little attention from the country’s central government and have poor access to public services like health care, electricity and education. The federal government makes all decisions and there has been little progress in efforts to give local governments power over such services, a process known as decentralization. In addition, there have been no municipal elections in almost 20 years, so local officials are appointed by the central government.

International Community Should “Loudly Recognize” Reforms in Kyrgyzstan, Deputy Prime Minister Says

Left to right: Scott Hubli, NDI director of governance; Djoomart Otorbaev, deputy prime minister of the Kyrgyz Republic; Muktar Djumaliev, ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United States Urging  greater international investment in Kyrgyzstan, Djoomart Otorbaev, deputy prime minister for economics and investment, asked the international community to “loudly recognize” Kyrgyzstan’s economic and political reforms. Speaking at NDI, he called the reform process “inevitable.”

Liberian Election Observers Plan for Future with Help of Regional Coalition

WAEON members meet in Monrovia, Liberia. Photo by Brittany Danisch When Liberians went to the polls to elect a president last fall, 1,801 citizen observers fanned out across the country to observe voting, counting, tallying and recording of results. They were part of the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC), a coalition of more than 30 civil society organizations that observed all aspects of the election process, which it found to be “free, fair and transparent.”

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