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Tunisians Study Examples of Coalition Governing

Members of the governing coalition in Tunisia discuss current political events. Photo by Nicholas Collins In the wake of last October’s constituent assembly elections in Tunisia, a number of political parties have come together in various combinations to form a governing coalition and a workable opposition. Such coalition-building is new to Tunisia, where, until the ouster last year of long-time President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, one-party rule was the norm.

NDI Mourns The Death of Cuban Activist Oswaldo Payá

NDI will send the Payá family a book of condolences; you can submit your wishes, thoughts, memories and stories for inclusion in the book here. NDI mourns the tragic loss of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, the Cuban democracy leader who died in a car crash in the eastern province of Granma, Cuba, on July 22.

El NDI en Duelo por la Muerte del Activista Cubano Oswaldo Payá

El NDI se encuentra en duelo por la trágica pérdida de Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, el líder cubano de la democracia que falleció en un accidente automovilístico en la provincia oriental de Granma, Cuba, el 22 de julio del año en curso. 

Global Parliamentary Report Analyzes Changing Relationship Between Constituents and Representatives

The evolving relationship between citizens and their representatives is the featured subject of a new Global Parliamentary Report, a joint effort by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The report, which aims to help parliaments, politicians and parliamentary staff fulfill their representative role, was the subject of a panel discussion at NDI on July 17.

Libyan Civil Society Organizations Unite to Observe Historic Vote

When Libyans went to the polls to elect a General National Congress (GNC)—an interim body that will appoint a new government and oversee the drafting of a constitution – they were joined by thousands of volunteer activists from civil society, there to observe and report on the vote. The citizen observers, part of three observer networks, hoped to contribute to the election’s integrity and help ensure that it adhered to national and international standards of conduct.

Cambodians Emphasize Issues Over Personality at Local Debates

Before heading to the polls to elect local representatives on June 3, Cambodian voters learned about political parties’ platforms at 10 public debates held around the country. Cambodia has 1,633 commune councils – a governing body with five to 11 members responsible for the oversight of land use, licensing and development for approximately 10 villages. In this predominantly rural nation, commune councils serve an important role in establishing trust at the local level between government and citizens.

131 Voices: Accountability and Transparency in the Peruvian Parliament

Congresswoman Luz Salgado, an original 131 Voices participant, learns how to navigate her personal page on the site. Though Peru has shown robust economic growth and relative resilience in the face of a global economic slowdown, many Peruvians continue to face a widening socioeconomic divide, poverty and exclusion from political life.  Surveys conducted by the polling firm Ipsos Apoyo show that Peruvians harbor growing mistrust and pessimism about their leaders.

Kyrgyzstan NGO Pushes For a More Transparent Parliament

A nongovernmental organization (NGO) in Kyrgyzstan has achieved an initial victory in its long-term effort to push for more transparency in parliament.

'Rec na Rec:' Serbian Debates Connect People with Politicians

A Rec na Rec parliamentary debate held April 26 Serbian politics in the past decade have been characterized largely as a contest between pro-western democrats and revisionist nationalists, as the country sought to remake itself as a stable democracy after the disastrous rule of Slobodan Milosevic ended in 2000. The 2008 victory of pro-European Boris Tadic and his Democratic Party (DS) heralded a repudiation of the Milosevic era and opened a path toward eventual membership in the European Union (EU).

New Public Opinion Research Finds Growing Frustration Across Tunisia

A voter reads up on the different political parties running in October's National Constituent Assembly election. Photo by NDITech Tunisians remain committed to the democratic process but are becoming increasingly disappointed with their government’s perceived lack of accomplishments, according to the findings of a new round of NDI focus group research.

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