Latest from ndi.org

Citizen Hotline Launched Ahead of Ugandan Elections

rrunyan — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:35:17 -0400

During 2006 elections in Uganda, international observers and domestic monitors reported significant violations of electoral law and protocol, including disenfranchisement of voters, counting and tallying irregularities, the use of state funds for campaign activities and the incarceration of political opposition leaders. As February 2011 elections approach, efforts are underway to head off potential repetition of these problems and violations.

DEMGroup and Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy (CCEDU), domestic election monitoring organizations, are carrying out a comprehensive monitoring strategy that includes a citizen hotline, entitled “Uganda Watch 2011.” Ugandans can use the hotline, launched this month to text in concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. That information will be collected and organized by DEMGroup and CCEDU monitors and digitally mapped at http://www.ugandawatch2011.org/. The maps allow users to sort by issue and region, letting the public see which electoral problems are most prevalent and which parts of the country are experiencing the greatest numbers of incidents. Text messages can be received in a variety of Ugandan languages and are translated to English for wider audiences.

Over 140 Ugandans have been trained to publicize the hotline throughout the country. Within a few weeks of the launch the hotline received over 300 text messages expressing concerns about a range of issues including the registration process, ghost voters and national ID cards. DEMGroup and CCEDU staffers will follow up on the messages for further investigation and verification.

Ugandan Pop Star Sings About 'A Serious Matter'

NDI recently partnered with pop-music star Bobi Wine to record a song that sends a message against election violence in his native Uganda. The song, composed in Lugandan and entitled “A Serious Matter,” is a mix between reggae and local African music. It is part of a campaign to encourage Ugandans to use a new citizen hotline called “Uganda Watch 2011” to voice concerns about the integrity of the electoral process surrounding polls set for February 2011.

Wine performed the song at the hotline kickoff in Kampala in June and has performed it live again around the country. The song has been aired on radio stations throughout Uganda since June, and the music video for the song has been featured on seven major TV stations. Both radio and TV stations have mentioned the hotline and its significance each time the song has aired.

Listen to “A Serious Matter”

To complement that effort, DEMGroup and CCEDU will also hold feedback sessions throughout the country so that particular complaints or trends are highlighted and so citizens can participate in electoral reform efforts. The feedback sessions, which will include representatives from the government, political parties, the Electoral Commission and civil society, will be recorded and played on radio stations in all regions of Uganda. NDI has provided technical assistance and support on development of the hotline and analysis of the information collected.

The use of new technologies is part of a shift occurring in election monitoring around the world that is moving from anecdotal and impressionistic evaluations of electoral processes to data-focused and information rich assessments. NDI is among the leaders in this movement with the use of parallel vote tabulations (PVT) to provide independent vote counts as a check on election authorities. DEMGroup, with technical assistance from NDI, is likely to complete a data-backed analysis of voting results on election day in Uganda.

“Citizen reporting, including using crowdsoursing and other technologies, can significantly increase public engagement in electoral activity and improve potentials for accountability,” said Ian Schuler, a program manager for NDI’s information and communications technology team. “The citizen hotline in Uganda is a visionary program. It’s happening in part because we have good partners and Uganda itself is one of the more tech-savvy places on the continent, so it’s a good environment to be piloting new technologies.”

NDI’s country director in Uganda, Heather Kashner, stressed the importance of implementing programs like the citizen hotline to increase citizen participation and promote government accountability.

“The citizen hotline is a way to try to make a change fast, make it big, and get it to more people than otherwise exist outside traditional power structures,” Kashner said, “it’s crucial that we include as many people as possible in ensuring a peaceful and reliable electoral process.”

Pictured Above: Concerns from Ugandan citizens about the election process are collected and digitally mapped at http://www.ugandawatch2011.org/.

Published June 29, 2010

Constituents, Representatives Mix in Newly Expanded Program in Cambodia

fgalleto — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:19:52 -0400

In Cambodia, members of the National Assembly have few opportunities to interact with their constituents. There is no government mechanism for citizens to express their views to their elected representatives in Phnom Penh, and members seldom visit their constituencies. The few members who do try to reach out to constituents on their own have limited time and no organized way to collect information on issues of concern to voters. As a result, many citizens still have a narrow understanding of the role of the National Assembly and parliamentarians have limited knowledge of constituents' needs.

Constituency dialogues provide a much-needed outlet for this constituent-representative interaction. Similar in format to a town hall meeting, they provide one of the only ways for Cambodians to voice concerns and gain a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of National Assembly members. The public events also provide thousands of citizens with a rare opportunity to hear opposition party viewpoints and broaden understanding of their political options.

The dialogues also allow parliamentarians to hear directly from constituents, giving them a chance to be more responsive to voters' needs and potentially increasing their party's chances for re-election as they incorporate this feedback into their platforms.

Four hundred to 600 local residents attend each NDI-organized dialogue. National Assembly members from different parties give brief opening remarks, and then an NDI moderator opens the floor for discussion. Audience members raise local and national issues and address questions directly to parliamentarians, often requesting that action be taken to resolve a particular problem. The lawmakers update their constituents on Assembly and government activities and explain their party’s policies on issues ranging from land and water management, anti-corruption, employment, infrastructure, education and healthcare. The events are broadcast on national radio and attract a wide listenership.

An expansion of the constituency dialogue program is now underway as part of a larger program called Accountability in Governance and Politics (A-GAP). The program, which is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, encourages the Cambodian government to strengthen accountability and transparency and to provide its citizens with greater access to information. NDI, along with the International Republican Institute and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, will carry out several new or expanded projects as part of the overall A-GAP initiative.

NDI is increasing the number of constituency dialogues held each year from 10 to 24 and is expanding to two additional provinces so that all 12 Cambodian provinces with multiparty representation in the National Assembly are now included.

"There are few chances for parliamentarians to reach out to the public and exchange views, and no other public forums in which the opposition and ruling party sit together at the same table and participate in a debate format," said Laura Thornton, NDI's resident director for Cambodia, "The constituency dialogue program exposes people to their political options and is truly unique."

A-GAP's official kick-off event was held in Phnom Penh on April 20 and featured U.S. Ambassador Carol Rodley and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An. Representatives from government, political parties, civil society and the media were invited to attend the event.

"I'm excited about the extensive expertise and experience each of these organizations is bringing to their respective areas of the program," Ambassador Rodley said. "I am confident that each of these organizations will make a contribution to helping Cambodia and that we will see positive results over the next five years."

Pictured above: A citizen asks a question at a constituency dialogue in Cambodia

Published June 21, 2010

Iraqis Discouraged by Post-Election Government Negotiations

fgalleto — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:18:08 -0400

Iraqis are becoming increasingly frustrated about the delay in the formation of a new government five months after last spring's parliamentary elections, and a majority of them believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction, according to a recent public opinion poll conducted by NDI.

The survey, based on 4,000 interviews conducted June 21-26, showed that while no one choice for prime minister had a majority, the leading candidate among those polled was Ayad Allawi, representing the Iraqiyya coalition, which got the most votes in the March 7 elections.

Seventy percent of those surveyed were concerned that a government has not yet been formed, and 63 percent said they believed the country is headed in the wrong direction overall, in marked contrast to the months before the elections, when 67 percent of Iraqis felt that the country's situation was the same or better than before.

Forty-two percent of those polled thought Allawi should become the next prime minister, compared to 14 percent, the next largest percentage, who identified current Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki as their favored choice for the post.

The poll findings show some regional disparities: Allawi has the support of 68 percent of those surveyed in Baghdad and 63 percent of residents in the Arab provinces north of Baghdad. Though Maliki garnered the most support in the Shi'a-dominant southern provinces, less than one quarter identified him as the top candidate, while close behind him, Allawi was chosen as the top candidate by 21 percent of respondents. These results indicate that Allawi dominates as the choice for prime minister among Sunni respondents, but also has significant levels of support among Shi'a respondents.

Click on the chart to see it larger

This personal support is reflected in the beliefs about which coalition should be given the first opportunity to form a government. Fifty-nine percent of all respondents believe that Allawi's Iraqiyya coalition, which won the most seats in the elections, should be given the first opportunity. However, 50 percent of residents in the southern, Shi'a-dominant provinces believe that the merged State of Law and Iraqi National Alliance coalition should have the first opportunity, despite neither of those coalitions gaining the most seats in the elections.

The increasingly pervasive opinion among Iraqis is that the parties and politicians are guided mostly by their own interests, rather than by the interests of the electorate, a feeling expressed by 60 percent of those surveyed. While government formation talks are stalled, Iraqis are searching for progress on issues of concern, including basic services, social issues, the economy, and corruption. They are also concerned about foreign interference in Iraqi affairs, a concern that has been exacerbated by the lack of a new government.

Consequently, after an election that 61 percent judged to have been largely or somewhat free and fair, almost half of respondents were not sure or definitely would not vote if elections were held again now. This number includes more than 50 percent of respondents from Baghdad and the Shi'a-dominant southern governorates. This finding indicates that most Iraqis believe that they expressed their opinion in the March parliamentary elections and now just want the politicians to get on with the business of forming a government and solving the pressing issues that affect people's everyday lives.

Click on the chart to see it larger

The poll shows that Iraqis' frustration with the lack of a new government is an opinion held equally by men and women, old and young, employed and unemployed. The main divisions among the population are based on sectarian and ethnic identities and geographic location. Thus, in Baghdad and northern and western provinces of Anbar, Diyala, Salah al Din, Kirkuk and Ninewah, there is more support for secular government, especially one led by Allawi's Iraqiyya coalition. In the southern provinces, there is greater cynicism and less unity of opinion over what type of government should emerge from the election. In the Kurdish north, people want their region's representatives to have a place in the government and for that government to focus on the key economic and social concerns of provision of basic services, employment and inflation.

Related:

Pictured above: An Iraqi woman distributes voter education materials before the election.

Published on July 30, 2010

Iraqis Discouraged by Post-Election Government Negotiations

fgalleto — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:18:08 -0400

Click on the chart to see it larger

Related:

Pictured above: An Iraqi woman distributes voter education materials before the election.

Published on July 30, 2010

Afghan Women Seek Major Role in Peacebuilding Efforts

nazar — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:36:01 -0400

Significant participation by women in Afghan peacebuilding, continued international assistance and improved safety and security for women were among 13 recommendations developed last month at a Post-Peace Jirga Symposium of Afghan Women.

Seventy-three women from 33 provinces attended the symposium, which was organized by NDI and supported by the Canadian International Development Agency. Attendees included provincial councilors, members of the National Assembly from the upper and lower house, civil society representatives and journalists. The gathering was a follow on to Afghanistan's National Consultative Peace Jirga, held June 2-4, which was requested by President Hamid Karzai in his inauguration speech last year to discuss strategies for ending the Taliban insurgency and civil conflict.

The Jirga brought together public officials, tribal elders and local power-brokers from around the country to build national consensus on a peace-building plan. Four hundred women politicians and activists, including a number of women who were at the post-peace meeting, attended the Jirga, representing 21 percent of all participants.

The women attending the second gathering, June 21-22, expressed “strong support for efforts towards building peace and stability in Afghanistan as the main national priority that would benefit all the people of Afghanistan.” Noting that women represent half the country’s population, and 58 percent of eligible voters, they said they “demand to be a party sufficiently represented in any future peace negotiations. They insist on the precondition that peace cannot be negotiated at the cost of diminishing women’s rights.”

Some of the women’s other points included:

• Continued international assistance is especially important for women as a guarantee that their rights will be respected during and after the Afghan reconciliation process.

• Afghan women seek to connect Kabul and the national level with the provincial, district and village levels so that women can share information and experiences.

• The government should do more to secure free and safe movement of women and devote special attention to thorough investigations and sanctioning of all incidents involving violence against women. They asked the government and international donors to provide more safe houses for women victims of violence and intimidation, and establish emergency phone lines for women in distress.

• They called on Afghan authorities and the international community to assure that more international assistance goes to projects that target women’s needs, such as hospitals and medical assistance for women, employment opportunities and helping Afghan women network throughout the country.

• President Karzai should guarantee stronger women’s representation in the Supreme Peace Council (only two women have been appointed) as well as set a quota for at least 25- percent representation in the rest of the government workforce.

NDI first established an office in Afghanistan in March 2002, facilitating programs to support the development of emerging political parties and civic groups as effective and viable participants in Afghanistan’s political and electoral processes.

Pictured Above: Afghan Women at the Post-Peace Jirga Symposium, representing 33 provinces in Afghanistan

Published July 27, 2010

iKNOW Politics Partners Launch Arabic Language Website to Support Women in Politics

rrunyan — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:57:44 -0400

iKNOW Politics, an online network dedicated to the advancement of women in politics, launched a new Arabic language version in Amman, Jordan, Oct. 27, opening it up to potentially millions of new users in a region where women are significantly underrepresented politically.

NDI is one of five partner organizations in the project, along with International IDEA, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the UNDP and UNIFEM. iKNOW Politics, which stands for the International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics, www.iknowpolitics.org, began in 2007 and now operates in English, French and Spanish, in addition to Arabic. The Arabic launch was made possible through the generous support of the United Nations Democracy Fund and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

About 150 women leaders, political candidates, activists and representatives of women’s organizations primarily from the Middle East and North Africa attended the two-day launch event, which focused on the impact of media and information technology on the number and effectiveness of women in politics in the region.

The keynote speaker at the event was Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Talal of Jordan, who is known for her advocacy of women’s rights. In addition to highlighting women’s achievements, the Princess said, iKNOW Politics’ Arabic website “will help to set positive change in motion by engaging its members in an open dialogue, and creating a forum in which information and knowledge exchange can consolidate the voices of women from all over the world.”

Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Talal of Jordan

The Speaker of the Jordan House of Representative, Abdulhadi Al Majali, hosted the official launch and described iKNOW Politics as a means to enhance democracy.

Other speakers at the Parliament building ceremony discussed some of the virtues of the site and the aspirations of women who will be using it. “Networking is the main weapon of this era,” said the Hon. Milouda Hazeb, chair of the Al Nakheel Municipality in Morocco. “Together we will make the impossible possible, but also the reality,” said Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, director of the Democratic Governance Group of the UNDP and formerly a minister in South Africa.

The introduction of Arabic as an iKNOW Politics language widens an ongoing dialogue on the site, which provides access for women across the world to resources and expertise, and allows women to expand their knowledge and share and benefit from each other’s political experiences. It is, in effect, a network of networks, where women who use the site share what they have learned with political networks in their own countries.

The resources of iKNOW Politics are open to anyone who visits the website, which about 15,000 people did last month. They can read online discussions, review a wide and expanding selection of articles on political topics, view links to more than 210 organizations and have access to a library of 1,500 free resources, including skills training manuals, sample legislation and many other materials in the four languages.

Those who register as iKNOW Politics members, of which there are currently 6,000, can post information to the site, have access to the network’s 70 experts from 30 countries who are available to answer individual questions, and take part in E-discussions, which have attracted submissions from 148 members in 35 countries in the past year.

Read the press release»

Read local media coverage»

Read about Mona Qurashi's experience at the iKNOW Politics Arabic launch in Jordan. Qurashi is a member of the Wafd Supreme Council» | English translation»

Published on October 28, 2009

Middle Eastern Women Gain Political Inspiration in Wisconsin

rrunyan — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:19:29 -0400

The Young Women Leaders Academy (YWLA), a year-long program that aims to inspire and empower young Middle Eastern women to pursue political careers in their home countries, culminated in a two-week retreat in Madison, Wisconsin, last month, where participants met with elected women leaders from across the state and honed their leadership skills and political aspirations.

The participants are now back in their home countries, where they are pursuing a range of options, from starting their own advocacy organizations to running for elective office.

In a region of the world where women remain underrepresented in public life, the academy helps the women acquire the skills and confidence needed to pursue political careers. By giving them instruction on campaign and advocacy skills, as well as introducing them to peers and mentors to exchange information and help each other, the YWLA hopes to increase the number of women leaders across the Middle East and North Africa.

“The Young Women Leaders Academy has been a turning point in my life,” said Chantal Souaid from Lebanon. “I want to transmit knowledge from YWLA to the women in my country. Women need empowerment, training and someone to tell them they are equal to men. In my career, I now want to open up the space for women to become leaders and run for political office.”

Since returning from Madison, another participant, Hamsa Ballout from Palestine, was elected to the Hebron media committee of the Fateh party after an intra-party campaign, making her the only woman on the board of seven leading journalists. Ballout said she was inspired to seek the position at the academy and the campaign skills she acquired there made it possible.

In Madison, the women participated in advanced workshops on communications, blogging, media relations, maintaining a work-life balance, non-governmental organization management, advocacy and grassroots outreach.

The women spent time with Wisconsin political leaders including U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, First Lady Jessica Doyle and the youngest member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, Kelda Helen Roys. Through conversations about public service, campaigns and work-life balance, participants built connections with the women and drew inspiration from their work.

At the end of the retreat, NDI mentors worked with each participant to develop individual career objectives and leadership development plans. Participants came away with concrete goals. Batool Al Khalaf of Saudi Arabia, who has started several public speaking clubs for women and young people, plans to use her network and trainings skills to develop civic leadership programs in a country where power is extremely centralized. “I want to start a social entrepreneurship initiative to expand leadership training opportunities for youth,” she said, adding “I also want to go to law school and become a lawyer.”

The retreat, organized by NDI, reinforced the leadership skills the women had gained during an initial two-week intensive academy held at Georgetown University in Doha, Qatar, in July 2009 and subsequent independent projects that each woman carried out in her country to engage more young women in politics. The retreat also helped foster and strengthen a growing network of young women in the region who provide each other with ongoing support and advice as they enter the world of politics.

“These women at the retreat have really inspired me,” said Sally El-Baz, a founding member of an opposition party in Egypt. “My dream is to become a member of Parliament and to truly represent the people of Egypt.”

Pictured Above: Rajaa Kantaoui, an academy participant from Morocco, talks with Anita Weier, a participant in a Wisconsin political training program, at a networking event about their shared desire to run for elected office.

Published July 27, 2010

Middle Eastern Women Gain Political Inspiration in Wisconsin

rrunyan — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:19:29 -0400

The participants are now back in their home countries, where they are pursuing a range of options, from starting their own advocacy organizations to running for elective office.

Published July 27, 2010

Albright Reaffirms Need to Work at Preserving 'Gift of Freedom'

fgalleto — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:45:19 -0400

The fragility of freedom and how to preserve it was one of the themes explored at the 10th anniversary meeting of the Community of Democracies (CoD), a global coalition of democratic countries, meeting July 2-4 in Krakow, Poland.

NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright, who as U.S. secretary of state was an initiator of the organization along with the late Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek, returned to Poland for the gathering. In 2000 in Warsaw, ministerial delegations from 106 countries signed a declaration, "Toward the Community of Democracies," with the aim of demonstrating methods of support to countries striving for democracy and freedom.

The Krakow meeting was attended by 80 official delegations from around the world, including 40 at the ministerial level, as well as 200 civil society activists from Burma, Zimbabwe, China, Russia and Cuba, among other places. Also attending were parliamentarians from Europe, Africa and North America who are participants in the community's Parliamentary Forum, which was launched last March at the initiative of Lithuania, which currently holds the CoD chairmanship.

New Technologies Create Opportunities, Risks in Democracy Support

In the decade since the founding of the Community of Democracies, a major change has been the explosion of technology and the tools it has created, both for those supporting the free flow of ideas and other democratic values and for authoritarian states interested in the opposite, curtailing information and suppressing human rights. Speaking on a panel in Krakow, NDI's chief technology officer, Chris Spence, explored the role of technology in democratic development and the risks its use poses in closed societies.

"Our view is that technologies are clearly a net positive for democracy...because of the important role [they] can play in consolidating democracy in fragile and transitional democratic states," he said.

The Krakow meeting focused on challenges to democracy and, specifically, how to overcome obstacles in the path of building civil society in the contemporary world. The CoD is developing a global democracy work plan focusing on such areas as civil society protections; gender equality and women's rights; poverty, development and democracy; promoting democracy and responding to national and transnational threats; and regional cooperation.

Albright attributed the success of the first gathering in 2000 to Geremek, who died in 2008 and for whom a democracy award has now been named. "In his welcoming remarks," she said, "he declared that 'the emergence of democracy was the most important development of the 20th century.' But he also reminded us that the gift of freedom was never fully safe – because from one direction or another, the principles of freedom will always be opposed. He argued, therefore, that those who are blessed to live in a democracy have an obligation to repay that blessing by upholding free institutions and by teaching, protecting, and cherishing democratic values."

Albright presented the Geremek Award to Father José Conrado Rodriguez of Cuba, a minister in the impoverished city of Santiago de Cuba. Father José, she said, "reminds us that democracy – at its best – is more than just another system of government... Democracy is grounded in a belief that the legitimate power of governance comes not from the barrel of a gun, or from the means to arrest and to brutalize prisoners, or from the capacity to punish those who dare to voice their discontent. Power, to be legitimate, must come from the people."

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who delivered a keynote address, noted "three essential elements of a free nation – representative government, a well-functioning market and civil society – that work like three legs of a stool." But "walls are closing in" on civic organizations in an increasing number of countries, she said, citing Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Venezuela, Russia, China and Egypt. "Over the last six years, 50 governments have issued new restrictions against NGOs, and the list of countries where civil society faces resistance is growing longer."

"An attack on civic activism and civil society is an attack on democracy," she said. "...it doesn't matter whether the goal is better laws or lower crime or cleaner air or social justice or consumer protection or entrepreneurship and innovation, societies move forward when the citizens that make up these groups are empowered to transform common interests into common actions that serve the common good."

The next ministerial level meeting will take place in 2011 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Related:

Pictured above: Lech Walesa and Madeleine Albright greet each other at the 10th anniversary meeting of the Community of Democracies. Photo courtesy of Pavol Demes.

Published on July 16, 2010

In Angola, Radio Program Connects 'Parliament and Me'

rrunyan — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:05:38 -0400

“Parliament and Me,” a new radio talk show in Angola, is working to establish a connection between elected representatives and their constituents as the country rebuilds after a 27-year civil war. The hostilities, which ended in 2002, left the country with its infrastructure in pieces, no nationwide communications network and a lack of certified professionals in everything from accounting to medicine to construction. Now, citizens are looking for ways to participate in the political process to shape their country and benefit from its economic growth.

In a historic step toward a more democratic political system, Angolans held elections for their national parliament in 2008, the first parliamentary poll since 1992. But midway through their first term, the lawmakers and citizens were not interacting with one another, leading parliament to look for ways for citizens and members of parliament (MPs) to come together. No mechanism existed that allowed MPs to explain what they were doing on the job every day.

Similarly, citizens felt disconnected from their representatives. They lacked a connection to the political system and didn’t see any direct connection between government and their everyday lives.

That’s where “Parliament and Me” came in. NDI partnered with Radio Ecclesia, a local radio station with a wide audience in the capital city, and a local, independent radio producer to create the weekly radio program, which educates citizens about the role of parliament. The talk show encourages citizens to link issues they are concerned about and advocacy to the National Assembly. It also provides an objective, balanced presentation of issues being addressed by the parliament.

Each episode of “Parliament and Me” features one MP, interviewed by a journalist, who answers pre-taped questions from citizens and talks about what he or she does during the day and which issues are of particular interest. More than 15 MPs have been interviewed from the five political parties with seats in the National Assembly.

The program is popular among both MPs and listeners. MPs like the format, which gives them a rare platform to talk about their work and initiatives. Deputy Lina Alexandre from the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) said that the program will help citizens to see the parliament as more than just a place for politicians to talk because it shows the daily tasks that engage them.

Deputy Ngola Kabango, bench leader for the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA), said the mixture of interviews, statements from MPs and comments by legal experts illuminates the country’s political context and highlights what he considers the healthy environment of fair play that exists in parliament.

Listeners like it because it gives them a window into what elected leaders are doing. “Many listeners doubted that they would ever hear MP Norberto dos Santos ‘Kwata Kanawa,’ the current minister of parliamentary affairs, participating in an Ecclesia program,” said Walter Cristovão, the producer of the program. “The program has already circulated messages from the five political parties in parliament, namely the MPLA, UNITA, Social Renewal Party New Democratic Electoral Coalition and the FNLA, bringing MPs closer to citizens.”

The program also explores historical, political and legal issues that many Angolans may not be familiar with otherwise. “Parliament and Me” has covered the origins of the Angolan parliament, the laws it has passed and their importance, the impact of having 39 percent women MPs, and parliament and its role in the fight against corruption, among other topics.

As the show continues to gain audience and popularity, Radio Ecclesia is hoping that citizens will connect issues in their daily lives to actions that their MPs can take, will advocate and petition the parliament accordingly, and will hold members accountable.

Pictured Above: Members of Parliament in the Angolan National Assembly

Published July, 28, 2010