National Democratic Institute | NDI

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News and Views

Commentary from experts on the directions and challenges of democracy assistance programs.


July 1, 2011	An African Adventure, and a Revelation The New York Times After a recent trip to Africa, Nicholas Kristof chronicles the encouraging changes taking place and the continuing challenges facing the continent. While Africa's economy is booming, widespread problems such as malnutrition and disease still persist, although humanitarian aid programs from the United States have made significant impact. Kristof also notes the increasing presence of democracy on the continent. "Morocco is a window into one of the most striking trends in Africa: democratization. The number of electoral democracies in Africa has risen to 18 from 4 in the last decade, according to Freedom House, a nonprofit human rights organization based in Washington. Even in a country like Morocco, which is still a repressive monarchy, easing has occurred. It has freed some political prisoners, moved to strengthen its Parliament a bit and even established a truth and reconciliation commission." Read More
July 1, 2011	Will the Long March to Democracy in Pakistan Finally Succeed? USIP Pakistan has endured a cycle of alternating democratic and military rule since independence. A stable democracy has proved elusive due to the strength of Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies, religious parties’ support of the military at the expense of democracy, a compliant judiciary, weak and patrimonial political parties, and Western support for Pakistan’s dictatorships. In this report commissioned by the U.S. Institute of Peace, Sheila Fruman, former NDI country director in Pakistan, addresses one of the fundamental challenges to stability in Pakistan: sustained democratic rule. The report discusses the successful civil society movement of 2007 and 2008 that led to Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf’s ultimate ouster from office, assessing the effects of the movement and the institutional changes triggered by it on Pakistan’s quest for democratic consolidation. While the cyclical pattern of democratic and military rule in Pakistan may not be obsolete just yet, there is much that the government, civil society, media, and the international community can do to strengthen democratic practices there, building on the work that the mass movement began. Read More
April 18, 2011	Nigeria’s Fair Election Washington Post This Washington Post editorial praises Nigeria for making real strides toward better elections, and argues that it will give this populous nation more credibility as a leader in the region, helping to mediate election disputes like the recent one in Cote d'Ivoire. After three decades of mostly military rule, the country returned to democracy in 1999 — but three consecutive presidential elections were ruined by massive fraud. Now the continent’s most-populous country will be able to make a better claim. On Sunday it held a presidential vote that was a vast improvement on its predecessors. The winner, Goodluck Jonathan, deserves credit for implementing reforms, and his government’s ability to push for democracy elsewhere in Africa will be enhanced." Read More
March 12, 2011	The Backlash Against Democracy Washington Post In this opinion piece for the Washington Post, Carl Gershman, president of the National Endowment for Democracy draws attention to the potential backlash that events in the Middle East could create with autocrats in other countries. He warns that leaders in a number of countries including Burma, China or Zimbabwe could crack down on the Internet and social medias in an effort to avert similar uprisings in their own countries. "While in time this crisis could lead to a fourth wave of democratic expansion, in the short term we can expect a new backlash against popular pressures for democratic change. Responding to this backlash - with a much more focused effort to defend human rights and aid the work of democracy activists, for example - should be high on the agenda of the United States and other democracies. Special attention should also be given to supporting Internet freedom, including helping groups gain secure and free access to the Internet, protect themselves against malware attacks, network with counterparts in other countries, and connect with donors and technology specialists who can address their specific needs." Read More
March 8, 2011	After the Revolution, Establishing Democracy Washington Post In her opinion piece in The Washington Post, Roza Otunbayeva, president of Kyrgyzstan, expresses her solidarity with the uprising in the Middle East, but explains that ensuring a vibrant democracy in the aftermath takes hard work. "Our experience, however, tells us that there is no highway to democracy. In fact, toppling the dictator may well be the easiest part." "Whatever good intentions people have to build a democracy, no one should be tricked into holding elections overnight. After years of one-person rule it is important to first ensure that political parties are able to compete around the country and have access to voters, that there is a free press to provide for national dialogue, and that civic associations have space and the opportunity to advocate their interests. Most important, the rule of law must be provided for." Read More
March 3, 2011	Behind Iraq's protests, a call for better democracy The Washington Post In this Washington Post op-ed, Daniel Serwer discusses the current political situation in Iraq. With overall violence down and Iraqi politicians pleased with the inclusive "national partnership" government, Iraqis are protesting not for regime change, but a better democratic government. Tensions between Islamists and secularists as well as Sunnis and Shiites still exist while disagreement between Arabs and Kurds over the boundaries of Kurdistan continue. On a positive note, however, the price of oil - which Iraqis can extract from giant reserves at low prices - has risen. Although Americans must live with the mistake of having invaded Iraq, Serwer argues, a modest postwar success is possible if Iraq becomes a reliable high volume supplier of oil to world markets. Read More
March 1, 2011	Yanukovich's First Year International Herald Tribune Steven Pifer and William Taylor discuss the lack of political freedom under Victor Yanukovich's recent policies in Ukraine and what that means for his goal of integrating the country into the European Union. "If President Yanukovich is committed to European integration and E.U. membership, his administration’s domestic actions make achieving that goal much tougher. The European Union has turned its focus to internal issues and shows little enthusiasm for integrating neighboring states. To the extent that Europeans see Kiev adopting a more autocratic model of government, it will be that much easier for them to ignore Ukraine’s desire to integrate. So President Yanukovich faces a choice. He can continue, or allow the continuation of, current domestic policies and watch his chances of integrating Ukraine into Europe fade. Or he can strengthen democratic institutions — which, by the way, resulted in his own election last year — and restore positive momentum to the relationship between Ukraine and Europe." Read More
February 24, 2011	How Not to Promote Democracy in Egypt Washington Post Thomas Carothers, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, writes in the Washington Post about the right way for the U.S. to assist new political parties in Egypt. He urges assistance to go to all political parties, across the spectrum, rather than just those that U.S. agrees with ideologically. He singles out NDI's work in this area as a model to emulate. "The National Democratic Institute, operating with U.S. government funds, has been an active, effective supporter of political party development in numerous Arab countries for the past 10 years. It has frequently included Islamist parties in its activities, such as the Islamic Action Front in Jordan, the Party for Justice and Development in Morocco, and Islah in Yemen. That inclusion has not hurt U.S. interests and has led to many fruitful dialogues between Arab political Islamists and Americans." Read More
February 22, 2011	Real Conservatives Don’t Slash Foreign Aid The New Republic In a piece on The New Republic’s website, Thomas Carothers, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, writes about how the U.S. Congress should take a page from Britain’s book and improve foreign aid but not slash it. “As House Republicans press for deeper budget cuts, one of their top targets is foreign aid,” Carothers writes. “It is a tempting candidate for draconian cuts—a soft priority in today’s hard fiscal times and a budget line with no strong domestic constituency.” But Carothers argues that money invested now in developing stable states around the world can save much more later and help the U.S. develop good will and lasting partnerships. Read More
February 16, 2011	Crackdown in Belarus The Washington Post This editorial in the Washington Post urges the Obama administration and the European Union to adopt harsher measures against Belarus if trials go forward for dozens of former presidential candidates, journalists, and opposition activists. "If the trials go forward, however, the sanctions must get tougher. The Obama administration should try to persuade E.U. governments to adopt sanctions against the oil monopoly, Belneftekhim. Alexander Kozulin, who ran for president against Mr. Lukashenko in 2006 and was subsequently imprisoned for more than two years, says that he is convinced his release stemmed from such company sanctions. Mr. Kozulin and other Belarusan leaders say that they also hope President Obama will personally and publicly condemn Mr. Lukashenko, which would, at least, boost the morale of those facing trial." Read More