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.

A bipartisan group of 21 high-level political experts has come together on behalf of continued U.S. support for democracy around the world.

The Middle East Institute is proud to host Leslie Campbell, senior associate and regional director for the Middle East, and Danya Greenfield, deputy director of the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East at the Atlantic Council, for an assessment of the Jordanian elections and an examination of the political challenges ahead for Jordan's King Abdullah II.

Jordan’s Jan. 23 parliamentary elections resulted in a new 150-member Parliament largely dominated by government loyalists and “tribal figures who run patronage networks.” Some observers complained that the election commission's rules gave an advantage to rural districts with strong government support. “To the growing protest movement, the country’s weak legislators have come to symbolize the divisive policies of the government and the reluctance of Jordan’s rulers to yield power.”

In Burkina Faso, where women have traditionally been left out of politics, NDI and other organizations have helped give women a stronger voice by educating them about the political process. NDI’s programs focus on increasing the number of women who run for office, and helping them learn how to govern once they are elected.

In May, 2012, NDI organized 10 public debates for candidates competing in the June 3, 2012, commune council elections.  To promote a wider audience than the public in attendance, NDI recorded and broadcast the debates prior to the election on three Cambodian radio stations. NDI commissioned a Cambodian research firm to conduct a 1,200 person survey from Aug. 16 to Sept. 4, 2012, approximately three months after the debates and election occurred. 

In November and December, 2012, NDI held four, three-day training workshops for 96 women commune councilors from the ruling and opposition parties to strengthen their advocacy, message development and speaking skills and to build their capacity and influence within their parties and elected office. As a result of the workshops, women commune councilors were able to craft a political message and better define advocacy goals.

An international observation delegation fielded by NDI said the Jan. 23 Jordanian parliamentary elections saw a marked improvement in procedures and administration from past polls.  But it also found election day shortcomings and irregularities, as well as a number of systemic distortions.