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NDI Delegation Releases Pre-Election Statement in Georgia

An NDI pre-election delegation to Georgia released its findings on June 29, in advance of parliamentary elections scheduled for October. The delegation assessed the status of electoral preparations, the conduct of political activity by major electoral participants, and the general electoral environment. It met with government officials, parliamentary candidates, political party leaders, election authorities, and representatives of civil society, the media and the international community.

Citizen-Candidate Dialogues in Mexico Seek to Increase Government Responsiveness

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In some of Mexico’s states most affected by violence, voters are getting a rare chance to put questions about citizen security to candidates seeking their support in the country’s July 1 congressional elections. 

Liberian Election Observers Plan for Future with Help of Regional Coalition

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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.”

But once the election was over, the ECC faced a challenge common to many other citizen monitoring groups — how to keep its supporters and volunteers engaged and preserve all the organization, cooperation, planning and volunteer enthusiasm it had generated during the elections.

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 Liberia, Training Staff for Stronger Lawmakers

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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.

“A stronger staff makes for a stronger lawmaker,” said Liberian Rep. Edwin Snowe, welcoming 125 legislative staff members to an April training session on how they could advance the work of their bosses.

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