- Cape Verde and Peru join IDEA
The Board of Directors and the Council of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) held meetings on 6-9 June in Stockholm for their annual discussions on IDEA's programme and directions for the future. Current priorities regarding democracy building and conflict management, electoral processes and political party development were confirmed. Presentations were made on electoral system design, on election assistance and on political party finance.
The Council approved the membership applications of Cape Verde and Peru, bringing the total number of IDEA member states to 23. Chile, represented by H.E. Alberto Van Klaveren, ambassador to the EU, has taken over as Chair of the Council, with Botswana and the Netherlands now serving as Vice-Chairs. Dr Henning Scherf, President of the Senate and Mayor of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Germany, and Mr Jos van Gennip, member of the Upper House of the Parliament of the Netherlands, were re-elected for a second term. - Whither Political Parties in Central America?
An international meeting on the "Situation and Perspectives of the Political Parties in Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic" was held in San Jose, Costa Rica, on 30-31 May to launch a major publication on the same theme produced jointly by IDEA, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Organization of American States (OAS). The research for the publication, sponsored by Swedish SIDA, Norwegian NORAD and UK DFID, was conducted between June and November 2003 with nearly 40 political parties in the region and interviews with 78 political leaders. The aim of the research is to contribute to public debate regarding challenges for political parties which should play a vital role in democratization. The parties themselves have been remarkably open and critical about their problems and the lack of trust that exist among citizens and voters. The research will also assist the parties with internal debate on reform. - Working with Political Parties in the Andean Region
With sponsorship from UNDP and the UK (DFID), IDEA and its local partner in Peru, Asociacion Civil Transparencia, are embarking on a new training and development project called Agora Democratica, which aims to strengthen parties and party systems in the Andean Region. A major conference to launch the project was held in Lima, Peru on 25-26 May hosted by the Andean Community of Nations. The situation of political parties in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, was examined in turn with an academic analysis and comments from senior representatives of the leading political parties in each country. The first Agora training course for new political party members in Peru took place on 21-23 May.
On a visit to Peru, IDEA Secretary-General, Karen Fogg, inaugurated the conference together with Alan Wagner Secretary General of the Andean Community. She went on to meet President Alejandro Toledo, the Foreign Minister Manuel Rodrigues Cuadros, ex-President Valentin Panagua, the election authorities and members of civil society, including the "Citizens for Good Governance". Following up IDEA's work with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Peru, she also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Salomon Lerner, Rector of the Catholic University's and Director of the Instituto para la Democracia y Derechos Humanos pledging IDEA support to the Institute's programme on integrating human rights issues into military training programs. Read more - Developing Tools for Electoral Dispute Resolution (EDR)
As part of its work to identify best practices and guidelines on electoral dispute resolution (EDR) mechanisms, IDEA is cooperating closely with the Mexican Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF). A meeting of IDEA's expert group, comprising academics and legal and electoral experts, was hosted by the Tribunal at the end of May in Mexico City to map out a project implementation strategy. The group agreed to commission 20 country case studies on EDR in preparation for a global survey. The case studies will include countries from different regions, with varying traditions of civil and common law and at all stages of democratic consolidation. They will examine how electoral disputes are managed, which organs of state are responsible, when and how they intervene. All case studies, global survey findings and other related material will be compiled and distributed in print and web-based material by 2005. Download concept paper Experts, academics, practitioners and donors from Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin America gathered at an IDEA workshop in London on 25-26 June, to share lessons learned by IDEA's State of Democracy project. IDEA began its work on the methodology of democracy analysis and assessment in 2001 with a project that became known as the "State of Democracy", which drew on the experience of the UK Democratic Audit. Since then the State of Democracy methodology was piloted in eight countries, (Bangladesh, El Salvador, Italy, Kenya, Malawi, new Zealand, Peru and South Korea) and also applied through separate initiatives on democracy analysis in Australia, the Philippines and South Asia as well as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA). Read more - Timor-Leste: Focus on Local Democracy
In its work on post conflict democracy building, IDEA has been cooperating with the UN to assess experience and contribute to the development of local democracy in countries emerging from conflict under a United Nations transitional authority. Following previous workshops in Kosovo and Sierra Leone, IDEA convened a seminar in Dili, Timor-Leste, on 16-17 June 2004 in partnership with the government of Timor-Leste and UNDP, to look at the options and structures for local governance, and to provide practical recommendations on how best to develop local democracy. Read more - Supporting Regional Voices in Indonesia
Elections in Indonesia are featuring prominently in world news, and with them the process of democratic transition. Under constitutional changes of 2004, the highest state institution (the People's Consultative Assembly or MPR, which has over six hundred members) becomes a bicameral legislature. Also in place as a major reform is the new Regional Representative Council (DPD), whose 128 members were elected in the 5 April elections. Following an agreement with the Secretariat-General of the Indonesian Parliament, IDEA is the main international organization providing support to the DPD. On 20-23 June, IDEA organized a four-day national workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia, for newly elected members. Dubbed by the media as Indonesia's 'senators', 125 out of the 128 members participated in this event. IDEA is seeking to provide the DPD with a clear sense of operational procedures, effective communication with the media and constituents, the powers of the DPD, and how to form a women's caucus. Read More - Voices of Georgia in Constitutional and Political Reform
On 1 June, in cooperation with the Georgia-based Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development, IDEA launched a project entitled "Voices of Georgia in Constitutional and Political Reform" which aims to enhance professional and public involvement in discussions on key issues of reform. The first round of working meetings was held in June. Two working groups, comprising Georgian experts and practitioners, have been created to analyze and prepare policy papers on two themes: 'State power at the national level: balance between the parliament and the executive'; and 'Distribution of state power between the national and sub-national levels'. The project will seek to develop greater understanding on feasible options for political reform and prepare the ground for a process of constitutional review. Organized dialogue between leading 'stakeholders' is used by the international community as a way to contribute to consensus building and local ownership of political reform and institution-building processes. In cooperation the OAS and UNDP, IDEA is working to systematize lessons learned in 'dialogue facilitation' in order to promote sustainable solutions in the areas of peace, democratization and development. An initial 'brainstorming' session took place in Stockholm, Sweden, on 10-11 June 2004, involving independent experts from all continents, to reflect and support experience in a growing community of practice, and to refine the methodology for effective application.
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- When 25 countries voted to elect their representatives to the European Parliament in the second week of June, it was the biggest single democratic event in the continent's history. However, only 45 percent of EU citizens turned out to vote. This is the lowest rate of turnout in the institution's 25-year history-turnout has fallen by almost 20 percent since the first direct elections in 1979. Read more. Additional analysis on turnout trends in the EU polls will be published soon at IDEA website.
- The French translation of Reconciliation After Violent Conflict: A Handbook has been published on IDEA website and will be available in print in September 2004.
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