In-depth editorials originally presented in International IDEA's e-mail newsletters:
The integrity of elections
Holding elections is not rocket science. But upholding the integrity of elections is another matter. Elections take place on a weekly basis around the world – not all of them in democratic countries, and not all of them marked by fair electoral competition.
The century of the citizen
On this International Day of Democracy 2011, it is time to realise that we are now firmly in the century of the citizen.
The butterfly effect and the Arab Spring
If a butterfly flaps its wings in Cairo, could this cause a hurricane in Beijing?
Students of the so-called ‘butterfly effect’ know that small changes in one place can sometimes lead to enormous events in another.
The lead of Arab states
With its call for a no-fly zone over Libya, the League of Arab States has placed itself more firmly on the side of the Libyan people’s call for democracy than the EU, the US and the UN combined. It is indeed testimony to the revolutionary nature of these times.
Democracy is more important than incumbency
The run-off presidential elections in Côte d’Ivoire held on 28 November 2010 carried many hopes: after a decade of violence, instability and international peacekeeping efforts, elections were expected to bring to the country a legitimate government and a lasting peace.
Our past and our future: reflecting on an anniversary
This year’s International Day of Democracy – September 15th – is also an opportunity to recall International IDEA’s 15th anniversary and to reflect on past and future challenges for democracy and adequate responses to them.
Sudan’s elections bring challenges into focus
The April 2010 elections in Africa’s largest country, Sudan, offered us a snapshot of some of the challenges currently facing electoral processes throughout the world and particularly in countries with a heavy legacy of conflict
The empowerment and advancement of women
On the surface, 2010 may look like a good year for women in democratic political systems around the world. At the same time, headline-grabbing achievements of women attaining executive power mask a global reality of lack of representation of women in political life.
Democracy beyond the crisis
Those engaged in supporting democracy in their countries and in the world cannot fail to notice a thought-provoking calendar coincidence: this year’s worldwide celebrations of 15th September - the International Day of Democracy, overlaps with a somewhat less celebratory remembrance of the first anniversary of the global financial crisis.
Encouraging participation
‘Democracy is not about what governments do; it is what people do to make their governments accomplish things for the common good […].” These words pronounced by Peter Anyang’ Nyongo, when he headed the African Association of Political Science in 1991, still resound.
Democracy: the challenge of recession
What impact will the recession have on democracy? One instinctive response may be: well, the economic boom did not have a uniformly positive impact. High prices of oil and gas have fuelled autocratic and/or populist tendencies in many countries and regions.
Participation and Inclusiveness
The election of Barack Obama was hailed by world political leaders who hope it will usher-in a revival of multilateralism and a return to primacy of international law. Their hopes are important; they are certainly hopes that I share. Yet, they are largely generated by mistakes of the past.
Democracy should not be taken for granted
Last year the UN General Assembly established an annual International Day of Democracy to be celebrated on 15 September. Some may ask, what can an international day of democracy accomplish? Well, not much in itself. But what is significant is that UN member states actually have agreed that democracy is worth celebrating. In the run up to this first Democracy Day, the African Union Commission and International IDEA launched a Joint Activity Plan for supporting democracy in Africa.
Democracy in the 21st century: advance or decline?
Recent times have witnessed an upsurge in voices warning of a looming global crisis of democracy. The warning cries point to a variety of factors as providing substantive cause for alarm. Some, for example, highlight the negative political impact of rapidly rising energy prices. Others point to the continuing fallout from the military intervention in Iraq, ostensibly undertaken by the U.S. government in the name of democracy.
Mexico: Reducing the Political Reach of the Peso
2007 has been a year of many developments in democracy worldwide, not least in regions where International IDEA has a strong presence. Latin America, a region which is about to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the Third Wave of democratization that spread like wildfire through the region in the late seventies, celebrated a tidal wave of elections over the past year. The great majority of these elections passed without a hitch. In Mexico though, the elections were seriously contested and the country experienced a very tumultuous post-electoral period.
Myanmar: Striving for democracy, from within
The popular protests in Myanmar demonstrate the power of democracy. What they also demonstrate is how little the outside world can actually predict events. Conventional wisdom on Myanmar has tended to be that people are too oppressed and too afraid to stand up for democracy. In the last few days tens of thousands of Burmese have, literally, demonstrated otherwise. They deserve our support in their call for a true, democratic and inclusive national dialogue to build a better future for their country.
Editorial: From diversity to democracy to development
Development has been described as the gradual expansion of people’s choice. Democracy can be described in a similar way. Choice makes sense only if we are, and remain, diverse. Diversity becomes irrelevant if the possibility of choice is out of reach.
Elections are no quick fix in post-conflict countries
The stakes for first post-conflict elections are high. Recent developments in Africa such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2006), Burundi (2005) Sierra Leone (2002) have proven that elections need to be seen as one link in the fragile chain of events that allow a country to emerge from years of conflict and pave the way towards the peace and “sustainable stability”.
Editorial: Strengthening Political Parties and Party Systems
Political parties are arguably democracy’s weakest link. In Africa, barometer polls indicate that few expect politicians to even try delivering on election promises. In Europe, Latin America and Asian democracies parties are the least trusted among institutions – even if notably more South Asians have a positive outlook. This is a challenge not only to politicians, but to democracy itself. Few dispute the holding of multiparty elections as the prime criteria for a society to be recognized as democratic.
Editorial: Shaping States through Constitutions
From Nepal to Bolivia, from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Georgia, constitutions are increasingly becoming hot political issues. Obviously, they are no longer merely seen as rubber stamps to confer official dignity to established political power. More than half of the member states of the United Nations have undergone constitutional reforms since 1974. While individually unique, these processes reflect certain global trends.
Editorial: Development requires democratic leadership
Democracy cannot rest on its laurels. The post Cold War belief that democracy had triumphed has subsided to reveal declining support for democracy in some parts of the world. This is mainly due to the perception that democracy has failed to improve peoples’ lives.
Editorial: In it for the long haul: electoral system reform and administration
The lesson was clearly not lost on President Bachelet. As part of an ambitious plan for her first 100 days, Bachelet has requested IDEA’s technical assistance in designing a sweeping electoral reform program. During my April 24 – 26 trip to Chile, this request served as the centerpiece of discussions with President Bachelet, Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley, Interior Minister Andres Zaldivar, Women’s Minister Laura Albornoz and representatives of the press and civil society in fashioning IDEA´s technical assistance program. Under the program IDEA will provide expert technical assistance and comparative knowledge in exploring alternatives to Chile’s highly unique electoral system—the binomial system—which has served to encourage the establishment of the two major coalitions, building in congressional stability to the point of immobility.
Editorial: It's not all about the numbers
Michelle Bachelet in Chile. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Liberia. Angela Merkel in Germany. Maria do Carmo Silveira in Sao Tome and Principe. Luisa Diogo in Mozambique. Tarja Halonen in Finland. Helen Clark in New Zealand. These presidents and prime ministers are not the first women to lead countries, but they share a trait with the world’s first democratically elected female president, Vigdis Finnbogadottir of Iceland: they were elected on their own merits.
Since its founding in 1995, International IDEA has understood that women’s participation in politics was, and remains, central to democratic governance.
The Nurturing Challenge
As the new secretary-general of International IDEA, I find it intriguing that a principle so universally accepted as democracy is also so complex in its implementation and maintenance.
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