Author: aerc-admin anfrel

ANFREL AERC Launches Book on Electoral Challenges

ANFREL through its Asian Electoral Resource Center (AERC) introduces its latest publication “Electoral Challenges in Asia Today. The book is a compilation of researches conducted by electoral experts from across 13 countries in Asia. It presents what are deemed to be the most pressing challenges to advancing electoral democracy in Asia over the last decade. It takes into account the unique political context of each of the 13 countries included in this analysis.

Despite the diversity in the region, the peoples and countries of Asia still have much in common both culturally and politically, and the chapters that follow demonstrate that they also face many of the same or similar challenges to holding free and fair elections. The aim of this compilation is to properly identify the challenges that hinder democratic progress in an effort to assist stakeholders and reform advocates, both at the national and international levels, to properly address them and take stock of the lessons learned from experiences across the region.

We invite stakeholders to take a look and read this book. ANFREL intends to update this research, at least every five years. Other research topics to complement the research on electoral challenges are also being considered to be undertaken in the future in to help address the challenges identified in the book and most importantly to achieve genuine electoral reforms towards meaningful democracy in the region.

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October 25, 2016
Indonesia General Election on Feb15, 2017

Jakarta Regional Head Election to choose a new governor and deputy governor will be held in 2017. However, speculations and activities related to the right candidates to lead the Capital have already begun.

Indeed, although the candidates for governor and vice governor have not been determined definitively, a number of names have emerged approaching the election in 2017. Incumbent Governor of DKI Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok is still the strongest candidate among a number of names, ranging from political party leaders, businessmen, and religious leaders to entertainers. Even much earlier, some other regional heads known to have shown good performances in their respective cities, such as Bandung Mayor, Ridwan Kamil and Surabaya Mayor, Tri Rismaharini, have also been considered being worthy of competing with Ahok in 2017.

Source: http://en.voi.co.id/voi-editorial/10814-ahead-of-jakarta-election-2017

October 11, 2016
Timor Leste: Election for National Parliament on March 2017

Government announces National Priorities for 2017

The Prime Minister, H.E. Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo, has announced the Sixth Constitutional Government’s National Priorities for 2017 as “agriculture (combating hunger and malnutrition); health; education; water and sanitation; basic infrastructure and the elections next year.”

These 2017 National Priorities fit within the broader planning framework of Timor-Leste’s Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030 and the Program of the Sixth Constitutional Government 2015-2017. The Prime Minister noted that they were identified through work the Government has been doing on integrating the new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs] into all Government planning and budgeting for 2017.

A Government’s SDG Task Force, established after the goals were adopted at the United Nations last year, has been looking at all 17 goals and mapping the ways in which they can be achieved in Timor-Leste. The Task Force is working in close coordination and consultation with all Government agencies, civil society organizations and development partners and are mandated to disseminate information about these pathways to SDG achievement and to work with stakeholders to monitor progress and present results.

The Prime Minister explained that the 2017 National Priorities meant that the Government would be focusing on SDG number 2 (nutrition and food security), number 4 (education) and number 9 (infrastructure), whilst paying attention to other human development goals such as health (SDG number 3), gender equality (SDG number 5) and water and sanitation (SDG number 6). The smooth running of the Presidential elections to be held in the first half of 2017 and Legislative elections to follow in the second half of the year are a practical priority for 2017.

The Prime Minister said the Government of Timor-Leste was “deeply committed to achieving the targets and indicators that feed the Sustainable Development Goals.”

sourec: http://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=15755&lang=en

October 11, 2016
Cambodia: Commune Election on June 4, 2017

Date set for 2017 commune elections

Elections for Cambodia’s commune councils will take place on June 4 next year, according to a directive from Prime Minister Hun Sen released yesterday.

The brief missive, signed by the premier, was issued to end the “concern and curiosity” of “some political parties”, said ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) spokesman Sok Eysan.

The announcement – which follows calls by the Grassroots Democracy Party (GDP) to fix an election date – gives the National Election Committee a little over a year to register nearly 10 million eligible voters in a new digital system, which has been beset with delays.

Source : http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/date-set-2017-commune-elections

October 11, 2016
ANFREL AERC Launches Website

ANFREL’s Asian Electoral Resource Center (AERC) is pleased to introduce its website, which can be accessed at http://aerc.anfrel.org. The website is available to electoral reform advocates, election management bodies, international and domestic election observers, researchers, and ordinary individuals seeking information about the state of electoral democracy in the countries in Asia.

The website is the resource center’s major platform for sharing its data collection. It features an election-related database for specific Asian countries, research projects undertaken by ANFREL, developments on the use of information technology in elections, this newsletter, and ANFREL’s pool of experts.

AERC invites everyone to visit the new virtual library. The goal of the resource is to provide relevant information and to contribute in advancing electoral reforms in specific countries.

September 11, 2016
Asian Electoral Stakeholders Meet on “Transparency and Integrity for Quality Elections”

Members of civil society organizations and election management bodies from 36 countries across and beyond Asia had successfully gathered the 3^rd Asian Electoral Stakeholders Forum (AESF-3) held in Bali, Indonesia from 22-24 August 2016.

The third AESF worked on them “Transparency and Integrity for Quality Elections.” The two-day event was proceeded with plenary and breakout sessions that discussed issues related to the advancement of free and fair elections consistent with universally accepted principles and in the principles set forth in the Ban Bangkok Declaration and Dili indicators for Democratic Elections.

The participants hailed from EMBs and CSOs from Asian Countries and INGOs who are working in relation to the promotion of democracy in their respective countries in the region. For wider engagement, AESF-3 also welcomed participants from outside the region to share the Asian experience of bringing together EMBs and CSOs in order to achieve a common goal.

For two days, participants to the Forum discussed the principles, standards, and challenges of electoral transparency; use of technology to enhance transparency and integrity of elections; challenges to democratic elections in Asia and how to address them; and strategies for fostering electoral transparency and integrity.

Participants also divided themselves into workshop groups to discuss challenges, best practices, and areas of cooperation on specific topics such as voter registration, polling, and counting; voter education and inclusiveness; campaign finance; and Electoral Dispute Resolution. Parts of the workshop results were initial agreements to make a follow-up on the possible areas of cooperation identified in order to advance electoral democracy.

AESF-3 concluded with all participants endorsing the Bali Commitment: Electoral Integrity: Eight Keys to Transparency.

The Asian Electoral Stakeholder Forum is a continuing engagement between EMBs and NGOs in Asia with the aim of strengthening cooperation in order to enhance the state of democratic elections. This year the AESF is to be celebrated in Bandung, Capital of West Java, Indonesia with the support and cooperation of the General Elections Commission Republic of Indonesia, Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU) Indonesia. KPU has always been actively engaged since the 1^st AESF in Bangkok, Thailand on December 11-12, 2012 that led to the adoption of the Bangkok Declaration on Free and fair elections by Asian Stakeholders. (www.aesfanfrel.org). The KPU is successful in advancing democratic elections in Indonesia to be more transparent and credible. The second AESF convened stakeholders in Dili, capital of the Republic Democratic of Timor-Leste (RDTL) on March 18-19, 2015 with the support of the Commission National of Elections (CNE).

September 11, 2016
ANFREL Prepares to Observe Myanmar’s Historic General Elections

In the run-up to ANFREL’s planned observation of the November 08, 2015 Elections in Myanmar, ANFREL in August signed an MoU with the Union Election Commission of Myanmar(UEC) and conducted a Preparatory Mission to the country during the first two weeks of September. As this is Myanmar’s first election in decades which will have all major parties competing, ANFREL believes that a free and fair Election is a particularly important next step in the country’s continued transition. ANFREL will be observing the Election to assess its credibility and will do everything it can to support the true integrity of Elections there.

September 11, 2016