Description
The Asian Network for Free Electins (ANFREL) was established in 1997, as Asia’s fist regional network of civil society organizatins focused on electins and electin monitoring. It strives to promote and support democratiatin at natinal and regional levels in Asia. Since it was founded, it has served towards strengthening the democratiatin of countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, East Timor and Indonesia.
ANFREL is supported by a number of natinal organizatins from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, East Timor and Thailand.
From 1997 onwards, ANFREL has also been actie in contributig its effrts to capacity building of member and non-member organizatins and advocacy on issues related to electin observatin, voter/civic educatin, electoral reform and public awareness for good democrati governance. In additin, ANFREL has conducted research actiitis on electoral reform, democracy and good governance jointly with civil society organizatins in several countries.
An internatinal electin observatin mission (EOM) which is guided by internatinal standards and universal principles for genuine democrati electins is meant to increase the confience of the electorates, especially as it acts as a deterrent to fraud and even violence. ANFREL’s EOMs are comprised of mostly Asian observers who work in familiar conditins across the region and who come from very similar shared history, cultural backgrounds, religious traditin and social and politial development, which helps to enhance this confience among the people of the country where electins are taking place.