Search

In the first week of September 2017, as two experts from UK Parliament/British Parliament, we were in Thimphu to assist in developing a Guideline for Review of Bill for the Parliament of Bhutan with support of International IDEA.

Kyrgyzstan is seen as a beacon of hope for democracy in Central Asia, in a region otherwise dominated by autocratic regimes. However, as is the case in many places, money in politics is undermining and threatening the integrity of this young democracy. Vote buying is rampant, political parties are often little more than vehicles for wealthy business figures and the buying and selling of parliamentary seats is commonplace. The country does, however, have a vibrant civil society.

The inaugural Melbourne Forum brought together leading academics and practitioners from across Asia and the Pacific to discuss constitution-building in contexts where there is a territorially defined societal conflict. Discussions highlighted both the importance of exchanging knowledge and experiences, and the need for more opportunities for practitioner-focused discussions in Asia and the Pacific.

_{Disclaimer: Views expressed in this commentary are those of the staff member. This commentary is independent of specific national or political interests. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the institutional position of International IDEA, its Board of Advisers or its Council of Member States.}

As part of the ongoing Legal Review Programme, International IDEA and Nepal Law Society (NLS) convened a national-level consultation on 4 September 2017 in Kathmandu, Nepal, to discuss the National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission Bill and the Intergovernmental Financial Management Bill.

The Constitution of Nepal, adopted in 2015, grants women considerable rights—but how can we make sure that the provisions are effectively implemented in the new or amended legal frameworks that are now emerging? This was one of the main issues discussed at the annual Conference of Women Lawyers organized by Nepal’s National Bar Association (NBA) on 1-2 September 2017 in Sindhuli, Nepal.  

As part of the ongoing Legal Review Programme, International IDEA and Nepal Law Society (NLS) convened a national-level consultation on 1 September 2017 in Kathamandu, on the Disaster Management Bill presented in the parliament in May 2015, but is yet to be passed given that Nepal is one of world’s most disaster-prone countries, having on a law on this matter would be critical.

On 2-3 September 2017, the Secretary-General of International IDEA, Yves Leterme, attended a high-level conference entitled “Democracy in Southeast Asia: Achievements, Challenges, Prospects” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, jointly organized by the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM).

For the first time in 20 years, Nepali voters went to the polls to elect their local leaders. Ahead of the third and last phase to be organized on 18 September, here are some fast facts on the Nepal’s local elections of 2017.

1. The local elections forms a key part of Nepal’s transition from a unitary to a federal state.

Nepal is in the process of implementing constitutional provisions to transition from an unitary to federal system.

As part of the ongoing Legal Review Programme, International IDEA and Nepal Law Society convened a national-level interaction and sharing programme on Bill related to the Rights of Victims of Crime in Kathmandu on 14 July 2017.

Professional and skilled electoral management body (EMB) staff are essential in ensuring successful elections and in maintaining the sustainability of the EMB. Continuous training and professional development contributes to this end. EMBs have a wide range of training and development demands and as a result, EMBs are actively involved in raising the capacity of staff as well as other electoral stakeholders.

On 18-19 July 2017, International IDEA together with the Institute of Philosophy of the Mongolian Academy of Science got together with the staff of the Municipality of Ulaanbaatar, representatives from civil society and group of researchers to discuss and customize assessment methodology based on International IDEA’s Democratic Accountability in Service Delivery and

_{Disclaimer: Views expressed in this commentary are those of the staff member. This commentary is independent of specific national or political interests. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the institutional position of International IDEA, its Board of Advisers or its Council of Member States.}

More than 100 parliamentarians, staff from Myanmar’s Union Parliament, and senior officials from ministries participated in a two-day conference in Nay Pyi Taw on 1-2 July 2017 to discuss practical means for enhancing Myanmar’s budget, planning and audit process through greater cooperation.

As Myanmar continues its democratic transition, the pace of dialogue on constitutional issues has accelerated and so has the demand for comparative lessons on questions of federalism and the constitution.  

The Union Election Commission of Myanmar held a Post-Election Review Conference in Yangon, Myanmar, on 22-23 June 2017. The conference brought together a wide array of stakeholders to discuss some of the key lessons learned during the 2017 by-elections, and to build on those achievements for the preparation of the 2020 general elections.

The historic practice of exclusionary politics in Nepal gave birth to a strong demand for a new constitution to embrace inclusive politics. The recent political transition from a unitary centralized governing system, to a federal democratic republican system of governance, is a major paradigm shift that comes with enhanced hopes for equal opportunities in state institutions and the democratic process.  

Continuing International IDEA’s Electoral Risk Management (ERM) Tour of Asia, we visited the Commission on Elections (Comelec) of the Philippines in Manila for the fifth one-day workshop on 24 May 2017. As with the previous stops of the Tour, we did not know what to expect other than the usual liveliness of the Philippine atmosphere. We felt very much welcomed at Comelec and the active participation of the attendees was rewarding indeed.