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International IDEA participated in the 2016 Bali Democracy Forum themed “Religion, Democracy and Pluralism” on 8-9 December. 

As 2016 draws to a close, I would like to bring your attention to the important issue of money in politics.  

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the individual author. 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.

This Discussion Paper examines political instability in Papua New Guinea (PNG) by tracking the country’s changes of government and discussing both the constitutional amendments made to prolong the life of governments and the Supreme Court’s responses to these amendments. It also discusses the importance of ministerial tenure for government continuity and effective public administration.

The 9th Bali Democracy Forum provided the perfect opportunity for International IDEA, the Community of Democracies and the United Nations Programme for Development (UNDP) to hold the Asia-Pacific consultation on political empowerment of women. The consultation represents the second regional consultation on this issue, after another was held in November 2016, which focused in Europe.

Participants from across the globe participated in discussions and shared experiences during a two-day conference on the topic of Money in Politics and its Effects on People’s Representation.

After detailed in-depth discussions on different aspects of the problems, the conference unanimously endorsed the New Delhi Declaration on Political Finance Regulation.

Money and politics are inextricably linked.

The functioning of contemporary democracies necessitates political financing, and sometimes the combination of private and public funding sources. However, there is a strong need to control unfair and illegal practices and to regulate political finance in the light of the role that political parties play in the democratic process.

Democratic accountability in service delivery

International IDEA is hosting the 6th High Level Meeting of the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy (IRDD), to discuss the theme of Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women. This year the High Level Meeting will take place on 8 November 2016, at the Headquarters of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France.

Bhutan is halfway through its second five-year electoral cycle and unsurprisingly everyone we talked to during the recent high-level visit felt its transition to democracy is not over yet.  From women’s representation and participation to quantity of civic education and from devolution of powers to more effective national parliament, Bhutan is

The Kingdom of Bhutan is often overlooked when you look at the vast map of Asia. Sandwiched in between two giants, China and India, Bhutan has been a democracy since 2008. Unlike other Asian countries like Indonesia, the Philippines or Nepal, where democracy was a bottom-up demand, in Bhutan, democracy was the wish of His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuk, the Fourth King and father of the current King, the Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

Ulaanbaatar, or the “Red Hero” as it means in Mongolian, was the last stop for International IDEA’s Election Tech Tour of Asia 2016. Mongolia, which joined International IDEA in 2011, took the chairship only five years later, thus affirming its commitment to supporting sustainable democracy worldwide. One of its missions as chair is to share knowledge and experiences on the use of technology in elections.

On September 30, an extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between International IDEA and the Myanmar Union Election Commission (UEC) was signed by His Excellency UEC Chairman U Hla Thein and Yves Leterme, Secretary-General of International IDEA, at International IDEA’s Headquarters in Strömsborg, Stockholm. The agreement extends the collaborative partnership between International IDEA and the UEC until 2021. 

Philippine policy makers and civil society have interesting discussions ahead about the role of technology in elections. What are the needs? What needs to be done differently? What needs to be improved? What new goals are to be achieved? These questions guided discussions as International IDEA’s Election Tech Tour of Asia moved on to Manila, the Philippines.

An Android-based app for quick reporting of possible election violations, e-voting through personal computers (in more than 500 village chief elections) and an interest from the President’s Executive Office in using technology to ensure elections are conducted with integrity.

Electronic voting, biometric registration and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly used by electoral management bodies around the world. But do electronic voting systems and complex registration systems have the trust, efficiency and transparency that the public so demands?

YANGON—How can the democratic transition in Myanmar be consolidated and moved forward? During the International Democracy Day event in Yangon, organized on 15 September by Support to Electoral Processes and Democracy (STEP Democracy), stakeholders and high-level keynote speakers including Yangon Region Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein and Peace Conference chairman Tin Myo Win will share their vision on this all important question.