Focus on Lebanon | Lobby Training Manual

August 2010

Lobbying is a critical component of the democratic process. The essence of representative government is that policymakers should be representing the needs of their constituencies when they pass laws.

Gender Issues, Civil Society, Election Law, Election Management, Elections

Election Commission of Pakistan Holds Workshop on Electoral Reform

August 17, 2010

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), supported by IFES, conducted a workshop on Electoral Systems and Reform. The event, held on August 16 2010, included a presentation from Prof. Andrew Reynolds (University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill), one of the world’s leading experts on electoral systems. Participants included the Chief Election Commissioner, other senior members of the ECP from all four provinces of Pakistan, civil society representatives and IFES Pakistan staff members.

Election Management, Elections, Election Procedures, Election Law, Legal Framework

Free and Fair Election Network Launches Political and Electoral Violence Reports

August 17, 2010

On Monday 16 August the Free and Fair Election Network launched the first two reports from its IFES funded Political and Electoral Violence Education and Resolution (PEVER) project. The project has used FAFEN’s field monitors in 150 constituencies throughout Pakistan to report on and verify incidences of political and electoral violence since October 2009. The first two reports cover the period of 15 October 2009 to 31 May 2010.

Election Management, Elections, Election Procedures, Electoral Systems, Post-conflict

Philippines Election and President Noynoy Aquino's Taking of Office

July 01, 2010

Juhani Grossman, deputy chief of party in the Philippines, comments on the May 10, 2010 election and President Noynoy Aquino’s taking of office.

Election Observation, Elections, Voting Technology, Election Management, Election Disputes

Vendors Demonstrate EVM Technology in Pakistan

June 30, 2010

The Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) Committee, established by the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan in November 2009, is tasked with conducting a feasibility study into the introduction of EVMs in Pakistan. The committee includes senior members from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and electoral experts from IFES. As part of the feasibility study, three leading EVM solution providers traveled to Pakistan and demonstrated their products.

Voting Technology, Election Management, Civil Society, Elections, Election Procedures

Palestinian Local Elections 2010

June 2010

Under the leadership of President Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian Authority’s Cabinet called the 2004 local elections, managed under the authority of the Ministry of Local Government in three stages throughout 2005. However, because of operational and political challenges, local elections were held in four stages on six different dates and were never finalized; elections in over 100 councils were postponed indefinitely. In February 2010, the Cabinet called for local elections in the West Bank and Gaza for 17 July 2010.

Electoral Systems, Election Disputes, Election Procedures, Governance, Election Management

Kyrgyzstan’s Electoral Challenges

June 05, 2010

Following April’s coup, Kyrgyzstan faces two hotly contested electoral events. Yet election authorities’ hurried preparations and a legacy of unrealistically high turnout threaten the legitimacy of June’s referendum and October’s elections.

Elections, Election Disputes, Election Procedures, Election Management, Election Law

Background on the Lebanon Election Violence Risk Assessment Project

May 2010

Ahead of the 7 June 2009 parliamentary elections in Lebanon, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) established the Lebanese Election Violence Risk Assessment (LEVRA) Project, the objectives of which are:

Post-conflict, Elections, Civil Society, Election Management, Election Procedures

Georgia’s Municipal Elections

May 28, 2010

IFES’ Anthony Bowyer looks at May 30’s landmark municipal elections in Georgia: the politics behind new electoral institutions, the state of Georgia’s opposition, the choices for voters, and what’s at stake for Georgian democracy.

Electoral Systems, Election Procedures, Election Management, Election Disputes, Elections

The Election Commission of Pakistan Unveils its Five-Year Strategic Plan

May 17, 2010

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) organized a press conference on May 25 2010 to launch its ‘Five-Year Strategic Plan, 2010-2014’. The plan lays out 15 major goals, and focuses on areas including voter registration, civic/voter education, electoral dispute resolution, and the inclusion of marginalized groups, among others.

Election Management, Civil Society, Elections, Election Procedures