Subject: News from NDI: Nigeria's President Buhari Pledges Commitment to Democracy During Washington Visit
From: "National Democratic Institute" <[email-masked]>
To: "R. Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2015 11:23:07 -0400

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 		 [1]

 		Nigeria's President Buhari Pledges Commitment to Democracy During
Washington Visit [2]

-------------------------

 		July 2015

 [2] 

Pledging a commitment to good governance, anti-corruption, democracy and
fighting terrorism, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari addressed a
Washington, D.C., gathering July 22 during his first trip to the U.S. since
his election in March. 

The event, co-sponsored by NDI, came on the last day of a three-day visit
that included an Oval Office meeting with President Obama and a dinner
attended by NDI Chairman Madeleine Albright. The July 22 event, held at the
U.S. Institute of Peace, was co-hosted by the International Republican
Institute (IRI), the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES),
the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Atlantic
Council. 

Meanwhile, Chris Fomunyoh, NDI regional director for Central and West
Africa programs, joined colleagues from IRI and IFES in co-authoring an
op-ed that highlighted Buhari's trip and called on the United States and
the international community to pledge renewed support and continued
partnership with Nigeria to further the country's democratic growth. Read
more » [3] 

-------------------------

NDI Vice Chair Tom Daschle Calls for Greater Support to Ukraine [4] [5] 

Reflecting on his recent trip to Ukraine, NDI Vice Chair and former U.S.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle applauded the strides Ukrainians have
made in creating a more democratic society and emphasized the need for
greater U.S. support for Ukraine. 

"There may be no place on the globe where the stakes for democracy and
freedom are higher or more reliable than Ukraine. The United States
shouldn't let the opportunity pass," Daschle wrote in an op-ed for
_Politico Magazine_.​ 

The op-ed also cited recent public opinion research conducted by NDI. The
research found that Ukrainians remain committed to democratic values and
defending the country's right to determine its own future. Read more » [6]

Mauritanian Political Parties Put Aside Differences to Strengthen
Organizing Skills [7] [8] 

What do vegetarians have to do with political parties in Mauritania‬? 

NDI recently organized a program to help Mauritanian parties develop
stronger communications strategies to mount competitive election campaigns
and equip women parliamentarians with the skills and experience to advocate
for greater responsibility within their parties. 

One of the workshops focused on creating a communications plan for a
fictional "Vegetarian Party" to allow participants to practice their
messaging skills in a neutral setting. Read more » [9] 

Journal of Democracy Features Elections Article By NDI Expert Pat Merloe
[10] [11] 

​Authoritarian push-back against democratic development is a significant
challenge in today's world. The July issue of the _Journal of Democracy_
shines a light on this challenge by featuring an article by Pat Merloe,
NDI's senior associate and director of election programs. 

The article, titled "Election Monitoring vs. Disinformation," focuses on
the challenge posed to credible citizen election monitors and international
observers by authoritarians who deliberately derail the democratic process.

Merloe describes attempts by autocrats to mislead citizens and the
international community about their electoral corruption, including the use
of government-backed "zombie" election monitors, whose purpose is to
confuse and obscure credible monitoring efforts with fake narratives about
the election process. Read more » [12] 

Voters are Committed to Democracy in Burkina Faso Ahead of October
Elections [13] [14] 

In the run up to Burkina Faso's first ever multiparty presidential and
legislative elections on Oct. 11, voters are most concerned about their
daily economic and social well-being, according to focus group research
conducted by NDI. 

Voters also revealed that they want to contribute to the democratic process
alongside their elected leaders and take an active role in the country's
reform process. Read more » [15] 

Keeping Election Observers Safe in Guatemala [16] [17] 

The campaign for Guatemala's Sept. 6 presidential, legislative and
municipal elections is unfolding against a backdrop of ongoing protests and
unrest, including intimidation and threats of violence against Guatemalan
observers monitoring election preparations. 

Representatives from Citizen Action, an election observation group and NDI
partner; the Guatemalan Human Rights Ombudsman; and Young People (_Gente
Joven_), Citizen Action's local partner in Coatepeque, convened a press
conference in Guatemala City to denounce a recent instance of intimidation
during a political rally. Read more » [18] 

Iraqi Council of Representatives Partners with NDI on Parliamentary
Assistance [19] [20] 

Saleem al-Jabouri, speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives (CoR),
and a delegation of Iraqi parliamentarians and political advisers joined
U.S. foreign policy and political experts June 10 for dinner and a
discussion about U.S. and Iraqi politics in the lead up to the November
2016 U.S. presidential election. 

During the visit, Jabouri and NDI President Kenneth Wollack signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the CoR and NDI, pledging a
continuing partnership. The MoU said that NDI will continue to work closely
with the speaker's office, parliamentary institutions, elected officials
and staff to assist with the development of legislative functions essential
to Iraq's democratic progress. Read more » [21] 

Hondurans Debate Reforms Amid Growing Protests [22] [23] 

Public unrest in Honduras has been noticeable for years, particularly
following a 2009 constitutional crisis that culminated in a coup removing
President Manuel Zelaya from office. The 2013 elections highlighted the
need for electoral reforms to instill greater transparency in the election
process and the management of state agencies, and to raise voter
confidence. 

Against this background, NDI brought together more than 160 representatives
from congress, electoral authorities, political parties, civil society
organizations, academia, the international community and the media for a
forum to discuss electoral reforms. Read more » [24] 

Common Principles Improve Coordination and Quality of Parliamentary Support
[25] [26] 

What does effective support to parliaments look like? 

A new set of common principles, drafted by NDI, the Inter-Parliamentary
Union, the United Nations Development Programme, the European Parliament
and the French National Assembly, outlines nine principles on effective and
efficient support to parliaments. 

Endorsed to date by more than 80 parliaments and international
organizations, the document is grounded in the overarching principle that
successful parliamentary development must be driven by the parliamentary
institution, and that parliamentary support must be inclusive of all
political tendencies. Read more » [27] 

NDI's Les Campbell Testifies on Tunisia's Democratic Transition [28] 

 [29] 

In congressional testimony July 14, NDI's Les Campbell, senior associate
and regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, gave an update
on the state of Tunisia's democratic transition. 

"Tunisia's transition, symbolized most powerfully by the adoption of its
new constitution and election of a new parliament and president, has moved
forward in fits and starts, but remains on track, setting Tunisia apart
from stalled or reversed transitions in neighboring countries." Read more
» [30] 

-------------------------

 		DEMWORKS RECENT BLOG POSTS

DemocracyWorks is a blog written by staff members of the National
Democratic Institute. 

 		 [31]

 		Transparency Could Ease Decades-Long Democratic Erosion in Nicaragua
[32]

 		 [33]

 Protest Parties: What Does a Pirate or Anarcho-Surrealist Do After Being
Elected?
 ​ 

 		 [34]

 		Integration: Helping Democracy Deliver [35]

 		 [36]

 		Cindy McCain Visits NDI in the Democratic Republic of Congo [37]

More Posts on DemWorks.org » [38] 

-------------------------

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