ANFREL e-Bulletin (June-July 2026)
ANFREL, NDI Release Pre-Campaign Statement ahead of First BARMM Parliamentary Elections
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) released a joint pre-campaign statement, seeing the First Regular Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Parliamentary Elections (BPE) as an important milestone in regional governance.
As the first elections held under the Bangsamoro parliamentary system, the region’s transition from an appointed Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to an elected Parliament is a defining step in the peace process and advancing democratic governance in the Bangsamoro.
Pre-Campaign Assessment Findings
For its pre-campaign phase, the mission deployed 10 international election observers across all five BARMM provinces, namely, Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Tawi-Tawi, as well as the Special Geographic Area (SGA), Cotabato City, and Marawi City, from 18-29 July 2026.
The mission conducted more than 100 consultations with a broad range of electoral stakeholders. The mission also held high-level consultations with representatives of the Bangsamoro peace process, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Implementing Panel, the former Government of the Philippines (GPH) Peace Negotiating Panel, and members of the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT), to better understand the implementation of the peace agreements and the significance of the forthcoming parliamentary elections in advancing the Bangsamoro transition.
“The mission underscores that electoral legislation should promote institutional stability and public confidence, and that significant changes close to election day require careful consideration to ensure the consistent implementation of the electoral process,” said in the joint statement.
ANFREL and NDI are observing the BPE across all phases, from the pre-campaign period through election day and the immediate post-election phase. The whole ANFREL-NDI Joint technical assessment mission to the 2026 BPE focuses on two primary priorities: inclusive political participation and the peaceful conduct of the elections.
Here are the news and updates about ANFREL’s programs and activities from June to July 2026 that you might have missed:
Programs and Activities
- ANFREL deploys observer teams to monitor Bangkok pollsANFREL releases Bangladesh Election Observation Framework
- ANFREL launches final election observation report on 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Elections
- ANFREL participates in election stakeholder dialogue in Dhaka
- ANFREL Executive Director spotlights election integrity and advocacy at regional EODS Forum
- ANFREL hosts learning session on e-voting and digitalization for overseas voters in Asia
- GSIP interns cap off internship program with final presentation
ANFREL Members Roundup
The news and updates from ANFREL’s members and network are now a monthly supplementary newsletter “Members Roundup“. See here the June and July 2026 issues.
Elections and Technology Reader
Issue No. 10 of ANFREL’s “Elections and Technology Reader” examines the growing role of conversational artificial intelligence and large language models in voter decision-making, exploring both the promises and perils of relying on artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots as personal election advisors.
Data Dive
Data Dive Issue 32 presents ANFREL’s key recommendations ahead of the 2026 Bangkok Gubernatorial and Metropolitan Council Elections. Meanwhile, Data Dive Issue 33 revisits the principal findings and recommendations of ANFREL’s 2026 2026 Tibet International Expert Election Observation Mission (TIEEOM)
The Election Observer podcast
Stream all ten episodes of the third season of ANFREL’s flagship podcast series “The Election Observer” via Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Resilience Watch 👁️
ANFREL issues a monthly brief on countries under restrictive environments in Asia with particular focus on the state of democracy, elections, civic space and media freedom in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Myanmar. In June 2026, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, and South Korea presented divergent but interlinked pictures of democratic governance under stress.
To know more about ANFREL news and updates, visit ANFREL e-Bulletin (June-July 2026). Subscribe here!