Two of ANFREL’s coordinators recently met with the Secretary of the Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) Malaysia, the Malaysian Election Commission, Datuk Kamaruddin bin Mohamed Baria. The two ANFREL representatives were in Kuala Lumpur to meet members of the election commission and other election stakeholders. At the meeting with the SPR, ANFREL discussed
ANFREL ANNUAL REPORT 2011 Asian election observation has become more well known in election circles over the course of the last few years. Yet manuals and handbooks on election observation too often fail to mention a key factor in the importance of election observation, particularly
July 7th, 2012 Timor-Leste Election Primer • Parliamentary Elections in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste are scheduled for Saturday the 7th of July. The election will determine the country’s members of parliament and, as a result, will eventually determine the country’s next Prime Minister. The Secretariado Technico Administrasaun be Elesaun (STAE) has
By Bidhayak Das: From a democracy activist to a parliamentarian, the journey for Aung San Suu Kyi has been long and arduous. She has had to spend the last two decades of her life under house arrest in her struggle to bring human rights, democracy and justice to the people of Myanmar.
GENDEM was launched on 3rd – 5th April 2012 ANFREL was part of the drafting committee as invited by NDI and UNEAD since 2010. Those organizations who participated at the UN building were OAS, UNEAD, OSCE/ODIHR, Carter Centre, LADE, EAD, SuGDE, APEM, MOE, Obscianske OKO, ISFED, TMG, COMFREL, NDI, WAEON.
Myanmar's "political openness should be unconditional", the chief of an Asian election watchdog said on Thursday after she and two aides were deported from the country. Asian Networks for Free Elections (Anfrel) executive director Somsri Hananuntasuk said she was forced by the Myanmar authorities to leave the country on Tuesday night and
ก่อนการเลือกตั้งในพม่า วันที่ 1 เมษายน 2555 การเลือกตั้งที่ทั่วโลก จับตามองว่า จะเป็นจุดเปลี่ยนครั้งใหญ่หรือแค่ละครสลับฉาก "สมศรี หาญอนันทสุข" เครือข่ายเอเชียเพื่อการเลือกตั้งเสรี (มูลนิธิอันเฟรล) เดินทางเข้าไปสังเกตการณ์บรรยากาศการเมืองก่อนการเลือกตั้ง เธอส่งรายงานมายัง "มติชนออนไลน์" จากกรุงย่างกุ้ง มีบทพิสูจน์ระดับหนึ่งถึงการเปลี่ยนไปของบรรยากาศทางการเมืองพม่าก่อนการเลือกตั้งวันที่ 1 เมษายนนี้ นั่นก็คือการแก้ไขกฏหมายเปิดทางให้นาง อองซานซูจี หรือที่เรียกนามเธอทั่วๆไปกันในประเทศว่า “the lady” ลงแข่งขันเลือกตั้งโดยสมัครในนามพรรค สันนิบาต แห่งชาติเพื่อประชาธิปไตย (National League for Democracy) หรือ พรรค NLD ได้ทำให้ประเทศพม่ามีสีสรรค์ขึ้นบ้าง แม้จะเป็นการเลือกตั้งซ่อมใน 10 เขต สำหรับที่นั่งที่หายไปเพราะสส. 48 คนได้ถูกแต่งตั้งไปอยู่ในตำแหน่งต่างๆของรัฐบาลก็ตาม มีการประเมินกันว่า แม้ว่า พรรค NLD จะไม่ได้หวังมากว่าจะได้ที่นั่งในเขตเมืองหลวงใหม่ Nay Pyi Daw แต่โดยรวมก็น่าจะได้ที่นั่ง 30 ที่นั่งขึ้นไป
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Myanmar Election Observation Encouraging But Inadequate BANGKOK, 22 March 2012 – The Bangkok-based Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) today noted that while it is a step in the right direction, Myanmar’s decision to allow international observers comes too late, and with too many restrictions. Media reports
On 14 March 2012, five pairs of gubernatorial candidates in the Aceh Elections made pledges for a non-violent electoral race in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh. The candidates also committed to respect people’s freedom to exercise their rights and to maintain order and peace as their top priority. The candidates also
2012 January Government signs ceasefire with rebels of Karen ethnic group. Burmese presidential special peace envoy and Rail Transportation Minister Aung Min has offered two exile-based democratic groups to meet for political talks the first week of February, said group leaders. The Karen National Union (KNU) and Burmese government peace delegations signed
The somewhat changed situation in Myanmar where there is more space to talk about political developments and read about activities of all other political parties in the newspapers is perhaps a reflection of what’s in store for the country’s future. But to do that there is an absolute need to make use
Taipei, Jan. 6 (CNA) A civic group comprising of members from Asian democracies is scheduled to visit Taiwan next week to observe the Jan. 14 legislative and presidential elections, the Taipei-based Civil Congress Watch (CCW) said Friday. A delegation of the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), an organization that has members
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) recently released a chart assigning a score for political rights and civil liberties to 30 countries in Asia. The chart can be viewed below.
The Open Forum for Democracy Foundation (PollWatch), The People Network for Elections in Thailand (P-Net), and the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) today called for a restructuring of the electoral system in Thailand in an endeavour to more fully realize the democratic rights of Thai voters. After a 3-day seminar of
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is urging all parties in Thailand's Sunday election to act in a credible and fair manner and to “accept and respect the will of the people as expressed at the ballot box.” In a statement issued in New York Wednesday, Mr. Ban said he is following the
Sixty representatives of the Asian Network for Free Elections from 24 nations have begun travelling to the provinces to monitor Sunday's election. They will assess political developments and keep an eye on electioneering, especially in fiercely contested areas, said Anfrel chairman Damaso Magbual yesterday.
While commending Sunday's advance voting as relatively well managed, the Asian Network for Free Election (Anfrel) has urged the Election Commission (EC) to place more emphasis on the quality of polling booth officials and called for transparent storage and counting of ballots and transporting of votes cast outside home provinces. The Anfrel
An international organization is appealing for party leaders in Thailand to ask their supporters to end violence and stop obstructing the campaign processes of their opponents. The Asian Network for Free Elections, supported by private-sector groups in 11 countries, said Tuesday it has recorded several cases of threats and intimidation during the
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) will deploy its staff to observe the upcoming general election in Thailand in the hope that the election will normalize Thai politics and reinforce democracy.
The Asian Network for Free Elections will begin its monitoring of Thailand's general election Tuesday, with vote-buying and political violence among its top concerns. The poll watcher urged Thai citizens to report any unusual circumstances in their localities, while the media, the Election Commission of Thailand and political parties contesting the poll
VOTE-BUYING is a concern in Thailand's upcoming national election, an international monitoring group that will be observing the polls said on Monday. The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is deploying about 60 observers nationwide for the July 3 vote, the first since Thailand's deadliest political unrest in decades last year.
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) announced Monday it would dispatch 60 volunteers from 24 countries to 77 provinces monitor the situation ahead of the July 3 election. ANFREL director Somsri Harnananthasuk told a press conference that the first group of ANFREL observers would go out to provinces on Tuesday. Later
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) will begin deploying a team of election observers from countries across Asia and beyond. At a press conference held at 2:00pm on the 6th, ANFREL’s team explained the structure and methodology of its observation effort and detailed the areas where ANFREL had concerns about the
6 Jan 2001 Thaksin Shinawatra and his Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party win general elections on a populist platform of economic growth and development. He wins control of 296 of 500 seats in the House of Representatives. Jan 2004 Muslim radicals launch an insurgency in the southern provinces. Thaksin responds with a
Election candidates nationwide began registering for the race in the constituency system yesterday, the first day of registration. In several constituencies, former MPs still banned from politics fielded their political proteges in hopes of maintaining the ranks of their candidates. In the provinces, single-seat constituency registrations for 375 MPs were held at
A round-up of the day's events: Tarun Gogoi-led Congress swept the polls bagging a near two-thirds majority to retain power in Assam, making it a straightforward result right from the onset. And Gogoi is expected to take up the position as CM for the third-time in a row.
Pledge by political parties not to engage in violence, and respect results Today representatives from 19 political parties signed a code of conduct for the election campaign, pledging themselves to a set of principles for a free and fair election. This code of conduct is an important sign of cooperation between political
In view of many international observers, the Association of South-East Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) negligence to take firm position on Burma (Myanmar) has become its Achilles’ heel. As usual, the association’s statement proves member-countries’ lack of collective will to take a strong position against Burma. Changing itself into a semi-civilian regime through vote-rigging,
Two recent opinion polls show the opposition Pheu Thai Party as most likely to win the general election. One poll result, conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) during May 2-3 from 1,203 samples across the country, showed 23.36% of respondents would vote for the Pheu Thai Party, 20.20% for
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday confirmed he has submitted a royal decree seeking a House dissolution to His Majesty the King for royal endorsement.