Election day is often seen as the climax of democracy, but for the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), the real work happens in the systems and structures built long before the first ballot is cast. In a recent discussion with LENTE Executive Director Atty. Ona Caritos, the organization outlined the critical
In the second part of the discussion on empowering citizen engagement and participation in elections and democracy, we'll talk with seasoned electoral analysts who have observed elections in Asia. Joining us in this episode are Jyoti Mishra, assistant professor at Amity University Punjab and Atty. Ona Caritos, the executive director of the
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) deployed an independent International Expert Election Observation Mission (IEEOM) to assess the 2026 elections for the 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE). This mission, conducted in coordination with the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), marks ANFREL’s first standalone and fully independent observation of the Tibetan electoral process.
COMELEC, ANFREL put AESF-VII preparations on hold The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and the Philippines’ Commission on Elections (COMELEC) have postponed the seventh Asian Electoral Stakeholder Forum (AESF-VII), originally set for 21 to 23 April 2026 in Manila. The Philippines recently declared a state of national energy emergency, following the
In Season 03 Episode 04 "The Election Observer" podcast, the Asian Network for Free Elections discusses necessary institutional reforms and improvements in civil liberties towards empowered electoral and democratic participation and engagement of citizens. Joining us are Dr. Gopal Krishna Siwakoti, central chairperson of National Election Observation Committee and Mr. Pongsak Chan-on,
While the advancement in artificial intelligence technology has allowed for the generation of hyper realistic synthetic media misused and abused for mis- and disinformation campaigns, the emergence of "slopaganda" is changing the dynamics into how AI is used in political propaganda and electoral discourse. Issue No. 8 of ANFREL's "Elections and Technology
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M) are launching a paper titled "Old Generals, New Clothes: The Myanmar Junta's Illegitimate 2025-26 Elections and the Way Forward" in an online discussion this Friday, 10 April 2026 at 10 a.m. Bangkok time. The paper provides a
Overview Today, 4 April 2026, Maldivians go to the polls in what is arguably the country’s most complex electoral exercise since the introduction of multi-party democracy in 2008.1 On a single day, voters are participating in three concurrent electoral events: the Local Council Elections, the Women’s Development Committee (WDC) Elections, and a
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) announce the postponement of the seventh Asian Electoral Stakeholder Forum (AESF-7) in Manila, originally scheduled to take place from 21 to 23 April 2026, in light of the declaration of a national energy emergency in the Philippines. Philippine President
https://youtu.be/VHtISTaJdFQ MANILA, Philippines — The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and the Philippines’ Commission on Elections (COMELEC) officially launched the seventh Asian Electoral Stakeholders Forum (AESF-VII), on Monday, March 23, 2026. “[AESF-VII] aims to bring together representatives to foster collaboration as well as cooperation among our ASEAN neighbors through sharing of
Overview Today, 5 March 2026, Nepalis head to the polls to elect a new House of Representatives, in what is widely regarded as one of the most consequential elections in the country’s recent democratic history. These snap elections were called following the September 2025 political upheaval, which led to the resignation of
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is deploying an International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) for Nepal’s 5 March 2026 House of Representatives election to independently assess both the overall technical administration of the election and the broader conditions for political competition within Nepal’s evolving democratic context. In light of recent political
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is holding a press briefing on Thursday, 26 February 2026 to release the findings of ANFREL's pre-election assessment mission to the 2026 Nepali House of Representatives Elections. ANFREL is also launching its international election observation mission to the 2026 Nepali elections. From 21-30 January 2026,
https://www.youtube.com/live/wNib_efvL7Q?si=vKrylQVW0YpRVrgt After the July 2024 uprising that toppled the regime of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and following pronouncements from the interim government that elections will be held, the election commission announced on 11 December 2025 that Bangladesh will hold elections on 12 February 2026. A total of 1,981 candidates are contesting 300
Overview Japan goes to the polls today (8 Feb 2026) in a snap general election for all 465 seats in the House of Representatives (Shūgiin). The contest takes place under Japan’s mixed electoral system – 289 single-member districts plus 176 proportional-representation seats across 11 PR blocs – and voters cast two ballots
International election observers of the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) are ready for deployment after a two-day briefing in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In Day 2, the Bangladesh Election Commission briefed the observers on the electoral process while the Special Branch of Police provided a brief on election-related violence. ANFREL international election observers
https://youtube.com/live/p_W_0JlCuTs?feature=share Myanmar’s military junta completed the first and second phases of its planned elections on 28 December 2025 and 11 January 2026, respectively. These phases form a central part of the junta’s effort to project political normalization following the 2021 coup. However, both phases were conducted amid ongoing armed conflict, mass displacement,
https://youtube.com/live/RkylEhvE4wg?feature=share The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) launched in 2025 the third iteration of its media fellowship program on reporting elections focused on the Myanmar Junta's staged elections. Since the military staged a coup in 2021 after the 2020 general election, the Myanmar junta is organizing elections in three phases: (1)
Overview Thailand will hold a snap election for the 500-seat House of Representatives on Sunday, 8 February 2026, following the royal-approved dissolution of Parliament on 12 December 2025 – a move that placed the country under a caretaker period and triggered an election within the constitutional timeframe. The same day, voters will
The Asian Media Information and Communication Centre and Chulalongkorn University are organizing an online roundtable discussion on artificial intelligence, social media and elections in Asia, 21 January 2026, 1-3 p.m. Bangkok time. The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and the United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are among the
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is seeking a Program Associate to support its communication and outreach efforts to expand its content development and information dissemination initiatives of its programs and activities in line with the communication strategy of ANFREL. Working closely with the ANFREL senior program officer for outreach and
Nearly five years after the 2021 coup, Myanmar’s generals are pushing ahead with multi-phase elections under the 2008 military-drafted constitution. ANFREL’s assessment report, Myanmar Junta’s Planned Elections: Falling Short of Democratic Legitimacy (September 2025), concluded that these polls will unfold amid widespread violence, mass displacement, and the systematic denial of basic freedoms,
By Nathaphob Sungkate On 28 December, Myanmar will be holding its first general election since the February 2021 military coup. The election has been called a sham and a tool for the junta to maintain control, and many Myanmar migrants in Thailand are refusing to participate in it. Nevertheless, some have expressed
https://www.youtube.com/live/mUTVAwnKHx0?si=ZWC_boZQSHeoEgMo Amid the repressive electoral and political environment, the Myanmar military junta is proceeding with its planned elections in three phases later this year and early in 2026. With the current situation, ANFREL did not seek accreditation or engage with the junta-controlled election commission in Myanmar despite its previous efforts to support
Following the assessment report on the Myanmar junta's planned elections, the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) launched a mini video series explaining why the junta-planned elections cannot be considered legitimate, credible, and free and fair. The #LetMeExplain series focused on three key aspects of the electoral environment that strongly indicate how
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) joined endorsing organizations in the Convening Committee and Annual Implementation Meetings of the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation (DoP) in Geneva, Switzerland, 10-12 December 2025. This year's implementation meeting marked 20 years since the launch of the DoP at the United Nations Secretariat.
The Asian Network for Free Elections, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Election Commission, organized a one-day regional experience-sharing exchange on emerging electoral challenges and oversight, Dhaka, 23 November 2025. "Building Bridges: Regional Electoral Governance and Citizen Observation Exchange" gathered regional experts from election management bodies, civil society organizations, and election observer groups
Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) Executive Director Brizza Margareth Rosales joined fellow Asian representatives in Stockholm, Sweden on 10–14 November 2025 for International IDEA’s Training of Trainers on the Integrated Framework for Protecting Elections, a pioneering initiative that introduces risk management, resilience-building, and crisis-management approaches into electoral assistance. The workshop forms
In October 2025, ANFREL continued to observe significant political and electoral developments across Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Myanmar. In Bangladesh, ahead of the 13th National Elections scheduled for February 2026, twenty-two political parties endorsed the July National Charter 2025 on 17 October 2025, following an extensive process of dialogue facilitated by the National
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) continued its coordination engagements with traditional election observation organizations and inclusion-rights groups in Bangladesh through a follow-up meeting held on 06 November 2025 in Dhaka. This round of discussions further strengthened communication, preparedness, and complementarity among citizen observer networks and organizations advocating for inclusion in