The local level election held today has been completed largely peacefully and successfully apart from few sporadic incidents. There was encouraging participation by people with disability, senior citizens and members of all community, and gender. Compared to the past, the parties, candidates and voters all were more patient and peaceful. Except in
NAMFREL raises concern on reports it received stating that the public has been barred from entering voting centers to observe the closing of voting, and to take pictures of the posted Election Returns, which contain the results of the election for every polling place in the voting center. In addition, some NAMFREL
The Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) continues to observe election day processes, with particular focus on the voting process of Vulnerable Sectors (Persons with Disability, Senior Citizens/Older Persons, Persons Deprived of Liberty/Detainees, and Indigenous Peoples) and the voting situation in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). LENTE also continue
LENTE said they observed long queues, technical and non-technical issues, and unlawful electioneering as the 2022 Philippine national and local elections opened. LENTE asked COMELEC to reinforce that the use of phones, even if utilized as a voter’s “kodigo” inside the polling place, is not allowed. COMELEC earlier stated that the use
The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) released its preliminary observations on the conduct of the 2022 National and Local Elections, as observed by its volunteers who are currently onsite in different voting centers across the country. NAMFREL has tens of thousands of volunteers observing in voting centers nationwide for today's
On LENTE's plans for Election Day The Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) has launched several initiatives with its partner organizations and monitoring projects to ensure Safe, Accountable, Transparent, and Inclusive elections this May 9, 2022. LENTE is among the civil society organizations that were convened by the Commission on Human Rights
First published on BERSIH's Facebook page The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) urges the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Anti-Hopping Law (AHL) to maximally inform and involve the public, so that the resultant bill would meet public expectation and necessary compromises would enjoy public support. BERSIH calls upon the
The discharge of the Commission on Elections’ duty under Section 2(1), Article IX-C of the Constitution and under the law to enforce and administer all laws relative to the conduct of elections for the purpose of ensuring free, orderly and honest elections does not escape public observation. The absence or lack of
PAFFREL is paying strict attention to the death of a youth and the significant number of people injured due to the police firing during the public unrest in Rambukkana yesterday (19th April). These protestors were not engaged in an anti-government struggle, but as participants in a campaign to ensure that they were
ANFREL member in Bangladesh, Odhikar, published the findings of their monitoring of the human rights situation in the country during the first quarter of 2022. From January to March 2022, Odhikar recorded nine cases of extrajudicial killings, two cases of enforced disappearances, 26 deaths in jails, among many other human rights violations
ISLAMABAD, April 19, 2022: Abysmally low turnout, inconsistent procedural compliance, and widespread campaigning and canvassing on the polling day marked the NA-33 Hangu by-election, which remained peaceful and free of any controversy. With only 14 percent of the registered voters – 19 percent male voters and six percent female voters – exercising
MANDALUYONG CITY - The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) today said that it is encouraging all Filipinos to guard the election process in all its phases, from the pre-election period, to Election Day, to the post-election period. This is in line with NAMFREL's belief that all voters can be citizen
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) condemns the recent repressive and draconian actions of the Sri Lankan government in quelling the rights of their people to dissent and to protest. Thousands of Sri Lankan citizens have taken to the street calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his government to resign
ISLAMABAD, April 5, 2022: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) successfully completed the second phase of the local government (LG) elections with around 41 percent of the 8.5 million registered voters in 18 districts turning out to vote on March 31, 2022 to elect 12,875 representatives on general and reserved seats in an election that
ISLAMABAD, April 4, 2022: Expressing grave concerns at the recent political developments and ensuing constitutional crisis, the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) has identified multiple constitutional, legal and operational challenges to the conduct of an early election. While the constitutionality of the measures leading to the dissolution of the National Assembly
Paper submission for the volume 2, issue 1 of the Asia-Pacific Journal of Elections and Democracy (APJED) has opened. Deadline is on 26 April 2022. Managed by the ANFREL member Association for Election and Democracy (PERLUDEM) and Djokosoetono Research Center for Universitas Indonesia, APJED is accepting theoretical, empirical, and policy-relevant submissions, covering
NAMFREL denies statements circulating on social media that it was involved in discussions of allegations of massive cheating in the forthcoming May 2022 national and local elections. NAMFREL deplores this propaganda, which undermines the outcome of elections that are still to be held, for which different stakeholders are working hard to ensure
NAMFREL wishes the new Chairman and Commissioners of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) all the best in their new posts. Their appointment comes at a crucial period as the Commission prepares for the upcoming May 9, 2022 elections. Foremost of the challenges ahead is securing the elections and ensuring that it is
Parliament Leaves Around One-fifth Agenda Initiated by Female MPs Unaddressed ISLAMABAD, March 8, 2022: Undeterred by under-representation and neglect, female parliamentarians upheld their tradition of proactively and assertively performing their legislative, representative and oversight functions in both Houses of the Parliament during 2021-22. This has been observed in Annual Women Parliamentarians Performance
Download the full statement here: "Authorities must immediately stop using violence and arbitrary application of laws against peaceful women strikers"
ANFREL member in the Philippines, Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), released a statement on COMELEC's Oplan Baklas which has raised issues and concerns among electoral stakeholders. Read the full statement below:
The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) joins the urgent plea of different stakeholders for the appointment of competent and honest men and women in the three vacant positions -- that of the Chairperson and two Commissioners -- at the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), not only in a timely manner, but
First published on LENTE's Facebook Page. The Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) participated as observers at the COMELEC’s Voting Simulation Exercise on 23 October 2021, in San Juan Elementary School to help ensure a safe, accountable, inclusive, transparent elections which will inspire national public confidence. The primary purpose of the simulation
MARUAH, a human rights organization, hereby submits this statement on our concerns on the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill (FICA). Introduction We understand the need for governance on information and nature of expositions in a highly digitized world. Singapore is globalized which offers interconnectedness, swift operations and links across many sectors locally and
First published here MANDALUYONG CITY (Sept. 28, 2021) — The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) today, in a press briefing, laid out their planned activities for the 2022 National and Local Elections. NAMFREL said it aims to file this week with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) its Petition for Accreditation
Every year, the International Day of Democracy is observed on September 15 to analyze the state of democracy across the world. This day plays an important role in highlighting the important role of parliaments, and to celebrate their capacity and mandate to deliver on justice, peace, development and human rights. Sri Lanka
31 August 2021 | Press Release MANDALUYONG CITY (Aug. 31, 2021) — The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) today, in a press briefing, outlined several proposals to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to improve the efficiency and transparency of the country's Automated Elections System (AES). The proposals are part of
ANFREL member Transparency Maldives is calling for abstract submissions for the first issue of their new digest. Scheduled to be published in September 2021, the issue will be on "drivers and social problems that increase the vulnerabilities, especially of young people, and make them more susceptible to violent extremism and radicalization." Submissions
Dhaka/Geneva, 25 June 2021: Odhikar and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) remember and pay tribute to victims of torture and stand in solidarity with the victims and their families on the occasion of International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (26 June). The institutionalised practice of custodial torture by the
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Sunday charged four members of the Mother Nature environmental movement with plotting an attack against the state and insulting the king, part of the targeted and outrageous persecution of frontline environmental defenders and grassroots activists by the government. Authorities should stop imprisoning and start listening to
