Mandaluyong City - The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) launched today through a virtual media conference the NAMFREL Operation QR Count (2025) or OQC 2025, a way for Filipinos to participate in independently verifying the transmitted results of the 2025 National and Local Elections. In the NAMFREL OQC 2025, any
The Philippines enters a full election season with the start of the campaigning for local candidates while Sri Lanka announced the May 6 as election day for the local council polls. Members in those countries have been continuously implementing programs and activities to ensure electoral integrity. LENTE has been conducting various voter
The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) strongly condemns the alarming rise in election-related violence as the campaign period for the Philippine mid-term elections in May approaches. These violent incidents undermine the principles of democracy and threaten the integrity of the electoral process. NAMFREL calls on all candidates, political parties, and
The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) refers to theissues raised by CPA-lawyer, Jeryll Harold Respicio, a vice mayoral candidate inReina Mercedes, Isabela in two (2) Facebook posts which have now been takendown. THE ISSUES: 1) Atty. Respicio asserts that the Automated Counting Machine (ACM) isconnected to the internet during the
Islamabad, March 9, 2025: Despite persistent challenges facing women representation due to unresolved electoral controversies, women parliamentarians exhibited remarkable commitment and productivity in shaping legislative priorities, influencing policy discourse, and contributing to parliamentary actions during 2024–2025, says the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Women Parliamentarians Performance Report (2024-25), released
Election campaigning in the Philippines officially started on 11 February 2025 signaling a more intensified effort among ANFREL members to monitor the electoral process.ANFREL members LENTE, NAMFREL and PPCRV joined in an episode of The Election Observer podcast to discuss campaigning in the 2025 Philippine national and local elections.In India, Lokniti provided
February 23, 2025, Quezon City - The Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) acknowledges that a five-month postponement is more reasonable than a one-year delay. However, LENTE reiterates its opposition to postponing the May 2025 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections. Proponents of the postponement have offered several justifications
The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) urges the government to consider comprehensive legal reforms to strengthen the implementation of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017. FAFEN’s policy brief, Strengthening the Right to Information (RTI) in Pakistan, released on Sunday, emphasizes that while Pakistan’s RTI framework is recognized as one
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2024 released today by Transparency International reveals that the Maldives, has fallen one point in the CPI score, from 39 to 38, and remains amongst the two-thirds of countries to score below 50. The CPI annually scores and ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived level
There have been a number of efforts to analyze and draw up lessons from the 2024 super election year. Amid a tide of democratic backsliding, there were several glimmers of hope in countries where people pushed back against rising authoritarian regimes. While 2025 will not see the same magnitude of electoral exercise
ISLAMABAD, January 26, 2025: Women voters in 18 percent communities in the jurisdiction of male and female polling stations voted differently from their men counterparts in National Assembly constituencies during General Elections (GE) 2024, according to a report on Women Voting Choices by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) that was released
Issues Report on Availability, Usability and Accessibility of Information on Parliamentary Websites ISLAMABAD, January 21, 2025: The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) has called for the standardization of information and accessibility features across parliamentary websites as a prerequisite to enhancing their usability and transparency. Such reforms are essential not only to
BERSIH and Global BERSIH welcome the statement by Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in Belgium, emphasizing that Malaysians abroad must have voting rights equal to those in the country. This is crucial for strengthening democracy in Malaysia and ensuring that all citizens, regardless of location, can contribute to the nation’s
Transparency Maldives expresses concerns over the ongoing use of fraudulent practices through misuse of personal information, abuse of power and resources in the submission of political party membership forms to the Elections Commission. The recent events related to illegally accessing public records to obtain personal information, including that of Members of Parliament
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) expresses its heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Ooi Kok Hin for his dedicated service and leadership as the Executive Director of BERSIH from March 2023 to January 2025. Mr. Ooi Kok Hin has brought exceptional value and expertise to the BERSIH team in navigating the
The statement of the Indian Prime Minister on the victory day of Bangladesh’s Liberation War of 16 December 1971, is in clear disregard to the sovereignty of Bangladesh, and its people who sacrificed their lives to achieve independence. Odhikar strongly condemns and protests Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s misleading and distorted statement. On
The Association for Elections and Democracy (Perkumpulan Untuk Pemilu dan Demokrasi, PERLUDEM) hosted a two-day forum on the electoral reform outlook for Indonesia. On 18-19 December 2024, PERLUDEM gathered leading experts, academics, and civil society organizations to critically examine Indonesia's electoral system seeking to address key challenges and explore innovative alternatives to
On the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day 2024, we reaffirm our commitment towards combating corruption and improving transparency. The theme of this year's International Anti-Corruption Day is "Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow's Integrity" highlighting the vital role young people play in the fight against corruption. With the launch of our
In the second issue of the "Members Roundup" newsletter, ANFREL highlight election-related activities of members in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, India and Nepal. In Sri Lanka, ANFREL has been actively engaging with members PAFFREL and CMEV for the observation of the presidential and parliamentary elections. PERLUDEM in Indonesia has been monitoring the
ANFREL member in Bangladesh, Odhikar, has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award (ADHRA) of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD), 27 November 2024. Established in 1994, Odhikar, which means rights in Bengali, "has deepened democracy and human rights in Bangladesh through research, advocacy, overseeing
We express grave concerns regarding the amendments brought to the Constitution of the Maldives through the Constitutional Amendments Bill submitted by the Government to the Parliament on 19 November 2024. We strongly condemn the hasty process followed in the Bill’s passage by the Parliament and ratification of the Bill by President Dr.
The Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) opposes the proposal to postpone the first 2025 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections. While LENTE acknowledges Congress's efforts in addressing the complexities surrounding BARMM, LENTE believes that this proposal fails to meet the strict criteria set by the Supreme Court in
The People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) released the first interim report on their observation of the pre-election period of the parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka will hold parliamentary elections to elect 225 representatives for the new parliament on 14 November 2024. Seen as a pivotal moment for
Elipitya Pradhesiya Sabha Election took place on 26th October peacefully. A total of 55,643 persons were eligible to cast their vote through 48 polling stations. With the legal intervention due to the rejection of the nomination paper submitted by the Democratic United National Front (DUNF) for the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha in the
The Global Network for Securing Electoral Integrity (GNSEI) issued the "Guidelines for Safeguarding Election Management Body Independence in Engagement with Other Public Institutions." The guidelines intend to "support EMBs to maintain their independence and political neutrality while effectively collaborating with and leveraging the capacities of other public institutions, including during crises." Various
Press Release11 October 2024 The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) calls for a national dialogue and an open debate on the issue of the demand for one-third parliamentary seats for Sarawak and Sabah. This call follows the "Road to Reform (R2R)" roadshow organized by BERSIH in Sarawak, which drew nearly
Odhikar’s Statement on the Occasion of its Founding Anniversary 10th October 2024 is Odhikar’s 30th founding anniversary. On 10th October 1994, Odhikar was established by human rights defenders with the determination to establish human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Bangladesh. On its 30th founding anniversary, Odhikar stands against the
2024 marks 10 years since the ratification of the RTI Act in the Maldives. The RTI Act has proven instrumental in empowering communities, promoting citizen participation, and holding the government and public institutions accountable. As the Act concerns a fundamental human right guaranteed to all by the Constitution of the Maldives, the
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is launching the monthly newsletter "Members Roundup" to share news and updates about programs and activities of its members. The "Members Roundup" newsletter will feature information about what ANFREL members are working on in pushing for electoral democracy in their respective countries. It serves as
The People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) released the first interim report of their observation of the 2024 Sri Lankan Presidential Election, 12 September 2024. The report covered PAFFREL's pre-election observation including the postal voting period, election-related activities on social media, campaign finance regulation, and election-related complaints and violations. PAFFREL