Advancing Electoral Democracy in Asia
NAMFREL releases to the public the Executive Summary to its Preliminary Report on the May 2022 National and Local Elections (NLE). The Report was submitted last month to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in compliance with the terms of NAMFREL’s accreditation as citizens’ arm. The Report is the result of NAMFREL’s monitoring
The junta court sentenced U Hla Thein, the former chairman of the Union Election Commission (UEC) and two other members of UEC under Section 130 (a) of the criminal law for three years in prison. According to the junta-appointed UEC, 422 people, including the ousted state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi had
The 2022 Timor-Leste Presidential Election was "free, transparent, fair and reliable observing international standards of election", said the Observatory of the Church for Social Affairs (OIPAS) in final report of their election observation effort. OIPAS, under the National Commission of Justice, Peace, and Integrity Criation (JPIC-TL), observed the presidential election (19 March
Persisting Irregularities and Overcrowding Need to be Checked during Second Phase of LG Elections ISLAMABAD, July 8, 2022: Around 40 percent of the registered voters turned out to vote in the first phase of the local government (LG) elections to elect 5,331 general members of Union Councils, Union Committees, Municipal Committees, Town
ANFREL member in Bangladesh, Odhikar, published the findings of their monitoring of the human rights situation in the country during the second quarter of 2022. From April to June 2022, Odhikar recorded five cases of extrajudicial killings, five cases of enforced disappearances, 19 deaths in jails, among many other human rights violations
The Coalition of Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) calls on Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to advance an agenda of political transformation that can ensure political stability and accountability after GE15. The guessing game of GE15 is hurting the nation with not only uncertainty that affects decisions to be made in economy
A junta court in Mandalay sentenced an elected lawmaker to three years in prison for incitement due to her alleged involvement in organizing anti-regime protests and encouraging government employees to join the civil disobedience movement. Win Mya Mya ran under the National League of Democracy (NLD) during the 2020 general election and
In the second quarter of 2022, the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) observed elections in Timor-Leste and the Philippines, released reports on elections in Hong Kong and Cambodia, and continue to shed light on the situation in highly restrictive and repressive countries in Asia. ANFREL released the final comprehensive report about
Press ReleaseKathmandu, Nepal4 July 2022 The Election Commission, Nepal (ECN) and the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to co-host the sixth Asian Electoral Stakeholder Forum (AESF 6). The MoU, signed by ECN Joint Secretary Mr. Shaligram Sharma Paudel and ANFREL Executive Director Mrs. Chandanie
Islamabad, June 29, 2022: Abysmally low female turnout and inadequate arrangements to protect secrecy of vote coupled with widespread instances of campaigning and canvassing on Election Day remain major issues clouding the by-election in PK-7 Swat-VI that was otherwise peaceful with generally compliant voting and counting processes, observes Free and Fair Election
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) received the letter of rejection from the Sarawak State Secretary to our application for our Chairperson Thomas Fann to enter Sarawak as part of the Ketuanan Pengundi Roadshow team that is due to hold a townhall session in Kuching coming Saturday. BERSIH regrets the
Transparency Maldives condemns the draft amendment bill to the Penal Code Act (9/2014) proposed by the Government that encroaches on freedom of expression. This bill is yet another step backwards by the Government, undermining democratic consolidation and fundamental human rights in the Maldives. While we are deeply concerned by the increasing intolerance,
The 2022 Timor-Leste Presidential Election demonstrated how democracy is celebrated and strong in the country, said the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) in the final comprehensive report on its observation of the election. ANFREL released the report on Tuesday, 28 June 2022, and thanked the electoral stakeholders for their commitment to
Ousted President U Win Myint, ousted State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and former Union Minister U Min Thu pleaded not guilty to the charge under Section 130(a) of Myanmar’s penal code for allegedly influencing the Union Election Commission (UEC) in connection with the November 2022 general election. A crime management meeting
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) reiterates that peaceful assembly is a fundamental right of all citizens guaranteed under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution, along with the right to freedom of speech, expression and to form associations. Furthermore, the freedom to protest without violence is enshrined in our supreme
In a meeting held on June 21, 2022, the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) National Council accepted the June 2 resignation of MR. AUGUSTO C. LAGMAN from NAMFREL and as its National Chairperson. Mr. Lagman joined NAMFREL in 1984 and headed its Operation Quick Count parallel vote tabulation until 2007.
Press Release from BERSIH22 June 2022The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) express gratitude to the Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge YA Noorin binti Badarudin decision for granting leave to the judicial review application against the decision of the Election Commission of Malaysia (EC) and the Government of Malaysia for barring
ISLAMABAD, June 20, 2022: Election on a working day deterred a majority of voters from casting their ballots in NA-240 (Korangi Karachi-II) by-polls that largely remained orderly, but was overshadowed by two high-profile incidents of violence widely covered on national media, reports Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). According to FAFEN observers,
A junta-controlled court sentenced former Mandalay Region Chief Minister Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, second vice president and spokesperson of National League for Democracy (NLD), to 21 years in prison for five corruption charges. The ASEAN Special Envoy will not be allowed to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi on his second visit
ISLAMABAD, June 17, 2022: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is delimiting the constituencies for elections to the National and Provincial Assemblies after the official publication of the results of 6th Population and Housing Census 2017. The latest exercise was compelled by the effect of Section 17(2) of the Elections Act, which
We, the undersigned international democracy advocates, strongly denounce the Government of Bangladesh’s decision to deregister prominent human rights NGO Odhikar and express our unwavering solidarity with the group. In early June 2022, Bangladesh’s NGO Affairs Bureau under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Office denied the group’s application for renewal of registration.
A junta court in Myanmar ruled that prosecutors presented sufficient evidence against ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Australian economist Sean Turnell and three former cabinet members to continue the trial on charges of violating the Official Secrets Law. In the coming weeks, the court will hear the defense arguments, including a
First published on COMFREL's website on 10 June 2022. Civil Society Organizations that have collaboratively deployed election observers to monitor the situation of the Commune/Sangkat Councils Election in the 5th mandate, which took place on 5 June 2022, have found election irregularities occurring during the polling process on the voting and counting
First published on COMFREL's website on 10 June 2022. During the campaign phase of the Commune /Sangkat Councils Election, 5th mandate 2022, the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL) deployed Long-Term Observers in the Capital and provinces to monitor the electoral process. During this election campaign process, COMFREL observed
The People's Action for Free & Fair Elections (PAFFREL) conducted a series of discussions with district coordinators and observers from Kurunegala, Puttalam, Kandy, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya, Matale in Sri Lanka to review local and international guidelines to develop an election observation handbook. Mr. Jayantha Dehiaththage led the discussions.
Myanmar junta-led courts rejected appeals by a deposed lawmaker and a prominent former activist to their death sentences on “terrorism” charges since last year’s coup. There are at least 115 people who have been sentenced to death in Myanmar since the coup. The executions typically take place within 45 days of a
The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) conducted on 31 May 2022 a half-day program to discuss the way out of the current political, economic and social crisis in Sri Lanka through the constitution and electoral reforms at Hotel Janaki, Colombo. The program consisted of three panel discussions with distinguished experts in
Myanmar junta filed two more corruption charges against detained State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi while the junta court rejected her appeal against a five-year sentence for corruption handed down in April. The Myanmar military regime so far has filed 20 charges against Aung San Suu Kyi, including 13 corruption charges that
His Excellency Gotabaya Rajapaksa,President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri LankaPresidential SecretariatColombo Dear Sir Let’s make the objective of the 21st Amendment, a reality While expressing our sincere appreciation of your agreeing to restore the Good Principles of Public Administration into the Constitution through the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, we
ANFREL member in the Philippines, the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) and other like-minded organizations launched a petition calling for the next Congress not to postpone the scheduled Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections. Sign the petition here. We amplify our call to the next Congress not to postpone the December 5,
