Advancing Electoral Democracy in Asia
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) congratulates Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim on his appointment as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia and we welcome the formation of a mixed coalition government led by Pakatan Harapan (PH) with the support of BN and the Borneo blocs. This brought to an end
Centre for Monitoring Election Violence and Janavaboda Kendraya conducted a one-day discussion with youths, women and members of PWD organisations on the impact of the unavailability of Campaign Finance regulations for women, youth and PWDs participation in politics in Sri Lanka on November 19, 2022, at Janavaboda Kendraya. Empowering youth, women and
ANFREL executive director Chandanie Watawala shared the ANFREL interim statement on the election observation findings with Nepal Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya. ANFREL member National Election Observation Committee (NEOC) also shared the findings of their election observation mission to the 2022 Nepali Federal and Provincial Elections. ANFREL's interim statement can be
Ten Asian journalists have been selected to take part in an intensive program on reporting elections, human rights and democracy under a media fellowship program hosted by the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL). The ANFREL Asian Media Fellowship on Election Reporting, through the generous support of the Mission of Canada to
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) congratulates the people of Nepal for their participation in the 2022 Federal and Provincial Elections, the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) for holding the largely peaceful and orderly polls, as well as domestic election observer groups including EOC-N, Sankalpa, INSEC, BAS, DRCN, ANFREL members NEOC
21 November 2022 The Transparent Elections Foundation of Afghanistan (TEFA), in collaboration with 25 civil society organizations (CSOs) launched a thorough assessment of the situation in Afghanistan. This position paper is the result of continued dialogues and discussions among CSOs both inside and outside the country and identifies key factors behind the
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) deployed election observation teams in Nepal to observe the 2022 House of Representatives and Provincial Assemblies Elections. Some 275 House of Representative seats and 550 members of provincial assemblies were contested. Here are some photos from our election observation teams on the ground:
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) takes exception to the call of Speaker of Dewan Rakyat Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun for party leaders to submit statutory declarations (SD) of their MPs who are willing to give support to a PM candidate to form the new government. The Speaker should
ANFREL member in Nepal, the National Election Observation Committee (NEOC) deployed 1,062 stationary and mobile observers on 20 November 2022, Election Day, to observe the electoral process. Here are their observations:
ANFREL member in Nepal, the National Election Observation Committee (NEOC) deployed 77 long-term observers across 77 districts in Nepal to monitor the pre-election period ahead of the November 20 Federal and Provincial Elections. Here are their observations:
As Malaysia is expecting a hung Parliament where no single party or coalition would command a simple majority, The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) calls upon all political parties to respect the democratic procedures and exercise prudence in their post-election maneuvers to ensure that Malaysia can have a stable Federal
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) calls on all broadcast media organisations, in particular, state-owned RTM, Media Prima and Astro, as well as all print and online news portals, to provide fair and balance media coverage for all political parties and independent candidates in the upcoming 15th General Election (GE15).
Abuse of State Resources (ASR) is an overlooked form of political corruption in the Philippines whereby candidates or political parties unduly utilize official powers and government resources to gain electoral advantage. What distinguishes ASR from the other acts of corruption is its indispensable electoral component, that is, the acts are committed to
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) strongly condemns any violence and acts of hooliganism toward political rivals. Last night (22 October), a group of thugs disrupted a dinner event by MUDA in the Yong Sheng banquet hall (1) in Muar. A similar interruption happened in a MUDA ceramah in Muar
October 21, 2022, Ortigas, National Capital Region. In line with the Bangsamoro Transition Authority's (BTA) ongoing development and public consultation, the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) presents its recommendations to the current iteration of the proposed Bangsamoro Electoral Code (BEC). Since 2020, LENTE, in various roles and capacities, has been actively
First published on FAFEN's website. ISLAMABAD, October 17, 2022: With only 35 percent of the registered voters turning out on Election Day, the by-elections (BE-2022) in eight National Assembly and three Punjab Assembly constituencies remained peaceful with scattered instances of irregularities primarily concerning unchecked campaigning inside and around polling stations, observes Free
BERSIH calls upon the Election Commission (EC) and the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) to publish their Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on Voting amidst Floods (UndiBanjir). The EC’s special meeting tomorrow (20 October) to decide on nomination and poling days must also cover the contingency plan to prevent unintended vote suppression caused
The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) has submitted to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament its position paper on BTA Bill No. 29 or “An Act Providing for the Bangsamoro Electoral Code of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao” or the Bangsamoro Electoral Code (BEC). The Code is intended
ANFREL member Transparency Maldives, in collaboration with the Anti-Corruption Commission of Maldives, will bring together state-owned enterprises (SOE) and key stakeholders in a national level conference on anti-corruption on 30-31 October 2022. The Maldives Anti-Corruption Conference 2022 will feature various panel discussuons with national and international partners on corruption issues and what
On the occasion of the 39th founding anniversary of the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), allow me to greet everyone, our volunteers, supporters, partners, and friends a happy anniversary! NAMFREL remains true to its vision of strengthening democracy through helping ensure clean, honest and credible elections and to empower the
The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) observed the 2022 Ormoc Plebiscite in the Philippines on 8 October 2022. The voters in Ormoc City, Leyte were asked whether or not they agree to renaming and merger of 28 villages into three. The Commission on Elections said 89.34 percent yes with 10.08
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) expresses regret that Prime Minister has made a request for early dissolution of the 14th Parliament, which the King conventionally always grant the assent. Now, the Election Commission (EC) must call for polling to take place within 60 days. BERSIH reiterates our view that
In the third quarter of 2022, the Asian Network for Free Elections released observation report on Philippine and Nepali elections, launched the Asian Media Fellowship on Election Reporting, and engaged with various electoral stakeholders. ANFREL released the final comprehensive report of its international election observation mission to the 2022 national and local
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is looking for a Program Officer to implement its Capacity Building projects and activities. The Program Officer will preferably be based in Bangkok, Thailand, but will be coordinating with ANFREL’s network organizations and traveling across the Asian region. Formed in 1997, ANFREL was organized as
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) is proud to release our Annual Report for the year 2021, a year our nation faced great political upheavals with the declaration of national emergency by then Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on 12 January 2021 with the suspension of Parliament and elections, contestably, to
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) published on 28 September 2022 the report of its pre-election assessment mission to the 2022 Nepali House of Representatives and Provincial Assemblies Elections. As Nepal is scheduled to hold general elections on 20 November 2022, ANFREL presented the pre-election environment and challenges in the country,
The Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL) published the findings of their monitoring of the 2022 Commune and Sangkat Council Elections. COMFREL looked at several components of the election including the legal framework, election administration and management, campaign environment and the conduct of the polling and counting procedures on
The Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) thanked the Maguindanaoans for taking part in the historic plebiscite on Saturday, 17 September 2022, where they voted on whether or not they agree in dividing the province into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur. LENTE, however, observed that proper health protocols were not
The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) observed the conduct of the 17 September 2022 Maguindanao Plebiscite to divide the province into Maguindano del Norte and Maguindano del Sur. NAMFREL volunteers reported that the procedure was smooth and peaceful, in general. Security remained an issue in many parts of Maguindanao, however.
Malaysians Deserve Better! Make Voting Easier for Out-of-Region and Overseas Voters The celebration of Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day this year is especially meaningful. As a nation, we have come of age. The weak institutions that allowed a Prime Minister to rob the nation of billions of Ringgits are being restored now
