As Singapore is set to hold its general election on 10 July 2020, issues and challenges that affect free and fair elections in the city-state still linger, according to panelists in a webinar the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) hosted last Sunday, 5 July 2020. Aimed to provide an understanding of
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is hosting a webinar on the importance of inclusiveness in elections on 13 July 2020, Monday at 4 p.m. (Yangon Time).* This is part of a series of webinars which aims to create public awareness on democratic elections in the lead up to the 2020
For the second edition of the quarterly newsletter e-Bulletin, the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) highlighted the developments in Sri Lanka which is set to hold their election on 5 August 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. ANFREL hosted a webinar to gather updates and insights on the Sri Lankan polls with
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong dissolved parliament on 23 June 2020 which paved the way for a general election scheduled for 10 July 2020. The election will be held amid the COVID-19 pandemic of which the city state, much like the rest of the world, is still grappling with the threats
Election Commission of Sri Lanka Chairperson Mahinda Deshapriya ensured the public that the polling station will be the safest public space and encouraged voters to exercise their right to vote on 5 August 2020. "Don't be afraid. This [polling station] is the safest public place. It is safer than markets or transportation
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is hosting a webinar on the preparations, challenges of organizing and participating in the upcoming 2020 Sri Lankan Parliamentary Election, this Saturday, 27 June 2020 at 10 a.m. (Colombo Time/11:30 a.m. Bangkok Time). The election was first set for 25 April 2020 but was canceled
This is a joint statement signed by various organizations and individuals. See endorsers here. The COVID-19 pandemic threatens more than the lives and the livelihoods of people throughout the world. It is also a political crisis that threatens the future of liberal democracy. Authoritarian regimes, not surprisingly, are using the crisis to
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) observed the final mock polling station set up by the Election Commission of Sri Lanka at the President College Rajagiriya in Colombo on 24 June 2020. EC held a series of mock polls to test health and safety measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the
More than two million registered voters in Mongolia are heading to the polls on 24 June 2020 to elect a new set of parliamentarians. As part of their engagement in the election, ANFREL member in Mongolia, the Women for Social Progress through their Voter Education Center (VEC/WSP), implemented voter education activities focusing
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and youth volunteers from domestic observer group WeWatch were in Lampang (Northern Thailand) on 20 June 2020 to monitor the first by-election held in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. The election served as testing grounds for "new normal" polling procedures introduced by the Election Commission.
First published on the website of CMEV on 17 June 2020. ANFREL member in Sri Lanka, the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), published their election observation report for the 2019 Sri Lankan Presidential Election. CMEV said the report provides an overview of the election, key election features and trends including election
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) observed a mock polling station set up by the Election Commission (EC) of Sri Lanka at the Menerigama Primary School in Kalutara District on 14 June 2020. These are photos of what ANFREL observed about measures and precautions voters might expect on Election Day. The
The ANFREL program in Myanmar together with the New Myanmar Foundation (NMF) conducted a four-day online training on election monitoring from 9 to 12 June 2020. This was part of ANFREL's capacity building program for National Election Monitoring Organizations (NEMG) which promote citizen election observation in Myanmar. Twenty participants were selected for
The world is looking at the successful conduct of the parliamentary election in South Korea as a case study in organizing elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), with the Asia Democracy Network (ADN), Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB), and the Korea Democracy Foundation co-organized on
Press Release Phnom Penh, 04 June 2020 The Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL) annually observes on voter registration and audits Voter List. Through its observation and audit, COMFREL deployed observers to the registration stations and examined the official voter list to indicate duplicated and ghost voter names to
ANFREL member in Maldives, the Transparency Maldives, explained the constitutional crisis brought about by the delay in the conduct of the Local Council Elections. The elections, which were supposed to take place on 4 April 2020, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The delay, however, meant that the legal terms of
First published on the Daily Mirror on 7 May 2020 By Tharindu Abeyrtahna Despite the fact that electoral democracy in Sri Lanka faced many challenges in pre and post-independence eras, the country has managed to conduct periodical elections in national level. Sri Lanka known as the oldest democracy in Asia and it
The confidence in the government and the electoral system of Bangladesh continue to decline as lack of interest in the local elections held in the first quarter of 2020 amid the rampant fraudulent activities was observed, human rights organization Odhikar said in their 2020 first quarter report. "Several by-elections of the Jatiya
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) Myanmar program is now even more connected as it launched its website which will serve as a platform to better engage election stakeholders in Myanmar. Access Myanmar-related news and updates via the website (https://myanmar.anfrel.org/mm) which is also available in English (https://myanmar.anfrel.org/en). One of the key
With Indonesia postponing the local elections scheduled for 23 September 2020 to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, several election civil society organizations recommended factors to consider on declaring election postponements. Election CSOs composed of ANFREL members Perludem and KIPP Indonesia (Independent Committee for Elections Monitoring Indonesia), with the People's Voter
The Election Commission of Sri Lanka has set 20 June 2020 as the new date for the Parliamentary Election. It was originally scheduled for 25 April 2020 but was postponed due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. ANFREL member in Sri Lanka, the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) , published
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the everyday life of people around the world affecting their livelihood and restricting freedoms they enjoy. Several countries have also postponed their scheduled elections in light of the current situation but on 15 April 2020, South Korea proceeded with its legislative election in what the world now
The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) published the first edition for 2020 of its quarterly newsletter e-Bulletin. In this issue, ANFREL highlights the discussion on elections in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. ANFREL, in a statement, expressed concern and regarded the postponements of elections as reasonable measures, "as long as
UPDATE: The "Reporting on Elections: A Toolkit for Journalists in Myanmar" is also available through an interactive online platform hosted under ANFREL Myanmar program's website which can be accessed here: https://myanmar.anfrel.org/en/media-toolkit/about-the-toolkit The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) released its media toolkit titled "Reporting on Elections: A Toolkit for Journalists in Myanmar"
The 2020 Taiwanese General Election was conducted smoothly and transparently, the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) found in their study mission saying it demonstrated the robust democracy that Taiwan has become. On 11 January 2020, over 19 million registered voters of the Republic of China (also referred to as Taiwan) went
Statement of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan (FEFA) on the final result of the 2019 Afghan Presidential Election Finally, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) could announce final results of the 2019 Afghan presidential elections with 5 months delay. It was expected that all electoral tickets accept the final election
19 February 2020 Kabul: Election is not necessarily a win and lose game, but a holistic process that should be entirely lawful, as its results are embraced merely when electoral processes are chiefly characterized by lawfulness, that in turn helps in forming a legitimate state. The final results of the 2019 Presidential
While the State's obligation to ensure accommodation and assistance for persons with disabilities (PWDs) to vote is guaranteed under the law in Thailand, the right of PWDs to participate in all aspects of the election is yet to be realized. This is what the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) found in
First published on the website of TEFA on 17 February 2020. Exactly 13 days have passed since the initial announcement of ECC’s decisions were made over adjudication of electoral complaints, and IEC too, on its part, embraced ECC’s call, acted accordingly, and began carrying out their decisions; however, TEFA’s observation findings highlight
[rev_slider alias="2020-02-14"] The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) showcased its various efforts to advance electoral #democracy in Asia, especially in Myanmar, during the celebration of the annual Nordic Day in Myanmar last Friday, 14 February 2020. The Embassy of Sweden Section Office in Yangon, Embassy of Denmark in Myanmar, Embassy
