Political Reform
Latest from USIP on Political Reform
- May 17, 2013 | Publication
USIP’s Andrew Wilder and Moeed Yusuf and other experts say broad support for the prime minister, combined with local wins by key opponents, might generate the right combination to force tough decisions that could move Pakistan forward.
- May 14, 2013 | Publication
A deputy in Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly takes on criticisms from Human Rights Watch as the country considers a third draft of its constitution.
- April 19, 2013 | Publication
Iraq’s first elections since the U.S. troop withdrawal in 2011—provincial contests to be held on April 20—are a historic step for the country’s young democracy. They will have significant implications for the future of democracy, stability and peace in Iraq.
- April 5, 2013 | Event
April 5 marks the start of the one-year countdown to Afghanistan's presidential election. This will be the first post-9/11 election in which President Hamid Karzai is not on the presidential ballot. A panel of experts joined USIP to discuss the critically important technical and political issues that need to be addressed during the next 365 days in order for the elections to produce a credible and legitimate outcome.
- March 25, 2013 | Event
Haiti’s president and parliament appear deadlocked in another effort to form a Permanent Electoral Council in the manner prescribed in the country’s complex 1987 constitution. On March 25, USIP convened a panel of distinguished experts to discuss the challenges of governing Haiti and holding elections in a timely manner.
- March 20, 2013 | Event
Tunisia's 2010-11 “Jasmine Revolution” ignited a flame of political rebellion that quickly spread to Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Bahrain, and Syria. But as the "Arab Spring" enters its third season, Tunisia’s struggle for democracy is beset by escalating ideological and even violent conflicts. What are the key challenges facing Tunisia? How can U.S. officials and nongovernmental organizations help Tunisians address mounting domestic and regional crises?
- March 12, 2013 | Publication
A young woman who saw her home burned to the ground as a child, and another who ended up homeless for 1 ½ years after Kenya’s election violence of 2007 and 2008, are among the youth leading a movement to end the destructive cycle. A roundtable at USIP co-sponsored with Mercy Corps explored a program aimed at strengthening the constructive force of youth in Kenya.
- March 12, 2013 | Publication
USIP’s Jacqueline Wilson discusses the recent Kenyan elections and how the country can continue to mend rifts from the 2007 violence.
- February 26, 2013 | Publication
A survey of influential Afghan citizens finds most believe that continued international engagement and a transparent 2014 election process are critical to their country’s stability. Most want to end the two-decade war through a negotiated political process that includes reconciliation with the Taliban, though they are divided on how much to give in exchange for a peaceful settlement.
- February 15, 2013 | Publication
“Trustable” presidential elections will be the linchpin for Afghanistan’s transition in the next two years, according to Fawzia Koofi, a member of Parliament and chairman of women’s affairs in the chamber. She told a USIP audience that Afghans feel burned by the lingering questions about the legitimacy of the last presidential elections in 2009.
- January 4, 2013 | Publication
Alongside the red, black and green flag of Libya’s new democracy, Tripoli’s streets are decorated with another symbol of the struggle for liberty – photos of the fallen and graffiti declarations of local pride. Rania Swadek, a USIP program specialist in Libya, explores these urban signs of the tensions underlying the transition.
- December 27, 2012 | Publication
A high-ranking Syrian general's reasoning for his defection reinforces the dilemmas that will face the country in the aftermath of the conflict.
- December 13, 2012 | Publication
Credible presidential elections in Afghanistan in 2014 will help determine the willingness of foreign donors to continue providing a range of financial support for the country after NATO troops leave, a U.S. official said at a U.S. Institute of Peace event exploring “Elections, Reconciliation and the Final Two Years of Afghanistan’s Transition: Perspectives from the International Community.”
- December 6, 2012 | Publication
Ambassador Omar Samad, currently Afghanistan Senior Expert in Residence with the Center for Conflict Management at USIP, discusses Hamid Karzai's unprecedented step last week when he hosted several factional leaders and representatives of most of Afghanistan’s loyal political opposition groupings at the presidential palace.
- November 20, 2012 | Publication
Dorina A. Bekoe, author of “Voting in Fear: Electoral Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa” and former USIP senior program officer, discusses her book’s new findings on elections and conflict in Africa and which countries are at risk for violence in the months ahead.