Difference between revisions of "International Foundation for Election Systems"

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'''International Foundation for Election Systems''' (IFES) Founded in 1987, based in Washingon DC, it fosters "democratic initiatives", extending loans and grants to various "developing" countries, and it "provides "targeted technical assistance to strengthen transitional democracies". IFES notes: "the end of the Cold War in 1989 created opportunities… to respond to an overwhelming demand for technical non-partisan expertise in democracy and governance."
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The [[International Foundation for Election Systems]] (IFES) was founded in 1987 as a not-for-profit NGO<ref>[http://www.ifes.org/about.html About IFES], IFES website, accessed 6 Apr 2010</ref> and is based in Washington, DC. It fosters "democratic initiatives", extending loans and grants to various "developing" countries, and it provides "targeted technical assistance to strengthen transitional democracies".<ref>[http://www.electionguide.org/about.php About IFES], Election Guide website, accessed 6 Apr 2010</ref> IFES notes: "the end of the Cold War in 1989 created opportunities&hellip; to respond to an overwhelming demand for technical non-partisan expertise in democracy and governance."<ref>[http://www.ifes.org/europe.html Europe & Eurasia], IFES website, accessed 6 Apr 2010</ref>
  
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== From the website: ==
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IFES describes its role as follows:
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:As one of the world's premier democracy and governance assistance organizations, IFES provides targeted technical assistance to strengthen transitional democracies. Founded in 1987 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, IFES has developed and implemented comprehensive, collaborative democracy solutions in more than 100 countries.[http://www.ifes.org//mission.htm]
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:As one of the world's premier democracy and governance assistance organizations, IFES provides targeted technical assistance to strengthen transitional democracies. Founded in 1987 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, IFES has developed and implemented comprehensive, collaborative democracy solutions in more than 100 countries.<ref>[http://www.electionguide.org/about.php About IFES], Election Guide website, accessed 6 Apr 2010</ref>
  
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===Haiti Chapter===
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==Summary of activities==
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Tom Griffin, Attorney and Human Rights Activist, wrote a report for the National Lawyers' Guild, and took part in making a documentary about the coup in Haiti.  In an interview, he stated:
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This is how IFES describes its activities:
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:They went down [to Haiti] as part of a USAID package, with a multi-million dollar plan to, basically, fix the judicial system &ndash; that was what they operated under.  It was really a plan to oust Aristide.  The IFES workers I was able to isolate and talk to in confidence, completely take credit for ousting Aristide. They started with this theory that the judicial system was corrupt in Haiti, and that it had to be turned around and cleaned out.  From that premise came that if the judicial system was corrupt, Aristide, who is controlling them is most corrupt, and he must go.  So, there was no unity in the Haitian judicial bar or in the judiciary, and IFES went out and formulated groups that never existed or united pre-existing groups, gave them sensitization seminars, paid for people to attend, paid for entertainment and catering, and basically built group after group, and then they realized that in order to be successful they had to reach out from beyond the lawyers and judges.  They reached out to student groups and business groups to get a bigger economic behind them.  They also reached out to human rights groups &ndash; which they actually paid off to report human rights atrocities to make Aristide look bad.  It just sort of snowballed.  They bought journalists, and the IFES associations grew into the ''Group of 184'' that became a solidified opposition against Aristide. What is probably most interesting is that Gerard Latortue, the prime minister, was an IFES member for a couple of years before of the ouster of Aristide last year.  The myth that he had been plucked from pool-side on March 1st, the day after the coup, to become prime minister was pretty much debunked &ndash; he was in the planning for a couple of years.  Bernard Gousse, the justice minister who is in charge of the prisons and the police, was in it for many years. He was a sensitization speaker coming to talk in the US on behalf of IFES.<br>&mdash;Tom Griffin, Interviewed on [http://www.flashpoints.net/index.html Flashpoints], February 21, 2005.
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:Emerging democracies often lack the institutional capacity and political will to manage elections or educate their citizens about democratic politics. To meet these needs, IFES provides comprehensive assistance to governments, political parties and civil society organizations in election planning and administration, electoral law development, and voter education. IFES seeks to bring transparency to elections by involving civil society in the process (in observer training, negotiations with national election commissions, etc.) and by incorporating anti-fraud mechanisms, such as political finance instruments, transparent ballot boxes, or inking voters’ fingers.
  
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Griffin continues:
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:Since 1987, IFES has accumulated abundant election-related experience by offering these services in scores of countries, including numerous pre-election technical assessments, onsite technical assistance programs, poll-worker training, equipment procurements, and voter registration and education programs. Over time, we have built a cadre of more than 1,500 democracy and governance experts capable of addressing almost any election situation.<ref>[http://www.ifes.org/elections.html Elections services], IFES website, accessed 6 Apr 2010</ref>
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:What is so sick and so evil about what is happening in Haiti &ndash; if you want to do evil, you can do that very easily. &hellip; For a few dollars can buy a human rights organization down there. A few dollars can take an bar association and turn it against its elected president. That is what happened. (Griffin, ibid.)
 
  
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In an extensive human rights report, Griffin adds:
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The IFES also assists journalists in covering elections.<ref>[http://www.ijnet.org/Director.aspx?P=Article&ID=307128 Arab journalists can apply for workshop on elections], International Journalists' Network, 17 January 2008</ref>
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:The administrators reported that USAID awarded IFES a series of contracts for millions of dollars, often as the sole bidder, and gave IFES substantial logistical assistance in Haiti. The administrators stated that they, and IFES, considered the programs to be an avenue to exposing, and then ending corruption in the Haitian government. They felt that President Aristide was corrupt, and that their job was to nurture civil society institutions that could provide a counterweight to the elected authorities.<br>The principal focus of IFES’ programs was the Haitian justice system. The justice program began in about 2001 with an initial budget of $3.5 million. Its purpose was, in the words of the administrators, “to advocate for the independence of judges from the executive branch via the formation of a range of coalitions from various societal institutions.” The IFES programs involved many people now prominent in Haitian politics. For example, Minister of Justice Bernard Gousse and his cabinet member Philippe Vixamar were IFES consultants for several years. Among other things, Gousse was a “sensitization” speaker, wrote key reports, spoke at conferences, and played a leading role in the IFES exchange program for lawyers and judges at Tulane University in Louisiana in April 2003, and at seminars in Minnesota and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. See Interview of Justice Cabinet Minister Vixamar, infra. Prime Minister Gerard Latortue and Interim President Boniface Alexandre both participated in IFES justice programs. Latortue, a former UN official and a resident of Boca Raton Florida before becoming Prime Minister, was part of the association that IFES formed to include the Haitian diaspora in the United States. According to the administrators, he led the [[Haitian Resources Development Foundation]] (HRDF), a Miami–based group that claims to “initiate and/or support projects and programs aimed at developing economic and cultural resources in Haiti.”<br>&mdash; Thomas M. Griffin, "[http://www.law.miami.edu/cshr/CSHR_Report_02082005_v2.pdf Haiti Human Rights Investigation: November 11-21, 2004]" Center for the Study of Human Rights, Univ. of Miami School of Law. (footnotes excluded)  The report has an extensive discussion of IFES's activities, and it is worth reading from page 20 onwards.
 
  
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===Iraqi Chapter===
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==Actions around the world==
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IFES also sent "election observers" to the Iraqi election of January 30, 2005.  On February 2nd it issued a press release lauding the election process.  It was also responsible for running the "out of country" election and drawing up the electoral roll outside Iraq.
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*[[IFES Africa Programs]]
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*[[IFES Asia Programs]]
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*[[IFES Eurasia Programs]] (former Soviet republics)
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*[[IFES Latin America Programs]]
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*[[IFES Middle East Programs]]
  
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Source: [http://www.ifes.org/pressroom/Press%20Releases/02_02_05_IFES_IraqiElections_Eng.pdf IFES Recognizes Iraqis, Electoral Commission on Successful Balloting], February 2, 2005.
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==Election Guide==
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IFES has produced the Election Guide website, which enables the monitoring of elections, the election process, and information about parties.  The website was paid for by "a generous grant" from USAID.<ref>[http://www.electionguide.org/about.php About Us], Election Guide website, accessed 6 Apr 2010</ref>
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===Contact and personnel===
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*[[Dorin Tudoran]]  -- Editor in Chief
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*[[Karen Buerkle]] -- Data Editor
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*[[Oana Luca]] -- Research
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Website: [http://www.electionguide.org/about.php www.electionguide.org]
  
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Ambassador [[Michael Kozak]], Acting Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, notes how the [[International Foundation for Election Systems]] has been working closely with the [[Iraqi Independent Electoral Commission]]. [http://www.thehcnews.com/breaking/_article/000003d2.htm]
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==Handing out prizes==
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In October 2007, IFES awarded the "Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award" to the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Jos&eacute; Miguel Insulza.<ref>[http://media-newswire.com/release_1055528.html IFES Honors OAS Secretary General Insulza With Its Annual Democracy Award], Media Newswire, October 2007. (Accessed: 9 October 2007)</ref>
  
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===Angolan elections===
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==Lecturing on how elections should be conducted==
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On 24 July 2006, [[Paul Bonicelli]], deputy assistant administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, discussed the upcoming Angolan elections in front of a US Congressional panel:
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Besides handing out prizes, many of IFES's operatives lecture on how elections should be conducted. The emphasis is on the process or mechanics of elections and not on the nature of the political system.<ref>Achara Ashayagachat, [http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/17Nov2007_news09.php Close monitoring by public urged], Bangkok Post, 17 November 2007.</ref> IFES is suggesting that money-dominated elections yield corruption and vote rigging. However, the US has a money-intensive election system - raising questions of double standards.
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<blockquote style="background-color:beige;border:1pt solid Darkgoldenrod;padding:1%">Bonicelli said the Bush administration is supporting the electoral process with a $3 million grant, in addition to the close to $8 million already devoted to supporting democracy programs in the southern African nation since 2001.<br>In Angola, he explained, USAID works through American nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), such as the International Republican Institute (IRI), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), '''IFES''' (formerly the International Foundation for Election Systems) and [[Search for Common Ground]], which partner with local NGOs to train election workers.<br>They have provided technical and project management training, as well as voter education materials, to six civil-society electoral networks in the provinces of Luanda, Benguela, Huambo, Bie, Uige and Lund-Sul, emphasizing voter registration, democratic principles and citizen rights and "promoting political dialogue." They also are providing training to Angolan political parties on codes of conduct and dispute resolution techniques, Bonicelli said.[http://allafrica.com/stories/200607250260.html]</blockquote>
 
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===Guyana===
 
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An account of IFES participation in the elections in Guyana can be found [http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_general_news?id=56500545 here]
 
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===Ethiopia===
 
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:Since 2001, USAID has spent close to $37 million on democracy and governance programs in Ethiopia.  Half of that sum has been devoted to improving the efficiency of accounting and budgeting at the federal, state and local levels.<br><b>&hellip;</b><br>Shinn said that before national elections in May 2005, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRI) and IFES (formerly the International Foundation for Election Systems) to leave Ethiopia, allegedly because they were not registered in the country.<br>&mdash;Jim Fisher-Thompson, [http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=August&x=200608021529501EJrehsiF1.369876e-02 Women Lawmakers in Ethiopia Upgrade Skills with U.S. Help], US.Info.State.gov, 2 August 2006.
 
  
 
== IFES Principals and Staff==
 
== IFES Principals and Staff==
 
===Board Memebers===
 
===Board Memebers===
 
*[[William J. Hybl]], Chairman
 
*[[William J. Hybl]], Chairman
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*[[Jean-Pierre Kingsley]] &ndash; President and Chief Executive Officer
 
*[[Peter G. Kelly]], Vice-Chairman
 
*[[Peter G. Kelly]], Vice-Chairman
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*[[Richard Soudriette]], IFES President and member of the US State Dept. "advisory committee on democracy promotion"[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1558290,00.html]
 
*[[Leon J. Weil]], Secretary
 
*[[Leon J. Weil]], Secretary
 
*[[Joseph Napolitan]], Political consultant; president and CEO of [[Napolitan Associates]]; founder of the [[American Association of Political Consultants]] and co-founder of the [[International Association of Political Consultants]]; author of numerous articles and books on political campaigns; campaign advisor to various candidates both in the U.S. and abroad.  
 
*[[Joseph Napolitan]], Political consultant; president and CEO of [[Napolitan Associates]]; founder of the [[American Association of Political Consultants]] and co-founder of the [[International Association of Political Consultants]]; author of numerous articles and books on political campaigns; campaign advisor to various candidates both in the U.S. and abroad.  
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*[[R. Scott Pastrick]]
 
*[[R. Scott Pastrick]]
 
*[[Michael Pinto-Duschinsky]]
 
*[[Michael Pinto-Duschinsky]]
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*[[T. Timothy Ryan]]
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*[[T. Timothy Ryan, Jr.]]
 
*[[Robert H. Tuttle]]
 
*[[Robert H. Tuttle]]
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===IFES Senior Field Staff===
 
===IFES Senior Field Staff===
 
<table border="1" bgcolor="beige" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="90%" align="center">
 
<table border="1" bgcolor="beige" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="90%" align="center">
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</tr>
 
</tr>
 
</table>
 
</table>
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 +
===Other Consultants===
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*[[Andrew Reynolds]]
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*[[Anthony Bowyer]]<ref>Navbahor Imamova, [http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-11-07-voa24.cfm Uzbekistan to Hold Presidential Elections in December], VOA News, 7 November 2007</ref>
  
 
==Countries where IFES has been active==
 
==Countries where IFES has been active==
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IFES states that it is active in 35 countries (inc. most of the former Soviet republics), but major activity occurred here:
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IFES states that has assisted more than 100 countries around the world.<ref>[http://www.ifes.org/faq.html FAQs], IFES website, accessed 6 Apr 2010</ref>
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 +
Major activity occurred here:
 
<table border="1" bgcolor="beige" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="50%" align="center">
 
<table border="1" bgcolor="beige" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="50%" align="center">
 
<tr><th bgcolor="goldenrod" colspan="3">Countries where IFES has major operations</th></tr>
 
<tr><th bgcolor="goldenrod" colspan="3">Countries where IFES has major operations</th></tr>
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<td>Palestinian Territories</td>
 
<td>Palestinian Territories</td>
 
<td>Paraguay</td>
 
<td>Paraguay</td>
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<td>Tajikistan</td>
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<td>Philippines</td>
 
</tr>
 
</tr>
 
<tr>
 
<tr>
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<td>Tajikistan</td>
 
<td>Yemen</td>
 
<td>Yemen</td>
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<td>&nbsp;</td>
 
 
<td>&nbsp;</td>
 
<td>&nbsp;</td>
 
</tr>
 
</tr>
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==Affiliations==
 
==Affiliations==
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*[[Center for Transitional and Post-Conflict Governance]] &ndash; Organization belonging to IFES
 
*[[Council for a Community of Democracies]]
 
*[[Council for a Community of Democracies]]
 
*[[NED]]
 
*[[NED]]
 
*[[Eurasia Foundation]]
 
*[[Eurasia Foundation]]
 
*[[Freedom House]]
 
*[[Freedom House]]
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*[[International Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development]] (Canadian NGO)
 
*[[International IDEA]]
 
*[[International IDEA]]
 
*[[International Republican Institute]]  
 
*[[International Republican Institute]]  
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*[[Soros Foundation]]
 
*[[Soros Foundation]]
 
* United States Agency for International Development ([[USAID]]) (main funding source).
 
* United States Agency for International Development ([[USAID]]) (main funding source).
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[http://www.ifes.org//partners.htm Source]
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*U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) funding <ref>[http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/15734671.htm]
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[http://www.ifes.org//partners.htm Source]</ref>
  
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==Contact==
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==Contact, References and Resources==
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===Contact===
 
:IFES
 
:IFES
 
:1101 15th Street, N.W., Third Floor
 
:1101 15th Street, N.W., Third Floor
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:Website: [http://www.ifes.org www.ifes.org ]
 
:Website: [http://www.ifes.org www.ifes.org ]
  
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==External Sources==
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*Rightweb, [http://rightweb.irc-online.org/groupwatch/ifes.php International Foundation for Electoral Systems].
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 +
===References===
 +
<references/>
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Democracy Promotion]]

Latest revision as of 10:21, 6 April 2010

The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) was founded in 1987 as a not-for-profit NGO[1] and is based in Washington, DC. It fosters "democratic initiatives", extending loans and grants to various "developing" countries, and it provides "targeted technical assistance to strengthen transitional democracies".[2] IFES notes: "the end of the Cold War in 1989 created opportunities… to respond to an overwhelming demand for technical non-partisan expertise in democracy and governance."[3]

IFES describes its role as follows:

As one of the world's premier democracy and governance assistance organizations, IFES provides targeted technical assistance to strengthen transitional democracies. Founded in 1987 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, IFES has developed and implemented comprehensive, collaborative democracy solutions in more than 100 countries.[4]

Summary of activities

This is how IFES describes its activities:

Emerging democracies often lack the institutional capacity and political will to manage elections or educate their citizens about democratic politics. To meet these needs, IFES provides comprehensive assistance to governments, political parties and civil society organizations in election planning and administration, electoral law development, and voter education. IFES seeks to bring transparency to elections by involving civil society in the process (in observer training, negotiations with national election commissions, etc.) and by incorporating anti-fraud mechanisms, such as political finance instruments, transparent ballot boxes, or inking voters’ fingers.
Since 1987, IFES has accumulated abundant election-related experience by offering these services in scores of countries, including numerous pre-election technical assessments, onsite technical assistance programs, poll-worker training, equipment procurements, and voter registration and education programs. Over time, we have built a cadre of more than 1,500 democracy and governance experts capable of addressing almost any election situation.[5]

The IFES also assists journalists in covering elections.[6]

Actions around the world

Election Guide

IFES has produced the Election Guide website, which enables the monitoring of elections, the election process, and information about parties. The website was paid for by "a generous grant" from USAID.[7]

Contact and personnel

Website: www.electionguide.org

Handing out prizes

In October 2007, IFES awarded the "Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award" to the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza.[8]

Lecturing on how elections should be conducted

Besides handing out prizes, many of IFES's operatives lecture on how elections should be conducted. The emphasis is on the process or mechanics of elections and not on the nature of the political system.[9] IFES is suggesting that money-dominated elections yield corruption and vote rigging. However, the US has a money-intensive election system - raising questions of double standards.

IFES Principals and Staff

Board Memebers

IFES Senior Field Staff

IFES Field-Based Senior Staff
Bradley Austin – Senior Field Development Manager, East/South Africa Dickson Bailey – Project Director, IFES Albania and Kosovo (Elections) Dan Blessington – Chief of Party, Azerbaijan
Elizabeth Côté – Chief of Party, Guinea Almami Cyllah – Chief of Party, Liberia Peter Erben – Deputy Director and Senior Advisor, Center for Transitional and Post-Conflict Governance
Ched Flego – Chief of Party, Armenia Ben Goldsmith – Chief of Party, Egypt Beverly Hagerdon Thakur – Chief of Party, Philippines
Paul Harris – Chief of Party, Yemen Leone Hettenbergh – Chief of Party, Uganda Richard John – Chief of Party, Iraq
Edward Kibirige – Chief of Party, Burundi Charles Lasham – Chief of Party, Nigeria Dr. Cecile Marotte – Chief of Party (Victims of Violence), Haiti
David Mikosz – Chief of Party, Kyrgyz Republic Katherine Müller --Chief of Party, Tajikistan Theo Noel – Chief of Party, Kenya
Mauricio Claudio López-Rivera – Chief of Party, Timor Leste Carmina Sanchis-Ruescas – Chief of Party, DRC Hermann Thiel – Chief of Party, Lebanon
Rodolfo Ticao – Senior Program Manager, Iraq Marcin Walecki – Senior Political Finance Advisor, Center for Transitional and Post-Conflict Governance Peter Williams – Chief of Party, Afghanistan
Jennifer Wilson – Chief of Party, Kazakhstan

Source

Other Consultants

Countries where IFES has been active

IFES states that has assisted more than 100 countries around the world.[11]

Major activity occurred here:

Countries where IFES has major operations
Alabania Angola Azerbaijan
Dominican Republic East Timor Ethiopia
Georgia Guatemala Guinea
Guyana Haiti Honduras
Indonesia Iraq Kazakhstan
Nicaragua Nigeria Pakistan
Palestinian Territories Paraguay Philippines
Tajikistan Yemen  

Affiliations

Contact, References and Resources

Contact

IFES
1101 15th Street, N.W., Third Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005
202.828.8507, Telephone
202.452.0804, Fax
Website: www.ifes.org


References

  1. ↑ About IFES, IFES website, accessed 6 Apr 2010
  2. ↑ About IFES, Election Guide website, accessed 6 Apr 2010
  3. ↑ Europe & Eurasia, IFES website, accessed 6 Apr 2010
  4. ↑ About IFES, Election Guide website, accessed 6 Apr 2010
  5. ↑ Elections services, IFES website, accessed 6 Apr 2010
  6. ↑ Arab journalists can apply for workshop on elections, International Journalists' Network, 17 January 2008
  7. ↑ About Us, Election Guide website, accessed 6 Apr 2010
  8. ↑ IFES Honors OAS Secretary General Insulza With Its Annual Democracy Award, Media Newswire, October 2007. (Accessed: 9 October 2007)
  9. ↑ Achara Ashayagachat, Close monitoring by public urged, Bangkok Post, 17 November 2007.
  10. ↑ Navbahor Imamova, Uzbekistan to Hold Presidential Elections in December, VOA News, 7 November 2007
  11. ↑ FAQs, IFES website, accessed 6 Apr 2010
  12. ↑ [1] Source
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