The Parliamentary Centre, in collaboration with International IDEA, is organizing a conversation useful for Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and Canadian foreign and development policy thinkers to ensure support for women's political voice, inclusive democratic institutions and human rights remain at the heart of Canada’s COVID-19 response.
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As Africa navigates this super year of elections, election and information integrity and voting rights will come under pressure due to the zero-sum nature of Africa's politics.
Mientras África navega por este súper año de elecciones, la integridad electoral y de la información y los derechos de voto se verán presionados debido a la naturaleza de suma cero de la política africana.
This Discussion Paper reviews the performance of 16 lobbying registers according to 3 interlinked dimensions: (a) transparency; (b) regulatory capacity; and (c) interoperability. Under ‘transparency’, the paper examines the scope of lobbying information collected by the register in question, as well as how that information is administered and subsequently disclosed.
Thailand’s constitution was made in 2017 by the military junta government. Although it was approved by referendum, the 2017 Constitution remains highly unpopular due to its origin. Constitutional reform was a central issue during the tightly contested 2023 elections, in which an unprecedented voter turnout demonstrated strong support for democratic and progressive parties. The same demand, of amending the 2017 Constitution, was repeated throughout the 2020-2021 mass protest movement.
La constitución de Tailandia fue redactada en 2017 por el gobierno de la junta militar. Aunque fue aprobada mediante referéndum, la Constitución de 2017 sigue siendo muy impopular debido a su origen. La reforma constitucional fue un tema central durante las reñidas elecciones de 2023, en las que una participación electoral sin precedentes demostró un fuerte apoyo a los partidos democráticos y progresistas.
As political campaigning in the lead-up to elections has moved online, parties and candidates have found new and innovative methods for connecting with voters. However, new challenges have multiplied, with the regulation and oversight authorities struggling to keep up. Campaign communications are increasingly opaque online, thus enabling harmful mis- and disinformation to influence electoral narratives.
As new political developments come to light in Thailand, the spotlight is again on the intricate relationship between money and politics in the country. The 2023 General Elections were watched closely not only for their outcomes but also for the way campaigns were funded and conducted.
Thailand has made several efforts to reform key aspects of its political finance system, including regulations relating to funding for political parties and election campaigns. Yet, several challenges remain that merit constant improvements and innovation to regulate political finance and put appropriate systems and processes in place to ensure enforcement.
The number of democracies in the Americas remains the same as two years ago despite the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, most of the democracies in the region demonstrated great resilience in the face of the pandemic. Parliaments, the judiciary and the media of most democracies in the region managed to adapt and continue to exercise their control functions, even in the midst of numerous restrictions that hampered their work.
On 15 August, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for a snap election. This September election, a full two years before the next elections were due, was an opportunistic move. As leader of the Liberal Party, Trudeau had been governing with a plurality (but not a majority) of the seats in the House of Commons since 2019. In the summer of 2021, the Liberal Party was polling well, and the election call was an attempt to translate that polling support into a majority government.
The influence of money in politics is a significant threat to democracy, affecting established and emerging democracies alike.
Inadequately controlled flows of money undermine the credibility of elections and the integrity of democratic institutions and processes around the world. Well-designed political finance regulations that are enforceable and anchored in their country’s context play a vital role in ensuring that money is a positive force in politics.
What are women and youth commissions? What purpose do they serve? How are they formed? Do they further marginalize women and youth or bring them into the folds of decision-making?