centre for democratic institutions CDI.News

Newsletter of the Centre for Democratic Institutions October - November 2006

Dear Colleagues, In this issue Welcome to the October-November 2006 issue of CDI.News from the Centre for Democratic Institutions (CDI), Australia. Recent Activities This issue focusses on our recent Respon- 2006 CDI Responsible Parliamentary sible Parliamentary Course and a range of Government Course concludes ...... 2 new activities CDI is undertaking. CDI International Political Party CDI was established in 1998 by the Minister for Foreign Assistance Roundtable ...... 2 Affairs and Trade, the Hon Alexander Downer, to assist in the development and strengthening of democratic institu- CDI and Senior U.S. Officials Discuss tions in developing countries. CDI’s work combines techni- Democracy Promotion ...... 3 cal assistance and capacity building programs, networking, CDI Deputy Director & and interpersonal and knowledge exchange, including the Program Manager Appointed ...... 3 dissemination of CDI’s original research on democracy and Dialogue with International Visitors its institutions. Our focus countries comprise Indonesia and August-September '06 ...... 4 Timor-Leste in South East Asia and , , Solomon Islands and Vanuatu in Melanesia. CDI appears before the JSCFADT Human Rights Sub-Committee ...... 5 CDI’s central goal is to support these regional focus coun- tries in strengthening their political parties & systems of CDI Supports International Dialogue parliamentary governance. on Democracy in Indonesia & Thailand ...... 5

Accordingly, CDI works to: Fiji Parliamentary Graduates Participate in • Improve the operation and understanding of parlia- the 2006 ASPG Annual Conference ...... 5 mentary machinery by members of parliament and CDI Deputy Director in PNG ...... 5 parliamentary staff in focus countries • Strengthen political parties in focus countries through Forthcoming improving the knowledge and skills of members and 2006 Political Party Development Course .....5 officials of political parties Improving • Extend networks in the region between Australian po- Women's Representation in the Pacific ...... 6 litical party officials, parliamentarians and parliamen- tary staff and their counterparts from focus countries Feature Articles, Events, & Links CDI’s core budget is provided by AusAID, Australia’s Government capacity and citizen expecta- Agency for International Development. tions in Bougainville: The impact of political CDI.News will keep you informed periodically of our autonomy ...... 6 activities and events, and you can access this information The Quest for Constitutional and more at any time by visiting our website @ www.cdi. Reform in Tonga ...... 6 anu.edu.au Benjamin Reilly CDI Director

Centre for Democratic Institutions Phone: 61 2 6125 0605 Email: [email protected] Australian National University Fax: 61 2 6125 9726 Website: www.cdi.anu.edu.au ACT 0200 AUSTRALIA

CDI Newsletter - October - November 2006  CDIRecent Activities

The 5th Annual CDI Responsible Parliamentary Government Course concludes in Canberra CDI’s fifth annual Responsible Parliamentary Government (RPG) course took place 7 to 25 August 2006 in Canberra. The three-week program was again coordinated by CDI Associate Dr Stephen Sherlock. RPG is designed primarily for mid-level to senior parliamentary officials and examines the fundamental principles and doctrines underlying ▲The RPG Class of 2006 with co-ordinator Dr Stephen the practice Sherlock & CDI Director Ben Reilly. of responsible ◄ Female participants from PNG, Indonesia, Thailand & Vietnam parliamentary government. Using the Australian Commonwealth Parliament as the principal example, the course covers issues of 2006 International Political parliamentary best practice including constitutional Party Assistance Roundtable foundations, the main activities of parliament, and related structures for accountability and scrutiny of administration. CDI’s inaugural International Political To foster cross-regional ties and learning, the Speakers Party Assistance of selected Asian and Pacific parliaments were invited to Roundtable concluded nominate officials to participate in RPG. In 2006 there were an intensive meeting 19 participants from 8 countries - Indonesia, Papua New in Canberra on 7 Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Vietnam, East September 2006 Timor and . with a commitment As one of the major activities supported by CDI in the area by Australian and of legislative strengthening, the RPG course has attracted international democracy promotion organisations to work increasing interest from parliaments in Southeast Asia and closely together on the task of political party strengthening. the Pacific Islands region. In its five years of existence, the Drawing together the major Australian party secretariats course has now trained 84 parliamentary officials in 10 with relevant government representatives and international countries. Click on this link for further details on RPG in organisations, the Roundtable was the first gathering of 2006: all key actors working on political party development in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific. The roundtable focussed on lessons learned from the experience of political party assistance in the Asia-Pacific continued over

CDI Newsletter - October - November 2006  region, and the sharing of experiences to identify optimum Discussion focussed on possible areas of future cooperation strategies of party assistance in CDI’s target countries of between CDI and NED, including in the area of political Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon party assistance. Islands and Vanuatu and in the broader Asia-Pacific region. To this end, the workshop featured presentations from CDI, international party assistance organisations working in these countries such as the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, and the Asia Foundation, as well as the Liberal Party of Australia and the CDI Deputy Director & Australian Labor Party. Program Manager Appointed Click on the link below for further information: Quinton Clements (BA Hons, 1st Class, ANU) has been appointed Deputy Director of the Centre for Democratic Institutions. A former parliamentary official and expert on the South Pacific, CDI and Senior U.S. Officials his work focuses on strengthening Discuss Democracy Promotion parliaments and implementing good governance best practice. In August CDI hosted visits from two senior United States officials in charge of U.S. democracy promotion activities. Prior to taking up this position, Mr Clements held a number of positions in the Australian Public On Monday 14 August, Dr Steven Service and in the Department of the House of Krasner, Director for Policy Representatives, Parliament of Australia. He served as Planning in the U.S. Department of Inquiry Secretary to the Parliamentary Joint Standing State, visited CDI to discuss issues Committee on the National Capital and External of democracy in the Asia-Pacific Territories; and acting Committee Secretary for the region. Dr Krasner was appointed Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO, ASIS and by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and has a wide- DSD and the Parliamentary Standing Committee ranging mandate including issues of policy coordination on Public Works. Mr Clements has also worked in and democracy promotion. Prior to his appointment, the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea as Dr. Krasner was director of the Center on Democracy, Committee Secretary to the Parliamentary Select Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford University, Committee on a Pacific Economic Community. and Director for Governance and Development at the National Security Council, where he worked primarily on Daniela Capaccio (B. Comm) recently the Millennium Challenge Account. joined CDI on secondment from the Australian Electoral Commission Discussions with Dr Krasner focussed on issues of (AEC) as Program Manager, focussing governance, rule of law, and democracy, particularly the on improving women’s political problem of failing and fragile states in the Asia-Pacific representation in the Pacific Islands. region and the potential for better cooperation between established and emerging democracies. Prior to taking up her 3-month secondment, Ms Capaccio held a number of positions within the On Thursday 17 August, CDI AEC, where she has been involved in the conduct hosted Mr Carl Gershman, the of parliamentary elections both within Australia and President of the US National internationally. Most recently she worked for 12 Endowment for Democracy (NED), months in the Solomon Islands as the Manager of the which funds democracy promotion Solomon Islands Village Level Civic Education Project activities worldwide through and as an adviser to the Solomon Islands Electoral grantmaking programs in Africa, Commission for the 2006 national elections. Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Latin America. NED focuses on strengthening Ms Capaccio has also worked for the International the institutions and procedures of electoral democracy to Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance ensure free and fair elections; and encouraging the gradual (IDEA) in Stockholm where her work focused on youth consolidation of liberal democracy by measures that voter participation at national elections worldwide. strengthen the rule of law, protect individual liberties, and foster social pluralism.

CDI Newsletter - October - November 2006  CDI Dialogue with International Visitors August - September '06

Overseas Development Institute (UK) AusAID-funded project which draws together Australian and Indonesian researchers working on governance issues Diana Cammack of the Overseas in Indonesia. Development Institute, a UK think tank on international development and NDI, IRI & the Asia Foundation humanitarian issues, visited CDI in August On 5 September, CDI Director Ben Reilly and Deputy to discuss the political and economic Director Quinton Clements met with the National situation in Papua New Guinea. She is Democratic Institute’s (NDI) Resident Representative in working on an analysis for the Chronic Poverty Resource Indonesia, Mr W. Paul Rowland, to discuss CDI’s and Centre on ‘why PNG stays poor’. NDI’s ongoing cooperation in the political party and Mali’s Ambassador to parliamentary assistance fields. Australia The following day, Dr Reilly and Mr Clements held similar H.E. Madamme Guisse, discussions with Ms Johanna Kao of the International Mali’s Ambassador Republican Institute (IRI) and Mr Timothy Meisburger of to Australia, visited the Asia Foundation about efforts to promote participatory, CDI to discuss the accountable, and transparent governance in the Asia-Pacific World Community of region. Democracies, of which Mr Rowland, Ms Kao and Mr Meisburger were all in Mali is the current host. The Community of Democracies Canberra as part of CDI’s International Political Party is an intergovernmental organization of democracies Assistance Roundtable as detailed on page 2. and democratizing countries with a stated commitment Asia Foundation to strengthening and deepening democratic norms and practices worldwide. It also operates as a democracy Dr George Varughese caucus within the UN. The Community was inaugurated in of the Asia Foundation 2000 and has been chaired by some of the world’s leading visited CDI to discuss new or restored democracies—Poland, South Korea, Australia’s support for Chile and now Mali. The government of Mali will be their work in Afghanistan. using its Chairmanship to bridge two gaps in international Australia is providing cooperation: the link between building democratic support to Afghanisan’s governance and fighting poverty; and second, the link Independent Electoral Commission, amongst a number of between building democratic governance and overcoming initiatives aimed at strengthening the fragile political system conflict and helping to restore war-torn societies. in Afghanistan. Director of the International Institute Commonwealth Secretariat’s for Democracy and Political Affairs Division Electoral Assistance Mr Matthew Neuhaus, Mr Andrew Ellis, Director of the Political head of the electoral Affairs Division in the processes program Commonwealth Secretariat, at the International visited the CDI offices to discuss future cooperation in the Institute for democratic governance field. CDI and the Commonwealth Democracy and have worked together on a number of projects, particularly Electoral Assistance (IDEA), visited CDI on September 22 in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Island countries. to discuss issues of mutual interest, including the joint CDI- IDEA-UNU program on political party development in new Australia-Indonesia Governance Research democracies. Partnership Click on this link to our website for more detail on these The new Indonesia research director of the and further visits: Australia-Indonesia Governance Research Partnership, Etsi Yudhini, visited CDI to discuss future cooperation. The Governance Research Partnership is a multi-million dollar

CDI Newsletter - October - November 2006  CDI appears before the Fiji Parliamentary Graduates JSCFADT Human Rights Sub- Participate in the 2006 ASPG Committee Annual Conference CDI Director Ben Reilly and Deputy Director Quinton CDI funded a group of 7 graduates and Clements appeared before the Human Rights Sub- their supervisor from the Parliament Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign of Fiji to attend the 2006 Australasian Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT) to discuss CDI’s Study of Parliament Group's (ASPG) activities in the South Pacific. In a broad-ranging annual conference held in Wellington discussion, CDI’s new focus on parliamentary and political NZ in late September. party assistance was the subject of many questions, as were This conference provided an opportunity for the graduates forthcoming major training activities such as the inaugural to build networks with counterparts from other jurisdictions, Political Party Development Course in October and the in particular and Australia. 8th Pacific Parliamentary Dialogue in Samoa in December. Future linkages between CDI and the JSCFADT were also A full report of this project will be posted on our website in canvassed, including the potential participation of Senator the near future at this page: Marise Payne and others in the Samoa event, and the possibility of CDI facilitating linkages between JSCFADT and analogous parliamentary committees from Indonesia and East Timor. CDI Deputy Director in PNG CDI Deputy Director Quinton Clements visited Papua New Guinea in early October to discuss with interested bodies, including the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea, a proposed induction program for Members of Parliament following the 2007 national elections. Mr Clements also CDI Supports International followed up on a research project CDI has commissioned Dialogue on Democracy in from Transparency International PNG, and held discussions with the National Research Institute on possible future Indonesia & Thailand research projects. CDI has played an active role in supporting two major Click on this link for more detail on our website: international events on democracy and governance in Indonesia and Thailand. On 21-23 September, the 24th annual Indonesia Update conference was held at the ANU on the theme of ‘Democracy and the Promise of Good Governance’. CDI CDI Director Ben Reilly participated in the conference and Forthcoming wrote a paper on Electoral and Political Party Reform in Indonesia. The following week, just days after the military coup in Political Party Development Thailand, the annual Thailand Update was held on the Course subject of ‘The coup, constitution and continuing crisis: what reforms are needed?” CDI chaired a session on This new flagship course offered by CDI will be run at the independent institutions and supported the participation of ANU in Canberra 9 - 20 October 2006. Prof Gotham Arya, one of Thailand’s leading public figures, The Political Party Development Course (PPD) will cover who played a key role in drafting the 1997 constitution, the nuts and bolts of party politics from the inside. Topics to and was a member of the first Election Commission. be addressed include running effective campaigns; public Click here for more information on our website: opinion and polling; successful electoral strategies; media relations; policy development; membership recruitment; issue management; and political party funding. PPD is aimed at those engaged in the actual business

CDI Newsletter - October - November 2006  of politics, political advising and political campaigns - of independence (1975 and 1990). However while political advisers, campaign workers, party activists, and expectations are understandably high, the ABG’s ability politicians themselves. 18 participants from Indonesia, East to meet citizen expectations is being hampered by the Timor, PNG, Fiji, and Vanuatu will participate in PPD this government’s administrative, institutional and financial year. capacities, the security situation on the island and a very weak economy. The success or failure of political PPD is convened by Mr Norm Kelly, a former Member autonomy, and indeed this post-conflict governance of the Legislative Council of Western Australia, where structure will depend to a large extent on the type of he represented the Australian Democrats. He is currently policies that the government designs and implements as a member of the Political Science Program at the ANU, well as its interactions with citizens. where he is completing a PhD. Click on this link for more PPD details on our website:

Improving Women's Representation in the Pacific The Quest for Constitutional Reform in Tonga CDI Program Manager Daniela Capaccio will be visiting Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji in early Ian Campbell October for discussions with various organisations last month saw the death of King Tupou IV on Tonga, one involved in promoting women in politics in the Pacific of the world’s longest-serving monarchs, six days after Islands. The visit will be a scoping study of the initiatives receiving the final report of the National Committee on that these organisations are undertaking as well as possible Political Reform, which sets out a blueprint for democratic involvement in a gender workshop that will be part of the opening in Tonga. The following article, by Ian Campell of CDI Pacific Parliamentary Dialogue to be held in Samoa in the University of the South Pacific, examines ‘The Quest for December. Constitutional Reform in Tonga’. It was published in The Journal of Pacific History, Vol. 40, No. 1, June 2005. CDIFeature Articles, Events, & Links

Government capacity and citizen expectations in Bougainville: The impact of political autonomy All suggestions and comments Raymond Masono are welcome to This featured item is a recent addition to the ANU's Policy [email protected] & Governance Program (Crawford School of Economics & Government) Discussion Paper Series. The author, Raymond Masono is a planning officer in the Bougainville To subscribe to CDI.News Administration’s planning unit, and this paper was visit the CDI website submitted in part fulfillment for the requirement of Master @ of Public Policy at the ANU this year. The abstract is as http://www.cdi.anu.edu.au/cdinews/cdinews.htm follows and you can access the full article through the link below: After ten years of civil war (1989-97), four years of protracted political negotiations (1998-2001), and another four years of legislative amendments (2002- 05), Bougainvillians now have a government which the majority believe will finally address the issues that underpinned two previous unilateral declarations

CDI Newsletter - October - November 2006