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International Republican Institute A Quarterly Report of the International Republican Institute Winter 2004 IRI Trains Women Leaders in Middle East n February, and should not, look women leaders like [America]... I from the Gulf ...working democracies region gathered in always need time to Doha, Qatar, for an develop – as did our intensive five-day own...[America has] seminar on campaign taken a 200-year management and journey toward strategies. Co- inclusion and justice – organized by the and this makes us International patient and Republican Institute understanding as other (IRI) and the National nations are at different Democratic Institute, stages of this journey.” the event was attended by more Commenting on the than 60 participants enthusiasm of the Left to right: Sheikha Yousef Hassan al Gefery, a member of the Qatar Municipal Council and from Bahrain, the first elected female in the Gulf, poses with Dina Habib Powell, Assistant to the President and participants, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Director of Presidential Personnel. They were at the Middle East Partnership Initiative February Powell said, “They the United Arab leadership conference in Doha, Qatar. emerged from the Emirates and Yemen. Entitled “Partners conference ready to take the skills and in Participation,” the conference was the put them to use. I feel as though I volunteer, Judy Biviano Lloyd, who has first in a series to be conducted in the continued on page 5 region by the institutes throughout the worked on previous presidential See MEPI Conference next two years with support from the campaigns, found conference U.S. State Department’s Middle East participants eager to learn. “Any Partnership Initiative (MEPI). hesitation on the women’s part to believe that our knowledge would Table of Contents First Lady Laura Bush addressed apply to their situations was quickly conference attendees on the opening dispelled when I used Arnold Page 2...... Message from the Chairman day with video-taped remarks. “Educated Schwarzenegger’s campaign for Liberian interim leader visits and empowered women are vital to California Governor to demonstrate democracy and important for the message and coalition building,” Page 3...... Afghans prepare for elections development of all countries,” Bush told Biviano Lloyd said. Durban conference participants. Page 4...... IRI conducts polls in Iraq Dina Habib Powell, Assistant to the “Many nations face the challenge of President and Director of Presidential Page 5...... Macedonian President mourned making sure every person can realize his Personnel at the White House and a IRI trains women in Middle East or her full potential. But no society can speaker at the event, quoted prosper when women do not contribute the President saying, “As we watch and Page 6...... Georgian elections to its progress,” said Bush. encourage reforms in the region, we are Party strengthening in Latin America mindful that modernization is not the In conference workshops, IRI trainers same as Westernization. Representative Page 7...... Polling in Asia shared campaign planning, message governments in the Middle East will development, outreach and media skills Page 8...... New board members reflect their own cultures. They are not, Staff changes with the regional participants. IRI
1225 Eye Street NW • Suite 700 • Washington, D.C. • 20005 IRI Message from the Chairman he gains for women in the political proceedings in several regions, IRI’s International environments of Morocco, Jordan and team issued a report that highlighted Republican the West Bank. serious flaws in Georgia’s election T process. The people of Georgia were Institute is playing a vital role in In addition to the Middle East, IRI outraged at the conduct of the election America’s “forward contributed to the formation of demo- and eventually forced the formation of strategy of free- cratic institutions in other parts of the a new government. In February, I was dom” in the Middle Muslim world. IRI trained political pleased to meet with Mikhail East. In February, parties and issued a comprehensive Saakashvili, who affirmed his commit- IRI organized a opinion poll in Indonesia, the world’s ment to democracy and reform in campaign training conference — largest Muslim democracy. Georgia. sponsored by the State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative In the last newsletter, I noted that a (MEPI) — for more than 60 women team of IRI election monitors was from several Gulf countries and enroute to Georgia to observe that Yemen. The Institute’s programs in country’s parliamentary elections. After recent years have resulted in direct monitoring voting and counting Senator John McCain IRI Co-hosts Liberian Interim Leader Save the Date Tuesday, April 27, 2004 RI welcomed Washington D.C. I Gyude Bryant, THE INTERNATIONAL Chairman of the National REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE’S Transitional Government 2004 of Liberia, to FREEDOM DINNER Washington, D.C., at a tÇw luncheon at the Heritage AWARD CEREMONY Foundation, Left to right: Helle Dale, Deputy Director of the Davis Institute for International Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation; Gyude Bryant, Chairman of the National co-hosted Transitional Government of Liberia; George A. Folsom, IRI’s President and CEO. They CELEBRATING 20 YEARS by IRI. were at the Heritage Foundation luncheon in Washington D.C. ADVANCING2 DEMOCRACY0 WORLDWIDE Institute President and CEO Dr. George Folsom rebuilding effort. Attendees included For more information please go to www.iri.org encouraged the international U.S. Ambassador to Liberia John or call Carla Eudy at (202) 682-9024 community to assist Liberian efforts to Blaney, as well as U.S. congressional achieve democratic stability. Folsom staffers, and representatives from the emphasized that “borders and oceans Department of State, key think tanks To continue progress toward no longer isolate us from instability in and nongovernmental organizations democratic stability in Liberia, IRI re- even the most distant parts of the working in Liberia. established a program in the country world.” to provide political parties with With help from the international capacity-building workshops and a Bryant shared his vision for the community, war-torn Liberia has resource center. The resource center transitional period. He stressed the already made strides toward will offer the developing parties access importance of the international reconstruction and having a to computers, printers and fax community’s role in Liberia’s representative form of government. machines critical to party organization.
2 International Republican Institute World Movement IRI Pr epares Afghans for for Democracy National Elections s Afghanistan moves towards Complementing the work of the Meets in Durban mid-2004 elections after regional offices, IRI has also launched A promulgation of the the first in a series of mobile civic RI President and CEO Dr. country’s new constitution in education units, which will enable George Folsom represented the December 2003, IRI and its the Institute to reach into the most IInstitute at the Third Assembly remote and of the World Movement for marginalized Democracy, held in Durban, communities. South Africa in February. The Each of the World Movement for Democracy, regional offices coordinated by the National will have an Endowment for Democracy assigned (NED), brought together more mobile unit than 600 democracy activists, and field team. practitioners and scholars from IRI is more than 100 countries in every cooperating in region of the world. Folsom and this project Dr. John Sullivan, executive with WADAN, director of the Center for Afghan casts his ballot in the Nagarhar province election for delegates to the a local International Private Enterprise Constitutional Loya Jirga in December 2003. nongovernmental (CIPE), co-chaired a panel on organization. successful strategies for partners are engaged in a democratic parties promoting comprehensive effort to mobilize As part of its civic education market reforms in their countries. Afghan citizenry in preparation for program, which includes a mass Other panels addressed the the polls. media component, in December, IRI potential for collaboration released 40,000 audio cassettes, between U.S. and European In addition to ongoing support of featuring commissioned recordings by democratic assistance efforts and the 275-member Afghan well-known Afghan poets and the challenges for Nongovernmental Organization musicians on themes of national unity nongovernmental organizations Coordination Bureau (ANCB) and and democracy. The recordings are in building democratic institutions Afghanistan’s only daily independent now widely played on the BBC and in the Middle East, particularly newspaper, Erada, IRI has launched Voice of America (VOA), as well as in Iraq. a nationwide civic and voter local outlets. During the education program. Through offices Constitutional Loya Jirga in Imam Prasodjo of Indonesia in the country’s regional December, all delegates received remarked that the opportunity to administrative centers that offer multiple copies. Plans for a series of meet others who are working to permanent venues for civic regional concerts featuring the artists strengthen democracy in their education programs, the Institute is and guest speakers are underway. In own countries and to share ideas facilitating open discussion and January, a test run was conducted in and experiences with them was informed debate about the Jalalabad in cooperation with a local for him the real value of the constitution, elections and the youth organization, the Afghan Youth Durban Assembly. IRI looks constructive role that can be played Convention. forward to participation in the by pluralism and participation in the Fourth Assembly of the World new Afghanistan. The project is an To gauge public reactions to political Movement for Democracy, expansion of the civic education developments, such as the new tentatively planned for Istanbul, program launched by IRI in early constitution and the forthcoming Turkey, in 2006. 2002 in partnership with the elections, in February, IRI went into Association for Democracy in the field with its first national public Afghanistan (ADA). opinion poll.
3 IRI Iraqis Share Views in IRI Poll n December, the Institute capped divisions are less important to ordinary themselves freely and the chance for off several months of work in Iraq Iraqis than issues like jobs, the Iraqis to govern themselves. Despite Iwith a comprehensive opinion poll economy and security. repeated assurances, however, many and the launch of a series of focus remained skeptical that the United groups. The results provided valuable The poll also shows that contrary to States would return sovereignty to insight into the perceptions of popular belief, most respondents get Iraqis at the end of June. ordinary Iraqis towards democracy, their news from Iraqi television and the role of Islam and their radio, and not foreign satellite services The IRI Iraq program will expand expectations of and hopes for a new such as Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya. to help train and build new political government. parties that can effectively respond Augmenting the polling work were to public needs and opinion. The The survey of 1,531 people was several IRI-sponsored focusD groups.EMOCRACY In Institute has called on earlier designed to help provisional leaders partnership with public opinion contacts made in Eastern Europe and Iraq’s new political parties put experts from Romania, IRI trained and the United Kingdom during together an agenda for governance Iraq’s first indigenous focus group the 1990s to leverage their that will meet the needs of most moderators. experience in transitioning from Iraqis, regardless of religion or totalitarian rule. In addition to the ethnicity. In focus groups conducted throughout Romanian public opinion experts, a the country, both Iraqi men and Serbian democracy activist joined the Employment and security topped the women articulated a variety of views IRI team in early March. In coming list of issues of greatest concern to the on the progress of reconstruction and months, IRI plans to partner with respondents. The poll revealed that their aspirations for the future. Both several Central European only two percent of Iraqis are actually groups said unreservedly that the nongovernmental organizations to members of a political party at this biggest improvements in Iraqi life help transfer transition experience nascent stage of a transition to since the downfall of Saddam Hussein from the post-communist world to democracy. have been the ability of express post-Saddam Iraq.
Nearly 70 percent of the respondents categorized themselves as “moderate Islamists” or “Iraqi nationalists.” The issue of the role of religion in the new government has been a source of much debate. The interim constitution agreed to by the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) describes Islam as a “source of legislation” without necessarily being the sole source of law – a view that was largely reflected in IRI’s poll. In an encouraging finding, IRI’s public opinion research shows that religious and ethnic IRI trainers work with Iraqi youth leaders
4 International Republican Institute West Bank Women Receive Training or the past eight years, IRI has in six major cities throughout the West helped strengthen democratic Bank. Nearly 200 women campaign Ftrends among Palestinians in the managers and prospective candidates West Bank and Gaza. Recently, IRI received training in communications, increased its efforts to prepare women public speaking, media relations and for leadership in the public policy campaign planning and management. process. Women currently represent In December, IRI hosted a two-day over half of Palestinian society and are conference to exchange ideas and First Lady Laura Bush speaks to women leaders in Doha, Qatar, via video during the February MEPI severely marginalized in the strategies for leadership in civil society conference. Palestinian political arena. as Palestinian women work towards greater democratic governance. With the help of local partners, IRI MEPI Conference supported 50 workshops and seminars continued from page 1 learned more from them than they did from me.” Other IRI volunteers at the conference included Carole Hillard, former lieutenant governor of South Dakota; Marcie Ridgway, press secretary for Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio); and Stephanie Wheeler, coordinator of the Republican Party’s 2003 72-hour grassroots GOTV program in the state of Georgia.
The Partners in Participation conference was presented in cooperation with the Supreme Council Women present questions during a two-day training conference in Ramallah hosted by IRI in December. for Family Affairs of Qatar. IRI Mourns the Late Macedonian President he President of Macedonia, Throughout his presidency, IRI The United States sent five delegates Boris Trajkovski, died continued to provide consultation for to honor Trajkovski at his funeral in Ton February 26 when his Trajkovski. During the uprising in March. The delegation consisted of plane crashed in southern Bosnia. 2001, IRI staff conducted special U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs The international community public opinion research and designed Anthony Principi; U.S. Congressman regarded Trajkovski as a a communications strategy, which Frank Wolf; U.S. Congressman Elliot peacemaker in the Balkans, a helped the president restore calm and Engel; Barry Jackson, deputy assistant reputation he earned by move the country toward the Ohrid to the President and deputy to the preserving the unity of his Agreement – established to put an end senior advisor for strategic initiatives; multiethnic country. He previously to the ethnic conflict between and Kent Patton, former IRI served as deputy foreign minister Macedonians and ethnic Albanians. He Macedonia resident program officer. before he was elected president was a tireless advocate for in 1999. reconciliation within Macedonia and Just days before Trajkovski’s death the Balkan region. He worked to Jackson was in Macedonia on an IRI IRI provided political and improve his country’s often bitter ties mission where he met with Trajkovski communications training for with its neighbors, and he showed and trained senior government Trajkovski’s 1999 campaign. political courage in supporting officials and party leaders on Trajkovski subsequently won the unpopular initiatives to provide equal successful communication strategies election and became Macedonia’s rights to Macedonia’s Albanian and leadership skills. first non-communist president. minority.
5 IRI Georgia’s Flawed Election Ignites IRI Strengthens Peaceful Revolution Political Parties in he Republic of Latin America Georgia has aced with deepening political T experienced crises and waning confidence in momentous political change in leadership throughout the Western the past few months. A flawed F Hemisphere, Latin American political election led to the resignation parties increasingly recognize the of a long-standing leader and desperate need for reform. With this the election of Georgia’s third in mind, IRI has been working to president since the country strengthen political party institutions became independent in 1991. in six Latin American countries: Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, For the November 2 Ecuador, Bolivia and Argentina. IRI parliamentary election, IRI and consultant Dr. Javier Loaiza, sent 20 accredited observers IRI Chairman Sen. John McCain with Georgian President director of the Tomas Moro School of to monitor voting and Mikhail Saakashvili Government (EGTM), have held counting proceedings in eight consultative meetings and seminars Shevardnadze. Saakashvili took different regions. The delegation, with individual parties in the six office at the end of January. led by IRI President and CEO Dr. countries to identify obstacles to George Folsom, consisted of The elections were the third internal democratic reform and political campaign veterans, Institute parliamentary balloting held in develop possible solutions to promote staff, and regional experts – Georgia since it achieved party renewal. including Dr. Charles Fairbanks, the independence from the Soviet Union director of the Central Asia-Caucasus In February, IRI and Loaiza released in 1991. The past two national Institute, and Zeyno Baran, director the preliminary results of the study elections, the 2000 presidential of international security and energy during a two-day conference in election and the 1999 parliamentary programs at the Nixon Center. IRI Antigua, Guatemala. Thirty party election, proved that the democratic observers noted that although voter representatives discussed the results election process in Georgia was far turnout was high, the inaccuracies and identified areas in which the from impartial and transparent. of the voter lists and the lack of parties could begin to promote reforms effectively trained precinct through internal democratization The local election in 2002, however, commission members caused the projects, leadership development, was quite different. Though poorly entire election process to be transparency in financial management administered, the elections drew a questioned. IRI’s post-election report and civic outreach. In addition, 14 U.S., high voter turnout and no single found that the Georgian election Latin American and European experts in party dominated, demonstrating that failures were compounded by their fields led workshops on themes a healthy multi-party system is administrative shortcomings, chaos including strategic communications, finally forming in Georgia. and uncertainty that dominated the conflict resolution and negotiations, election environment. youth involvement, grassroots IRI has been conducting programs development and crisis management. in Georgia since 1998 to facilitate Representatives from Mexico’s Partido Georgia’s democratic opposition the country’s transition to a Accion Nacional (PAN), Partido took to the streets to protest the competitive multi-party democracy. Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) and election, eventually forcing the The Institute has trained thousands the Partido de la Revolucion resignation of President Eduard of political party activists and Shevardnadze, who had governed members of most political parties in Georgia since 1992. The opposition Georgia. IRI has aimed to enable parties settled on Mikhail Saakashvili, parties to communicate their a U.S.-educated attorney, as a messages to a broader cross-section continued on page 7 consensus candidate to replace of society. See Latin America
6 International Republican Institute Latin America continued from page 6 Politics by Numbers Democratica (PRD) discussed their IRI Promotes Polling in Asia to Benefit Parties and Voters parties’ experiences in adapting to new n the United States, polling is often government and political parties laws regulating party activities and perceived more akin to responded with great interest. Timor’s their experiences in local and national handicapping a horse race or opposition parties, after learning that governance. I fodder for the pundits and only 14 percent of respondents The event provided an important newspapers. In Asia, however, IRI recognized their National Unity opportunity to bring together Latin uses polls to teach the most basic Platform, immediately requested that American political party activists lessons of democracy. Polls say to IRI train them on message committed to strengthening democratic politicians: address the needs of the development. institutions. They were able to discuss voters or risk defeat in future elections. the challenges they face in efforts to For political parties in Asia, which In Indonesia, where IRI has conducted increase transparency and often think they know what voters polls since 2001, political parties now accountability in their respective want, polling has revealed a new eagerly anticipate the release of IRI’s institutions. The event also served to perspective on the nature of politics. latest polling data. The parties have motivate the participants in their discovered that they can use the polls efforts to promote party renewal, as Among Asia’s emerging democracies, to more effectively engage voters and they often encounter both internal and political polling is a relatively new build a broader base of support. external obstacles when trying to phenomenon. In many of the Following a poll in Surabaya that implement change. countries where IRI is involved, reflected voters’ desire for greater polling was unheard of even a year attention to basic community services, IRI will continue working with the ago. In an effort to make political representatives from several parties group and their colleagues to build parties more responsive to voters, IRI were able to amend the government’s their capacity to promote party has introduced public opinion polling budget to provide for flood protection. renewal. In collaboration with the to an intrigued and enthusiastic audience. EGTM, IRI will develop an online IRI has also used polling to help bring course focusing on leadership together parties that were otherwise development skills and democratic Recognizing issues that affect voters is divided by personal disputes. Since values. IRI also will provide technical critical to the success of political the defeat of Mongolia’s Democratic support and assistance to the parties to parties. In countries across Asia, Party in 2000, IRI has used polling data help them develop strategies to where information often travels slowly to help leading reformers create a new overcome obstacles to internal due to lack of phones, radios and coalition of democrats ahead of democratization, particularly in civic televisions, parties often have difficulty parliamentary elections in 2004. participation, grassroots outreach, knowing the concerns of the voters leadership development and they hope to represent. IRI polling in Former Prime Minister Mendsaikhani transparent financial management and Indonesia, East Timor and Mongolia is Enkhsaikhan, chairman of the party procedures. helping political parties recognize Democratic Party, called IRI’s latest these concerns and to focus on issues. poll, which was released in In November December, “...helpful in stressing to all 2003, IRI released opposition forces to unite as one the first-ever political opposition.” political opinion poll in East Following the success of its polls Timor. While across the region, IRI plans to generating continue polling in Indonesia, East controversy over Timor and Mongolia, while poll results in expanding polling efforts to a nation Cambodia and Bangladesh to unaccustomed to encourage more responsive Political party representatives discuss strategy with IRI President and polling, the political parties and governments. CEO Dr. George Folsom at a two-day conference hosted by IRI in Antigua, Guatemala.
7 IRI IRI Announces New Board Members, Staff Changes Randy Scheunemann joined IRI’s LLP in Chicago. He was U.S. Stuart P. Krusell was promoted to board of directors in January. He is a Ambassador and alternate representative deputy director of Iraq Programs. foreign policy and national security to the United Nations for special Krusell was previously a program analyst based in Washington D.C. In political affairs. He served as assistant officer with the Asia Division. Krusell 2002, he founded the Committee for secretary of State for the International served as executive director of the the Liberation of Iraq (CLI) to promote Organization Affairs at the U.S. State World Affairs Council of Boston. He is freedom for the Iraqi people. Department and as assistant to the a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy Scheunemann served as a consultant President for intergovernmental affairs in School of Government. to the office of the Secretary of De- the Reagan White House. fense. Previously, he served as Alicia O’Donnell joined IRI as the National Security Advisor to Senate Kara Kennedy is IRI’s new director of manager for external affairs. O’Donnell Republican and Majority Leaders Bob development. Kennedy’s background served as legislative assistant for Rep. Dole and Trent Lott. includes work as a fundraising Doug Bereuter (R-NE) and on the staff director at the American Red Cross of the House International Relations Richard S. Williamson has rejoined National Headquarters, where she was Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. IRI’s board of directors. He is a responsible for disaster fundraising and O’Donnell will monitor activities on partner at Mayer, Brown, Roe & Maw, planning special events. Capitol Hill as they relate to IRI.
The International Republican Institute (IRI) is a Officers nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Board of Directors democracy worldwide. U.S. Sen. John McCain U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel George A. Folsom Cheryl F. Halpern President (202) 408-9450 phone Chairman William J. Hybl (202) 408-9462 fax Robert M. Kimmitt Georges A. Fauriol E-mail: [email protected] Michael V. Kostiw Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Vice President Website: www.iri.org Vice Chairman U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe Strategic Planning Peter T. Madigan IRI maintains programs in Afghanistan, Albania, J. William Middendorf, II Fred Meyer Marguerite H. Sullivan Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Secretary -Treasurer Janet Mullins Grissom Vice President Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burma, Communications Cambodia, China, Cote d’Voire, Croatia, Cuba, East Gahl Hodges Burt Alec L. Poitevint, II Timor, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, U.S. Rep. David Dreier Randy Scheunemann and External Affaris Kazakstan, Kenya, Laos, Liberia, Lithuania, Lawrence S. Eagleburger Joseph R. Schmuckler Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. Brent Scowcroft Thomas Barba Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Alison B. Fortier Marilyn Ware Acting General Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Somaliland, South Mayor James A. Garner Richard Williamson Counsel Africa, Sudan, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Susan Golding Venezuela, West Bank and Gaza and Zimbabwe.
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