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 Papua New Guinea, Fiji, 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 Canberra 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 Nauru. 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 2 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