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Ahead of the presidential 'election' in Russia scheduled for 15-17 March 2024, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) wishes to underscore the importance of upholding the defining principles of independent international election observation. These include, among others, unimpeded access to key phases of the electoral cycle and to electoral personnel, freedom of movement across the country, and freedom to issue statements and reports.
Female politicians and young women aspiring to join politics from 47 counties have received a five-day training from the 5th Women in Political Participation (WPP) Academy on how to enhance their political leadership skills, promote inclusivity in political participation and inspire young women to join politics.
For the forthcoming 'election' on 15-17 March, the Russian authorities plan to open polling places in some regions of Ukraine, currently occupied and annexed by Russia.
As has been underscored by the United Nations, the European Union and democratic nations across the globe, Russia’s actions gravely violate international law, the UN Charter and laws of Ukraine. Russia is once again assaulting Ukraine's sovereignty and the integrity of its democratic institutions.
Despite widespread claims that parliamentary systems with an indirectly elected president produce better outcomes for democratic governance, constitutional reform to move away from a directly elected president to an indirectly elected president is extremely rare.
The European Union’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) covers six countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The Covid-19 pandemic put a strain on fledgling democracies in the EaP region, aggravating pre-existing concerns, such as the weak rule of law, insufficient accountability of executive branches vis-à-vis legislatures and fragile media freedoms (see International IDEA 2022).
International IDEA and the Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development (CIPDD) organized a conference in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2005 on constitutional and political reform in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It was dedicated to the exchange of information about the reform process in the three South Caucasus countries and the prospects for their European integration.