Annual Report 2016 / Part 1

ABOUT DRI

DRI believes that people are citizens, not subjects. We support and engage people who are working to build, preserve and defend democratic and accountable institutions. We believe that institutions play a critical role. People make change, but institutions preserve it. In a polarised world, DRI helps local actors to protect and expand the democratic space we all share, independent of our political opinions, religious beliefs or personal preferences.

WELCOME FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Every June, when we receive our financial results of the previous year, we take a moment to review where DRI stands. 2016 was a good year: We grew moderately, starting the year with a team of 55 colleagues and ending it with 68 colleagues. We continued to work intensively on constitutional and election reforms as well as decentralisation in Ukraine, Myanmar, Pakistan, Tunisia, while opening new offices in Sri Lanka and Lebanon. We approached new themes such as social media and extreme political polarisation. While it was a good year for DRI, 2016 was not a good year for democracy. Even established democracies like Poland and Hungary saw attacks against democratic institutions. In some countries, parties and candidates won elections with small margins, sometimes with less votes than the other side, and then claimed to have a revolutionary mandate to undermine the very institutions that allowed them to win peaceful elections. They attacked judges or free media, claiming that voters had given them carte blanche. The rule of the strong, not the rule of law. Their winner-takes-all understanding of democracy boils down to "two wolves and a lamb vote on what's for breakfast". 

In view of these worrying developments, we started a review of our strategy, asking ourselves one question: We are used to support transitions to democracy, but what do we do when established democracy gets under pressure? How do we protect the rules of the game? This is our challenge in the new year. We are certain about this: In this time of upheaval and polarisation, non-partisan views and advice are even more important. DRI has no specific ideology. Religious believers or atheists, the 'mainstream’ or minorities, conservatives or progressives, they all have a place in a democracy as long as they accept the rules of the game. 

Looking back at 2016, I feel deep gratitude to many people: The funders, who allow us to do this work and with whom we exchange ideas and proposals; DRI’s owners and the supervisory board who have been very supportive; our inspiring team in HQ; and the colleagues in our country offices - I visited all of them in the past months (except one) and admire their knowledge, energy and skills. In 2016 Tim Bittiger was my Co-Executive Director. Unfortunately for us he now had to move on with his family to South Africa. I am very grateful for his dedication, dynamism and good spirit. I am glad that Finn Heinrich has joined us in the Executive Team. His background in civil society engagement and policy work will bring us new insights and inspiration. And I am always grateful to Laura Stanga, my comrade-in-arms for seven years already, who oversees the financial and administrative growth of DRI. 

Michael Meyer-Resende, Executive Director

51 EVENTS

Roundtables, press conferences, and other public events 

98 WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS

Capacity building for parliamentarians, NGOs, legal professionals, media representatives and students 

624 FACE TO FACE MEETINGS

Individual meetings with parliamentarians, government officials, and civil society organisations 

27 BRIEFING PAPERS AND REPORTS

Country specific analysis and thematic papers on democracy

UKRAINE SAW SIGNIFICANT BREAKTHROUGHS IN 2016, AS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS OPENED THE WAY FOR AN OVERHAUL OF THE JUDICIARY. ANTI-CORRUPTION EFFORTS WERE GIVEN A BOOST THANKS TO A NEW DUTY ON PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO DECLARE ASSETS ONLINE. THE ANTI-CORRUPTION BUREAU PURSUED HIGH-PROFILE CASES AGAINST POLITICIANS AND OFFICIALS. PROGRESS WAS ALSO MADE ON REFORMING THE BANKING SYSTEM, PUBLIC PROCUREMENT, AND DECENTRALISATION. HOWEVER, POLITICAL DIVIDES CONTINUED TO HINDER CHANGE; ELECTORAL LAW REFORM WAS SET ASIDE AND PLANNED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS ON DECENTRALISATION AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS CHAPTER DID NOT MOVE FORWARD.

REGIONAL OUTREACH AND GIVING YOUNG PEOPLE A VOICE IN THE REFORMS

This year, we extended activities with our partner, the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, beyond the capital to engage citizen groups and students on Ukraine's democratic renewal in six regions. We also continued to report on key reforms and stimulate national and international debate to promote a more transparent and inclusive reform process. As an international observer, we made recommendations on the design of judiciary reform to the Constitutional Commission. DRI created a national platform for judges, lawyers, academics, activists, and the media to discuss how to make the first comprehensive reform of Ukraine’s justice system a success. We advised citizen groups on communication, public engagement, and advocacy and worked with journalists from various regions to promote high-quality coverage of the complex reforms. Further, we trained students on topical issues and provided tools to help them stay engaged and play a visible role in the reforms. Finally, we brought experts and civil society together with decisionmakers to highlight the significant challenges the country is facing at conferences in Kyiv, Odesa, Berlin and Brussels.

KEY ACTIVITIES

Students debate the future of Ukraine's democracy 

DRI launched the student debate competition 'Constitution: the road to change’ to support critical and pluralistic thinking on political reforms. Over the year, 200 students from ten cities had their say on the reforms at a series of passionate debates. Ahead of each event, teams received in-depth briefings on the reforms and training on debating techniques. Public forum: putting judicial reforms into practice Our event ‘Citizen. Judge. How will judicial reform affect us?’ organised with OSCE in Kyiv on 17 October 2016 saw 130 judges, society groups, and the media discuss recent changes to the judiciary with the government. The two main topics were the appointment of judges through open competition and the new role and rights of citizens in monitoring Ukraine's justice system. The forum concluded that success will depend on political will and on the wider democratisation and modernisation, including decentralisation and a revamp of the entire legal system.

KEY PUBLICATIONS

One Click Democracy
A year of e-petitions in Ukraine 
October 2016 

This briefing paper takes stock of the use of citizen-led online petitions one year after their introduction and recommends that the system should be streamlined with a single body responsible to respond to petitions. 

Ukraine's Central Election Commission
Composition and democratic standards
July 2016 

This fact sheet shows the composition of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and suggests how to enhance the neutrality and transparency of appointments. The CEC lost credibility due to political machinations and the expiration of tenure of most members in 2014.

GEORGIA IS THE MOST PLURALISTIC COUNTRY IN THE REGION, YET ITS DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION HAS BEEN HAMPERED BY EXTREME POLITICAL POLARISATION. GEORGIAN POLITICAL PARTIES PRESENT WINNING OR LOSING ELECTIONS AS A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH. THE TWO MAIN PARTIES TRY TO MOBILISE SUPPORT WITH EXTREME RHETORIC. THE RESULT HAS BEEN INCREASING DISENCHANTMENT AND FALLING VOTER TURNOUT. IN 2016, ONLY 51% OF THE ELECTORATE WENT TO THE POLLS. 

MAPPING POLARISATION

DRI partnered with the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) to study the causes and effects of polarised politics ahead of the parliamentary elections in 2016. At fact-finding workshops in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi, Georgian civil society, media and policymakers assessed the scope of the problem and brainstormed how to counter extreme polarization and strengthen the middle ground. Our assessments found that a large proportion of public speeches by politicians demonised their political opponents. We also mapped existing studies on polarisation to understand how different legal systems contribute to polarisation. To conclude the project, DRI and GYLA presented recommendations on combating polarisation to civil society, politicians and the media.

KEY ACTIVITIES

Brainstorming solutions to polarisation

From July – December 2016, 80 civil society leaders, media representatives and activists debated the negative impacts of extreme polarisation at a series of four workshops organised by DRI. The experts worked together to brainstorm creative solutions and design practical tools in response to the problem. 

Study visit 'Grappling with a difficult past' 

Conflicting views on Georgia’s recent history are a significant contributing factor to polarisation. To help the country move forward, a group of nine civil society leaders and journalists from Georgia travelled to Berlin to learn from the German experience of reconciling a difficult past. The study visit featured a series of interactive meetings, workshops, and visits to places of remembrance to show how Georgia might foster a new culture of pluralism and consensus building.

KEY PUBLICATIONS

Extreme political polarisation and its impact on democracy in Georgia 
January 2017 

This report summarises the findings of consultations with political parties and civil society and details the negative effects and root causes of extreme polarisation in Georgia. Recommendations to combat polarisation include awareness campaigns to make the problem and its consequences better understood, promoting inclusive constitutional and legislative reforms, and redressing human rights violations in the country's recent past.

THIS YEAR, TUNISIA MADE PROGRESS IN CONTROLLING THE SECURITY SITUATION AFTER TERRORIST ATTACKS IN 2015, BUT THE ECONOMY CONTINUED TO SUFFER DUE TO A DROP IN TOURISM. THE TWO BIGGEST PARTIES FORMED A NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT AND THE SLOW BUILD-UP OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS CONTINUED, DESPITE SOME DIFFICULTIES. PROGRESS WAS MADE IN SETTING UP SOME OF THE INSTITUTIONS PROVIDED FOR IN THE CONSTITUTION, BUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW LAWS ON LOCAL ELECTIONS AND DECENTRALISATION HAS BEEN SLUGGISH. CIVIL SOCIETY CONTINUES TO BE ACTIVE IN ADVOCATING FOR A BIGGER ROLE IN PUBLIC LIFE.

CONSTITUTION IN ACTION:
DECENTRALISATION AND A STRONG CIVIL SOCIETY

DRI continued to support the implementation of the 2014 Constitution and expanded our presence in the regions. We focused on promoting laws that help citizens exercise their democratic rights at the local level and worked with Parliament and civil society on amending electoral laws ahead of the first free local elections planned for 2017. To complement this, we continued to engage lawmakers, political parties, academics, civil society and journalists on the drafting of a decentralisation Bill. We also provided knowledge support and acted as a convener for various groups, and supported civil society advocacy. 

To promote the independence of the judiciary, we supported the creation of new institutions and laws – we assisted in drafting the law on the Supreme Judicial Council and trained civil society monitors to observe the election of Council members. We established a productive partnership with the Administrative Tribunal and worked closely with them to draft a new law on administrative justice. 

Finally, while preparing for the establishment of Tunisia's first Constitutional Court, we introduced civil society, academia and the judiciary to the concept of civil society observatories to monitor constitutional courts.

KEY ACTIVITIES

Civil society advocacy on decentralisation: 

DRI joined forces with 12 citizen groups for an advocacy campaign on the draft decentralisation law. We trained facilitators from each group and organised town hall meetings in marginalised regions (Jendouba, Sidi Bouzid, Gafsa, Kairouan, and Medenine). Over 400 people representing diverse interests worked together on a set of recommendations. Representatives from each target region fine-tuned the findings during 12 working sessions and a roundtable. The recommendations were presented to the government, Parliament, and the international community at a conference in Tunis and were used by the groups in their advocacy work. We also provided introductory trainings on decentralisation to over 100 journalists from nearly every region in Tunisia.

Supporting the Administrative Tribunal:

DRI provided technical support to the drafting commission of the Administrative Tribunal to help them develop a law on administrative justice. During the regular working sessions of the commission, DRI experts worked with judges to formulate the provisions of the future law. This process will continue throughout 2017. DRI also trained observers from 90% of the organisations accredited to monitor elections to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

KEY PUBLICATIONS

Competences of the Administrative Jurisdiction in Tunisia 
A Question of Access to Justice 
December 2016 

This report published in Arabic and French provides a detailed analysis of issues related to the competencies of administrative judges and proposes recommendations for the process of developing a draft law on administrative justice.

Constitutional Monitor 2 & 3
May and December 2016 

The second and third edition of DRI's bi-annual constitution observer is the only report to assess the implementation of the constitution on a regular basis (French, Arabic).

Manuals on decentralisation and elections
June 2016 

These two manuals in Arabic help civil society and journalists in their work by explaining proposed decentralisation reforms and electoral processes in a simplified way.

Towards the end of 2016, we launched a new project in Lebanon. The country has seen little political reform and national elections are overdue by several years. However, there is room for manoeuvre when it comes to local authorities. We brought Lebanon's best decentralisation experts together to tease out the possibilities for reform in this area. They agreed on the extensive problems relating to local government and identified several options to advance decentralisation. These include promoting a better understanding of how local authorities work in reality, proposing ways to simplify a confusing legal framework, and engaging the parliamentary committee charged with reviewing the shape of the country’s future decentralisation.

DRI worked with Libya's Constitution Drafting Assembly for three years, supporting members with legal analysis and facilitating consultation sessions between members and Libyan citizen groups. 

The Assembly voted on the Constitution in April 2016. As some members changed their minds and others voted remotely, the validity of the adoption of the Constitution was controversial. The deteriorating political context and fragmenting governance also meant that in the short term the Constitution had no direct impact. Nevertheless, we hope that the results of this constitutional process can benefit Libya once the political situation stabilises. 

Towards the end of 2016, we began working with 12 citizen groups from across Libya to develop their capacity to provide social services and advocate for change.

FOLLOWING THE PANAMA LEAKS, ALLEGATIONS OF HIGH-LEVEL CORRUPTION DOMINATED POLITICS IN PAKISTAN. OPPOSITION PARTIES FILED CASES IN THE SUPREME COURT AGAINST THE PRIME MINISTER. IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS, THE GOVERNMENT ISSUED AN AMBITIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION PLAN, AND PARLIAMENT AND THE FOUR PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLIES UNDERTOOK REFORMS TO INCREASE THE PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS. THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON ELECTORAL REFORMS INTRODUCED A MUCH ANTICIPATED DRAFT ELECTION BILL, PROPOSING SEVERAL ELECTORAL REFORMS IN LINE WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM POLITICAL PARTIES AND INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC OBSERVERS.

IMPROVING HUMAN RIGHTS AND ELECTORAL LEGISLATION

Navigating political challenges, terrorism and economic problems, Pakistan made some steps towards improving human rights. The National Commission for Human Rights, set up with the help of DRI the previous year, investigated important violations, including child sexual abuse in Kasur (Punjab), malnutrition in Thar (Sindh) and land rights issues in Okara (Punjab). It also reviewed the controversial blasphemy laws. In 2016, DRI supported the Commission in preparing its first strategic plan, which sets out its policy goals. In a rare move by a public body, the Commission organised five consultations on the plan to identify the issues it should focus on. The Commission thereby set a positive precedent on gathering different opinions and gave a boost to public trust and ownership of its work. 

Substantial changes to Pakistan's electoral laws are needed to ensure future elections are inclusive, transparent, and do not result in destabilising controversies, as happened after the 2013 elections. With the 2018 general elections fast approaching, we continued our support to the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms. We also launched a campaign to explain the importance of electoral reforms. 

DRI began supporting the provincial assemblies in undertaking reforms to increase political participation of women, youth and minorities. We sent 20 graduates to support the four provincial assemblies as part of our new parliamentary internship programme. The young professionals will support the assemblies in research and legislative drafting to fill a gap in resourcing in these areas.

KEY ACTIVITIES

Provincial Assembly Exchanges 

Following the devolution of significant powers to Pakistan's four provinces, better coordination has become an urgent issue in order to ensure effective governance and the sharing of good practice on policymaking. At provincial assembly exchange meetings facilitated by DRI, elected members discussed priority reforms and success stories across the provinces. The exchanges provided a first-of-a-kind opportunity for parliamentarians from different provinces to meet and understand each other’s ways of working.

Seminars on local elections assessment reports 

DRI assessed the 2015 local elections in three provinces – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh – and held seminars across the country to present findings and recommendations on local elections. Around 400 people, including ministers, MPs, Election Commission staff, local government councillors and civil society groups participated in the events.

#RightsNow Conference on women, youth and minorities 

DRI's national conference gathered 200 experts, including key ministers from federal and provincial governments, parliamentarians and representatives of civil society organisations to identify key barriers to the political participation of women, religious minorities and young people and devise solutions to address them.

KEY PUBLICATIONS

Fix it before it breaks
Lessons from local elections in Pakistan 
October 2016 

This briefing paper summarises problems experienced during local elections in the four provinces and makes recommendations for electoral reforms for local government, and federal and provincial elections in Pakistan. 

Tools for Engagement
Citizen engagement in parliamentary business
May 2016 

This guide compiles various tools which parliamentarians can use to increase citizen engagement in parliamentary work.

Reporting on Human Rights
Pakistan media guide
April 2016 

Human rights receive hardly any coverage in Pakistan's print and electronic media. This guide provides an overview on Pakistan’s human rights commitments and offers guidelines for media to improve reporting on human rights.

MYANMAR'S NEW GOVERNMENT BEGAN A FIRST ROUND OF REFORMS FOLLOWING ITS ELECTION, INCLUDING INTRODUCING THE RIGHT TO DEMONSTRATE FREELY. YET IT SOON BECAME CLEAR THAT THE ROAD TO DEMOCRACY WOULD BE LONG, EVEN WITH NOBEL PRIZE WINNER AUNG SAN SUU KYI AT THE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT. ETHNIC-BASED VIOLENCE REMAINED A MAJOR OBSTACLE TO THE COUNTRY’S DEMOCRATISATION, AS THE MILITARY REFUSES TO STEP OUT OF POLITICS UNTIL INTERNAL CONFLICTS ARE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL.

BUILDING A CULTURE OF DIALOGUE –
SUPPORTING DEMOCRATIC REFORMS

The year started with a review of the 2015 General Elections. DRI's observation partners Peace and Justice Myanmar, Hornbill Organisation and Charity Oriented Myanmar assessed the elections against international standards. Thousands of volunteers from the country’s vibrant civil society scene were deployed as part of election observation missions. To better coordinate the resulting reports and messages, we worked with 14 monitoring initiatives to establish the 'Electoral Reforms Coordinating Body’ to advocate for a clear set of electoral reforms. 

We connected election monitors with human rights defenders and lawyers working on the right of citizens to participate in public affairs. During a two-day workshop held in cooperation with the National Democratic Institute and the International Bar Association´s Human Rights Institute, the participants shared experiences and perspectives on the UN Universal Periodic Review on Human Rights in Myanmar and its relevance to advocacy on electoral and democratic reforms. 

Deep reforms in Myanmar will ultimately depend on constitutional change. While these are largely tied to the peace process, we organised discussions between citizen groups and decisionmakers to further such reforms. In October, DRI and the Myanmar Institute for Democracy organised the first in a series of roundtables on the current deadlocks in the peace and constitutional review processes. These were held under Chatham House rules to enable a frank exchange – such trust-based dialogues between citizens and government are not common in Myanmar.

KEY ACTIVITIES

Myanmar Democracy Fellowship 

The huge gap between citizens and the state is one of the biggest challenges in Myanmar´s democratisation process. To effectively participate in policymaking, citizen groups told us they wanted to understand the overall challenges in a democratic transition. In response, we established the Myanmar Democracy Fellowship: 24 participants from all corners of the country come together for five days every two months to discuss the political system, hear about other countries' experiences and meet decision-makers, including MPs and officials, to understand their work and to start a constructive conversation. An Alumni network will allow the fellows to remain connected and cooperate on joint actions towards improved civil and political rights in the future.

KEY PUBLICATIONS

DRI-NDI Database of Election Observation Recommendations 

This tool brings together recommendations that were made by numerous election observation groups after the 2016 elections.

Briefing Paper 73
Case Studies of Constitutional Reform Processes in Transition Countries
November 2016 

The paper explores how other countries designed constitutional reform processes as one part of a transition to democracy.

OVERALL PROGRESS IN SRI LANKA'S DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION APPEARED TO SLOW DOWN IN 2016. THE LANDMARK 2015 ELECTIONS BROUGHT A REFORM-MINDED GRAND COALITION GOVERNMENT TO POWER FOLLOWING YEARS OF AUTHORITARIAN RULE. THE PUBLIC EXPECTED QUICK CHANGES, BUT THE UNEASY COALITION MOVED CAUTIOUSLY. LOCAL ELECTIONS REMAIN ON HOLD AND THE COUNTRY’S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD SHOWED ONLY MODEST IMPROVEMENT. ON A POSITIVE NOTE, PARLIAMENT INITIATED A CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PROCESS. SIX ASSEMBLY SUB-COMMITTEE REPORTS PUBLISHED IN NOVEMBER 2016 OUTLINED PROPOSALS FOR REFORMS TO STRENGTHEN FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND ENSURE MORE INCLUSIVE, DECENTRALISED GOVERNANCE. THROUGHOUT 2016, THE GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATED RENEWED ACCESS TO THE EU’S TRADE SCHEME GSP+ IN EXCHANGE FOR BETTER HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTIONS.

ACCOMPANYING SRI LANKA'S DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION

DRI launched the Sri Lanka project in Spring 2016. Working with a range of stakeholders at the national and local levels, activities focused on constitutional reforms and support to human rights reforms to regain access to the EU's GSP+ trade scheme, which the country lost in 2009. GSP+ status would enable Sri Lanka to export many products to the EU without import duties. DRI partnered with think tanks and citizen groups like the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and Rights Now – Collective for Democracy, to advance these two processes and worked on related themes like access to information. Sri Lanka regained GSP+ status in May 2017.

KEY ACTIVITIES

Bill of rights seminar 

In August 2016, DRI and CPA constitutional lawmakers brought civil society leaders together to discuss what shape Sri Lanka's new bill of rights might take and exchanged thoughts on fundamental rights in democratic constitutions. Drawing on three briefing papers which offer different perspectives on fundamental rights, the seminar featured debates on key questions for Sri Lanka’s new constitution, such as whether economic and social rights should be enshrined in the bill of rights.

District dialogues on constitutional reform 

Between August and November 2016, DRI and the Citizens Initiative for Constitutional Change held a series of awareness raising sessions and dialogues on constitutional reform across Sri Lanka's 25 districts. The dialogues reached more than 1,400 people, 80% of whom said they came away from the sessions with an improved understanding of the constitutional reform process and what it entails.

Provincial roundtables on GSP+ 

This series of roundtables in Sri Lanka's nine provinces brought together a cross-section of interested parties in the GSP+ process at the provincial level to discuss the prospect of Sri Lanka regaining access to the EU scheme and what it means not only in terms of economic benefits, but also for human rights and labour standards. Representatives of local government, civil society, trade unions, business and media took part.

KEY PUBLICATIONS

Ready for Take-Off? 
The promise and challenge of Sri Lanka's political transition
May 2016 

The national unity government entered its second year in office at a critical juncture for Sri Lanka’s political transition. This briefing paper provides an overview and analysis of three key challenges; the structure of the state, transitional justice, and the economy.

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Imprint: © Democracy Reporting International gGmbH (DRI), June 2017.
All rights reserved. Distribution for all noncommercial purposes is encouraged, provided DRI is acknowledged as the source and sent copies of any translation.

Photo credits: Coverphoto by Beata Zawrzel