Cabacenco: Moldova, On the Threshold of Change
On September 5, Moldova will hold a national referendum that may put an end to the country’s year-long political stalemate. For more than a year, Moldova’s political elites have been struggling to reach consensus and elect a president. The referendum will seek to resolve this stalemate by asking voters to amend the country’s constitution and allow for the direct election of the president.
Long: Problem Elections in Emerging Democracies
Election assistance increasingly targets countries where fraud or the perception thereof can trigger mass violence. To reduce this likelihood, donors must consistently support independent commissions, conduct parallel vote tabulations, and coordinate civil society actors.
Weise: Kyrgyzstan’s electoral challenges
Following April’s coup, Kyrgyzstan faces two hotly contested electoral events. Yet election authorities’ hurried preparations and a legacy of unrealistically high turnout threaten the legitimacy of June’s referendum and October’s elections.
Bowyer: Georgia’s Municipal Elections
IFES’ Anthony Bowyer looks at May 30′s landmark municipal elections in Georgia: the politics behind new electoral institutions, the state of Georgia’s opposition, the choices for voters, and what’s at stake for Georgian democracy.
Mebane: A Layman’s Guide to Statistical Election Forensics
A developing field in social science, election forensics uses statistical analysis to measure how accurately election results may reflect voters’ preferences. Analysts have used these techniques to audit election technology and detect possibilities of fraud. Prof. Walter R. Mebane reviews their development and application.
Kuzio: In Ukraine, Media Under Pressure
Free elections and a liberal media environment have made Ukraine’s democracy one of the region’s deepest. Print and TV journalists there, however, face increasing government pressure to distort what they cover, when, and how.
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