Middle East & North Africa Publications, May 2011

A list of recent reports on the Middle East & North Africa that were highlighted in the May issue of the Democracy Resource Center Bulletin.

Arab Spring Fails to Improve U.S. Image
http://pewglobal.org/2011/05/17/arab-spring-fails-to-improve-us-image/
With the exception of Indonesia, Obama remains unpopular in the Muslim nations polled, and most disapprove of the way he has handled calls for political change roiling the Middle East. Source: Pew Global Attitudes Project

Constitutional Reform in Transitional States: Challenges and Opportunities Facing Egypt and Tunisia
http://www.usip.org/publications/constitutional-reform-in-transitional-states-challenges-and-opportunities-facing-egypt-
This Peace Brief examines some of the challenges to constitutional reform in transitional states and offers mechanisms for increasing the legitimacy and democratizing effect of constitutional reform. Source: United States Institute of Peace

A Decade of Struggling Reform Efforts in Jordan: The Resilience of the Rentier System
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/?fa=view&id=43939
Efforts at reform in Jordan have been blocked by a resilient class of political elites and bureaucrats, who fear that such efforts would move the country away from a decades old rentier system to a merit-based one. Source: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Inclusion of a publication does not imply ownership or endorsement by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED); rather, these are publications that the Democracy Resource Center believes would be of interest to NED staff and others interested in democracy promotion.

Asia Publications, April 2011

A list of recent reports on Asia that were highlighted in the April issue of the Democracy Resource Center Bulletin.

Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China 2010
http://chrdnet.org/2011/03/02/annual-report-on-the-situation-of-human-rights-defenders-in-china-2010/
The ongoing crackdown on activists following an online call for “Jasmine Revolution” protests is a chilling reminder that defending human rights is a perilous occupation in China. Source: Chinese Human Rights Defenders

Nepal’s Fitful Peace Process
http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/asia/south-asia/nepal/B120-nepals-fitful-peace-process.aspx
The parties to Nepal’s fitful peace process have less than eight weeks to agree on integration of Maoist combatants and federalism before the term of the Constituent Assembly elected to draft a new constitution expires. Source: International Crisis Group

Reforming Pakistan’s Electoral System
http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/asia/south-asia/pakistan/203-reforming-pakistans-electoral-system.aspx
Pakistan’s dysfunctional electoral system has hampered democratic development, political stability and the rule of law; major electoral reforms would bolster a still fragile democratic transition. Source: International Crisis Group

Inclusion of a publication does not imply ownership or endorsement by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED); rather, these are publications that the Democracy Resource Center believes would be of interest to NED staff and others interested in democracy promotion.

Asia publications, March 2011

A list of recent reports on Asia that were highlighted in the March issue of the Democracy Resource Center Bulletin.

Election Season Returns to Taiwan: Prospects for Taiwan’s National Elections in 2012
http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2011/0307_taiwan_election_fell.aspx
Taiwan is once again gearing itself up for election season, with both legislative and presidential contests to be held in early 2012. Source: Brookings

Thailand: A Democratic Failure and Its Lessons for the Middle East
http://www.cfr.org/thailand/thailand-democratic-failure-its-lessons-middle-east/p24485
As the experience of many developing nations in East Asia shows, these initial, exuberant glimpses of democratic reform can prove a mirage, and toppling a dictator hardly guarantees a smooth path to consolidated democracy. Source: Council on Foreign Relations

Women’s rights to be incorporated in Nepal’s new constitution
http://www.idea.int/asia_pacific/nepal/womens_rights_incorporat.cfm
The Women’s Agenda document summarizes the women’s movement in Nepal and describes the limited rights enjoyed by women at various points in history. The document then identifies the rights of citizens contained in the preliminary reports of the constitutional and thematic committees of the CA before proposing revisions to ensure that the new constitution takes into account women’s rights. Source: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA)

Inclusion of a publication does not imply ownership or endorsement by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED); rather, these are publications that the Democracy Resource Center believes would be of interest to NED staff and others interested in democracy promotion.

Reforming Pakistan’s Civil Service

URL: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=6528
Source: International Crisis Group

This report analyses the structure and functioning of Pakistan’s civil bureaucracy. It identifies critical flaws as well as measures to make it more accountable and able to provide essential public services. Military rule has left behind a demoralised and inefficient bureaucracy that was used to ensure regime survival. Low salaries, insecure tenure, obsolete accountability mechanisms and political interference have spawned widespread corruption and impunity. If the flaws of an unreformed bureaucracy are not urgently addressed, the government risks losing public support.

Political Institutions and Street Protests in Latin America

URL: http://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getdocument.aspx?docnum=35004678
Source: Inter-American Development Bank

This paper argues that where institutions are strong, actors are more likely to
participate in the political process through institutionalized arenas, while where
they are weak, protests and other unconventional means of participation become
more appealing. This relationship is explored empirically by combining countrylevel
measures of institutional strength with individual-level information on
protest participation in 17 Latin American countries. Evidence is found that
weaker political institutions are associated with a higher propensity to use
alternative means for expressing preferences, that is, to protest. Also found are
interesting interactions between country-level institutional strength and some
individual-level determinants of participation in protests.

Afghanistan: Government Formation and Performance.

URL: http://opencrs.com/document/RS21922%C2%A0. Source: Library of Congress.

This report notes that the central government’s limited writ and perceived corruption are helping sustain a Taliban insurgency and painting President Hamid Karzai as a weak leader. However, ethnic disputes have been confined to political debate and competition, enabling Karzai to focus on reversing the security deterioration and on his re-election bid in the fall of 2009.

Nepal: Political Developments and Bilateral Relations with the United States.

URL: http://opencrs.com/document/RL34731. Source: Library of Congress.

With its recent fundamental political shift from monarchy to republic, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal has entered a new phase in its political development. Peace is being consolidated and elections have been held. That said, much ground remains to be covered to fully consolidate these gains.

Uribe’s Possible Third Term and Conflict Resolution in Colombia

URL: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=6449&l=1
Source: International Crisis Group

This report examines the process of enabling a third presidential term and why the decision on this fundamental issue needs to be accompanied by a recognition that pressing questions of national security, strengthening of democratic institutions and conflict resolution will not wait and should not depend on who may sit in the presidential office after August 2010.

Tendencies of Constitutionalism in Latin America (Spanish)

URL: http://www.idea.int/publications/tendencies_of_constitutionalism/index.cfm
Source: International IDEA

This report notes that constitutionalism in Latin America has experienced significant changes in recent years. The unstoppable expansion of democratic systems and the increased concern for respect of human rights has sparked vivid debates on the content of constitutional texts and their function in societies marked by high political and social pluralism.

Bangladesh: Getting Police Reform on Track

URL: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=6427&l=1
Source: International Crisis Group

This report examines the dire state of Bangladesh’s police and the shortcomings of the current reform process led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It shows how the failing police force, which lacks sufficient ethical and professional standards and often flouts the law it is supposed to uphold, is overstretched, underpaid and outmatched by criminal elements, and unable to cope with increasing demands of a modern democratic society.