Photo: Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan leads "Take a Step, Reject Serzh" campaign. (Photo by Yerevantsi via Wikimedia) By Aleksandra Zaytseva A day before “Victory Day”, on May 8th, former newspaper editor, MP, and political prisoner, Nikol Pashinyan, was elected interim Prime Minister of Armenia, 59-to-42, in a historic exchange of power. This peaceful cessation of power... Continue Reading →
By Yufei Zhang. A Bill Facing Polarization On December 5th, 2017, Taiwan's legislature passed a bill of transitional justice, which is following a set of similar policies issued by the governing party—DPP. According to the law, a powerful committee, under the Premier, will be established to investigate thoroughly and, then, re-evaluate Taiwan's authoritarian past, which covers... Continue Reading →
Monica O’Hearn Overall, 2017 was a poor year for safeguarding the rights of civil society organizations (CSOs). Several countries passed draconian legislation designed to attack and stifle civil society by delegitimizing CSOs.Restrictions on civil society, which represents the collective interests of citizens, ultimately leads to a poor enabling environment for citizen engagement, one where the... Continue Reading →
Photo: South African President Cyril Ramophosa (L) shakes former President Jacob Zuma's (R) hand at a farewell reception for President Zuma. Photo credit: South African Government By Kwadwo A. Boateng Jacob Zuma’s presidency has ended, leaving behind a devastated economy. South Africans are eager to have a transparent government, and anti-corruption reform. The country now... Continue Reading →
Today, Sierra Leoneans headed to the polls for the fifth time since the country returned to multiparty elections in the 1990s... One way or another, the country is about to get a new president.
By Aleksandra Zaytseva On Monday, January 29th, two big announcements came out of Washington. First, the U.S. Treasury Department released a “name and shame” list of 210 Russian officials and business people, as had been mandated by a law passed earlier this year. Second, an official from the White House promptly announced that the administration... Continue Reading →
We surely live in an age that poses both old and new challenges when it comes to US official and non-governmental support for human rights and democracy.
By Yufei Zhang China's New Ambition In November 2017, a major mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party published an op-ed, inciting fierce debate about the political system in China. "China is the biggest and the most successful democracy in the world," Han Zhen, the head of a top-ranked university in China, stated in that article. "China's achievements have already broken up... Continue Reading →
By Jennifer R. Dresden It’s that time of year again and we here at the Democracy & Governance Program know how busy things can get in December. For those of you last-minute shoppers still unsure of what to get loved ones in the democracy and governance field for the holidays, we’ve got your back. For... Continue Reading →
