CALD Calls for Political Party Reform and Renewal

The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) capped its 20^th anniversary events with a conference on how political parties can be reconnected to the general public in an age defined by popular disenchantment with these political institutions.  Held in the Centennial Ballroom of the Manila Hotel on 11 November 2013, the conference was attended by CALD member parties, partners, representatives of international institutions, and civil society organizations from the Philippines.

The conference opened with an engaging plenary session chaired by Cambodian MP- Elect Mu Sochua and CALD Secretary General Neric Acosta.  Together with CALD Chair Sam Rainsy, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) Philippines Country Director Jules Maaten, and Philippine Undersecretary for Political Affairs Chito Gascon, they discussed and debated the factors which are causing the decline of political parties, as well as how these can be addressed.  Gascon, drawing from the discussions surrounding the formation of Asia Democracy Network, put forward the core issue in the debate: “Civil society groups continue to view parties as suspects.  But how can you talk about democracy if there are no discussions about parties?  There can be no genuine democracy without parties.”

The plenary was followed by a panel discussion with CALD founders and partners chaired by Dr. Wolfgang Sachsenroeder, who, was then FNF Regional Director for Southeast and East Asia, gave his strongest support for the creation of CALD.  The panelists included CALD founding member Maysing Yang of Taiwan, Acosta, FNF Regional Director for Southeast and East Asia Rainer Adam, Liberal International (LI) President Hans van Baalen, and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Vice President Antonyia Parvanova.

While the participants were having their lunch, they had the privilege to listen to the luncheon address of Ambassador Maria Leissner, Secretary General of Community of Democracies.  In her speech, she drew attention to challenges to democracies worldwide, and how cooperation among democratic countries can help address these issues and challenges.

In the afternoon, a world café session was held chaired by FNF Regional Director for South Asia Siggi Herzog.  With the help of table hosts Mary Pimrapaat Dusadeeisariyakul of FNF Thailand, Emil Kirjas of LI and Ivan Doherty of National Democratic Institute (NDI), the participants discussed the issues of establishing the links between political parties and civil society, of being responsive to the needs of the people without becoming populist, and of utilizing CALD to spearhead political party reform and renewal in the Asian region.

The highly-interactive conference was brought to a close by a synthesis of Acosta, who said, “If democracy were a cell, the nucleus of that cell would be political parties.  The nutrients of every cell, for the nucleus to thrive and for the cell to multiply, however, would be civil society and the engagement of sectors and people.”