NDI and CALD hold Second Political Party Reform Workshop

(Bangkok, July 31 2003) The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) and the Council of Asian Liberals & Democrats (CALD) are sponsoring the Second Political Party Reform in Asia Workshop on August 14 to 16, 2003 at the Sukhothai Hotel inBangkok, Thailand.

The theme is Political Party Accountability: Principles & Realities.  The workshop is part of a regional program NDI and CALD launched in March 2001 to support Asian political parties in their efforts to implement internal reforms through enhanced democracy, accountability and transparency in party structures and practices. In addition, the program explores the challenges facing parties with respect to party financing, national legislation and regulations and evolving public expectations.

Participants are leading officials including several members of parliament from the major political parties in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.  Also attending are eminent figures in civil society (particularly from election watchdogs), the academe and mass media.

Keynoting the event are former Thai Prime Minister Anand Panyarahun and Senator and former Senate President Edgardo J. Angara of the Philippines. Other speakers include Cambodia’s Prince Norodom Sirivudh, NDI’s Peter Manikas and Ivan Doherty, CALD’s Sukhumbhand Paribatra, eminent South Korean parliamentarian Jay K. Yoo and election commissioners Resurreccion Borja of the Philippinesand Veerachai Naewboonnien of Thailand. The workshop is chaired by Transparency International’s Tunku Abdul Aziz.

An objective of the workshop is to review party reform progress and allow parties to share their experiences and success. Another objective is to expand participation in the party reform debates by including participants from NGOs, media organizations and the academia. As participants in the first workshop (Bangkok, January 2002) pointed out, political parties alone cannot address the problems of corruption without the aid of other groups. This forum will also encourage parties to advertise their reform platforms and demonstrate their commitment to change.

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This post was written by CALD