NDI-CALD Mission in Korea held, visits Philippines next

(Seoul, Korea/ April 9, 2004) The joint mission of the Washington DC-based National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) and the Council of Asian Liberals & Democrats (CALD) is concluded today.  This is part of NDI and CALD’s joint programs in political party reform in Asia aimed at supporting parties’ efforts to strengthen internal democracy and accountability, to address the challenges of financing politics, and to include parties in anti-corruption dialogue and activities.

The members of the delegation are Ms. Teresa Kuok, MP, of the Democratic Action Party and Dr. Syed Azman Syed Ahmad of the Islamic Party—both of Malaysia, and Dr. Buranaj Smuthraks of the Democrat Party of Thailand. Accompanying the Asian political party representatives are Ms. Laura Thornton and Ms. Kourtney Pompei of NDI and Mr. John Coronel of CALD.

From April 6 to 9, the delegation met key officials of the three major political parties—the Uri Party, the Grand National Party and the Millennium Democratic Party. The Uri Party was represented by HE Kim Guen Tae, MP and HE Jay K. Yoo, MP, both of whom are regular speakers and delegates to CALD activities. Meetings were also held with the National Elections Commission, media groups such as Korea Times and the country’s biggest business association, the Korean Federation of Industries. Several meetings with the academe and NGOs were held including those with Sejong Institute, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy that released the blacklist of corrupt politicians and Transparency International.

(Manila, Phulippines/ April 30, 2004) The NDI-CALD joint mission will be held a week prior to the National Elections on May 10. The delegation is composed of HE Minister Mo Sochua of Cambodia’s royalist party FUNCINPEC, Dr. Yuming Shaw of the Nationalist Party of Taiwan and Dr. Kie Duck Park of the Sejong Institute of Korea.

The delegation will be meeting with representatives of the top political parties: the ruling LAKAS Christian-Muslin Democrats (including House Speaker  Jose de Venecia), the Liberal Party (including the Senate Majority Floor Leaders Francis Pangilinan and the Mayor of Manila, Lito Atienza), and the opposition parties—Fight for Democracy (LDP), Democratic Action (Aksyon Democratiko) and the Nationalist People’s Alliance. It will also have audiences with the Commissioner on Election, the Undersecretary of Education and the Party List Caucus. Additional meetings will also be held with the chairman of the election watchdog NAMFREL, the president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the director of the survey group Pulse Asia, the executive director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, the director of the Institute for Popular Democracy, the director of the Institute for Political and Economic Reform, and the manager of the political consultancy firm, PUBLICUS.

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This post was written by CALD