DI Organizes Election Fact-Finding Mission to Mexico for Afghan Leaders

From October 15th through October 22nd, DI Afghanistan Electoral Reform & Civic Advocacy (AERCA) Program’s Senior Elections Specialist Terry Hoverter, DI Director of Programs Jed Ober and a delegation of Afghan civil society leaders traveled to Mexico City for a fact-finding mission focused on electoral reform. The delegation had an opportunity to discuss key components of the Mexican electoral system, especially its electoral dispute resolution mechanism with several prominent Mexican organizations, government agencies, political parties, and individuals, including Citizen Movement; the Instituto Federal Electoral (Federal Electoral Institute, IFE); Partido Acción Nacional (National Action Party, PAN); and Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federación (Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary, TEPJF). The intent of this trip, and other fact finding missions to India, South Africa, and New Zealand, is to provide Afghan civil society leaders with alternative viewpoints on several electoral systems. This information will help foster dialogue on electoral reform and their impacts on representation at the national and local level.