FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, soyia.ellison@cartercenter.org
MANAGUA — On May 25, The Carter Center held a forum titled “The Responsibility of Citizens in the Strengthening of Democracy” to discuss the importance of citizen engagement in democratic processes, including domestic electoral observation.
The forum brought together a broad array of opinion leaders, including representatives from political parties and movements, civil society organizations, academia, and the international community. It included presentations from Mirador Electoral, a domestic observer network in Guatemala, and Panorama Electoral, an umbrella network of domestic observers in Nicaragua.
The event was the first in a series that The Carter Center is planning to promote citizen engagement in democratic processes in Nicaragua.
The Carter Center has observed 103 elections across the globe, including four in Nicaragua between 1990 and 2006. It works to strengthen the foundations of democratic governance through a range of programs, including by providing training and support to domestic election observers and human rights monitors and by advocating for citizen participation. It has developed a series of best-practice tools and training resources for international and domestic observers, civil society groups, and other key stakeholders.
Domestic electoral observation is vital for the transparency and ownership of the electoral process, and national civic organizations have an important role to play in educating voters and promoting the rule of law. During the November 2016 general elections, despite the clamor for observation by a majority of the Nicaraguans, the government refused to accredit domestic and international observers. The Carter Center encourages the government to adhere to the democratic standards for electoral processes, which provide guarantees to citizens and encourage participation, and urges the electoral authorities to provide proper accreditation to domestic observer groups for the upcoming elections, as enshrined in Nicaragua's own electoral law.
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A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
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