[EAI Roundtable] Consultation on Establishing Democracy and Ensuring Fair Elections

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y4Onb4rVVA

On November 29, EAI hosted a consultation titled “Establishing Democracy and Ensuring Fair Elections” to hear about support cases from international organizations working on democratic recovery in various countries and to explore methods for establishing democratic systems. Domestic and international participants discussed ways to enhance the integrity of elections and drew policy implications based on Korea's experiences. The event was attended by international participants from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), as well as the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), alongside Korean election administration experts from both ruling and opposition parties, academia, government agencies, and civil society organizations.

• Date and Time: Tuesday, November 29, 2022, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM (Korea Standard Time)

• Panelists: Manpreet Singh Anand, Director for Asia and the Pacific, National Democratic Institute, Brian Joseph, Vice President for Programs, National Endowment for Democracy, Chandanie Watawala, Executive Director, Asian Network for Free Elections

• Discussants: Kim Se-yeon Former Member of the National Assembly, Kim Seung-yeol Advisor, Association of World Election Bodies, Kim Young-bae Member of the 21st National Assembly, Min Sun-young Secretary General, Center for People's Solidarity for Monitoring the National Assembly, Lee Woong-yong Director, Yeonsu-gu Election Commission Office, Incheon City, Jo Young-ho Professor, Sogang University, Cho Jung-hoon Member of the 21st National Assembly, Heo Seok-jae Legislative Research Officer, National Assembly Research Service, Heo Eun-ah Member of the 21st National Assembly

• Moderator: Kang Woo-chang Professor, Korea University, Lee Sook-jong Senior Fellow, East Asia Institute

I. Strategies and Structure of Supporting Institutions: National Endowment for Democracy (NED)

(1) Founding History and Funding Structure of the National Endowment for Democracy

NED was established in 1984 as a non-profit organization. While it operates with an independent board of directors, it receives public funding through approval from the U.S. Congress. The establishment of NED was supported by the strong will of the U.S. government to promote democracy and human rights worldwide. NED provides support to the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRI), and the American Center for International Labor Solidarity (AFL-CIO). NED maintains its political independence with a singular mission of democratization, regardless of the administration in power, and encourages congressional participation in democracy-related discussions. Half of the funds raised are used for technical program initiatives, while the remainder supports non-governmental organizations, including democracy-building organizations, women's, children's, and minority rights protection groups, and independent media.

(2) Role of U.S. Government Agencies in Supporting Democracy and Governance

NED funding operates under the approval of the U.S. Congress. This budget includes funds for economic development, public health, food security, and the advancement of democracy and governance. All of NED's operations and implementation are subject to congressional oversight, specifically by members of Congress and committees, particularly the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The U.S. Congress not only sets the policy framework for supporting democracy abroad but also allocates funds to various U.S. government agencies for the implementation of such policies and oversees programs carried out by the executive branch.

The U.S. Department of State, along with regional officials, embassies, and local ambassadors, is at the center of diplomatic engagement. As the administration focuses on democracy, governance, and labor rights, the U.S. Department of State plays a role in allocating funds to organizations that actually implement these goals. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency within the U.S. government that not only develops policies for assistance but also directly supports international and regional organizations in undertaking programs.

II. Technical and Financial Support: National Democratic Institute (NDI)

(1) Key Activities and Types of Support Provided by NDI

NDI collaborates with various organizations to provide grants. These grants are used for a range of purposes, including political party development, legislative strengthening, anti-corruption efforts, support for marginalized groups, promotion of information integrity, and election monitoring. NDI has over 50 offices worldwide, including in Seoul, and conducts its work through close cooperation with regional implementing organizations. It provides grants to local institutions and offers support in various areas, including strategic communication, operational support, and membership development.

(2) Challenges for Korea in Promoting Democracy

The promotion of democracy should be integrated into national security strategies, development agendas, and national commitments. Rather than being pursued in isolation, these values should function as fundamental principles for a nation's priority objectives. Furthermore, Korea must enhance its understanding of democratic values by implementing programs that promote democracy. Korea is capable of sharing its dynamic experiences and lessons in democratic development with emerging democracies undergoing democratization processes. Future projects planned based on Korea's Official Development Assistance (ODA) programs could be conducted collaboratively or expanded to address broader democratic objectives.

III. Support for Fair Elections in Asia: Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL)

(1) Key Activities of the Asian Network for Free Elections

The retreat of democracy is impacting democratic and electoral processes in Asia. Authoritarian regimes in the Asian region are imposing oppressive laws, controlling and maintaining their grip on civil society and the media, leading to situations where elections are not conducted properly. To overcome these challenges, ANFREL has been working for over 25 years to advance electoral democracy. ANFREL was formed by solidarity movements opposing authoritarianism in various countries across the region and engages in diverse activities, including promoting citizen election monitoring to ensure free and fair elections. ANFREL is focusing on strengthening cooperation with election stakeholders, campaigning against democratic backsliding in Asia, and supporting the establishment of democratic governments.

(2) Support for ANFREL from Other Democratic Cooperation Institutions (NED, NDI)

NED has focused for many years on the growth of democracy institutions worldwide and provides core funding to ANFREL. Another U.S. institution that works closely with ANFREL is NDI, which undertakes various programs and capacity-building initiatives.

(3) Recommendations on Asian Democracy and Korea's Role

As one of the most democratic and developed countries in Asia, the South Korean government serves as an exemplary model of a democratic nation. Therefore, it is recommended that the South Korean government consider the U.S. example of supporting human rights and democracy in other countries. Korea's support would be of great benefit to Asian countries and regional civil society organizations.

VI. Q&A

(1) The Necessity of Cooperation for Promoting Democracy

Kim Se-yeon, Former Member of the People Power Party

Kim Se-yeon, former Member of the National Assembly, emphasized the need for cooperation with other countries and institutions to promote democracy, noting that while Korea achieved industrialization and democratization within a generation, its perspective on disseminating democracy remains largely domestic. She questioned what institutional mechanisms could overcome potential conflicts between the universal values of democracy and human rights and specific national interests.

Kim Young-bae, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea

Assemblymember Kim Young-bae states that sharing values such as democracy, freedom, and human rights with neighboring countries and citizens is a crucial task. While the fact that Korea is the world's only divided nation might impede the sharing of its experiences, he argues that Korea should share its experiences and stand in solidarity with citizens of other Asian countries in expanding freedom and human rights, and in future values such as sustainability, climate, human rights, and freedom. Given the active engagement of local governments, councils, and civic groups in Korea, he proposes measures for the government to support these organizations and promote active exchange with other Asian countries. He also emphasizes the need to establish institutions and bodies for the Korean National Assembly to take the lead in fostering democratic exchange with political circles in East Asia and neighboring regions. He stresses that the current National Assembly is unable to independently engage in political exchange and cooperation, and that the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea must actively play a role in the advancement of democracy.

Manpreet Singh Anand, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, National Democratic Institute

Manpreet Singh Anand, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the National Democratic Institute, argues that support for democracy should not be solely government-to-government, but rather a societal effort involving civil society organizations, independent media, legislatures, and marginalized groups. Citing the U.S. House Democracy Partnership as an example, he suggests that the Korean National Assembly should take the lead in exchanging opinions with other legislative bodies in Asia. He emphasizes that despite immense conflict, the Myanmar people's aspiration for a democratic nation has not waned, underscoring that while democratic institutions may be threatened, the demand for democracy has not diminished.

(2) The Process Towards Democracy

Cho Jung-hoon, Member of the National Assembly, Era Transformation Party

Assemblymember Cho Jung-hoon, having worked at the World Bank for over a decade, has assisted countries like Nigeria in their democratic transitions and managed democracy programs in India and Bangladesh. He believes that Korea's democratic system is imperfect, and acknowledges that no democratic system worldwide is flawless. Therefore, he states that he cannot cease contemplating ways to promote democracy. Assemblymember Cho asserts that democracy is a process, not a destination, and proposes creating a platform for exchange among parliamentarians from the United States, Western Europe, and Asian countries to ensure that democratic principles are well-observed.

Brian Joseph, Vice President for Programs at the National Endowment for Democracy

Brian Joseph, Vice President for Programs, highlights that while cooperation between the two major U.S. political parties on domestic issues may be challenging, support for democracy is a bipartisan area of cooperation, emphasizing the consensus in the United States regarding the value and importance of democracy. He also notes that while Korea may not be a perfect democracy, it is no different from other countries worldwide, and that all nations are on a journey toward genuine democratic takeoff.

Chandanie Watawala, Executive Director, Asian Network for Free Elections

Some individuals striving for democratic governments face prosecution or exile. Chandanie Watawala emphasizes that as countries like China and Russia support other authoritarian regimes, South Korea must take the lead in disseminating democratic values.

Manpreet Singh Anand, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, National Democratic Institute

Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Manpreet Singh Anand emphasizes Korea's capacity to lead the development of democracy globally, particularly within the Asian region, while explaining the progress of democracy in South Korea.

(3) Proposals for Ensuring Electoral Fairness

Kim Seung-yeol, Advisor, Association of World Election Bodies

Advisor Kim Seung-yeol explains that the Association of World Election Bodies, where he is currently affiliated, operates with only 500 million to 1 billion KRW annually for 119 member organizations, highlighting the difficulties faced by non-governmental international organizations in receiving support under current South Korean law. As electoral democracy is essential for achieving democracy, he requests that the South Korean government provide greater contributions to these associations to promote and support electoral democracy.

Lee Woong-yong, Secretary-General, Yeonsu District Election Commission, Incheon Metropolitan City

Secretary-General Lee Woong-yong states that many organizations in Korea face difficulties in executing projects due to insufficient budgets relative to their excellent information capabilities. He notes a significant lack of detailed explanatory materials for budget allocation and suggests the creation of a guidebook on how to apply for budgets. He also emphasizes that election support projects should be long-term initiatives targeting specific countries for at least ten years.

Min Sun-young, Secretary-General, People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy

Secretary-General Min Sun-young raises concerns that democratic values might be forcibly imposed on countries simply because their level of democratic achievement is lower, similar to the introduction of economic systems in developing countries. People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy has been at the forefront of promoting citizen participation in governmental decision-making processes and socioeconomic reforms, closely monitoring abuses of power by state and corporate entities to enhance transparency and accountability. She proposes a system where local governments manage platforms for citizens to directly evaluate election pledges, candidates, or political parties, thereby assessing the fulfillment of campaign promises.

Heo Seok-jae, Legislative Research Officer, National Assembly Research Service

Legislative Research Officer Heo Seok-jae states that the National Assembly must play a greater role in promoting universal values such as democracy, freedom, and human rights. He points out that in the United States, despite being institutions based on multiple political parties, there is bipartisan cooperation for the sake of democracy, and argues that Korea also needs to establish a governance structure that allows for cooperation on universal values.■

Video Script

So let me proceed in Korean and briefly explain the purpose of this program. Under the support of NDI, EAI has been running its third year on “Korean Democracy Story Telling,” and the program we are launching today will focus on the well-known agenda in Korea and how people from other countries think about the same issue.

The purpose of this program lies in understanding how foreign institutions operate with the topics with which Korea is familiar and contemplating the room for improvement for democratic resilience in Korea. We have selected three agendas for our program: electoral democracy, anti-corruption, and foreign aid.

Since this is the first session today, our discussion will mainly deal with electoral integrity and democracy. As it is the first launch of this program, today we will extensively examine how the United States promotes democracy in other countries, including its funding system, principles, and major fields of sponsorship.

In this respect, we have invited three experts to get further insight on this issue; here we have the Vice President of NED, Regional Director of NDI, and Executive Director of the Asian Network for Free Elections with us. After their 10-minute presentation on each topic, we will discuss the respective issue, which Professor Woo Chang Kang from Korea University will moderate.

I wish the members of the National Assembly who participated today could ask the experts questions and discuss the topic under Professor Kang’s moderation. It would be nice if the experts could answer the questions. So this is a brief overview of how the roundtable will proceed today.

Without further due, I would like to invite Brian Joseph, Vice President for Programs, National Endowment for Democracy, to explain the structure and strategy of the NED democracy support program.