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By Asian Network for Free Elections Foundation

DILI CITY, Timor-Leste — The 2015 Asian Electoral Stakeholder Forum came to a successful culmination on March 19 after two days of substantive discussions and information sharing among the representatives from election management bodies (EMBs) and civil society organizations (CSOs).

Coming two years after the inaugural meeting of the AES Forum, this year’s co-hosts, the National Election Commission (NEC) of Timor-Leste and the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), appreciated the sustained dedication and enthusiasm of all participants.

During the event, the participants reaffirmed their shared commitment to improve the quality of elections in the region, most visibly through the release of the Dili Indicators for Democratic Elections.

The Dili Indicators are a practical distillation of the Bangkok Declaration for Free and Fair Elections, the set of principles endorsed at the 2012 meeting of the AES Forum. The Dili Indicators also provide a practical starting point to assess the quality and integrity of elections across the region.

More than 120 representatives from 27 countries converge to share their expertise and focus attention on the most persistent challenges on elections in the region. Participants came primarily from across Asia as well as nations of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP).

The forum offered representatives from EMBs and civil society a chance to come together and discuss the most pressing challenges during election seasons in the region.

Among the topics discussed were methods to advance the inclusion of women, minorities, and disabled persons in countries where they face challenges to full participation in political life; voting methods for overseas workers; campaign finance best practices and monitoring; electoral dispute resolution; and new technologies for voting, voters’ education and providing more voting-related information to enable better informed choices.

Participants were also honored to learn from some of the most distinguished and influential leaders of East Timor’s young democracy.

Timor-Leste President José Maria Vasconcelos aka “Taur Matan Ruak” opened the AES Forum while Nobel Laureate Dr Jose Ramos-Jorta, founder of the State Dr Marí Bim Hamude Alkatiri, and the country’s 1st president and founder of the State Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão also addressed the attendees. Each shared the wisdom gained from their years trying to consolidate Timorese Electoral Democracy.

At the conclusion of the event, as participants take the lessons learned home with them, it is hoped and expected that this year’s AES Forum can be a springboard for enhanced knowledge and greater understanding and cooperation between EMBs and CSOs. By doing so, these groups can amplify the impact of their efforts to deliver the quality elections that their citizens so badly deserve.