Unit 2 Questions

Please answer each of the following questions.  If you are taking this course in a group you may then meet to discuss your answers.

1. How does meaningful participation and representation in parliament contribute to conflict prevention?

2. Taking into consideration your own conflict-affected country or a conflict-affected country of interest, what objectives do you think its electoral system should ideally seek to achieve and why?

3. What type of electoral management body is in existence in your conflict-affected country or a conflict-affected country of interest and what are its functions?  How could the electoral management body be reformed in order to improve the transparency of elections?

4. What can opposition parliamentarians, in their representative capacity, do in order to contribute to peacebuilding?

5. Why should parliament seek to avoid building a relationship with the media that is adversarial or too close?

Select Bibliography

European Parliamentarians for Africa. 2001. Parliament as an Instrument of Peace. Amsterdam: AWEPA

Harris, P and B. Reilly. 1998. Democracy and Deep-Rooted Conflict: Options for Negotiators. Stockholm: International IDEA

Horowitz, D.L. 1991. “Ethnic Conflict Management for Policymakers.” In Conflict and Peacemaking in Multi-ethnic Societies. ed. Montville J.V. New York: Lexington Books

Horowitz, D.L. 2003. “Electoral Systems: A Primer for Decision Makers.” Journal of Democracy 14(4)

International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. 2002. International Electoral Standards: Guidelines for Reviewing the Legal Framework of Elections. Stockholm: International IDEA

Malhotra, G.C. 2001 “Safeguarding Democracy: The role of the opposition in the Indian Parliament.” The Parliamentarian. Issue 4 Vol.LXXXII

Norris, P. 2004. Electoral Engineering: Voting Rules and Political Behavior. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press

O’Brien, M. 2007. “Making Parliament More Representative.” In O’Brien, M; R. Stapenhurst and N. Johnston (eds). Confronting Conflict: Parliaments as Peacebuilders. Washington DC: World Bank Institute

Reynolds, A; B. Reilly and A. Ellis. 2005. Electoral System Design: The New International IDEA Handbook. Stockholm: International IDEA

Sisk, T. 1993. “Choosing an Electoral System: South Africa Seeks New Ground Rules.” Journal of Democracy 4(1)

United Nations Development Programme. 2004. UNDP Background Paper for Working Group Discussions: Governance in Post-Conflict Situations, UNDP & Chr. Michelsen Institute Bergen Seminar Series 5-7 May 2004. Bergen: UNDP