Following the elections in Kenya earlier this year, that turned into a dispute that started as an electoral matter and led to the destruction of property, loss of lives and more political tensions,

TI’s national chapter looked at Kenya’s Electoral Administration Institution in its monthly newsletter Adili. The publication looks at whether the problems exhibited before, during and after the announcement of the general elections results reflect systematic weaknesses in the design of critical institutions in the country. It intends to focus on identifying the structural factors and is neither intended to provide an explanation for the electoral results nor to assign blame to individuals or the institutions. More information at www.tikenya.org.

Transparency International (TI) is committed to supporting several civil society organisations in Bolivia to establish a national chapter in the Andean country, one of the poorest in Latin America. Taking into account the political and social situation in the country, it is important to collaborate with a broad range of organisations to form an alliance rather than working with one organisation.

The efforts started in mid-2007 and have been increasing since then thanks to the financial support of the Danish International Development Agency, DANIDA. This support allows the Americas department at TI’s Secretariat to organise country visits, workshops, offer tools and strengthen the capacity of the actors involved in the process.

Chile Transparente has set up a list of 95 standards on municipal transparency. These standards establish the parameters of active transparency that a municipality has to observe. Two municipalities are already implementing them, and through the agreement that Chile Transparente signed with the “Asociación Chilena de Municipalidades” (Chilean Association of Municipalities), the transparency standards will be promoted in all the municipalities from March 2008 onwards. For more information, please go to: www.municipalidaddesantiago.cl.

The TI Chapter in Colombia, Transparencia por Colombia, has started an effort to analyse and disentangle the phenomenon of state capture, focusing especially on the Colombian situation which is very affected by drug trafficking, guerrillas, paramilitary groups and important private sector lobbies.

The first step of this project has been to publish a study which explores the concept of state capture and analyses complex scenarios where legal as well as illegal actors seek to penetrate the State via different channels to pursue their particular interests (economical, political, territorial, etc.). Based on the study, a debate will be opened among different stakeholders to further encourage reflection on the subject and explore possible solutions for this increasing and devastating challenge for the country. The study is available at: www.transparenciacolombia.org.co.

Ética y Transparencia (EyT), the TI national chapter in Nicaragua, has issued two reports about the work that the organisation has been carrying out since 2006 at the local level in order to monitor public procurement and promote budget transparency.

For this purpose, citizen evaluation committees have been set up in 43 municipalities enabling citizens to monitor the budgets and management of their respective municipalities. The good results achieved by the programme so far have helped situate EyT as a major actor working on promoting a culture of integrity, transparency and accountability in public management at the municipal level. It is also worth noting that EyT has won acclaim for being perceived as one of the best civic organizations in the country, according to the most recent public surveys conducted by the International Republican Institute. More information on the programme and the two project reports can be found at: www.eyt.org.ni.

In January, the Paraguayan Customs Office signed an agreement with the TI national chapter in Paraguay, Transparencia Paraguay, leading to the implementation of integrity pacts in the acquisition of goods and services. By signing an Integrity Pact, bidders and the public office agree not to pay or receive bribes in order to obtain advantages in the public calls for bids. The national chapter will monitor this process to assure transparency and issue a report on the results of the Pact.

State-run telecom utility Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have signed integrity pacts with TI’s national chapter in India. TI Integrity Pacts are a voluntary agreement between the bidder and the government or government related organisation for abstaining from bribery and any type of malpractices. It requires disclosure of all commissions and similar expenses for gaining the bid or executing the contract. The IP also introduces a monitoring system that provides for independent oversight and accountability.

MTNL agreed to bring more transparency and clarity in all its financial transactions, contracts and financial deals. The company is listed in six Indian stock exchanges and also in New York Stock Exchange since 2001. The AAI will adapt TI’s Integrity Pacts to ensure that the planned expenses in new infrastructure projects are well spent.

Transparency International and its national chapter in South Korea have expressed their grave concern at the proposed dismantling of Korea’s only independent national anti-corruption agency by the incoming administration under South Korea’s new president, Lee Myung-bak, who took office in February. The agency in question, the Korea Independent Commission Against Corruption (KICAC), is slated to be merged with two other agencies, the Ombudsman of Korea and the Administrative Appeals Commission to form the new Commission for People's Rights and Interests, which will further undermine and erode its independence and clearly runs counter to the provisions of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, by shifting the KICAC from President’s Office to that of the Prime Minister’s. “An impartial watchdog is essential for a clean business environment”, said Geo-Sung Kim, Chairperson at TI-Korea and a board member of TI. To read the joint press release issued please click here.

Transparency International launched a new national contact on the Maldives. Transparency Maldives was launched in a public launch event with speakers from government, the private sector, other NGOs, and the TI secretariat taking place mid-February in Malé, Maldives. One of the first projects of the national contact will be to undertake a thorough analysis of the country’s institutions, governance structures and environment by conducting a TI National Integrity System study “identifying the gaps”, as Nalina Sombutham, interim Executive Director said.

After Pakistan’s January elections, TI’s national chapter in Pakistan addressed all political parties in a congratulatory letter to call them to follow the rule of law and good governance, as well as implement an independent judiciary. Prior to the elections, in November 2007, the national chapter requested all parties to include 11 recommendations for combating corruption into their election programmes.

A five-person Transparency International delegation, headed by Miklos Marschall, Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and Marjana Papa, Executive Director of TI Albania, met with Albania’s Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his delegation of members of the governmental Anti-Corruption unit and the Ministry of Economy, on Wednesday 5 March 2008, in his office. The scope of the visit was to give more visibility and support to the TI national chapter in Albania and have a clear picture about the anti-corruption commitment and action of the Albanian government. Acknowledging the problem of corruption in Albania, Mr Berisha described to TI the steps the government had taken to decreasing corruption in Albanian public institutions and society e.g. exposing conflict of interest among ministers, creating a selectively staffed department of anti-corruption, establishing e-procurement for government procurement issues or introducing a so-called “1-Stop-Shop” for businesses (promising that all paperwork for opening a business in Albania will be achieved within 24h). The TI delegation also came together with Edi Rama, head of the opposition and mayor or Tirana, who advocates steering away from the one-man-show approach to corruption typical in the Balkans. “We need to change the systems”, he said, which is very much in line with TI’s approach to fight corruption.

Throughout February, TI national chapter in Azerbaijan held trainings for state employees and citizens in five cities and villages across the country. Starting with the police in Baku, TI Azerbaijan trained employees of the State Real Estate Registry Service in Lenkoran, teachers in Garachay village and residents of Darajannat village. The trainings focused on the causes and the different forms of corruption, the National Strategy for Raising Transparency and Combating Corruption and other measures to combat corruption. The trainings are part of the Public Outreach Programme building on the Advocacy and Legal Advice Centres and are set to continue throughout 2008.

The re-election of the President of the State Anti-Corruption Commission (SACC) was voted as the bleakest corruption-related event in February by the chief editors of the major Macedonian media. The Independent News Agency Makfax and the TI national contact in Macedonia, “Zero Corruption,” conduct a monthly opinion poll called “Light/Bleak” where they select the lightest (positive) and bleakest (negative) happenings related to corruption in Macedonia. The poll has been carried out since December 2004. According to the criteria of the pollsters, not a single "light" event deserved to be placed on February's list. The poll asks chief editors of the country’s major television stations, daily and weekly newspapers and online news pages. For further information, please click here.

In February, TI’s national chapter in Norway organised a half-day seminar on Transparency in Public Affairs in Oslo. The discussion focused on access to information, whistleblowing and good public governance and looked at questions such as: ‘Does the current right of access to information provide sufficient protection against corruption and misuse of power in public affairs?’; ’Does it adequately ensure citizen’s right to know?’; ‘What is the role of the media?’. The event included presentations by the experts Professor Jan Fridthjof Bernt from Bergen University, Professor Henning Jakhelln from the University of Oslo, Secretary General of the Norwegian Editor’s Association Nils Øy, Parliamentary Ombudsman Arne Fliflet and was moderated by Heidi Furustøl, a member of the board of TI Norway.

TI national chapter in Russia held a press conference on 28 February on the presidential election campaign 2008. Elena Panfilova, Director of TI Russia, Lilia Shibanova, Director of the independent Russian vote monitoring agency “Voice” and “Voice” expert Alexander Keenev presented and discussed the preliminary findings on “Monitoring the use of public resources in presidential electoral campaign 2008: mechanisms and results”. Special emphasis was given to mass media monitoring, TV campaigns, regional campaigns and specifics of the presidential elections. This monitoring was part of a project looking into curbing political corruption and monitoring the use of public resources in electoral campaigns during Russian federal elections 2007/2008. The final results will be published in May. Preliminary results are available in Russian here.

TI is calling for nominations for the 2008 Integrity Awards, honouring individuals and organisations that have demonstrated exceptional courage and outstanding leadership in fighting corruption. Each year TI receives nominations for candidates who have risked their lives and their livelihoods in the name of justice, transparency and integrity. Winners have come from Asia and Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. They have included journalists and public prosecutors, accountants, government officials and leaders of civil society. Launched in 2000, the goal of the Integrity Awards is to offer greater recognition and support to those who investigate and unmask corruption, often at great personal risk. Nominations for the 2008 Integrity Awards will be accepted until 31 August 2008. For further information please click here.

TI’s 2007 documentary Agents of Change, portraying the work of TI Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre’s in Romania and Bosnia Herzegovina, was selected to be screened at the 10th annual One World – International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Prague, Czech Republic in March. The film was part of the programme stream 'Film against Injustice and Poverty.' TI’s tv advertisement ‘The Magician‘ was also selected for screening. More information is available at: www.oneworld.cz.