The Republic of China (Taiwan) Central Election Commission was made a member of the Executive Board of the Association of Asian Election Authorities during the 2017 AAEA General Assembly held March 20-21 in the Philippines. Four other government bodies elected are from India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Pakistan.
CEC Chairman Liu I-chou said membership on the AAEA Executive Board will help spotlight Taiwan’s successful experiences in organizing open elections, especially when it comes to promoting the participation of women.
During this year’s gathering, themed Gender Mainstreaming and Social Inclusiveness in Elections, the Taiwan delegation delivered a presentation on the country’s practices in conducting gender-sensitive and socially inclusive elections.
Taiwan officials brought participants up to speed on local legislation protecting the full suffrage of women and indigenous peoples. They also cited women’s participation in government.
Female lawmakers make up 38 percent of the country’s 113 legislative seats. This ratio tops all other Asian nations and is among the highest in the world, according to the latest statistics released by Switzerland-based Inter-Parliamentary Union.
At an expo on the sidelines of this year’s General Assembly, the Taiwan delegation showcased auxiliary aids and measures adopted by the CEC to improve voting accessibility for people with disabilities and the elderly.
Established in February 1998 in Manila, the 20-member AAEA is a regional election management body under the nongovernmental International Foundation for Electoral Systems. It aims to provide a nonpartisan forum for the exchange of information among authorities to promote open and transparent elections, while supporting good governance and democracy.
As a founding member of the AAEA, the CEC was elected to chair the triennial gathering in March 2005 and July 2008, hosted the annual Executive Board Meeting in August 2003, September 2006 and December 2009, and organized the International Seminar on Absentee Voting in December 2010. (SFC-E)
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