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VIRTUAL PARLIAMENTARY MEETING
Opportunities for Partnership and Progress as Parliamentarians Discuss Debt
“In each crisis there is an opportunity. We need to seize it and make sure we change things.” Hervé Berville MP, and Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, France; author of a major report on the modernization of Overseas Development Aid.
July 9, 2020 - The A Virtual Parliamentary Meeting on Managing Debt for a Resilient Recovery, co-organized by the World Bank and the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF on July 9, 2020, connected some 100 registered participants from every region of the world to discuss solutions to the looming threat of debt distress facing many countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Policymakers dialogued with a dynamic array of speakers from the World Bank Group, the Parliamentary Network, and civil society on policy recommendations and best practices for enhanced budgeting and oversight to survive the COVID-19 crisis and recover sustainably for stronger development outcomes.
Full Story
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World Bank Presents International Finance Corporation’s Work at Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean Webinar
July 8, 2020 - Mr. Sufyan Al-Issa, Regional Head of Operations, MENA Region, International Finance Corporation contributed to a webinar titled “Post-COVID Economic Recovery and support to SMEs, Fintech, Venture Capital and Start-Ups” organized by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM). Mr. Al-Issa presented the impact of COVID in the region and IFC’s work to help companies and startups during a session on “Measures for the productive sector in overcoming the impact of COVID” to more than 160 delegates from 26 countries.
Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean | Full Story
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FACEBOOK LIVE CONVERSATION
International Day of Parliamentarism – Partnering for Development Impact
“We need to have opportunities for these honest conversations and make the most of what we have…to fight for the people who have elected us and trusted us to represent them”. Ricardo Leite MD, Member of Parliament, Portugal and Vice Chair of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF
“It helps to share experiences and knowledge because the crises that we face on this side of the world are always comparable to what is being faced on the other side of the world”. Anna Adeke MP, Uganda; Shadow Minister of State for Children and Youth Affairs and Chair of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Youth Affairs
June 30, 2020 - In celebration of the International Day of Parliamentarism, the World Bank co-organized a special Facebook Live Conversation with Parliamentarians on Partnering for Development Impact on June 30, 2020 jointly with the International Monetary Fund and the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF. More than 2,000 viewers connected to hear from two vibrant young Members of Parliament from Portugal and Uganda.
Full Story
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PARLIAMENTARY ENGAGEMENT
German Bundestag Invites World Bank to Panel on the Economic Consequences of COVID-19 in Africa
BERLIN, June 24, 2020 - The Head of the World Bank Office in Berlin, Ralf Retter, shared the World Bank Group’s actions to lessen the massive impacts posed by COVID-19 in a virtual panel discussion on the economic consequences of COVID-19 in Africa at the German Bundestag. The event, organized by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) caucus and hosted by Member of the Bundestag, Christoph Matschie, focused on the economic prospects for the African continent, German and international efforts to help developing countries address economic and social challenges related to COVID-19, and the debt service suspension initiative. It also included the Ambassador of Rwanda in Germany and the Director-General for Africa at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation.
The World Bank in Germany | The World Bank in Africa
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VIDEO
Female Parliamentarians in the fight against COVID-19
TOKYO, March 13, 2020 – The World Bank partnered with Women Political Leaders and the Parliamentary Network to co-produce a two-part video series Female Parliamentarians in the fight against COVID-19 in honor of Beijing +25, an important milestone on the gender equality agenda.
Part 1: Female Parliamentarians in the fight against COVID-19
Part 2: Female Parliamentarians in the fight against COVID-19
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PUBLICATION
Global Economic Prospects June 2020: Pandemic, Recession: The Global Economy in Crisis
The shock of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns to contain it have plunged the global economy into the worst recession since World War II according to World Bank forecasts. Advanced economies are expected to shrink 7%, while emerging markets and developing economies are anticipated to shrink by 2.5%. Countries that rely heavily on global trade, tourism, commodity exports and externa financing are being hit hardest. In addition, interruptions to schooling and primary healthcare access could leave lasting scars on human capital development.
Press Release | Website | PDF
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DATA
COVID 19: Debt Service Suspension Initiative
The Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), endorsed by the World Bank’s Development Committee and the G20 Finance Ministers, grants debt-service suspension to the poorest countries to help them manage the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The DSSI webpage provides regularly updated country-by-country accounting of DSSI participants and the amounts they owe to creditors.
DSSI website | International Debt Statistics
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PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WATCH
Elections April 14 & 21
Kiribati
Parliamentary elections saw two rounds of voting for the 46-seat unicameral parliament, with climate change, rising sea levels and tropical cyclones as key issues. The governing party, Tobwaan Kiribati Party, won 22 out of 45 seats, down from the 31 seats they previously held. This loss has been attributed to the party’s decision to cut ties with Taiwan in favor of closer relations with China. The party tied with Boutokaan Kiribati Moa Party, who also won 22 seats.
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Elections May 20
Burundi
Burundi’s ruling party since 2005, the CNDD-FDD, won an overwhelming majority of the votes, taking 86 of the 123 contested seats in the National Assembly. The remaining seats were taken by the National Congress for Liberty party, with 32 seats, and the nationalist Union for National Progress with two seats. Three seats were given to coopted parliamentarians from the Twa ethnic group. Human Rights Watch has denounced abuse during the elections, citing violence, arrest of opposition members and a crackdown on free speech as reasons for serious investigation.
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Elections May 25
Suriname
Parliamentary elections found no absolute majority in the 51-seat National Assembly. The Progressive Reform party (VHP), a center/center-left party, won the most seats with 39% of the votes and 20 seats, outranking the previous ruling party, the National Democratic Party, and effectively ending Dési Bouterse’s 10-year rule as President. The head of VHP, Chan Santokhi, was subsequently elected President on July 13.
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Elections June 21
Serbia
The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the ruling party, won a majority of 190 seats in the 250-seat Serbian parliament, representing 60% of the votes. Trailing in second place is the SNS’s allied Social Party of Serbia, with a gain of 30 seats and 10% of the votes, and adding to the ruling party coalition. This election happened in the context of the largest block of opposition parties boycotting the vote, leaving a turnout of only half of the Serb electorate. The legitimacy of the results has been questioned by the opposition and democracy watchdogs.
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Elections June 24
Mongolia
The Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) retained a strong majority in parliament, winning 62 of the 76 seats in the unicameral parliament. The main opposition party, the Democratic Party, won 11 seats. The remaining seats were taken by coalitions and an independent. Despite fears of COVID-19, turnout was relatively high at 73%.
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Elections July 5
Croatia
Croatia’s conservative ruling party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party won 66 out of 151 seats in its unicameral parliament. As this does not allow for an absolute majority, HDZ chose to form an alliance with the minority parties (8 seats are reserved to the representatives of minorities according to the Constitution) and with HNS (1) Croatian People’s Party – member of the currently ruling coalition and Reformists (1) (liberal and has previously supported HDZ’s coalition), giving HDZ the needed majority of 76 seats, with the Parliament convening on July 22, 2020. On the other hand, the opposing center-left Restart Coalition lost seats from its last election in 2015, winning 15 fewer seats and obtaining 41 in total. The nationalist Homeland Movement party came third with 16 seats in total. 35 women were elected as MPs in this parliament, compared to just 19 in 2016. Turnout was exceptionally low at 46%.
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Elections July 5
Dominican Republic
The general election elected both houses of parliament in the Dominican Republic simultaneously. The Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) and the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and its allies emerged as the strongest parties elected in the bicameral legislature, garnering 90 and 75 out of 190 seats in the lower house, respectively. In parallel, 17 candidates from the PRM were elected as Senators, representing more than half of the 32-seat Senate.
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Elections July 5
Dominican Republic
The general election elected both houses of parliament in the Dominican Republic simultaneously. The Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) and the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) and its allies emerged as the strongest parties elected in the bicameral legislature, garnering 90 and 75 out of 190 seats in the lower house, respectively. In parallel, 17 candidates from the PRM were elected as Senators, representing more than half of the 32-seat Senate.
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Elections July 10
Singapore
The current Fourteenth Singaporean unicameral parliament has 95 MPs consisting of 93 elected and two non-constituency MPs (NCMPs). Singapore elected 83 MPs from the ruling conservative center-right People’s Action Party (PAP) and ten MPs were voted in from the opposition party, The Worker’s Party of Singapore. The Constitution also provides for the appointment of other MPs not voted in at a General Election to make up 12 opposition MPs in Parliament, offered to the best-performing non-elected opposition candidates. Progress Singapore Party, founded just last year by a former MP from PAP and presidential candidate, accepted the offer of two NCMP seats, alongside the ten elected Worker’s Party MPs to make up the 12 opposition MPs in parliament.
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Elections July 15
North Macedonia
The first parliamentary elections held under its new name, North Macedonia, revealed the Social Democrats to be the winner with only a 2% lead to its rival, the center-right opposition Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (VMRO-DPMNE). With 46 seats in parliament out of 120 – in contrast with the close 44 seats for its rival – the leader of the Social Democrats, Zoran Zaev has spoken ambitiously of the country’s hope to EU accession. He has generally been regarded as EU-oriented. The largest Albanian parties, the Democratic Union for Integration and Alliance for Albanians/Alternativa coalition, came in third and fourth place with 15 and 12 seats respectively, DPA with 1 MP, while “Levica” (Leftist) entered Parliament for the first time with 2 MPs.
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