Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy

Peter van Heeswijk, CDA (Christian Democratic Party)

Who could fail to remember those images of Nelson Mandela who, after such a long period of imprisonment, walked out a free man. Decades earlier, when he was put on trial and faced the possibility of being sentenced to death he said, “I cherish the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all people live together in harmony and have equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live and see, but one which I am prepared to die for.” The CDA supports people, civil social organisations and political parties that are dedicated to improving their democracy. People who, in difficult circumstances, assume responsibility for helping their country to move forward. We do this via the Eduardo Frei Stichting but also within NIMD. And we do this because it is precisely in democracies that human rights flourish, that socially-responsible policies are more effectively promoted than in dictatorships, and people are given the opportunity to develop their own lives. Worldwide, eight out of ten people see democracy as the best political system. But it is also to the advantage of the Netherlands. We donate substantial sums of money to development cooperation. From the perspective of public support, it is also necessary that this money is well spent. Research has shown that politics in many developing countries are often an obstacle to development. Political reform is required before Mandela’s ideal can become possible. A society in which people have equal opportunities to develop, and where they take responsibility accordingly. NIMD’s efforts towards this goal are laudable.

Peter Blokhuis, CU (Christian Union Party)

Last year I visited the NIMD office with a group of students from countries such as Hungary, Romania and Turkey. Two NIMD members of staff spoke about their vision of democracy and their work in countries where political parties have difficulty in functioning democratically. Afterwards, the students expressed their surprise at what they had heard. They were unaware that parties can also function differently from what they were accustomed to. It gave them a more positive outlook on understanding politics. I am convinced that the views of people can change, but it takes time. The work of NIMD is not a matter of swift successes. It is work that focuses on peace and tolerance. That is worth a great deal to us.

Ingrid van Engelshoven, D66 (Democrats 66)

Strengthening democracy and democratic development are pre-eminently subjects which D66 strongly supports and this is why our party has been involved with NIMD since its inception. By facilitating political dialogue and strengthening a transparent and open political system with independent parties, politicians in NIMD programme countries are encouraged to be more accountable to their citizens. The work and the mission of NIMD link up perfectly with the social-liberal vision of D66. With this, people occupy centre stage within a society where freedom and equality are guaranteed, and the government’s role is that of serving its citizens. So, not surprisingly, D66 will steadfastly continue to strive for the reinforcement of the democratic constitutional state and good government in the Netherlands and throughout the world.

Henk Nijhof, GroenLinks (Green Left Party)

Democracy is very dear to GroenLinks. Freedom to choose, freedom of speech and freedom to develop are essential principles for GroenLinks, and in this context democracy is a key concept. These fundamental rights are best guaranteed in a democracy, and political organisations form an indispensible link. Given our political beliefs the support of democratisation is both logical and necessary – precisely now that worldwide democracy appears to be undergoing a setback. To quote William Hastie: “Democracy is not being, it is becoming. It is easily lost, but never finally won.” GroenLinks will willingly fight hard for what is vulnerable and supports organisations such as NIMD that are dedicated to this cause.

Lilianne Ploumen, PvdA (Dutch Labour Party)

Everybody counts, both within and outside the Dutch borders. The social democratic Labour Party (PvdA) advocates and cherishes international solidarity with the underprivileged. For the Netherlands this means fair and coherent foreign policy and effective development cooperation. However, creating opportunities for the underprivileged does not solely depend on the international setting. The governments of developing countries and young democracies obviously play a very decisive role as well. Political parties play a critical role in holding these governments accountable, but in many young democracies political parties are struggling to fulfil that task. For this reason the PvdA, together with six other Dutch parties, founded NIMD in 2000. NIMD inspires and stimulates political parties in sixteen young democracies to “engage in a fruitful dialogue” and to improve their performance. This is an important contribution to democratisation worldwide that will ultimately change for the better the living conditions of the disadvantaged.

Wim Kolijn, SGP (State Reformed Party)

In addition to economic growth and improving education, infrastructure and health care, upgrading the quality of the existing political order in many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America is also of great importance for the welfare of the population. This requires a transparent government, one that is trustworthy and not corrupt, fair elections and an independent judiciary. Because there, too, people are inclined to every evil. Democracy also means that people do not regard their political opponents as needing to be rooted out and destroyed completely – or in any event silenced, but as partners in the political arena. In the past ten years NIMD has, without doubt, been able to make a limited but not unimportant contribution to promoting democracy. That offers perspective for the future, although in this context it is very important that there is continuing, adequate support among the participating Dutch parties and in Dutch politics.

Ivo Opstelten, VVD (People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy)

Multi-party democracies, anywhere in the world, form the backbone of a working constitutional state. The joint supervision of political parties prevents governments from growing to such an extent that they take on too large a form, or that the rights of minorities are ignored by the simple majority. But for that task, the parties must have something to offer. They learn this the best while actually doing the job – from parties and politicians who know all the tricks of the trade and contribute their experience from elsewhere. Moreover, the exchange of knowledge broadens the parties’ field of vision, because national politics can sometimes all too easily lose sight of the outside world. This was why, in 2000, the VVD became the leading force in the creation of NIMD. Ever since, through the efforts of many VVD politicians in the countries where NIMD is active, my party has contributed to strengthening the parties and making the multi-party systems more robust. Promoting freedom, from South Africa to Indonesia and Guatemala.

Return to the NIMD Magazine 2010 Table of Contents.