A visit to Wellington on 8 August 2019 by representatives from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) created the opportunity for a lively roundtable discussion at the Centre for Strategic Studies on “Democracy Under Siege”. IFES President Tony Banbury outlined the growing range of challenges facing democracy globally, with a specific focus on digital threats. Vasu Mohan, the organisation’s Regional Director for Asia-Pacific explained how disinformation and hate speech were coming together in insidious ways to undermine civility in political discourse in both mature and emerging democracies. Katherine Ellena, who is the IFES Senior Global Legal Advisor and a former New Zealand diplomat, highlighted the increasingly sophisticated use of “lawfare” to manipulate electoral systems and processes.

The ensuing questions and discussion ranged widely over the terrain canvassed by the three presenters, focussing especially on the relationship between successful democracy and effective electoral systems. The role which New Zealand might play in bolstering democracy internationally also received due consideration.

Emeritus Professor Rob Rabel, Senior Fellow, CSS