BACKGROUND

Enhancing Accountability and Responsiveness of Elected Officials in Serbia is a two-year direct grant implemented by the Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID). The project brings citizens throughout Serbia in direct contact with their elected representatives at both the national and local levels and it creates opportunities to discuss issues of public importance.

ACTIVITIES

CeSID works with citizens, MPs, local councilors, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the media in 12 municipalities and in Belgrade.  Through the project, CeSID will hold a series of televised debates in each city, providing an opportunity for elected officials to hear and respond to issues identified by their constituents. The project will work with MPs to establish constituency offices, work with them to adopt social media and internet tools to communicate more effectively with constituents, and help them access and use public opinion polling to understand and to represent their constituents’ concerns. Simultaneously, it will conduct outreach to raise the public’s awareness about potential electoral reforms that could increase the relationship between elected officials and voters.   

As a result of these efforts, the project will foster stronger linkages between officials and the public and it will establish a public debate about the need for electoral reform in Serbia.

Project funded by:

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/Serbia)

Project implemented by:

Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID)

Key counterparts:

National Democratic Institute (NDI),

National Coalition for Decentralization, and Center for Research, Accountability and Transparency

Where we work:

Nationwide

Project duration:

April 2015 – April 2017

Total amount:  $375,000

Contact:

Belimarkovićeva 9
11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Phone: +381 11 285 2886
E-mail:  cesid@cesid.rs
Website: http://www.cesid.org