Nicola Bertolini, Head of Operation Section in the Delegation of the European Commission to Montenegro, about the project “Open Institutions”, February 2011
"Every kind of assistance that we provide is based on fair contest, meaning that we are looking for the best possible projects through an open competition. Among others projects in Montenegro that we could choose from, we believe this is one of those with the highest quality."
Kenneth Wollack, President of NDI, 2003
Your organization should be proud of being the first in the region to succeed in the following:
- CDT is the first nonpartisan organization in the world that created the Code of Conduct of Political Parties, which was supported by all relevant parties and whose implementation was followed through a weekly meetings;
- CDT is the first nonpartisan organization that announced accurate projection of the election results within less than one hour after the closing of polling stations.
I believe that these achievements were a significant contribution to decrease of tensions in the campaign and in the post-elections period, and leaders and volunteers of CDT should be congratulated on that.
USAID - Success Stories – Montenegro – „SMS text messaging technology helped safeguard the vote“
http://montenegro.usaid.gov/program-updates/success-stories/montenegro.250.html
„CDT repeated the exercise for the September 10 parliamentary and local elections and was able to report within one and a half hours from closing the polling stations that the ruling coalition had gained an absolute majority of the seats in parliament...All local broadcast stations and newspapers covered CDT’s results – as did international media outlets, such as the BBC and the Financial Times.
The accuracy and timeliness of CDT’s results were attributable to excellent work by the monitors and their use of a rapid reporting system that used SMS text-messaging technology to provide up-to-the-minute turnout and final results information without pulling them from their observation duties. Bulk-SMS also allowed CDT to communicate political and program updates to observers in polling stations...The rapid reporting system was instrumental in allowing the group to make key assessments, leading to the astute political decisions made by CDT as their election projections were announced to the public.
The American people should be proud to have provided financial and technical assistance to CDT through the USAID-funded NDI program as they became the first election monitoring group in the world to use SMS technology as the primary means for communicating with observers in an election observation program. Employing widely accessible technologies, such as mobile phones, for political and civic activism is on the rise and holds tremendous potential for increased participation by citizens in politics and oversight of their governments.“
Lisa McLean – NDI Director about Election Monitoring Project, March 2009, Daily newspaper “Pobjeda”
The Code of Conduct in the Pre-election Campaign in 2009, signed by political parties - except the Party of Serbian Radicals – and Center for Democratic Transition (CDT), was a very good thing. At the outset, CDT was the first domestic organization in the region that managed to gather at the table the largest parties to sign the Code in 2001. The Codes existed before, but there was always some international organization standing behind it. For the first time, by this code political parties promised to the local organization, and therefore gave a promise to their own citizens – not to international community - that the elections will be fair.
Ben Steinebach, the Defense Attaché of the Kingdom of the Netherlands about Internship Program, 2010
„The Netherlands Embassy and Ministry of Defense signed bilateral agreement with a number of projects each year. The Internship Program, organized by the Center for Democratic Transition Internship program, and financed by the Embassy, is one of them. That’s a firm proof of excellent cooperation between Montenegro and Netherlands...
...For some people this might be a logical idea. However, the reality is different. I believe that this is a brave step of Ministry of Defense and excellent example for the region. I am proud to be part of this project on behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.“
OSCE, the Final Report on Parliamentary Elections in Montenegro, 2002
“For the third time, CDT offered to the political parties the Code of Conduct in the Pre-election Campaign signed by all parties. According to the Code, CDT monitored their conduct during campaign and produced weekly statements about misdemeanors and bridging the Code by party leaders or activists.
These public statements were at large extent reported by printed and electronic media in Montenegro – and they raised awareness about appropriate election campaigning.
Since the Code of Conduct in the Pre-election Campaign was drafted for parliamentary elections in April 2001, CDT and other Montenegrin political analysts noticed less tension and misdemeanors, the election competition that was more focused on offering alternative policies, then on the attacks of personal or national nature.
We appreciate the fact that CDT is first organization in the region that, for the third time, offered to the political parties the Code of Conduct in the Pre-election Campaign.”
Lisa McLean, NDI newsletter article about Election Monitoring Project, 2002
„Finally, we wanted to tell you more about the excellent job our partner Center for Democratic Transition did on October elections. As it was announced on Montenegrin national TV, on October 21, CDT made the fastest projection of the election results in the Balkans!!“
Joe Taggart – USAID Officer in Charge about Referendum Monitoring Project, 2006
„During the referendum process itself, CDT distinguished itself among the local NGOs working in Montenegro by demonstrating a level of maturity, professionalism, and responsibility in the face of intense political pressure from many sides by rising above the fray and conducting both their monitoring and PVT efforts in a manner that NDI should be very proud to highlight globally as one of its successes.“
ODIHR, about Parliamentary Election Monitoring Project, 2006
„The deterioration of the public appearance of some political leaders was criticized in the media by domestic election monitoring
Allaoua Chelbi, Civil Society Program Director (NDI, Iraq), about the study mission of NGOs from
„On behalf Iraqi team, I would like to thanks every one of you Marko, Dragan, Milica, Milivoje and others for the opportunity you gave us to be with you and observe election. It was excellent experience for NDI-Iraq and our partners to attend different training/ meetings and observer PVT operations. Congratulation for the accuracy of PVT results and professionalism of your monitors. Shams with NDI are excited to introduce PVT for the first time in Iraq and region. Looking forward for more cooperation and sharing experience.“
USAID Coruption Assesment, July 2009
„CDT (the Center for Democratic Transition) has focused on election monitoring, election and political party finance, gender, and a successful internship program with parliament and the executive branch. It noted that by using cell phones and SMS, it is able to have preliminary election reports available within 30-60 minutes after polls close – an impressive and perhaps unprecedented achievement.“
ODIHR, about Presidential Election Monitoring Project, 2008
„All four candidates signed Code of Conduct drafted on March 19 by
