Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures

The main objectives were to: 1) Identify best practice in defining benchmarks across Commonwealth Parliaments; 2) Produce recommendations for the establishment of an agreed set of benchmarks and indicators; 3) Examine methods of increasing accountability through the use of benchmarks and indicators; and 4) Develop the capacity of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to assist Branches with assessing levels of parliamentary democracy.

Expert opinions and quantiative indicators

The framework inlcudes benchmarks related to:

• The Representative Aspects of Parliament
• Ensuring the Independence, Effectiveness and Accountability of Parliament
• Parliamentary Procedures
• Public Accountability
• The Parliamentary Service
• Parliament and the Media
 

The benchmarks adress issue of discrimination based on on religion, gender, ethnicity, race or disability.

GENERAL - ELECTIONS

1.1.1 Members of the popularly elected or only house shall be elected by direct universal and equal suffrage in a free and secret ballot.

1.1.2 Legislative elections shall meet international standards for genuine and transparent elections.

1.1.3 Term lengths for members of the popular house shall reflect the need for accountability through regular and periodic legislative elections.

http://www.cpahq.org/CPAHQ/CMDownload.aspx?ContentKey=b2b5632b-ddcc-497f...

The framework is very actionable.

The framework looks primarily at the constituional and regulative foundations of parliament.