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Confronting the Challenges to Democracy in the 21st CenturySecond World AssemblyNovember 12-15, 2000 São Paulo, Brazil
Elections and the International Community: Do's and Don'ts
Challenges and Recommendations: Challenge: International observers often arrive too late and depart too soon (immediately after election day and often before election results are official); issuing an objective and accurate statement on an election requires observation of all aspects of the electoral process and its political environment. Recommendation: Elections cannot be divorced from the broader political processes that are central to a country's democratic development. Genuine elections are a fundamental human right, and to realize them requires the free exercise of a number of other civil and political rights. International observers should therefore observe the entire election process from the beginning through the resolution of complaints and the legitimate winners take office. There are three different moments in elections: the pre-election period, election day, and the post-election period. Observers should focus on election legislation, voter lists, ballot access, media access and coverage, intimidation and bribery of voters, freedom of the parties to campaign, misuse of government resources for electoral advantage, sources and uses of campaign financing, the entire election day, including the process of counting and tabulation of votes. Observers should closely monitor the entire period between election day and the announcement of official results, being receptive to complaints and allegations, and they should observe the transition process of the elected government. International observers should also monitor how governments conduct post-election "lessons learned" activities and implement needed political and electoral reforms. Challenge: International observers often lack relevant knowledge of the observed country and its election process. This can cause them to make statements that have unintended consequences, which can legitimize an improper process. Recommendation: International observers should agree to standard methodologies, including a code of conduct. Given their great responsibility and potential impact on the election process, the observers should be objective and professional. They should educate themselves about the election law and the situation in the country. Challenge: What is an adequate international presence for observing elections? Recommendation: The answer depends on the political situation in the country. For example, if there is a threat of violence and an international presence could mitigate the threat without placing observers at too great a risk, there should be a large number of international observers. In situations where electoral violence is a strong possibility, the mobility of international observers can be particularly important. In another example, if there are significant numbers of political party poll watchers and/or independent domestic NGO observers, but they are not well established or are operating under threats, a relatively smaller number of international observers may be able to give them support and amplify observation findings, both domestically and internationally. International observers should advocate forcefully for the accreditation of domestic observers, should coordinate activities with domestic observers, and should ensure to the highest degree possible that the issuing of statements by international delegations does not overshadow reports of domestic observers. Challenge: Should the international community apply the same standards for elections to all countries? Recommendation: The same standards should be applied to all countries. At the same time, the elections should be considered within each country's historical, cultural, and political context. It is also important to determine whether a country is making progress on the path towards democracy or whether it has stalled or is moving backwards. Challenge: Should international observers be impartial? Recommendation: As observers they should be impartial, but they should seek to influence electoral legislation and make other recommendations to ensure that democratic values and standards are met. International observers should follow up periodically to determine whether their recommendations have been acted upon and whether effective electoral reform or improvements are being implemented. Decision makers at international organizations and multilateral financing organizations should consider the state of democratic election processes as criteria for their assistance. Additional Recommendations:
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