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The Integrity of Elections

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The Integrity of Elections The Integrity of Elections: The Role of Regional Organizations The Integrity of Elections: The Role of Regional Organizations Contributors: Julio Amador III Franck Balme Amor Boubakri Raul Cordenillo Andrew Ellis Pablo Gutiérrez Henry Ivarature Shumbana Karume Gillian McCormack María Teresa Mellenkamp Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian Eleonora Mura Domenico Tuccinardi Editors: Raul Cordenillo Andrew Ellis International IDEA © International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2012 International IDEA Strömsborg, SE-103 34, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN Tel: +46 8 698 37 00, fax: +46 8 20 24 22 E-mail: [email protected], website: www.idea.int The electronic version of this publication is available under a Creative Commons Licence (CCl) – Creative Commons Attribute-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Licence. You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the publication as well as to remix and adapt it provided it is only for non-commercial purposes, that you appropriately attribute the publication, and that you distribute it under an identical license. For more information on this CCl, see: <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/> International IDEA publications are independent of specific national or political interests. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of International IDEA, its Board or its Council members. Graphic design by: Turbo Design, Ramallah Cover photo: (Photo of the hands in the cover illustration) is taken from Corbis/Scanpix Printed by: Trydells Tryckeri, Sweden Design of cover: Turbo Design, Ramallah Photo of hands on the cover: Corbis/Scanpix ISBN: 978-91-86565-63-3 Preface Elections can further democracy, development, human rights and security, or undermine them. For this reason, promoting and protecting the integrity of elections is critically important. Only when elections are credible can they legitimize governments, as well as effectively safeguard the right of citizens to exercise their political rights. Regional organizations today increasingly play a role in promoting and protecting the integrity of elections. Their initiatives range from election observation to technical assistance at the national and local levels, in line with their respective mandates and the legitimacy that they draw from their member states. Their activities constitute a unique resource that needs to be harnessed. It is therefore highly relevant that, at the inaugural meeting of the Inter- Regional Dialogue on Democracy, the heads of regional organizations agreed to focus on the integrity of elections. Launched on 15 April 2011 at the headquarters of the Organization of American States in Washington, DC, the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy is a platform for engagement among regional organizations on democracy and related issues. It draws on existing cooperation between regional organizations and with International IDEA and builds on the spirit of the biennial retreat with regional organizations convened by the United Nations Secretary-General to promote inter-regional cooperation. International IDEA, as the facilitator of the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy, endeavours through this publication to capture and take stock of the experiences of regional organizations in promoting and protecting the integrity of elections. The chapters, which are organized by region, seek to increase the understanding of the roles that regional organizations play in elections in various contextually sensitive settings in their regions. They also allow for reflection on the lessons learned that could serve as food for thought for other regional organizations and democracy actors. International IDEA 5 This publication also complements Deepening Democracy: a Strategy for Improving the Integrity of Elections Worldwide—the report of the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security, which outlines a strategy to improve the integrity of elections worldwide. The Global Commission is a high-level panel chaired by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and its recommendations highlight the role regional organizations can play in improving the integrity of elections. In particular, the Global Commission recommends that regional organizations should determine and communicate clearly their ‘red lines’ in relation to electoral malpractice that, if violated, would trigger multilateral condemnation and sanction. The Global Commission also recommends that regional organizations should be more proactive and engaged throughout the electoral cycle and stand up for electoral integrity before elections actually take place. International IDEA is proud to be the facilitator of the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy. I would like to express my thanks to the participating regional organizations, which have generously shared their inputs and supported this publication. Vidar Helgesen Secretary-General International IDEA 6 International IDEA Contents Preface .................................................................................................. 5 Acronyms and abbreviations ............................................................. 12 Introduction ......................................................................................... 15 Raul Cordenillo and Andrew Ellis Background ....................................................................................................... 15 An overview of the chapters ............................................................................... 17 Notes .......................................................................................................... 19 1. Reflections on African Union Electoral Assistance and Observation ......................................................................................... 21 Shumbana Karume and Eleonora Mura Introduction ...................................................................................................... 21 The background to AU election observation and monitoring ............................. 22 The OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa ................................ 25 The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance ................ 27 The establishment of the Democracy and Electoral Assistance Unit .......... 29 Current AU initiatives and policy orientations ................................................... 29 From short- to long-term observation ......................................................... 31 Improved coordination between the AU and the regional economic communities .............................................................................................. 31 Strengthening technical and governance assistance.................................... 33 Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 34 References .......................................................................................................... 35 Notes .......................................................................................................... 37 2. Giving ASEAN a Role in Philippine Elections: The Case for Regional Participation in Deepening Democratization Processes 41 Julio S. Amador III International IDEA 7 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 41 A brief overview of elections in the Philippines .................................................. 43 The ASEAN institutional context and policies ................................................... 46 ASEAN and elections ........................................................................................ 49 Laying institutional foundations ........................................................................ 50 Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 53 References and further reading .......................................................................... 54 Notes .......................................................................................................... 55 3. The Evolution of Election Observation in the European Union: From Fraud Prevention to Democracy Support .............................. 57 Domenico Tuccinardi, Franck Balme and Gillian McCormack Introduction ...................................................................................................... 57 The Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation ................ 59 No longer just ‘free and fair’ ...................................................................... 61 What international standards? ........................................................................... 62 The impact on EU election observation ............................................................. 64 The underrated value of domestic election observation ...................................... 66 Domestic observers and observation around the electoral process .............. 68 The regional dimension of international observation ......................................... 70 Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 72 References .......................................................................................................... 74 Notes .......................................................................................................... 75 4. The League of Arab States and the Electoral Gap .....................
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