Executive Summary
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GUINEA BISSAU PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 19 June 2005 EUROPEAN UNION ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION FINAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................................ 1 II. INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................... 3 III. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................. 4 A. Population and Territory .................................................................................................... 4 B. Brief history of Guinea-Bissau........................................................................................... 5 C. Political Parties................................................................................................................... 7 IV. THE 2005 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION .......................................................................................... 7 A. Candidates for the Election ................................................................................................ 7 B. Analysis of the Results..................................................................................................... 10 V. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK ..................................................................................................... 11 A. Institutional Framework ................................................................................................... 11 B. Relevant Legislation......................................................................................................... 11 C. Political Transition Charter .............................................................................................. 12 D. Assessment of legislation................................................................................................. 12 E. System of representation .................................................................................................. 12 F. International and Domestic Observers ............................................................................. 13 G. Election Complaints Mechanism...................................................................................... 13 H. Pre-election day complaints ............................................................................................. 14 VI. ELECTION ADMINISTRATION.................................................................................................... 14 A. Election Structure............................................................................................................. 14 B. The National Election Commission ................................................................................. 14 C. Training of Electoral Staff................................................................................................ 14 D. Assessment....................................................................................................................... 15 VII. VOTER REGISTRATION ............................................................................................................. 15 A. Legislation: The 2005 Register ........................................................................................ 15 B. Voter education ................................................................................................................ 16 VIII. REGISTRATION OF CANDIDATES .............................................................................................. 17 A. Overview.......................................................................................................................... 17 B. The Nomination Process .................................................................................................. 17 C. The cases of Joao Bernardo “Nino” Vieira and Koumba Yalá ........................................ 17 D. Accreditation of Candidate Representatives .................................................................... 18 IX. ELECTION CAMPAIGN............................................................................................................... 19 A. Legal Framework ............................................................................................................. 19 B. Campaign prior to the first round..................................................................................... 19 C. Campaign prior to the second round ................................................................................ 20 X. MEDIA ....................................................................................................................................... 22 A. Background ......................................................................................................................22 B. Legal Framework ............................................................................................................. 23 C. Public and Private Media ................................................................................................. 23 D. Methodology .................................................................................................................... 24 E. First Round....................................................................................................................... 24 F. Second Round .................................................................................................................. 27 XI. CIVIL SOCIETY.......................................................................................................................... 29 XII. PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN ..................................................................................................... 30 XIII. INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS ................................................................................................... 31 XIV. VOTING, COUNTING AND TABULATION OF RESULTS .............................................................. 32 A. Election Day, 19 June....................................................................................................... 32 B. Election Day, 24 July ....................................................................................................... 33 This report was produced by the EU Election Observation Mission and presents the EU EOM’s findings on the Presidential elections in Guinea-Bissau. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission. The European Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this report, nor does it accept responsibility for any use made thereof. XV. DEMOCRATISATION .................................................................................................................. 34 A. Background for Democratization Strategies in Guinea-Bissau........................................ 34 B. Strengthening Institutional Capacity................................................................................ 36 C. Strengthening the Role of the National Popular Assembly (ANP) in Electoral Issues and Post Conflict Management............................................................................................... 36 D. Promoting Decentralisation.............................................................................................. 37 E. Gender Empowerment...................................................................................................... 37 F. Media ............................................................................................................................... 37 G. Armed Forces................................................................................................................... 38 XVI. RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................ 38 A. Legislative Framework..................................................................................................... 38 B. Election Administration ................................................................................................... 38 C. Civic and Voter Education ............................................................................................... 39 D. Campaign ......................................................................................................................... 39 E. Media ............................................................................................................................... 39 F. Participation of Women in the Election Process .............................................................. 40 G. Civil Society..................................................................................................................... 40 H. Democratisation ............................................................................................................... 40 ANNEXES .............................................................................................................................................. 42 I. LIST OF POLITICAL PARTIES CONTESTING THE 2005 ELECTIONS WITH NAMES OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND PRESIDENT OF THE PARTY .................................................... 42 II. TABLE OF REGISTERED VOTERS .............................................................................................. 43 III. RESULTS OF 2005 ELECTIONS