NDI - CAR

Global Domestic Election Monitoring Network Seeks to Share Experience

rrunyan — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:57:35 +0000

Millions of people around the world who have organized to monitor elections in their own countries often must brave difficult conditions and personal risk in a quest for responsive and transparent governance. While they share many goals and practices, they have not had a way, on their own, to connect with one another and benefit from the knowledge of their counterparts.

Enter the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors, or GNDEM, born in 2009 and now connecting 140 member organizations from more than 60 countries. NDI spearheaded the effort to create GNDEM and currently manages the GNDEM.org website.

Sierra Leone domestic monitors watch vote count during 2007 elections.

Launched last summer, the site provides easy access to more than 1,000 documents grouped into 39 priority topics identified by members. The topics range from how to maintain credibility and impartiality during observations to media strategies and the nuts and bolts of how to monitor various processes before, during and after elections.

The site also includes the Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations, which was written and agreed upon by GNDEM member organizations. The effort to create and maintain global standards for domestic monitoring is similar to standards developed for international election observation adopted in 2005 and endorsed by 36 nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations.

“Citizen observation has become a movement. It’s not just a concept anymore.”

- Darko Aleksov, secretary general of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations

The Global Principles set standards for citizen observers. They are a tool for advocating for more rights for observers and for observers to be able to exercise those rights, said Darko Aleksov, secretary general of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), which includes 22 monitoring groups from 16 countries in the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe.

“Citizen observation has become a movement. It’s not just a concept anymore,” Aleksov said. “Around eight million people in the world so far have been recruited, trained and deployed to be domestic observers on a voluntary basis. This [Global Principles] document is a product of what we have learned.”

Networks of monitoring groups from different regions in the world – including ENEMO, also a GNDEM member – have existed for some time to share experiences. But GNDEM is the first effort to bring these regional networks and individual groups together to share knowledge on a global scale.

“NDI has helped foster regional networks and connections among groups over its 25 years of assisting citizen election monitors in more than 75 countries,” said Pat Merloe, NDI’s director of electoral programs, and part of the idea behind GNDEM is to encourage greater direct peer-to-peer exchanges.

“Traditionally, NDI has been in the best position to share global developments in citizen election monitoring,” Merloe said. “For example, if monitoring election violence becomes important in a given country, we know that efforts in Sri Lanka, Guatemala and Zimbabwe provide useful models. We bring that knowledge to bear, often bringing activists together to share experiences or otherwise helping people make connections.”

Domestic monitors audit a voter list in Indonesia in 2008.

These types of linkages are now beginning to happen through GNDEM. The Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center in Azerbaijan and the Egyptian Association for the Support of Democracy, for example, have sought the network’s help in distributing reports and press releases, while a coalition of groups in Liberia has asked for feedback on its preparations for general elections next October. Organizations like the DEMGroup in Uganda and the Bahrainian Transparency Association have featured their online mapping tools with the GNDEM community, sharing how they have incorporated new technologies into their monitoring methodologies.

Regional networking is also enhanced through GNDEM. The Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) in Ghana, for example, which monitors issues from economic reform to conflict mitigation and plays a leading role in nonpartisan election monitoring, has worked with help from NDI over the last year to launch the West Africa Election Observation Network (WAEON), representing citizen election monitors from 11 countries. CDD-Ghana recently hosted a study mission from the Central African Republic’s coalition of election monitors, which was preparing to observe that country’s 2011 general elections.

Another GNDEM member, the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE), aims to improve the Lebanese electoral system and reinforce democratic electoral practices. It is working with other organizations in the Middle East and North Africa to launch a citizen election monitoring network to enhance the impact of election integrity efforts in that region. Like CDD-Ghana, LADE participated in developing the Declaration of Global Principles.

“International observation has long been effective in bringing global attention to a particular election,” Merloe noted, “but it cannot provide the deeper political understanding that citizen monitors bring, nor can it leave the lasting, substantial impact that so many citizen groups have created. After all, elections are about citizens’ rights to participate in public affairs and to establish accountable, representative governance.”

This story was originally published in the Spring 2011 edition of NDI Reports. You can read the entire newsletter here: www.ndi.org/NDI-Reports-Spring-2011/index.html. Please visit NDI’s complete newsletter archive at www.ndi.org/newsletter_archive to read newsletters dating back to 1987.

Central African Republic

fgalleto — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:53:31 +0000

After several delays, the Central African Republic (CAR) held presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 23, 2011. Incumbent Francois Bozizé won with 64 percent of the vote. Opposition parties chose to boycott the second round of legislative polls after the ruling Kwa Na Kwa (KNK) coalition won 25 seats in the first round, compared to one opposition victory. As a consequence, the KNK and allied independent candidates won the remaining seats. The CAR now has a legislature with no meaningful opposition, labeled a “one-color assembly” by the local media.

Opposition parties have formed a coalition calling for all the 2011 elections to be re-run.

Subscribe to updates about the CAR

Opposition parties have formed a coalition calling for all the 2011 elections to be re-run.

Current Activities

NDI began a U.S. Agency for International Development-funded citizen engagement program in August 2011. The program aims to increase civil society’s promotion of dialogue on governance and development priorities and to advocate for the implementation of the CAR’s ongoing decentralization process.

Since the start of the program, NDI and the National Elections Observatory (ONE), a coalition of more than 50 civil society organizations, have worked with government ministries, the High Commissioner for Decentralization and Regionalization, local radio stations and international partners. A local governance workshop, aimed at building ONE members’ and leaders’ understanding of decentralization issues facing the CAR, took place in October, and radio-based civic education programs are currently being produced and aired.

Through this program, ONE will educate more citizens on decentralization. Plans for locally-driven development created by community leaders, with NDI and ONE’s assistance, will be shared with policymakers and the wider public. Lastly, NDI will assist ONE with developing an advocacy strategy for decentralization.

Past Programs

From January to March 2011, with NDI’s help, 500 domestic observers from ONE monitored elections in 14 of the CAR’s prefectures and in Bangui during the first round. For the runoff, 304 domestic observers monitored the vote in seven prefectures and in Bangui.

During the election period, the Institute also:

Collaborated with Radio Ndeke Luka to produce voter education sketches and programs broadcast on the radio in French and in Sango; Built ONE’s organizational and technical ability to monitor the electoral process;
Supported its regional partner, the Electoral Institute for the Sustainability of Democracy in Africa , in the organization of two regional election observation missions during the Jan. 23 and March 27 elections and with the publication of reports summarizing findings and recommendations for the process; and
Organized a post-election roundtable on lessons learned from the 2011 election cycle and to develop recommendations for the major electoral stakeholders.

As a result of these activities, citizen understanding of civic and electoral processes and participation in the process increased. ONE also emerged as the most effective election observation network in the country’s history.

Funding

NDI's current program in the CAR is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Contact Information

For more information about these programs, use our contact form or contact:

Central African Republic
Arsène Gbaguidi, Resident Country Director

Washington, D.C.
Grant Godfrey, Program Manager
(202) 728-5546

Subscribe to updates about the CAR

National Elections Observatory’s Statement on the January 23, 2011 Election (CAR)

fgalleto — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:04:59 +0000

Author:

National Elections Observatory (Observatoire National des Elections - ONE)

Publisher:

National Elections Observatory (Observatoire National des Elections - ONE)

Published Date:

01/24/2011

Resource Type:

Statement

Language:

English, French

English

French

Attachment	Size
Read the statement (English)	175.56 KB
Read the statement (French)	253.8 KB

Arsène T. Gbaguidi

fgalleto — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:23:15 +0000

Arsène T. Gbaguidi is NDI's resident country director in Guinea.

Before joining NDI, Mr. Gbaguidi worked in the electoral assistance division of the U.N. mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on voter outreach and education, especially to young people. He also worked with political parties, religious organizations and women's groups on strategies for better representation for women at the local level of government.

Mr. Gbaguidi has also worked with a variety of civil society groups and local legislatures in Benin, and has worked on voter education projects in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. In Benin, he coordinated an E.U. program focused on decentralization, civic engagement and local governance.

He has served as a consultant on issues of development, democracy, governance and training for such organizations as the E.U., the World Bank, the UNDP and more.

He holds a DESS degree in democracy and good governance and a DESS degree in local development and project management.

Capsules D'Information et de Sensibilisation sur le Processus Electoral en Republique Centrafricaine

fgalleto — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:43:18 +0000

Author:

L'Observatoire National des Elections (ONE) & National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

09/01/2010

Resource Type:

Manual|Handbook

Language:

French

Attachment	Size
Cover	276.04 KB
Download the handbook (French)	955.3 KB

Preliminary Statement on Voter Registration in the Central African Republic

fgalleto — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 21:43:10 +0000

Author:

National Elections Observatory

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

11/02/2010

Resource Type:

Statement

Language:

French

NDI's election monitoring partner in the Central African Republic (CAR), the National Elections Observatory (ONE) issued its preliminary statement on Nov. 2 after observing the country's voter registration process. The CAR is scheduled to hold overdue presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 23. This was the country's second effort this year to register voters in preparation for the elections.

The full statement is available in French. An English summary follows.

ONE is a network of 80 Central African civil society organizations, formed with NDI's assistance, that trained and deployed 300 observers to monitor the recently concluded voter registration process. ONE observers deployed to 65 of the CAR's 73 sub-prefectures and every part of the capital, Bangui. In its preliminary statement, ONE observed that this crucial step in the election process did not meet Central Africans' expectations. For every positive aspect of the process ONE noted, continued deficiencies were also observed.

The report highlighted:

In several places, officials allowed voters to register using improper identification;
Political parties rarely had representatives in registration centers to observe the process;
In some places, local authorities or officers of rebel groups interfered in the registration process; and
Some attempts at fraud, moving registration centers, registering minors or creating multiple registrations were found.

Regarding ongoing debates in the CAR on the electoral process, ONE urged that political actors respect their past agreements and work together in the nation's higher interest to resolve their differences over procedures.

ONE also stated that the country must find a way to establish a trustworthy voter registry. If no computerized registry can be established for these elections, then the election commission and international community should establish a uniform voter card different than the two provisional ones currently in use.

ONE asks all those involved in the election process to work loyally to organize honest, credible, inclusive and transparent elections in the CAR.

French

Attachment	Size
Read the full statement (French)	72.18 KB

NDI Reports: A Review of the Activities of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs

vrao — Mon, 21 Jul 2003 04:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

12/01/2008

Resource Type:

Newsletter

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Spring 2011: Digital Mapping, Women's Participation, Domestic Monitoring	1.2 MB
December 2008: Making Democracy Deliver	2.37 MB
Summer 2008: Kosovo, Pakistan, Sudan	571.9 KB
Summer 2007: Youth, Women, Technology	801.33 KB
Summer 2006: Bosnia, Liberia, West Bank and Gaza	462.92 KB
Fall 2005: Kosovo, Iraq, Kuwait	865.42 KB
Spring 2005: Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan	813.77 KB
Spring 2004: Win With Women, Elections in Eurasia	615.17 KB
Fall 2003: Celebrating 20 Years	808.11 KB
Spring 2003: Women's Leadership in Yemen, Nepal, Senegal	468.06 KB
Fall 2002: Democracy in the Middle East, Cuba	547.6 KB
Spring 2002: Asian Political Parties, Afghanistan	528.32 KB
Winter 2001: Sept. 11, Nicaragua, Belarus	507.47 KB
Summer 2001: Election Monitors in Central & Eastern Europe	683 KB
Spring 2001: Mexico, Peru, Serbia	732.14 KB
Winter 2000: Zimbabwe, Croatia, Thailand	2.52 MB
Winter 1999: Indonesia, Nigeria, Azerbaijan	3.23 MB
Fall 1999: Nigeria, Indonesia, Morocco	1.29 MB
Winter 1998: Kenya, Poland, Northern Ireland	2.26 MB
Summer 1998: Hong Kong, Ukraine, Ghana	2.01 MB
Winter 1997: Nicaragua, South Africa, Ghana	2.93 MB
Summer 1996: Russia, International Leaders Forum	2.98 MB
Spring 1996: West Bank Gaza, Bosnia, Burundi	2.4 MB
Winter 1995: West Bank Gaza, Ukraine, Malawi	3.28 MB
Fall 1995: South Africa, Russia, Yemen	2.22 MB
Summer 1995: Haiti, Peru, Malawi	2.68 MB
Spring 1994: South Africa, Mexico, Ethiopia	3.43 MB
Summer 1993: Russia, Namibia, Nicaragua	3.52 MB
Spring 1993: Cambodia, South Africa, Yemen	3.71 MB
Spring 1992: Romania, South Africa, Bolivia	1.99 MB
Winter 1991: Zambia, Poland, the Baltics	2.05 MB
Summer 1991: Zambia, Mexico, Bangladesh	1.26 MB
Spring 1991: Namibia, Russia, Senegal	1.36 MB
Winter 1990: Poland, Namibia, Bangladesh	1.33 MB
Fall 1990: Former Soviet Republics, Haiti, Bulgaria	2.07 MB
Summer 1990: Eastern Europe, Dominican Republic, Haiti	2.7 MB
Spring 1990: Hungary, Nicaragua, Panama	1.3 MB
Winter 1989: Pakistan, Argentina, Chile	1.59 MB
Fall 1988: Chile, Pakistan, Nicaragua	1.26 MB
Summer 1988: Costa Rica, Panama, Chile	1.61 MB
Spring 1988: Tunisia, Chile, Paraguay	1.28 MB
Winter 1987: Haiti, Chile, Nicaragua	1.84 MB
Fall 1987: Haiti, Uruguay, Nicaragua	1.43 MB
Spring 1987: Argentina, Philippines, Haiti	1.22 MB
Spring 1986: Philippines, Brazil, Northern Ireland	2.26 MB
Summer 1986: Chile, South Korea, Northern Ireland	2.92 MB
Winter 1986: Mondale Assumes Chairmanship, Argentina, Haiti	3.96 MB
Summer 1985: Senegal, Northern Ireland, South America	1.15 MB

Rapport Atelier D'évaluation du Processus Electoral en R.C.A.

vrao — Tue, 24 Jul 2001 04:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

01/01/2000

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

French

Attachment	Size
Read the report (French)	99.04 KB

Inter-regional Seminar for Multiparty Legislatures in Emerging Democracies, October 10-13, 1994, Bangui, CAR, Debriefing and Ana

vrao — Mon, 11 Dec 2000 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

10/10/1994

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

French

Attachment	Size
Read the report (French)	1.33 MB

Political Internationals and Francophone Africa, July 20-21, 1995, Bangui, CAR, July 24-26, 1995, Brazzaville, Congo, Mission Re

vrao — Mon, 11 Dec 2000 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

07/25/1995

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

French

Attachment	Size
Read the report (French)	746.91 KB

NDI - CAR

Global Domestic Election Monitoring Network Seeks to Share Experience

Central African Republic

Read More

Current Activities

Past Programs

Funding

Contact Information

National Elections Observatory’s Statement on the January 23, 2011 Election (CAR)

Arsène T. Gbaguidi

Capsules D'Information et de Sensibilisation sur le Processus Electoral en Republique Centrafricaine

Preliminary Statement on Voter Registration in the Central African Republic

NDI Reports: A Review of the Activities of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs

Rapport Atelier D'évaluation du Processus Electoral en R.C.A.

Inter-regional Seminar for Multiparty Legislatures in Emerging Democracies, October 10-13, 1994, Bangui, CAR, Debriefing and Ana

Political Internationals and Francophone Africa, July 20-21, 1995, Bangui, CAR, July 24-26, 1995, Brazzaville, Congo, Mission Re