Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and Code of Conduct for International Election Observers

Genuine democratic elections are an expression of sovereignty, which belongs to the people of
a country, the free expression of whose will provides the basis for the authority and legitimacy
of government. The rights of citizens to vote and to be elected at periodic, genuine democratic
elections are internationally recognized human rights. Genuine democratic elections serve to
resolve peacefully the competition for political power within a country and thus are central to
the maintenance of peace and stability. Where governments are legitimized through genuine
democratic elections, the scope for non-democratic challenges to power is reduced...

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Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation And Code of Conduct for International Election Observers