Election observation – a watchdog of democracy

Each group’s report contains practical recommendations to help improve electoral arrangements for the future.

An observer group brings together politicians, electoral officials, civil society leaders, journalists, lawyers, gender experts and youth representatives so that a range of skills and perspectives are represented. Each group – between ten and fifteen observers – is supported by a staff team from the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The profile of Commonwealth observer group members – often including former prime ministers and presidents – attracts worldwide media coverage and ensures that their comments receive serious attention.

Previous Chairpersons of Commonwealth groups include:

• Cassam Uteem, former President of Mauritius
• Dr Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, former President of Sierra Leone
• Baroness Valerie Amos, former leader of the House of Lords in the UK and former UK Minister for Africa
• Owen Arthur, former Prime Minister of Barbados.

After receiving a request from a member government, the Commonwealth Secretary-General may decide to deploy an observer group so long as there is broad support for the presence of Commonwealth observers, the minimum conditions for democratic elections exist, and observers will be provided with proper access to the process and freedom of movement.

On the ground, the work of observer groups requires a sound understanding of the electoral process, including election-related legislation, voter registration, the election campaign, media coverage, election administration, election dispute mechanisms, and voting and counting processes.

John Kufuor, former President of Ghana, was Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group for the Malawi general elections held on 19 May 2009:

‘Observer groups are well regarded as having a positive impact on the ground and this was no exception. Commonwealth groups are respected by member countries that subscribe to the association’s values and principles, which include equal rights, freedom of expression and a just and honest government. Our presence, as well as that of other international and domestic observer groups who we closely co-operated with, was felt on a number of levels from politicians to the voters.

“The cumulative experiences of the observers on the Commonwealth’s team gave us great versatility. The editor and publisher of a leading newspaper in Bangladesh; a former chief electoral officer; an international governance expert; and the Vice-President of the Human Rights Commission in Maldives, were among the members of our group, each of whom brought a lot to the table and gave numerous positive contributions to the report I submitted to the Secretary-General.

“Before the election we were presented with a thorough background on the build up to the election from the Commonwealth Secretariat’s staff team who had visited the country ahead of the election. We then met leading figures from political, civil society, media backgrounds who offered their perspectives.

“On election day itself we all visited a number of polling stations all over the country. One common feeling we came away with was the exceptional conduct of the electorate, who ensured the process went smoothly. Voters knew what they wanted from the election and behaved in an orderly way to ensure this desire was realised. I was delighted to be able to report a successful conclusion to the process.”

Judith Thompson, election expert

Judith Thompson, an election expert from Canada, has taken part in a number of Commonwealth Observer Groups, most recently in Bangladesh for the December 2008 elections.

“Observer Groups show the people in a country that the world cares about the electoral process, and participation in it,” says Ms Thompson.

“I have been on longer and bigger missions with other observer groups, but I think that the Commonwealth does a better job for three main reasons: the kind of people on its teams; the areas of expertise they represent; and the broad range of people we meet on the ground to discuss the electoral process, from newspaper editors to party leaders.

“We also have a strong relationship with other international and domestic observers, speaking to them and comparing notes on what we have heard and seen.”

She concludes: “A small observer group can be just as effective as a large one during an election. Very often with large groups you have people who aren’t that bothered by the whole process, but every member of all the Commonwealth groups I have been on is chosen for a particular reason and brings a particular skill.”

Backstory:

At their biennial summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1989, Commonwealth Heads of Government agreed that election observation was one area where the Commonwealth Secretariat could make a distinct contribution to strengthening democratic institutions in member countries. Heads, therefore, established a High Level Group to agree a set of guidelines, which were finalised two years later.

Code of Conduct

The Secretariat became an international signatory to the United Nations Declaration of Principles and Code of Conduct for observer missions in October 2005. The declaration states that international observers should ‘provide an impartial and accurate assessment of the nature of election processes for the benefit of the population of the country.’