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Report/Paper
Report of an Electoral Assessment and Planning Mission to Liberia: April 4-25, 2004
With the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Accra in August 2003, Liberians committed themselves to political, versus military, competition for the control of Liberia’s reconstruction. This commitment places added importance on the electoral process as the means through which the political competition will be carried out. The signatories to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement agreed to reform Liberia’s electoral system prior to the conduct of the 2005 elections. A major challenge, however, is how this electoral system can serve as a framework for political competition beyond 2005. In April 2004, IFES fielded a technical planning mission to examine the electoral environment and suggest a strategy for international support for the electoral process. Among the key findings were: 1. Liberians must be involved in all aspects of the process for the CPA-mandated October 2005 elections to leverage the maximum opportunity to bring the nation to a state of peaceful transition; 2. The electoral framework – detailing the legal provisions, the type of electoral system, the nature of the elections to be held, and other aspects of the electoral process – must be agreed upon no later than October 2004 to allow sufficient time for election preparations. Such a framework should be endorsed by Liberia’s stakeholders; 3. Timely, coordinated and robust international assistance at all stages and levels of the electoral process is necessary to create an environment for a successful outcome and to ensure that the best practices of transitional political processes are put into place; and 4. The international community will have to cover the majority of the cost of the elections, as well as provide considerable assistance to the resulting elected and appointed institutions responsible for Liberia’s reconstruction. This report contains recommendations for both the National Elections Commission (NEC) and its partners in the international community. Some of the key recommendations include: • To ensure that Liberian stakeholders are supportive of the electoral framework, that it meets Liberia’s needs and that it conforms to international standards, the process that leads to the establishment of the electoral framework must be perceived as inclusive and legitimate, while drawing on international best practices and principles. As such, it is recommended that fora be provided for NEC and Liberian political and civic actors to consider the various major issues. The international community should support the electoral reform process and provide technical assistance to facilitate the drafting of the resultant electoral framework. • International assistance will need to be provided to build the capacity of the National Elections Commission to organize and conduct the elections and to ensure the credibility of the electoral process. • The international community and the National Transitional Government of Liberia will need to provide timely and complete support to the elections budget. Any delays in the provision of financing and material will negatively impact the elections timeline. Once the electoral framework is finalized, the full costs for the elections will be known. However, priority at this point should be given to financing the NEC’s current personnel and operational costs, including the re-establishment of its presence in the counties, and voter education. • International assistance should support: o The administration of the elections: To support the conduct of a credible and efficient process through the provision of: i. A Chief Electoral Advisor and/or international members on the National Elections Commission to support the development of policy and procedures and the overall management of the electoral process; ii. Technical advisors to assist NEC headquarters and county offices in implementing the electoral framework; iii. Financial, material and logistical support. o The resolution of electoral disputes during all phases of the electoral process: To enable the timely arbitration and resolution of electoral disputes through the establishment of an Election Dispute Tribunal; and o Electoral participation: To promote a level political playing field and informed participation in the electoral process by Liberia’s citizens. International assistance should be well-timed and initiatives effectively coordinated to avoid duplication of effort and to maximize impact.
April 03, 2004
Election Material
Resolution
Comprehensive Peace Agreement Between the Government of Liberia and LURD and MODEL
Comprehensive Peace Agreement Between the Government of Liberia and the Liberians United for Reconcilation and Democracy (LURD) and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) and Political Parties
Publication
Report/Paper
Kosovo: Election Assistance to Muncipal Election Officials: IFES Final Activity Report of Phase I, Oct 2001- March 2002
This report summarizes IFES’ role in the professional development of Municipal Election Commissioners in Kosovo. The report details the lessons imparted on Municipal Election Commissioners; voter education techniques; maintenance of impartiality in election administration; skills development including management, strategic planning, budgeting, personnel and human resource management, and preparing information sessions with the media, the general public and the international community; and interacting with political entities, NGOs, and municipal assemblies
May 31, 2002
Publication
Report/Paper
Selecting a Model for Election Administration in Kosovo: Conclusions & Recommendations from Discussion Forum and Conference held on 1-2 and 16 February 2002
This report summarizes IFES findings from two events on the future election administration system in Kosovo. The report provides recommendations for the future of the election administration system in Kosovo.
February 28, 2002
Publication
Report/Paper
Electoral Conflict and Violence: A Strategy for Study and Prevention
An electoral process is an alternative to violence as it is a means of achieving governance. It is when an electoral process is perceived as unfair, unresponsive, or corrupt, that its political legitimacy is compromised and stakeholders are motivated to go outside the established norms to achieve their objectives. Electoral conflict and violence become tactics in political competition. There are examples of elections that have exacerbated long-term conflict (Angola 1992) or have politically hardened conflict-related alliances (Bosnia and Herzegovina 1996). From these experiences, it is generally recognized that post-conflict elections can be held too early and produce results that may extend the conflict rather than resolve it. However, in most cases, such elections mitigate the effects of larger conflict issues and reduce them into localized, manageable incidents...
February 04, 2002
Publication
Survey
2001 Electoral Administration and Performance: Findings from the IFES Survey on the November 2001 Kosovo Assembly Election
The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) has been working within Kosovo since the cessation of NATO bombing in 1999 by providing technical assistance to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the administration of Kosovar elections. IFES assisted the OSCE and UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in creating a civil registration system, a necessary step to normalize public administration and to register voters. Leading up to the successful October 2000 Municipal Elections, IFES assisted the OSCE in establishing a legal electoral framework, developing a technical infrastructure, and training election officials and poll workers. Fueled by the success of the Municipal Elections, the OSCE, with assistance from IFES, decided to strengthen the capacity of the newly formed Municipal Election Commissions. In order to pinpoint exactly what aspects of electoral administration needed to be developed, IFES conducted a post-election survey after the municipal elections. Based on the results of that survey, IFES and the OSCE planned its activities for the upcoming Assembly Elections in Kosovo, which were scheduled to be held on 17 November 2001 and would result in the formation of Kosovo’s first elected Assembly, which would then elect Kosovo’s first democratically elected President. On Election Day, 65 percent of the Province’s 1.25 million people visited the polling stations in order to participate in the highly successful democratic election of Kosovo’s Assembly. Following the 17 November 2001 Assembly Election, IFES conducted its second postelection survey of people from Kosovo who had participated in the elections as either election administrators or observers. This survey follows the format of the survey conducted after the 2000 Municipal Elections in Kosovo. The sample included Municipal Election Commission (MEC) members, Polling Station Committee (PSC) members, and representatives from political entities and NGOs that fielded election observers. The sample was composed of representatives from all political and ethnic groups and covered every municipality in Kosovo. The survey had two main goals: first to assess the performance of electoral administrators in the 2001 Kosovo Assembly Election and to compare this performance with 2000 and second to assess the role the international community is playing in election administration in Kosovo and make recommendations regarding the process of transferring election administration to Kosovo institutions. In total, 1,200 questionnaires were distributed between 28 November and 18 December. Of these, 979 were returned, resulting in a response rate of 81.6 percent.
January 31, 2002
Election Material
Civic Education Material
Constitutional Framework for Provisional Self-Government in Kosovo
Written by Kosovo and international legal experts and signed on May 16th, 2001 by United Nations Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Chief Hans Haekkerup, “Constitutional Framework for Provisional Self-Government in Kosovo” outlines the structure of government in Kosovo after the November 17th, 2001 general elections. It details institutions soon to be under the control of Kosovo’s leaders and civil servants and includes basic voting information in an effort to further educate the public.
Publication
Report/Paper
The Electoral Process in Kosovo: Next Steps (Conclusions from the Conference Held in Pristina on 8-10 Feb 2001)
This conference report summarizes the areas of consensus from the plenary and working group sessions, observations of the October 2000 elections, the main presentations, the presentations on associations, and the outcomes of the three-day event in Kosovo.
February 28, 2001
Publication
Survey
Electoral Administration and Performance: Findings from a survey on the October 2000 Municipal Elections in Kosovo
Kosovo is a territory with a particularly conflict-ridden past. Many people in this disputed province of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have been displaced from their homes and experienced trauma during the conflict that ravaged this territory and its people, particularly during recent years leading up to the NATO bombing campaign in 1999. After the cessation of the NATO bombing campaign in June 1999, the international community, through the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the NATO Kosovo Protection Force (KFOR), took over responsibility for civil administration, reconstruction and general security in Kosovo. One of the major projects of the international community in its quest to restore normality to this territory was to conduct the first democratic elections for the people of Kosovo. Following the 28 October 2000 Municipal Elections in Kosovo, the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) conducted a survey of people from Kosovo who participated in these elections. The survey was administered during the first two weeks of December, 2000. All Municipal Election Commission (MEC) members, representatives of all political entities, including candidates representing parties, independent candidates, and citizen's initiatives that participated in the elections, and representatives of all 106 NGOs that fielded observers in these elections were invited to participate in the survey. The survey covered all five regions and all thirty municipalities of Kosovo. The purpose of the survey was to assess the performance of electoral administrators in these first elections and to determine lessons that can be learned to improve future electoral administration.
January 31, 2001
Election Material
Civic Education Material
Election Complaints and Appeals Commission
“Election Complaints and Appeal Sub-Commission” is a document presented by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in preparation for the 2001 Parliamentary Elections. The document outlines the procedures necessary to file complaints and information on examples of possible complaints or appeals that may be filed by citizens of Kosovo. The ECAC was established on May 24th, 2001 and its purpose is to “examine and adjudicate complaints regarding violations of any applicable rules and regulations during the election process.”