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You are here: Home ACE Encyclopaedia Topic Areas Electoral Management Structuring of Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) Independent Model EMBs What an Independent Model EMB Is, May Be, and Is Not

What an Independent Model EMB Is, May Be, and Is Not

Essential attributes of an Independent Model EMB:

  • Institutionally independent from executive branch of government.
  • Exercises full responsibility for implementation.
  • Has some degree of good governance constraints.
  • Has powers to make policy decisions independently under the legal framework.
  • Composed of members who are outside the executive while in EMB office.
  • Members have security of tenure.
  • Has and manages its own budget independently of day-to-day governmental control.
  • Has autonomy to determine its staffing needs, rules, and policies.

Possible attributes of an Independent Model EMB:

  • May be a legal entity which can sue and be sued in its own right (for example Azerbaijan, Kenya, and Lithuania) or may be not a legal entity (e.g. Botswana and Namibia).
  • Most usually is formally accountable to the legislature, judiciary, or head of state.
  • May have varying levels of financial autonomy and accountability.
  • May have financial autonomy through drawing up its own budget and receipt and use of public funds with minimal executive branch of government involvement.
  • May have varying levels of performance accountability.
  • Most usually has powers to develop electoral regulatory framework independently under the law.
  • More usually has broad overall powers and functions for electoral implementation.
  • May have powers to hire fire and discipline its own staff.
  • May have power to establish its own procurement and accounting procedures.
  • Members may be non-aligned ‘experts’ or politically affiliated.
  • May have a fixed term of office.
  • May have a separately allocated budget from the legislature.
  • May receive funding from the executive or the donor community.
  • May be able to access personnel from within the public service.

What an Independent Model EMB is not:

  • Is NOT part of the structure of a department of state and/or local government.
  • Is NOT above the constitution or law.
  • Is NOT formally accountable to the executive branch of government.
  • Is NOT free of policy, financial, and performance accountability and good governance constraints.
  • Does NOT fall within the budget of any government ministry.
  • Staff members are NOT necessarily public servants.

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