Info

Eritrea

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Boundary Delimitation

BD001

Delimitation of constituencies

Question:	Are constituencies delimited for election purposes?
Answer:	a. Yes
Comments:
Source:	chapter 4 article 13 Eritrea Electoral Laws
Verified:	2007/09/28

BD003

Criteria for drawing boundaries

Question:	On what criteria are the boundaries drawn?
Answer(s):	a. "Equality" of population b. Respecting natural barriers f. Communities of interest/cultural concerns
Comments:	Every constituency shall consist of 25,000 dwellers or 12,000 eligible voters; Every constituency designated for the reserved female Assembly seats shall consist of 50,000 dwellers or 24,000 eligible voters; When designating constituencies, the Commission shall take into consideration the balance of ethnic participation and representation;
Source:	chapter 4 article 14 Eritrea Electoral Laws
Verified:	2007/09/28

BD005

Body responsible for drawing boundaries

Question:	The body responsible for drawing the boundaries is:
Answer(s):	d. Boundary Commission
Comments:
Source:	article 14 Eritrea electoral law
Verified:	2007/09/28

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Electoral Systems

ES001

Head of State

Question:	How is the Head of State selected?
Answer(s):	d. Indirectly elected by legislature
Comments:	1) The National Assembly elects the president directly.
Source:	article 41(1) Eritrea constitution
Verified:	2007/09/28

ES002

Head of Government

Question:	How is the Head of Government selected?
Answer:	c. Indirectly elected by legislature/chosen by parliament
Comments:
Source:	article 39(1) Eritrea Constitution.
Verified:	2007/09/28

ES003

President

Question:	Does the country have a president?
Answer:	a. Yes
Comments:
Source:	article 39(1) Eritrea constitution.
Verified:	2007/09/28

ES004

Number of Chambers

Question:	The national legislature consists of (one/two chambers):
Answer:	a. One chamber
Comments:
Source:	Eritrea constitution.
Verified:	2007/09/28

ES005

Electoral System (Chamber 1)

Question:	What is the electoral system for Chamber 1 of the national legislature?
Answer(s):	a. Plurality (FPTP)
Comments:
Source:	article 31(3) Eritrea constitution
Verified:	2007/09/28

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Legislative Framework

LF001

Status of Electoral Law

Question:	What is the status of the electoral law governing national elections?
Answer(s):	a. Part of Constitution b. Separate legislation d. Regulations or administrative rules
Comments:
Source:	Eritrea constitution.
Verified:	2007/09/28

LF003

Electoral Law covers

Question:	The national electoral law covers:
Answer(s):	a. National elections b. Regional elections c. Local elections d. Referendums
Comments:
Source:	Eritrea constitution. Eritrean Electoral Law
Verified:	2007/09/28

LF004

Compulsory/voluntary voting

Question:	Is voting on the national level voluntary or compulsory?
Answer(s):	a. Voting is voluntary
Comments:
Source:	article 30(1) Eritrea constitution.
Verified:	2007/09/28

LF007

Electoral Disputes Agency(ies)

Question:	What are the agency(ies) responsible for the first level of formal electoral disputes?
Answer(s):	b. EMB
Comments:
Source:	article 57(1) Eritrea constitution
Verified:	2007/09/28

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Electoral Management

EM001

Please provide the following contact information for the national electoral management body:

Name of Institution: Election Commission 	
Website Address: N/A 	

Source

No Source

Verified

2009/11/03

(Found a mistake? Please let us know.)

EM002

Responsibility of national EMB

Question:	Does the national electoral body have the responsibility for elections at:
Answer(s):	a. National level b. Regional level c. Local level
Comments:	Election means electing a person for the National Assembly or the regional assembly;
Source:	Eritrean Electoral Law
Verified:	2007/09/28

EM004

EMB budget determined by

Question:	The budget of the national electoral management body is determined by:
Answer(s):	c. The legislature g. Other
Comments:	The Commission shall have a budget approved by the National Assembly. The budget shall be disbursed according to the financial regulations of the Government of Eritrea.
Source:	Article 66 of the Eritrea Electoral Law
Verified:	2007/09/28

EM005

EMB expenditures controlled by

Question:	The expenditures of the national electoral management body are controlled by:
Answer(s):	c. The legislature g. Other
Comments:	controller of auditor general and parliamentary accounts committees
Source:	Eritrea Electoral Law
Verified:	2007/09/28

EM006

Term of EMB members

Question:	The term of the members of the national electoral management body is:
Answer:	b. For a specified number of years
Comments:	5 years
Source:	article 58 Eritrea constitution
Verified:	2007/09/28

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Voter Education

VE001

Information campaigns performed by

Question:	Who conducts information campaigns for national elections (informing where, when and how to register and/or vote)?
Answer(s):	a. National Electoral Management Body
Comments:
Source:	article 5 (n) Eritrea electoral law.
Verified:	2007/09/28

VE002

Frequency of voter education programs

Question:	At the national level, how often are voter education programs conducted?
Answer:	b. Election time only
Comments:
Source:	Eritrea electoral Law
Verified:	2007/09/28

VE003

National civic education

Question:	Is there a national civic education campaign (rights and responsibilities of citizens)?
Answer(s):	b. Yes, conducted by the National Electoral Management Body
Comments:
Source:	article 5 Eritrea electoral law.
Verified:	2007/09/28

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Voter Registration

VR001

Voting age

Question:	What is the legal voting age in the national elections?
Answer:	c. 18
Comments:
Source:	Eritrea constitution article 30(1)
Verified:	2007/09/28

VR002

Other voting requirements

Question:	Beyond age, what other qualifications exist for registering to vote and voting in the national elections?
Answer(s):	a. Citizenship e. Other
Comments:	resident of the constituency, an employee in the constituency area, or assigned in the constituency area to perform his duties; not serving a sentence by a court of law;
Source:	Article 18 Eritrea electoral Law
Verified:	2007/09/28

VR004

Body responsible for voter registration

Question:	Which is the authority responsible for the registration of voters for national elections?
Answer:	d. Election Management Body (specify)
Comments:
Source:	Eritrea Electoral Law
Verified:	2007/09/28

VR008

Compulsory voter registration

Question:	Is it compulsory to be on the voters register?
Answer:	b. No
Comments:
Source:	Eritrea electoral law
Verified:	2007/09/28

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Voting Operations

VO003

Electors vote at

Question:	Where can electors vote?
Answer(s):	a. At a specified polling station in the locality where they are registered at national elections
Comments:
Source:	Article 48 (4) of the Eritrea electoral law
Verified:	2007/10/02

VO004

Voting outside the country is permitted for

Question:	Who can vote from outside the country?
Answer(s):	b. Citizens residing outside the country c. Citizens outside the country (including those on vacation) d. Members of the armed forces
Comments:
Source:	Article 52 of the Eritrea electoral law
Verified:	2007/10/02

VO005

Locations for voting outside of the country

Question:	If voting outside the country is permitted, at what places?
Answer(s):	a. Embassies b. Consulates
Comments:
Source:	Article 52 of the Eritrea electoral law
Verified:	2007/10/02

VO011

Voting method

Question:	How do electors cast their votes?
Answer(s):	a. Manually marking of ballots
Comments:
Source:	Article 50 Eritrea electoral law
Verified:	2007/10/02

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Parties and Candidates

PC001

Registration requirements for parties (Chamber 1)

Question:	What are the registration requirements for political parties running for national elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s):	g. No information available
Comments:	Eritrea is a one-party state
Source:	http://www.factbites.com/topics/Elections-in-Eritrea
Verified:	2005/08/26

PC003

Registration requirements for candidates (Chamber 1)

Question:	What are the legal qualifications to become a candidate at legislative elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s):	a. Age b. Citizenship d. Residence f. Registration j. Other
Comments:	the person has not worked actively with the enemy to perpetrate crimes against the Eritrean people during the independence struggle, or has not collaborated with foreign forces against the sovereignty and unity of Eritrea after independence.
Source:	Article 34 of the Eritrea Electoral law
Verified:	2007/10/02

PC008

Independent candidates

Question:	Can independent candidates compete in presidential or legislative elections?
Answer(s):	e. In both presidential and legislative elections
Comments:
Source:	Eritrean Electoral Law Article 35
Verified:	2007/10/02

PC012

PC015

Basis of public funding

Question:	What is the basis of the public funding?
Answer(s):	f. No information available
Comments:	There is no provision in law
Source:
Verified:	2005/08/26

PC017

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Vote Counting

VC004

Voters are sorted/counted at

Question:	Following the close of the voting, where are the votes first sorted and counted?
Answer:	a. The polling stations
Comments:
Source:	Article 56 Eritrean electoral law.
Verified:	2009/11/04

VC011

Conditions for recount

Question:	Under what conditions are ballots recounted?
Answer(s):	c. Automatically (triggered) recounted under certain conditions
Comments:
Source:	Eritrea Electoral law Article 56(4).
Verified:	2009/11/04

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Media and Elections

ME037

Parties receive free broadcast time based on

Question:	What are the criteria for allocating free broadcast time and/or free printed advertisement space to political parties?
Answer(s):	g. Other (specify)
Comments:	All candidates shall have the right to equally and free-of-charge access and use government owned mass media
Source:	Eritrea Electoral law Article 43
Verified:	2007/10/02

ME059

Existence of televised debates

Question:	Are televised debates between candidates or party representatives normally conducted?
Answer(s):	a. Yes, in presidential elections
Comments:
Source:	http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1070813.stm
Verified:	2005/05/12

ME062

Blackout period for opinion polls

Question:	What is the blackout period, if any, during which results of pre-election opinion polls may not be released to the public?
Answer:	b. 2-3 days
Comments:	Based on directives that the Commission issues, all contestant candidates shall cease election campaign activities three days before Election Day
Source:	Eritrea Electoral law Article 45
Verified:	2007/10/02

ME080

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Direct Democracy

DD002

Direct Democracy Provisions (National Level)

Question:	Are there any Legal Provisions for Direct Democracy Procedures at the national level?
Answer:
Comments:
Source:	Eritrean referendum proclamation no. 22/1992
Verified:	2005/08/26

DD003

Mandatory referendums (national level)

Question:	Are there any Legal Provisions for Mandatory Referendums at the national level?
Answer:
Comments:
Source:	Eritrean referendum proclamation no. 22/1992
Verified:	2005/04/06

DD004

Optional referendums (national level)

Question:	Are there any Legal Provisions for Optional Referendums at the national level?
Answer:
Comments:
Source:	Eritrean referendum proclamation no. 22/1992
Verified:	2005/04/06

DD005

Citizens' Initiatives (national level)

Question:	Are there any Legal Provisions for Citizen’s Initiatives at national level?
Answer:
Comments:
Source:	Eritrean referendum proclamation no. 22/1992
Verified:	2005/04/06

DD006

Agenda Initiatives (national level)

Question:	Are there any Legal Provisions for Agenda Initiatives at national level?
Answer:
Comments:
Source:	Eritrean referendum proclamation no. 22/1992
Verified:	2005/04/06

DD007

Recalls (national level)

Question:	Are there any Legal Provisions for Recalls at national level?
Answer:
Comments:
Source:	Eritrean referendum proclamation no. 22/1992
Verified:	2005/04/06

DD129

DD130

DD131