The procedure for appointing members of the secretariat varies from country to country. Secretariats in EMBs which follow the Governmental Model are usually staffed by civil servants, either as permanent electoral employees or on secondment for specific election tasks, appointed under and subject to the conditions of service of laws governing civil service appointments.
In some countries with Independent Model EMBs, the secretariat staff working for the EMB are directly appointed and paid for by the EMB, while in other countries, EMB personnel are civil servants and their salaries and conditions of service are linked to the civil service. Even where secretariat staff are civil servants, they may hold statutory appointments under electoral law. The extent to which the EMB enjoys powers to hire and fire its own staff can be an indication of the extent to which the EMB is independent of the government. EMBs which have the power to hire and fire their own staff include India, Mexico, South Africa, and Uruguay.
The arrangement for EMB staff to remain civil servants and to be linked to the civil service machinery has been regarded by some electoral analysts as a back door through which the executive may control the electoral process.
For example, in Antigua and Barbuda, Botswana, Tanzania and Yemen, the Chief Electoral Officer, who is the EMB’s Chief Executive, is appointed by the President. A recent external review of the 2004 Botswana general elections recommended that the power to appoint the EMB’s Chief Executive should be vested in the EMB rather than the President. In Georgia, the staff of the EMB are all civil servants. In Canada and Kenya, the EMB’s returning officers (managers) at the electoral district level are appointed by the Government and not by the EMB. This practice has been regarded as a weak link in electoral administration, especially in Canada.
Except for the Director of Elections, who is the EMB’s Chief Executive, the whole of the secretariat of the Namibian Electoral Commission (ECN) consists of civil servants. The government approves the creation of EMB positions, and all EMB appointments are linked to civil service salaries and conditions of service. The EMB determines the conditions of service for election staff (the temporary staff that perform duty during elections, such as poling station staff), but the applicable rates must first be approved by the Treasury.
Some possible advantages of using civil servants as EMB secretariat staff
- Where the civil service has a tradition of neutrality, they provide loyal service.
- Knowledge of public administration may reduce EMB training needs.
- May have networks within civil service that assist in electoral activities – for example, procurement of equipment and materials, or use of state facilities.
- Have a clear career path, even if not in the EMB.
- Job security may promote continuity of staffing.
Some possible disadvantages of using civil servants as EMB secretariat staff
- May not be regarded as neutral or impartial, thus reducing credibility of electoral process.
- May lack specific electoral skills
- May not be accustomed to the time critical nature of electoral tasks.
- May transfer/be transferred out of the EMB with little notice, resulting in critical skill loss.
- Pay scales may be insufficient to motivate performance or loyalty.
- May be working second jobs due to low pay, thus affecting commitment at critical times.
Critical issues to consider when determining whether to use civil servants as EMB secretariat staff are those of political neutrality and job fit or skill levels. Civil servants may be publicly regarded as associated with or easily influenced by the government, on whom they depend for their appointment, promotions, and salaries, thus affecting the credibility of the EMB. Strong Independent or Mixed Model EMBs can mitigate this impression.
In many countries, civil servants may also not be highly trained or, due to only occasional work on electoral issues or to government civil service rotation policies, not technically skilled in electoral tasks. This requires that the EMB have a strong training unit or bring in external consultants as necessary to complement the skills available to the EMB. In Indonesia, the EMB has successfully employed consultants and contractors for voter information and information technology tasks, who have transferred skills to the EMB’s civil service staff.
