This question was posted on behalf of Velko Milolev. 

In Serbia and Kosovo, groups or 'initiatives' of citizens are allowed to submit candidate lists in national and local elections, without having to register as a political party. For instance, the Kosovo General Election Law defines a 'citizens’ initiative' as "a group of persons who voluntarily associate on the basis of a common idea, interest or viewpoint with the objective of having their candidates elected, but who do not wish to form a political party.”

1. Are there similar examples of this in other international contexts ? 
2. What has been the aim of allowing citizens to submit lists? (E.g. strengthening the representative character of the legislature?) 
3. Is the criteria for registering citizen lists by the EMB significantly different from the criteria applied to political parties and coalitions? 

Note: I am particularly interested in experiences from environments similar to the current one in my own country (Bulgaria), where you see large civic movements demanding political change, desiring some degree of representation in parliament while being unwilling or unable to establish political parties.

Summary of Responses

A few Practitioners’ Network members offered examples of countries where citizens groups or initiatives are allowed to participate in local and national elections. Furthermore, several members cited examples of independents being allowed to stand for elections in their countries, but not on the same list.

One member suggested that in Namibia, citizens can organize themselves as “rate payers’ associations” to participate in local elections, effectively giving them the same rights as local parties under the Local Authorities Act of 1992 of Namibia.

A member from Germany noted that groups of citizens do participate as initiatives or associations on lists at the municipal level. However, the same member noted that these groups must fulfill several requirements: 1) They must receive enough support (via signatures, 2) they must set up a list of candidates fulfilling requirements of the election commission for valid candidates in the election, 3) they must submit the list by the registration deadline for all candidates.   Similarly, in Colombia, a member added that committees of citizens must collect a significant number of signatures, supported by a percent of registered voters.

Several members added that the following countries allow independent candidates to stand for election: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Benin, and Burundi.  However, these members’ responses suggest that these countries currently lack frameworks supporting  citizens’ groups submitting lists.

While independent candidates differ from citizens’ initiatives, a member from Burundi suggested that the principle is similar when independents stand for election, referring to Article 25 of the International United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights  (ICCPR), which notes that “every citizen shall have the right and opportunity… to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives.”

Besides the lack of a legal framework allowing for citizens groups to submit lists, members from Benin and Burundi also noted the obstacle of citizens groups and independents funding their campaigns.  In line with this, a member from Senegal added that to get around this problem—and the many regulations governing the candidacy of independents (such as 10,000 signatures of registered voters) – groups of citizens may prefer to form small and nationally unrepresentative political parties.  

Finally, a member noted several countries that have groups labeled as ‘citizen initiative groups.’ They include: 

• Azerbaijan – All elections (see Article 53 and following, Electoral Code 2011)
• Belarus – Presidential elections and referendums
• Georgia – Presidential and local elections
• Moldova – National and local elections, referendums
• Turkmenistan – For national and local elections
• Uzbekistan – National and local elections

In addition, the same member suggested there are instances where candidates running as independents may form alliances and group together on lists, citing the example of the Australian Senate. The member further added that in some contexts, citizens’ movements may also collectively get behind an independent candidate representing their interests.  Similarly, another member referred to the case of Mozambique, where citizens have fielded specific independent candidates to defend their interests.

Contributing Members

• Atem Oben Henry Ekpeni

• Ababacar Fall

• Vincent de Paul Taty

• Augustin Habonayo

• Boaventura Zita

• Ngondo Ndjondo Abbel

• Alan Wall

• Francisco Barrera

• Rémegie Gahungu

• Edwige Christiane Padonou

• Manuel J. Kripp

• Joram Rukambe

I know that in Namibia in Southern Africa, citizens can organize themselves in the form of rate payers' associations in order to participate in local elections only. This does not make them a political party, but such as association enjoys the same rights and has same obligations like a political party under the local authorities act of 1992 of Namibia.  I hope this helps a bit, cheers.

In Germany, you can participate in a election as a voter group or citizen initiative if

1) you get enough declarations of support for your group, initiative or association. This just happened recently in Munich for the municipal elections, which take place on 14th of March. A few of the smaller initiatives and parties that participated for the first time in the election had booths set up in the city center to collect signatures of support from citizens passing by.

2) you are able to set up a list of candidates that fulfils the requirements of the election commission for valid candidate lists, 

3) you submit the list until the deadline for registration of candidates/lists.

The municipal election commission has the obligation to check the declarations of support and if they reach a certain quota of valid signatures, the group is put on the ballot paper.

It is important to note that parties in Germany are considered to be associations and have additional rights and obligations. Additionally they are mentioned in the constitution (Grundgesetz).

On the municipal level you find many citizens initiatives or voter groups representing certain areas, special fields of interests or certain movements. For example you have the friends of animals, the supporter of car drivers and local groups running for the elections.

Maître Christine Ndayishimiye du Burundi

Dans mon pays il n'est pas obligatoire d'appartenir à un parti politique pour se porter candidat  aux élections locales, législatives et même présidentielles car en effet la loi permet aux indépendants de se présenter à titre individuel. Seulement, dans la pratique il y a très peu de candidatures individuelles car les campagnes coûtent cher et il y a très peu qui osent s'aventurer. Par contre d'autres associations ne peuvent pas se présenter à moins qu'elles soient enregistrées comme partis politiques.

Au Bénin, pour l`élection présidentielle, le candidat peut ne pas être d`un partis politique et se présenter. Depuis 1990, ou le Bénin a opt2 pour le Renouveau démocratique, il  n`y a que des candidatures individuelles pour la course à la Marina.  Les partis politiques qui présentent n`ont pas eu la changer de briguer la magistrature. Mais le raison, c`est que le peuple est de plus en plus déçu des hommes politiques. Et le comble, les candidats sans partis une fois au pays ne font pas mieux. Ils sont aussi décevants. ils sont incapables de maitriser l`inflation, la corruption, de créer des emplois et d`améliorer la qualité de vie du peuple.  Les réflexions, c`est ou trouver les hommes de qualité, des hommes vertueux pour placer à la tête de l`État.  Mais pour les élections législatives, c`est des partis ou des alliances des partis qui présentent des candidats.

I the legal frame of Burundi, a candidate may come from a political party or someone can stand as an independent candidate. For presidential elections, a candidate may be from a political party or an independent candidate. Members of parliament are elected through proportional  reperesentation system on a closed list, to mean that a party or an independent candidate has to present a list of candidates and not a single candidate. The same applies to other local elections except the elections at lower level (wards Council) where a candiadte MUST stand as an independent candidate. In Burundi, a civil society may not nominate candidates as a civil society but one of them may stand as an independent candidate as the law allows it. The main basis of allowing the independent candidates or "citizens' initiative" to contest elections is the article 25 of the ICCPR, where any person (a party or independent candidate) has right to vote or to be elected in a particular election. We may remember that a person has a right to belong to a political party or not.

The main aim is to strenghen democracy and protect the fundamental right of being elected whether through political parties or not.

I think that in your context (Serbia and Kosovo), the citizens' initiative may be compared to "independent candidates" in Burundi and other jurisdictions allowing independent candidates to contest elections.

In Burundi the criteria for registering independent candidates are similiar to those of candidates from political parties.

As an election administrator and researcher,  independent candidates are not treated on equal footing as political parties, they do not have enough financial resources to camapign and prepare elections, that is why in many jurisdictions, they do not win elections.  I think and it is my view that independent candidates should be promoted and encouraged in order to contest elections in the same conditions as political parties, this should more strengthen democracy in our countries.

En Colombia, mediante los procedimientos de los partidos regulados, o las alianzas con o de partidos politicos, o mediante comites o grupos significativos de ciudadanos, se podrán inscribir candidaturas a cargos uninominales (Gobernadores y Alcaldes), o para Iniciativas Legislativas o Normativas, para referendos, revocatorias de mandatos.

Para el tramite de grupos significativos de ciudadanos, se anexarán un escrito en el que manifiesten su apoyo al candidato o al proceso electoral. En el evento en que el postulante sea un movimiento social o grupo significativo de ciudadanos, éste deberá acreditar el número de firmas, esto es el respaldo de un porcentaje de ciudadanos que se encuentren en el Registro de Votantes (Censo Electoral), que occila entre el 5% y el 50% que es el mayor porcentaje exigido y la garantía de seriedad de la candidatura, que consiste en una poliza de seguros expedia como respaldo y garantia del proceso, lo anterior se encuentra normado en la Ley 134 de 1994, reglamentado en Resolucion 1.940 de 2003, y 5641 de 1996 de la Regulacion Colombiana

While it would more usually be applicable to local elections, a quick search through my law database identified the following countries - additional to those identifed by others above  - which allow/have allowed groups named as 'citizen initiative groups' to participate in national level elections, as in Kosovo and Serbia.

Azerbaijan – all elections see Art 53 and following, Electoral Code 2011

Belarus – Presidential elections and referendums

Georgia – presidential and local elections

Moldova – national and local elections, referendums

Turkmenistan – for national and local elections

There may well be other countries offering this at national level but where it is differently titled.

The citizen initiative group is a more formalised styling, that may be able to contest multiple electoral districts,  of the common practice  of 'independent'/ non-party candidates nominated by groups of citizens/eligible voters. Such facilities may also allow 'grouping' of candidates in a list: for example for the Australian Senate, such citizen-nominated 'independent' candidates can form loose alliances in a candidate list or 'group ticket' in a PR election. And in Kosovo, independent candidates nominated by citizens as well as citizen initiative groups can compete.

The criteria to be met by CIGs and political parties can be significantly different: a CIG may  only have to go through the candidate certification process before an election, rather than through something similar to the permanent party registration process and the information provision and structures that this can require. On the other hand, in some cases  a CIG may be required to meet other criteria - such as provision of supporters' signatures in support of candidate nomination (or a higher number of supporters' signatures in comparison to a registered party).

It is more usually found in a local government election context. Especially in unitary states with a single national level of party registration it can allow a group with a local geographic or issue based policy focus to stand in a local MMD /SMD constituency, or specific municipalities for local elections, without having to register a national party.  It could promote more locally responsive representation. 

It can be used (some would say abused) to compete nationally without the burden of having to be registered as a party - for example LVV in Kosovo.  It appears at times to have been used where there are perceived barriers to party registration, unwillingness to accept the authority of party registration, or a wish to create a point of difference with parties, where these are commonly regarded as ineffective  or corrupt.

Dans mon pays la République Démocratique du Congo, on observe ce genre des pratiques et ces candidats sont appelés "des candidats indépendants". Ces genres des candidatures sont à tous les niveaux, à titre d'exemple, le Président actuel était élu comme indépendant; au parlement il y a au moins 8% des députés et sénateurs indépendant. on retrouve aussi ces indépendants dans les assemblées provinciales, malheureusement on a jamais organisé les élections locales. ces regroupements viennent plus de la société civile mais la loi Congolaise n'a jamais autorisé qu'un regroupement de la société civile se fasse inscrire en son nom sur les listes de candidats éligibles, seul le regroupement politique.  

Yes, e.g. Mozambique, in Municipal elections or local elections citizens my be organized as a group and present a candidate to run only for local elections, the states that “a group of citizens may be organized as a group to defend their local interest”. Citizens find this arrangement suitable and appropriate, contrary to Political parties since the latter demand a lot of paper work and organization. The purpose of allowing citizens  to submit lists is to strengthen local participation since they are close and know well what is necessary to be improved. Political Party is based on trust while citizens is based on knowledge and professionalism

Boaventura Zita

HABONAYO AUGUSTIN

Dans mon pays le Burundi, Jusque aujourd'hui, il n'ya pas des associations des citoyens non identifiées comme partis politiques qui se présentent aux élections. Peut-être que plus tard ça pourra arriver. Cependant, la loi autorise les indépendants de se présentaer aux élections. Pour les élections de 2010, il ya eu des indépendants qui se sont présentés aux élections dans certaines communes.

Dans mon pays le Congo Brazzaville, il est permit aux groupes d'individus de s'organiser librement en dehors des partis et groupements politiques pour concourir à l'expression de la démocratie en participant aux différentes élections en qualité d'indépendant. Il n'y a pas de spécificité ou de particularité en fonction des pensées ou de groupe d’intérêt. Ils sont simplement des indépendants et doivent remplir les critères exigés par les textes en vigueur.  

Au Sénégal, les candidatures indépendantes sont autorisées mais seulement aux élections nationales (présidentielle et législatives). Pour les élections locales (départementales et municipales), elles ne sont pas autorisées pour éviter d'encourager la constitution de listes sur des bases ethniques, racistes ou identitaires.

Concernant les élections nationales, des personnalités indépendantes peuvent se présenter aux élections ; mais ces candidatures sont assujetties au respect de certaines conditionna lités tél que la production de 10.000 signatures d'électeurs inscrits sur les listes électorales et domiciliés dans 6 régions à raison de 500 au moins par régions

Dans la pratique, avec la naissance de mouvements citoyens, on assiste à une revendication pressante de personnes sans affiliation politique pour la levée de cette interdiction. Pour contourner ces dispositions qui les excluent des compétitions électorales, ces citoyens ou mouvements indépendants briguent les suffrages en présentant des listes sous la bannière de petits partis politiques non représentatifs.

ABABACAR FALL

EXPERT ÉLECTORAL

DAKAR/SÉNÉGAL

As indicated above, some Countries have lawfully permitted 'citizen initiative groups' to participate mostly in local elections. Not every citizen is oblige to be partisan due to variations in party doctrines. Every eligible citizen in a given nation is interested in the development of his/her community. The 'citizen initiative groups' are thus look upon as persons who are more interested in development without political party lines. However, one would assured that candidates who failed to secure the endorsement of their party would seek refuge in such groups. It is difficult to have independents candidates running on same list for local elections. These groups do galvanize support and can easily come up with a list of independent candidates to run for elections.

The procedure for the submission of candidature files are usually same like any other party candidate running for the elections.