The problem of a lack of trust in the Electoral Commission by stakeholders could be addressed by revising the appointments process for key positions in the Electoral Commission based on best practice principles for public appointments.

Introducing more permanent structures at either provincial or district levels would reduce the reliance of the Electoral Commission on seconded administrative structures to prepare for elections and provide it with greater direct managerial control over all aspects of the process.

A review of the size and number of the larger polling stations could benefit the efficient processing of voters within the time limits set by law while at the same time guaranteeing a more regulated environment that can be sufficiently managed by presiding officers.

The ECZ must become an independent, autonomous body in terms of the appointment of its members, its funding and performance. Instead of the President proposing members for their ratification by Parliament, at least two-thirds of the National Assembly could put forward candidates for confirmation by the President. The ECZ’s funding should be guaranteed by the Ministry of Finance as per budget allocations.

In order to ensure fast, efficient and accountable election preparations, a detailed election calendar, incorporating all legal and sub-legal timelines, should be produced for future elections. Such a calendar would regulate dates and time periods for all aspects of the voter registration process, candidate nominations, election campaigning, the accreditation of monitors, observers and the media, as well as a timetable for the filing and resolution of petitions

Appropriate departments should be established within the ECZ’s Directorate, including one specifically for the training of electoral staff. Each department should have sufficient decision-making capacities to reduce the burden of the director and his/her deputies, and each electoral officer should work on the basis of clear terms of reference.

The training of electoral staff is in need of substantial improvement. Although there was a high level of competency among the trainers, observers reported that training facilities, equipment and the amount of training provided were unsatisfactory. Larger rooms, smaller groups, longer training periods, practice exercises, polling day simulations and follow-up training modules should all be introduced. In addition, step-by-step election manuals for presiding and returning officers, covering polling, counting, the packing and intake of materials and the tabulation and aggregation of results, should be provided.

The filling in of the forms took place in often inadequate lighting and was conducted by election staff who had already worked an almost 24-hour day. Adequate lighting should be provided in polling stations and consideration could be given to the introduction of a count officer who begins his/her duties at the end of polling, thus relieving the burden of the presiding officer.

It also appears necessary to improve the operational plan for the collection of presiding officers and election materials upon the completion of counting. In some areas, observers reported that presiding officers had to wait for 24 hours. The ECZ’s operational plan should ensure that the provision of transport meets the specific needs of each constituency.

Many of the limitations or flaws identified during the electoral process have to be addressed much earlier. A review of some aspects of the legal framework and a reform of some administrative constraints could greatly contribute to improve the quality of the electoral operations and to increase the impact and the effectiveness of the donors’ contributions.

ECZ should not try to take everything under its control. It should rather look for more cooperation, both with civil society and with other public institutions (with regards to
registration, access to media and mapping) instead of trying to carry out all the tasks alone. We could possibly keep the conflict management programmes within the scope of the ECZ activities, as the electoral staff could clearly be involved in this activity. On the contrary, we should recommend removing the civic education activities out of the ECZ responsibilities.

Even though it is clearly not in the scope of this evaluation mission to appreciate deeply into details the overall functioning of the ECZ, the issues of the composition, independence and management capacity of the ECZ are a clear concern for many interlocutors and have to be addressed in the future. Transparency and communication skills within the ECZ are still underdeveloped.