Impartiality and equal access are of particular importance in news, current affairs or discussion programmes and therefore all broadcasters should abide by standards of impartiality in their informative programmes, in line with the obligations set by the election law. While reflecting a polarised political discourse, media organs should be mindful of their responsibility to avoid amplifying or exploiting incitements of hatred or division in their coverage.

Journalists should consider developing self-regulatory principles to ensure respect for journalistic standards and awareness of the media’s social responsibility during election campaigns. Such principles should be embodied in a code of conduct endorsed by all media.

The law which prevents Lebanese women from passing on citizenship to children if they marry a foreign national is in urgent need of amendment in order to meet Lebanon’s commitments to non-discrimination on the grounds of gender and also because of its implications when all Lebanese citizens are entitled to vote, even second or third generation emigrants.

Women’s representation in the administration of elections could be improved by training and recruitment programmes which include women’s representation as a priority.

Building on the first reference to election observers in the 2008 Election Law, the rights and responsibilities of national and international observers could be given further detail, prioritizing observers’ right to view all stages of voting and counting and their responsibility to remain neutral and not interfere in the process. Domestic observation organisations should be supported in their endeavour to recruit and train election observers, not least because of the opportunity provided for citizens to be involved in a constructive and evaluative approach to political processes.

A clearer and more comprehensive complaints framework to enable challenges of more elements of electoral administration would enhance transparency and accountability. The existing structure enabling decisions by the SCEC to be challenged at the State Council is appropriate, but is naturally only a recourse for the limited number of issues which the SCEC is mandated to monitor. A clear appeals system should be established to enable voters and candidates alike to seek redress on all elements of electoral administration, from voter registration to pertinent incidents on polling day. Legislation or regulations should clearly set out which administrative or judicial institution is responsible for hearing specific types of complaints.

All appropriate measures should be undertaken to ensure the attendance of the required number of polling station staff members at each polling station. The reliance on fewer staff members or the assistance of untrained members of the public or party agents diminishes the credibility and efficiency of polling processes.

Written procedures for aggregation of results after counting at polling stations should be drafted, for use by Registration and Higher Registration Committees. These procedures should include reference to the right of party agents and election observers to attend aggregation stages of the counting process.

The timeframes relating to the dissolution of parliament, nomination of candidates, campaign period and election day caused legal uncertainty regarding incumbent members of parliament. There is a need to align the electoral calendar to ensure different parts of the electoral process are consistent.

A review of constituency boundaries should be undertaken to ensure boundary demarcations reflect population density and weighting in parliamentary representation. This should continue to be undertaken taking into consideration the geography and demographics of Malawi as is currently the case.

Enhanced transparency measures to be introduced by the Electoral Commission at all levels of the electoral administration to guarantee accountability throughout the election process. The Electoral Commission should also undergo a review of procedures and capacity structures for it to be able to organise elections and introduce greater performance guarantees.

The financial needs of the Electoral Commission should be independently assessed and options for adequate annual funding considered to ensure this institutions independence and capacity. Financial accountability and annual accounts should also be published to guarantee public accountability.

The political party consultative meetings should be developed as a more regular platform of dialogue between the Electoral Commission and the political parties. Full transparency measures need also to be introduced including formal rules for meetings and published minutes and consideration should be given to appointing a liaison officer for political parties and other stakeholders. Full financial transparency measures should also be introduced for the organisation of these meetings.

The Electoral Commission should increase its training activities and design a permanent and rolling programme for polling officials to ensure all areas of the technical process are fully understood by officials. This should cover all election related processes ranging from voter registration and aggregation. Systems for communication from the Electoral Commission to the field need to be reviewed to ensure consistent and regular directions are communicated in a timely manner across the country.

A review of the electoral services and information technology departments of the Electoral Commission should be undertaken in respect to the system employed for the
collection of the final results. Adequate training for staff responsible in the field for aggregation of results should be provided and more resources available to enable them to carry out their work.

Regulations should be issued governing the registration of voters specifying the procedures for challenges and complaints regarding voter registration, deadlines and the competent authority to deal with these complaints. In order to ensure consistency and simplification of the process, the Electoral Commission is advised to establish a body such as a District Registration Review Committee to deal with complaints, whose decision can be appealed to the Magistrate Court as it is physically closer to citizens.

The system for campaign spending should be reviewed as it is inadequate. Consideration should be given to placing a ceiling on spending and introducing an appropriate and transparent system for public accountability in campaign spending. Them political parties should submit accounts of their donations and spending on a regular basis to a relevant authority for the duration of the campaign period ensuring maximum transparency.

The provisions of the Communications Act should be clarified to ensure a satisfactory regulatory environment for the broadcast media, whilst respecting the principle of freedom of speech. It should set out programme standards and broadcaster obligations as well as provisions relating to media coverage of elections.

An independent regulatory authority should be established for the audiovisual sector. This regulatory authority’s functions and mandate should be clearly defined and it should have an adequately funded secretariat to undertake management responsibilities. It should also have statutory powers for it to adequately deal with complaints against programming and ensure editorial standards are maintained.

A stronger position for women and minorities in parliament, governance and political parties should be encouraged through affirmative action within the political parties themselves. Initiatives to encourage the representation of women in public and political life should also be considered and the Electoral Commission also introduce a pro-active gender policy to ensure women take up key positions.

The timeframe to file a petition to the High Court challenging the results of elections should be realistic and effective. The Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Act of 1993 should be amended to include a timeframe of between 21 or 30 days after the announcement of results for petitions to be submitted. Furthermore, deadlines for conclusions to election petitions should be implemented providing an effective and timely remedy to petitioners.

More training conducted well in advance of election day should be planned by the Electoral Commission. A permanent register of polling officials should be maintained with regular training sessions conducted throughout the country. This training should include polling officials, party agents, observers and security forces. It should also clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders in respect to the election process.

The layout of polling stations should be redesigned to reduce confusion and crowding. A design based on ease of access, voter flows and security as well as transparency should be envisaged to ensure improvements in access and understanding of polling station layouts.

Greater safeguards need to be introduced to guarantee the accuracy of the aggregation process. Forms for closing and tallying should be simplified and polling staff should receive advanced training in handling the forms, handover of documents and data entry and these should be simplified as they are overly complex in design. The systems used should be thoroughly tested before any further elections and staff receive training in how to handle the equipment.

Important provisions should be clearly and unambiguously stated in the law such as the procedures for candidate registration, conditions for substitution of ineligible candidates, disclosure of number of voters per polling station.