La MOE UE est préoccupée par les cas d’atteintes à la liberté d’expression et de détentions illégales, liées au processus électoral, rapportées au cours de la campagne référendaire et à l’approche des prochaines élections. Afin d’établir un contexte propice à la tenue d’élections démocratiques, il apparaît indispensable que toutes les mesures soient prises pour garantir le respect de la liberté d’expression et des droits fondamentaux.

La CEI devrait établir un cadre de concertation plus étroit avec l’ensemble des formations politiques au niveau national et local en vue de promouvoir le respect des règles relatives à la campagne électorale, de faciliter l’établissement de listes des candidats, soutenir la préparation, la formation et l’accréditation des témoins. Elle devrait renforcer sa communication sur les droits et les devoirs des témoins des partis politiques, notamment afin d’éviter que ces derniers n’outrepassent leurs prérogatives, et envisager des séances de formation des formateurs au niveau des BRP.

Les questions de sécurité se posent pendant toute la période électorale depuis les préparatifs du scrutin jusqu’à l’annonce des résultats définitifs des élections. Le paiement des agents de la Police Nationale Congolaise doit être effectué plus tôt. En tout état de cause, chacun doit recevoir au moins une partie de son salaire avant le jour du scrutin. Cela devrait permettre aux préparatifs de se dérouler plus efficacement et dans une atmosphère plus détendue.

The composition of the NEBE should be reviewed. Continuing lack of trust by opposition parties in an election commission which is effectively appointed by one party will always be a serious liability to an election process. In transitional democracies election commission sometimes include party representatives. This model could be considered.

The election law should stipulate that all competing parties, candidates and observers are given official copies of all result sheets.

NEBE working procedures should be formalised in an NEBE regulation.

Provisions on election complaints should be streamlined and broadened to allow stakeholders to complain against any acts or decisions which may impact on their rights. There should be deadlines stipulating when complaints must be decided by the election administration. The ad-hoc model of stakeholders being involved in the investigation of complaints may be usefully integrated in some form into the election law.

The working procedures of the NEBE should be reviewed. The NEBE should have full authority over its secretariat, including appointment of its Chief and Deputy Chief Executive. Deliberation and decision-making by the NEBE should be public, or at least in the presence of stakeholders, such as all political parties participating in an election, which could be consulted on decisions before adoption.

The system of counting, aggregation and publication of votes should be faster, more rigorous and more transparent. This will be a key measure to avoid post-election conflict and controversy. To this end the following measures are recommended: (i) Training of election officials in counting, aggregation, publication, completion of forms etc., should be increased. (ii) Constituency election offices should immediately publish results received from polling stations. Subsequently votes should be re-counted to verify accuracy. Where results are not posted at polling stations, or not properly published at constituency levels, repolling should be considered.

Elections should be held on the same day in all parts of the country.

Students should be allowed to participate in elections in a way that does not impede the swift counting and aggregation of results.

The NEBE and the Supreme Court, which is entitled to review NEBE decisions, should not be headed by the same person.

Freedom of the media needs to be established. State media, which are paid from public funds, should provide equitable access to all political contestants.

The pre-election amendments of the criminal law regarding media issues should be taken off the books.

The NEBE should take steps to prevent family or clan voting, in particular in the Somali region.

The Election Law should be amended to provide Guinean citizens living abroad with the opportunity to vote in presidential elections. Currently, they are only able to vote in the legislative elections.

The role of the National Popular Assembly should be strengthened as a major institutional tool for conflict prevention in the electoral process.

The CNE’s administrative independence should be reinforced with financial autonomy, through a section in the national budget. This should facilitate its ability to operate free from material constraints or last minute financial dependencies.

The polling station should be adopted as the basic electoral unit, rather than the electoral district, in order to allow the election administration to provide each polling station with its own, comprehensive voter list.

The practice of punching voter card should be replaced by a more cost effective and less destructive method, or simply be eliminated.

Detailed result forms should be publicly posted at all levels of the election administration after counting and tabulation has been completed at the various levels.

The provisions in the Election Law to provide public funding to candidates should be implemented as a fundamental tool to strengthen competitive democracy and allow more representative and pluralistic participation, especially among the younger generation.

The Conselho Nacional de Comunicação Social (CNCS) should play a more active role during election campaign, not only by providing guidelines for the media, but also by monitoring respect for legal provisions, possibly in a joint effort with the CNE in order to promptly react to any violation or complaint related to unfair or illegal media coverage. In this respect timely, clear and accessible procedures to receive and effectively act on complaints on behalf of candidates, political parties or any other act or should be established.

The State media should ensure impartiality, accountability and pluralism of viewpoints. The political party in power should refrain from misusing this public resource for its own interests by promoting its activity during the election campaign.

The level of professionalism in the Guinean media should be increased by ensuring adequate education and training of the journalists. Special attention should be given to the rights and duties of the profession of a journalist. Given the importance of journalist syndicates in developing independent and professional journalists, these bodies should be supported and promoted.