Newsletter May 2014
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Dear Reader, The May 2014 edition of the ACE Newsletter highlights:
Best regards, The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network
Feature: Building Resilience to Electoral Risks (Risks During the Campaign Phase and Electoral Risk Management)Sead Alihodzic* Elections are essential in ensuring the functioning of democratic societies. They do not only determine the course of national affairs, but have an impact on regional and global political, economic and security developments. Despite rich democratic traditions in some societies, and the determination of new democracies to conduct flawless electoral processes, democracy practitioners agree that there are no perfectly conducted elections. This is due to the complexities involved in ensuring that all eligible citizens can participate in elections as voters or candidates, and that the process yields genuine results. This short article will point to the main electoral risks during the campaign phase to argue the need for institutionalized electoral risk management across the electoral cycle in all democratic countries. Electoral risks and consequences Elections are made of many interconnected building blocks. These relate to legal, operational, technical, political, security and other aspects of electoral processes. The electoral cycle approach represents a useful tool to understand the substance and the chronology of electoral processes. Linkages between different electoral blocks are not always visible, but it is very likely that problems with one will negatively impact another segment of the electoral cycle. Although the consequences of problematic elections may differ in well-established and transitional democracies, they are always serious. In the former, weak electoral processes may generate political crises, attract domestic criticism and negative international publicity, and result in legal challenges. In conflict-prone societies, similar problems may further deepen social conflicts and trigger violent outbreaks which in turn may cause deaths, suffering, destruction and economic downturns. Controversies surrounding the USA presidential elections held in 2000, and the Kenyan general elections held in 2007 provide good examples of both scenarios. While risks are context specific, and may change from one electoral phase to another, practitioners and researchers often point to the significance of the campaign period risks. Process and structural risk factors during the campaign phase Confrontations over political views and competition for power are important pillars of credible electoral processes. However, due to the high stakes for electoral actors, it may be difficult to always sustain so called ‘constructive conflict’. This is particularly true during the campaign phase of the electoral cycle. In contexts where election winners take all power, and where stakeholders feel impunity, campaigning can be unfair, while debating may take a course of intimidation or threats, even trigger physical violence. Two types of risk factors may be observed across the electoral cycle. Process risks relate to behaviors of different electoral actors, and the operational challenges in implementing electoral activities. Structural risk factors relate to exogenous conditions which can disturb electoral processes. Process-related risk factors present during the campaign phase, that can undermine credibility of electoral processes and institutions, may include (for more see: International IDEA - The Guide on Factors of Election-related Violence Internal to Electoral Processes, 2013):
Structural factors affect elections in conflict-prone societies in particular. Unlike process factors, which may be specific to the campaign phase only, structural risk factors are likely to be present throughout the whole electoral cycle with the strong possibility of determining electoral outcomes or derailing democratic processes. The most critical structural risks that need to be considered during the campaign phase are (for more see: International IDEA - The Guide on Factors of Election-related Violence External to Electoral Processes, 2013):
Other structural factors that may be considered, in terms of risks to undermine democratic practices during the campaign phase and the electoral cycle as a whole, include: socio-economic conditions, social and political exclusions, changing power dynamics, human rights violations, environmental hazards etc. Risk management in elections Electoral risk management entails systematic efforts undertaken to improve knowledge about electoral risk factors, and develop situational awareness needed to initiate timely and well informed prevention and mitigation actions. Actions designed to prevent and mitigate electoral risks need to be context specific and well informed. At a very basic level, these will include timely assessment of the legal framework to ensure that non-democratic practices are discouraged and sanctioned. With regards to the campaign phase, specific legislation may include: political campaigning regulations, media regulations, and the introduction of the political party code of conduct.
Any organization that manages dynamic processes and projects will benefit from institutionalized risk management procedures and tools. Electoral management bodies are not an exception. Although many already implement risk management in their daily routines, there is a need for development and broader use of election-specific risk management concepts and tools.
ACE Practitioners' Spotlight: Liberata Irambona
How did you become involved in election operations? I have been involved in election operations since 1999 as volunteer just after the Genocide. The elections were conducted by the Ministry of Local Government. I was among the provincial team. Rwanda, like many other African Countries, is in the process of building and consolidating good governance and democracy through free, fair, transparent and regular elections. After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda adopted an electoral system designated to help the Country consolidate Political harmony, Peace, National Unity and Reconciliation, in conformity with the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda. Therefore the National Electoral Commission was born in 2000 as a Constitutional Institution with functional Independence. The Electoral Commission is mandated to prepare and manage all elections from the office of the President to the village Chief and I was recruited from August 2000 to 2006 as permanent staff in charge of electoral operations at region office. I have prepared and conducted different elections where in 2006 I was awarded as the best electoral activities coordinator. I would like to share my experience of working not only at an EMB but also as a candidate, because in the 2006 by-elections I decided to contest parliament’s 24 seats reserved for women, and I won in Eastern Province. It was not easy, but I know that if you have commitment, you succeed. Now I am a director of electoral operations department at NEC (National Electoral Commission of Rwanda). Do you have any specific areas of expertise as an electoral practitioner? Yes I have expertise in election planning and in civic education training. What are some biggest challenges you have experienced working in elections in Rwanda so far? So far, I can say that I have not experienced the biggest challenges, but in 2003 (general elections) it was not easy to conduct elections considering our site budget— it was really a challenge to plan all electoral operations on time with the money from donors. Some of our donors gave us their amount just after elections! Here I would like to thank all Rwandese, especially women, because they have decided to take their elections as their own business and a group of 65,000 volunteers were involved as assessors. Have you experienced any specific challenges as a woman working in political affairs/ elections? I would say yes. In my country, historically like other African countries, women could not go out in public with men. In places where there were men, women were not supposed to talk, and show their needs. Men were supposed to talk and think for them. With that history, it sometimes is the case that we (women) are afraid to talk in front of men, especially older men. The other challenge is working far from my family. In my culture women are supposed to prepare food and other things for the family, and being a woman working in political affairs/elections, I could not be at home and at work at the same time. Mixing family and political work for women is a challenge. Time for the family is limited by work. You are also a member of the ACE Practitioners' Network. Can you tell us a bit about how you have used the network? (E.g. knowledge sharing, advice, etc.) As a member of the ACE Practitioner’s Network, I would like to thank all Members. Their knowledge, experience sharing and advice were helpful for my performance as a practitioner. As a member of the PN, I share my experiences and knowledge by responding to questions asked by other members and sometimes I advise them on certain topics. I also use the ACE Practitioners’ Network for my research, and get a lot of information from there on elections. And I think of all members as my new family. Through this network, all my questions find responses. * Liberata Irambona currently lives with her husband and 8 children (four of whom she adopted). She possesses master’s degrees in Gender & Development (Madison University) and Political & Administrative Sciences (Université Catholique de Lyon). Liberata will also shortly finish a PhD in Political & Administration Sciences also from Université Catholique de Lyon. Practitioners' Network Updates
Ongoing Discussions Inside the PNPractitioners' Network (PN) members continued to critically engage on aspects of the electoral process, from the role of NGOs to international observation regulations. One member of the PN asked whether local NGOs should carry out both voter education activities and domestic election observation. This question was subsequently fielded as a poll to better understand members' views. When asked whether an NGO should be allowed to carry out voter education AND electoral observation, 30 percent selected 'It depends – Only with an adequate legal framework, 36 percent chose 'No – There is a serious conflict of interest that cannot be mitigated,' and 34 percent selected 'Yes – There is no conflict of interest and the two roles can even be mutually beneficiary.' The poll is still open, tell us what you think ...
Electoral Observation Regulations Another member of the PN working with the Union Election Commission (UEC) of Myanmar sought input from members on the following aspects of electoral observation throughout the electoral cycle: Examples of regulations that govern various aspects of electoral observation including accreditation, access to observe the various aspects of electoral cycle, specific regulations on observing polling, counting, tabulation, results and appeals processes. In particular on accreditation, we are looking for information about centralized or decentralized accreditation, whether organizations are accredited, or individual observers. The primary focus of our efforts will be domestic observation, but we are also interested in examining regulations governing international observation and political party agent observation. We would also be interested in learning from the experiences of others in facilitating or assisting the drafting of regulations regarding observation with EMBs.
Recent Publications by ACE Partners and Members of the Practitioners' NetworkSocial Media : A Practical Guide for Election Management Bodies
Equal Access: How to Include Persons with Disabilities in Elections and Political Processes
Mexico: 2013 Constitutional Reform (2014)
Authored by Carlos Navarro of the Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE) this article explores constitutional reform in Mexico, a process formally coming into effect on February 10th, 2014, and approved by Congress in December 2013. In examining this process, this analysis ultimately suggests that redefining Mexico's electoral process hinges on the implementation of legislation in two key areas, electoral procedures and political parties.
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The ACE Practitioners’ Spotlight highlights an influential member of the ACE Practitioners’ Network through an in-depth Q&A session. The ACE Practitioners’ Spotlight highlights an influential member of the ACE Practitioners’ Network through an in-depth Q&A session. This issue is proud to feature Liberata Irambona, Director of the Electoral Operations Department at the National Electoral Commission of Rwanda (NEC). 
Election Management Bodies (EMBs) can use social media to improve electoral participation, engage stakeholders, and build better trust and transparency throughout the electoral cycle. Published by 
This recent publication by the 
