Election Observation

Election observation entails “the purposeful gathering of information regarding an electoral process, and the making of informed judgments on the conduct of such a process on the basis of the information collected, by persons who are not inherently authorized to intervene in the process” (UN Code of Practice quoted in Harris, 1997, p. 27).

Thus, election observation is not only central to but also has become part of the electoral process worldwide, especially in emerging democracies. The purposes of electoral observation are to promote transparency and encourage free and fair elections. Openness is an essential element of ensuring confidence in the election process. Election observation helps strengthen the democratic process and institutions, enhances the value of elections, and instills confidence in the outcome of the election (John Dugard, 1998). Election observation is expected to be nonpartisan, so that all interested parties can accept the election observers' findings on the observed elections. For an election observation to thrive, it has to be credible in the eyes of contesting parties. This trustworthiness comes from the election observers' refusal to take sides and the impartial and fair-minded nature of the observation endeavor.

Transparency in the electoral process is of critical importance in ensuring public confidence in the election system and recognition of the election outcome (Carl Dundas, 1994). Election observers might persuade some citizens and politicians to take part in the electoral process rather than to resort to violence, as was the case in Angola and Mozambique. In Zambia, in 1991, observers calmed intense disagreements over electoral rules and regulations by asking for concessions from government and electoral officials on areas of disagreement (National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, 1992). Thus, as Gerhard Totemeyer and Denis Kadima (2000) note, election observation can perform a constructive function in generating an environment favorable for everyone to take part in general elections. Election observation adds value to the electoral process and thereby gives it legitimacy. Moreover, the involvement of observers may also encourage a government that has lost power to recognize the outcome and therefore step down. Nicaragua in 1990 under President Daniel Ortega and Zambia in 1991 under President Kenneth Kaunda are cases in point. In this way, election observation helps promote stability. International observers may be asked to arbitrate disagreements among contesting political organizations in an attempt to lessen hostilities prior to, during, and in the postelection periods. According to the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (1992), for an election outcome to be acceptable to all interested parties, it should not only be seen as free and fair but should also not be marred by allegations of fraud. Thus, although free and fair elections are not a sufficient condition toward democratic consolidation, they are central to democracy development because of “their ability to jump-start the process of democratisation and boost the morale of prodemocracy forces” (Neil Nevitte & Santiago Canton, 1997, p. 51).