Success Story

Defending Citizen Observer Rights in Africa

Author(s)
 Johandra Delgado, Program Officer on the Elections and Political Processes team and Kion Bordbar, Program Associate on the Elections and Political Processes team
Region(s)

Reflecting the global democratic decline, observer rights are under threat around the world and across Africa. In many countries, political space is closing, and restrictive laws and regulations are being used to undermine the ability of citizen organizations to observe electoral processes. The development of independent, non-partisan citizen observer organizations in every region of the world is one of the most important democratic achievements of the past 40 years. Citizen observers across Africa are pushing back against closing space and administrative burdens to promote more inclusive, accountable and transparent elections. 

In response, a side event entitled “Defending Citizen Observer Rights: Pushing Back on Closing Space and Administrative Burdens” was organized on the eve of the Second Summit for Democracy (S4D2) regional gathering in Zambia focused on electoral integrity. The Observer Rights side event was hosted by the Zambian citizen observer organization, Christian Churches Monitoring Group, and was sponsored by the four African citizen observer networks:

The event featured:

At the event, a message of solidarity with the citizen observer organization, the Centre for Monitoring and Research (CeMI) from Montenegro, was made. This builds on the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors’ (GNDEM) statement of solidarity following threats made against CeMI.

Participants made a series of recommendations on how to strengthen citizen observer rights, including: 

  • Citizen observer organizations need to stand in solidarity and support one another. Regional and global networks provide platforms for this and can be better utilized.

  • Civil society in democratic societies needs to push for stronger protections for citizen election observers to serve as a model to make it more difficult for authoritarians to undermine observer rights.

  • We should create the first systematic assessment of observer rights across Africa and around the world that provides empirical information to advocate for reforms.

  • Citizen observers, international observers and election management bodies should work together to formulate international standards for accreditation. These standards should be based on recognizing the value of accreditation while ensuring it is neither burdensome nor excessive, with procedures that are tailored to the different realities of citizen and international observers.

  • There needs to be greater access to election related data, based on the Open Election Data Initiative (OEDI) and potentially taking advantage of the Open Government Partnership framework.

The event’s recording is available online.

The event was organized by NDI in partnership with the Open Society Foundation (OSF).

###

NDI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to help people around the globe choose freedom. We believe that free people who have a say in how they’re governed — and leaders who are responsive and accountable to their people — fosters more stability, security and prosperity for everyone. NDI envisions a world where democracy and freedom prevail, with dignity for all.

Footer CTA

Freedom works.
Join the movement.

Donate to NDI