Following coups in 2005 and 2008 and faced with youth protests against government policies perceived as racist, upcoming elections in Mauritania offer an opportunity for the country to show its commitment to democratic principles and constitutional law. But measures to increase transparency and participation will need to be enacted first for the public to have confidence in the results, according to a pre-election assessment by NDI.

Six citizen election observer groups in Côte d’Ivoire have agreed to coordinate their efforts during upcoming legislative elections, marking the first time there has been such cooperation in the West African country.  The decision emerged from a conference held last month in Abidjan on the impact of election observation in diminishing election-related violence.

Zambia is in a position to move forward significantly if its elections next month are credible and peaceful. But the electoral environment presents noteworthy challenges that require tolerance, the rule of law, leadership and participation, a pre-election assessment mission from NDI said in a report released in Lusaka Aug. 18. 

The delegation was observing preparations for Zambia’s presidential, parliamentary and local elections to be held on Sept. 20.