EBC hails Global Commission on Elections and Democracy

Dr Masson who is also chairman of the Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC) of Trinidad and Tobago, is calling the attention of his colleagues in the 22-member regional body to the launching of the Global Commission in South Africa, and the spirited election-related activities that have been taking place across the Arab world and in several African countries. Such events, he said, should be more than just passing interest to electoral officials in the Caribbean and urged them to digest those issues which bear relevance to regional election scenarios.

The creation of the Global Commission comes in the wake of widespread election violence and mismanagement in the African State of Cote d’Ivoire (formerly the Gold Coast) and at the same time, a forerunner to the holding of national elections in 19 other African countries later this year. The aims of the Commission were announced in a joint Press release as follows:

•Raise the costs for those who seek to rig and steal elections, and ensure that when elections take place, the potential for abuse and violence are reduced;

•Strengthen international commitment to the professional conduct of elections, including supporting high-quality, credible electoral monitoring;

•Bolster international support for stronger national capacity to run fair elections;

•Reduce the potential for abuse and election-related violence;

•Build international consensus to stand firm in cases where parties try to steal elections.

The release identified some of the pressing issues which would have contributed to the creation of the Global Commission, among them being the recent events in Cote d’Ivoire and elsewhere, which highlighted more than ever that elections are vital to democratic government, but they are not sufficient. Too often, the Press release went on, incumbents rig the elections, illicit funding or media bias distort the electoral process, and losing candidates refuse to accept the results. Where elections are marred in these ways, people lost faith in democracy and the political process and human rights and security are put at risk.

The Commission will work to convince different stakeholders why elections with integrity matter not just for democracy, but also for security, human rights and development.

In the words of Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Chairman of the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security, “Building democracy is a complex process. Elections are only a starting point but if their integrity is comprised, so is the legitimacy of democracy.” Most people, he continued, have agreed to principles that would, if respected, lead to credible electoral processes, but too often these principles are ignored because of lack of political commitment, insufficient technical knowledge or inadequate international support.

Mr Vidar Helgesen, Secretary General of IDEA, remarked that “democracy is not what you find in the pot when you take the lid off heavy authoritarian government. Building sustainable democracy therefore, is not a technical exercise but one that requires political leadership and commitment at national levels.”

The Commission will draw its strength from having no national agenda, emphasised the Vice-Chairman of the Commission, Mr Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon, and former President of Mexico. He pointed out that its members all have a track record in integrity and commitment to democracy, and their high profile on the world stage will give it a unique credibility and influence.

The Commission jointly created by the International Institute for Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and the Kofi Annan Foundation is made up of 12 eminent individuals from around the world, including Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and President of the Kofi Annan Foundation. Other members are Dr Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon, Vice-Chairman, Mr Martti Ahtisaari, Former President of the Republic of Finland, Dr Madeleine Albright, former United States Secretary of State, Ms Louise Arbour, President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Crisis Group, Dr Rima Khalaf Hunaidi, Under-Secretary and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Dr Festus Mogae, Former President of Botswana, Professor Dr Amartya Sen, Professor of Economics, University of Harvard and Mr Javier Solana, former Secretary General, Council of the European Union.