scholarly journals Pouring Salt into the Wound: The Crisis of International Election Observation and COVID-19 in Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 002190962199940
Author(s):  
Khabele Matlosa
Keyword(s):  
Democracy Promotion ◽  
Existential Crisis ◽  
Institutional Strengthening ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Election Observation ◽  
Strategic Interest

International election observation in Africa is in crisis. This crisis manifests in various ways, including lowering of standards from democracy promotion to ‘peaceocracy’; strategic interest bias; progress bias; low-tech methodologies; dominance over citizen observer groups; and contradiction of verdicts of election observation missions with court judgments. The crisis characterizes the wound of international election observation. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic found a pre-existing unhealthy condition of international election observation, thereby pouring salt into the wound. It accentuated the existential crisis of international election observation. Observation has to be recalibrated during and after the pandemic. Existing challenges facing international election observation have to be redressed. International election observation has to adapt to the new condition marked by COVID-19. This adaptation should include development and implementation of guidelines on election observation during COVID-19. In the long run, sustainability of election observation rests in the institutional strengthening of citizen-based observer groups.

Election Observation in Zimbabwe

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 26-37
Author(s):  
Sylvester Marumahoko
Keyword(s):  
Cold War ◽  
Democracy Promotion ◽  
African Union ◽  
Central Tenet ◽  
The World ◽  
Election Observation ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Cold War

Election observation is fast emerging as a central tenet of preserving and extending democracy in Africa and other parts of the world. It is also evolving as the flagship of democracy promotion and the best-funded type of democracy-related assistance. Since the end of the Cold War, hundreds of elections held in Africa have been the subject of election observation involving hordes of local, regional, and international observers. The scrutiny comes against the backdrop of the African Union (AU) and membership regional bodies resolving to make election observation a component of all polls conducted in Africa. The article explores the opportunities, challenges, and constraints to election observation in Zimbabwe. The general conclusion of the article is that election observation is crucial for the realisation of democratic polls in Zimbabwe.

scholarly journals EU Democracy Promotion in Eastern ENP Countries

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 248-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergiu Buşcaneanu
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Democracy Promotion ◽  
European Neighbourhood Policy ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
Socialization Process ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Norm Internalization ◽  
The Eu

This study shows that the increased incentive structures from and the more intense socialization process with the European Union (EU) since the launch of European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) have not translated into a higher level of democratic development in Eastern ENP countries. However, on the long run (1991–2010), the EU democracy promotion in the region under consideration appears to be largely consistent. In addition, a content analysis of Progress Reports released by the European Commission on the implementation process of European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plans (ENPAPs) reveals that some Eastern neighbours of the EU have attempted to consider in their reform agendas the democracy-related objectives of these documents and that some have also sought to adopt international democratic instruments as required by the ENPAPs. Though the record is far from satisfactory on norm internalization, content analysis of Commission’s Reports suggests that one should acknowledge a modest democratization role for the EU.

D-Minus Elections: The Politics and Norms of International Election Observation

2009 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 765-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Kelley
Keyword(s):  
Nongovernmental Organizations ◽  
Organizational Politics ◽  
International Community ◽  
Democracy Promotion ◽  
Member States ◽  
Election Monitoring ◽  
Organizational Norms ◽  
Election Observation

AbstractAs international election monitors have grown active worldwide, their announcements have gained influence. Sometimes, however, they endorse highly flawed elections. Because their leverage rests largely on their credibility, this is puzzling. Understanding the behavior of election monitors is important because they help the international community to evaluate the legitimacy of governments and because their assessments inform the data used by scholars to study democracy. Furthermore, election monitors are also particularly instructive to study because the variety of both intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations that observe elections makes it possible to compare them across many countries and political contexts. This study uses a new dataset of 591 international election-monitoring missions. It shows that despite their official mandate to focus on election norms, monitors do not only consider the elections' quality; their assessments also reflect the interests of their member states or donors as well as other tangential organizational norms. Thus, even when accounting as best as possible for the nature and level of irregularities in an election, monitors' concerns about democracy promotion, violent instability, and organizational politics and preferences are associated with election endorsement. The study also reveals differences in the behavior of intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations and explains why neither can pursue their core objectives single-mindedly.

scholarly journals Dual Effects of Democracy Promotion: Evidence from International Election Observation Data of Myanmar’s General Elections

2020 ◽  
Vol 02 (02) ◽  
pp. 2050012
Author(s):  
Xiang Wu
Keyword(s):  
Good Governance ◽  
Democracy Promotion ◽  
Institution Building ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Democratic Process ◽  
The West ◽  
Election Monitoring ◽  
General Elections ◽  
Election Observation ◽  
Work Done

Since the 1990s, international election observation, as an important way of election monitoring, has become increasingly active on the international stage. By inviting international election observation missions (IEOMs) to conduct election monitoring, the nascent democracies not only hope to promote democracy and enhance its legitimacy, but also tend to reduce international sanctions and improve relations with the West. The international election observation of Myanmar’s two general elections in 2010 and 2015 is an important sample to observe Myanmar’s democratic process and its interaction with the international community. IEOMs in Myanmar have witnessed diverse situations from being rejected to being invited, from being independently observed to participating and from slamming elections to praising them. In the 2015 general elections, IEOMs had an important impact on Myanmar’s democratic transition, but in essence, their limitations were only surrounding the election-related matters. The work done by many international election observation organizations has been limited to the procedural level of democracy, and could not help Myanmar to further the institution-building. General elections in Myanmar are due in 2020. Currently, many IEOMs have traveled to Myanmar for election observation, but it is yet to be decided whether it will contribute to good governance in Myanmar.

In the Shadow of Democracy Promotion

2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 392-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Beaulieu ◽  
Susan D. Hyde
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Democracy Promotion ◽  
Electoral Process ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Opposition Party ◽  
Strategic Manipulation ◽  
Election Observation ◽  
Democratic Elections

International efforts to promote democracy can have unanticipated effects. International election observation is perceived to increase domestic confidence in the electoral process and reduce fraud. Conversely, election boycotts are perceived to be more likely as electoral fairness decreases. The authors document a puzzling relationship between monitored elections and opposition party boycotts: Observers are associated with an increased boycott probability. They argue that international benefits for democratic elections give electoral autocrats the incentive to invite international observers and manipulate elections to minimize international criticism. This increase in “strategic manipulation” has led to changed incentives for opposition political parties, which have the most to lose from a manipulated but internationally certified election. Consequently, international monitors increase boycott probability. The authors support this explanation with an original data set of elections, boycotts, and international observers (1990 to 2002).

Finn Kydland and Edward Prescott: Driving Forces behind Economic Cycles (2004 Nobel Prize in Economics)

2005 ◽  
pp. 133-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Balashova
Keyword(s):  
Nobel Prize ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Microeconomic Theory ◽  
Business Cycle Theory ◽  
Economic Cycles ◽  
Cyclical Fluctuations ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Time To Build ◽  
New Business ◽  
Extensive Research Program

The method of analyzing and modeling cyclical fluctuations of economy initiated by F. Kydland and E. Prescott - the 2004 Nobel Prize winners in Economics - is considered in the article. They proposed a new business cycle theory integrating the theory of long-run economic growth as well as the microeconomic theory of consumers and firms behavior. Simple version of general dynamic and stochastic macroeconomic model is described. The given approach which was formulated in their fundamental work "Time to Build and Aggregate Fluctuations" (1982) gave rise to an extensive research program and is still used as a basic instrument for investigating cyclical processes in economy nowadays.

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