Electoral Management Bodies facing COVID-19 challenges : Experiences from Africa and West Asia
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As the COVID-19 crisis takes a devastating toll on lives and livelihoods across the continent, its effects on the democratic development of African countries becomes fundamental. While much attention has been paid to the question of its consequences for democratic and electoral processes, its impact on constitutionalism and the rule of law in these states has received relatively less attention.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the fragile socio-economic situation in the Horn of Africa and has compounded existing and/or created new challenges to democratisation in the region. It has also arrived at a time when four of the six countries in the region are in a protracted security and political transition process.
With 23 national elections scheduled in 22 countries, the African election calendar is busy in 2020. Four of these elections have already taken place in the first quarter of the year, before COVID-19 cases were reported in Africa. Apart from Ethiopia, no other African country has yet postponed scheduled national elections because of the pandemic. Burundi, Guinea and Mali held elections amidst the pandemic.
As COVID-19 crisis worsens, its effects on democratic development of African countries become a key issue and priority. Much attention has been paid to the question of its consequences on electoral processes, as well as on constitutionalism and the rule of law. Its impact on Transitional Justice and Social Cohesion (re)construction Processes in these States has received relatively less attention.
The struggle for women’s participation in public affairs and the political life of their countries as equal actors has been an enduring feature of the entire period since independence in Africa.
As the COVID-19 crisis takes a devastating toll on lives and livelihoods across the continent, its effects on the democratic development of African countries become fundamental. While much attention has been paid to the question of its consequences for democratic and electoral processes, its impact on constitutionalism and the rule of law in these states has received relatively less attention.
National elections are scheduled to take place in Malawi, Seychelles and Tanzania later this year, whilst Namibia will be holding regional council and local authorities elections. The Southern Africa region, like other parts of the continent, has seen a gradual increase in the spread of the Corona virus.
As the COVID-19 crisis worsens, its effects on the democratic development of African countries becomes a key priority. Much attention has been paid to the question of its consequences for electoral processes. Its impact on constitutionalism and the rule of law in these States has received relatively less attention.
As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses through the world and its health and socio-economic impact on Africa grows, the consequences for all aspects of democratic development in African countries require a strong engagement through open and broad debate. By necessity, a degree of attention has been paid to the pandemics’ impact on electoral processes that has not been matched in relation to constitutionalism and the rule of law in these States.
As the COVID-19 crisis worsens, its effects on the democratic development of African countries become one of the main priorities. Much attention has been paid to the question of its consequences for electoral processes. Its impact on constitutionalism and the rule of law in these states has not really been questioned. Much less attention has focused on French and Lusophone-speaking countries in Central and West Africa.
The second edition of International IDEA’s flagship report The Global State of Democracy 2019: Addressing the Ills, Reviving the Promise, will be launched in Addis Ababa on 18 February 2020. The Global Launch took place in Brussels on 19 November 2019.
The Middle East and North Africa launch of The Global State of Democracy 2019: Addressing the Ills, Reviving the Promise, the second edition of International IDEA’s flagship report will take place in Tunis on 25 November 2019
International IDEA and the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC Countries (ECF-SADC) will organize the annual New Commissioners' Orientation program hosted by the Electoral Commission of South Africa from 19-23 August 2019.
in partnership with the Department of Political Affairs of African Union Commission and with the Support of Norway Cooperation, the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and the Africa and West Asia Programme of International IDEA (AWA) are organizing a Needs Assessment Workshop for PAP MPs on a Curriculum on New Developmental Approach to Natural Resource Governance in Africa.
Since the conclusion of the 2017 general elections, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been working to further enhance its capacity in risk management. It has developed a Risk Management Framework for an enterprise-wide risk management strategy that would enable the Commission to comply with the Government of Kenya requirements, but also incorporate election-specific risks into a comprehensive framework.
Professional electoral administrators are key to delivering well-organized, credible and genuine elections. The electoral management bodies (EMBs) perform best when their leadership has thorough understanding of the mechanics, principles and good practices in electoral administration.
In the context of the MoU between International IDEA and the Program for Young Politicians in Africa (PYPA), International IDEA will participate in the needs assessment meetings with political parties in Mauritius (25-30 May 2019) and Madagascar (30 May - 2 June 2019) as part of a baseline mapping for ‘’Policy and Organizational Support Programme’’, a Sida-funded political party strengthening initiative (2019-2020).
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) will be organizing a multi-party dialogue session on Yemen that will take place in Stockholm on 8-12 April 2019.
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