Lesotho: The importance of drawing election observers from civil society

Roles and Responsibilities of Election Observers

• To know, understand and comply with the electoral law and regulations of the country concerned.
• To observe all phrases of the election from pre-election, polling and post election period and report any problems to the relevant authorities and document any interventions.
• To verify complaints concerning conduct prejudicial to free and fair elections or alleged infringements of the Electoral Law and any codes developed and report them to relevant authorities
• To advocate and promote basic human rights of all citizens.
• Inspect the list of registered voters at anytime.
• Obtain any information that they consider necessary about the processes of voting, vote counting and tabulation of votes.
• Ensuring the secrecy of the ballot.
• Establish whether the election officials are impartially and adequately trained.
• Inspect ballot boxes and materials such as registration, voter's rolls, voting booths and other materials used during the voting process.
• Establish whether the media has provided balanced and objective coverage of elections.

Advantages and disadvantages of Local and Civil Society Observers

Advantages:

Local observers have an on going accountability and commitment to the community in which they is monitoring. This gives them certain advantages viz.:

1. Local observers have a better understanding of the culture, language and local conditions.
2. Local observers are able to sustain a local monitoring presence in the community, before, during and after the election.
3. Local observers can play a civic education role in their communities, through the benefit of their understanding of the electoral process.
4. The presence of local observers provides a sense of confidence to the public.
5. After the election, observers can verify the integrity and influence public opinion in their judgement about the fairness of the election.
6. Local observers provide coverage of polling stations and therefore comprehensive reporting.

Disadvantages:

Disadvantages of local observers would arise primarily in areas characterised by particularly high levels of tension, intimidation or violence. For example;

1. Observers who live in such locality may themselves feel intimidate or at risk if they attempt to intervene or even observe election processes locally.
2. It may be difficult to find local observers who are perceived by those communities as truly non- partisan.
3. Their presence may be perceived as partisan.
4. Due to the knowledge their communities have of them, monitors may be treated with mistrust or suspicion.
5. Local electoral officials may prefer not to work with such monitor due to their activist backgrounds.