|
AWEPA
European Parliamentarians for (Southern) Africa
Amsterdam, The
Netherlands
1 June 1995
- AWEPA
has had extensive contacts throughout the transitional process in South Africa
with members of the Multi-party Negotiating Forum
and the Constitutional
Assembly. The overwhelming assessment of the texts of agreements made, the
Interim Constitution and subsequent
proposals is that the composition and
phrasing of the relevant documents has been of the highest calibre, judged
according to international
standards.
- The
history of AWEPA's engagement in democratisation processes in South Africa and
Southern Africa is well known to members of the
Committee. This has included
cooperation with Electoral Commissions in Southern Africa and electoral
observation and assistance
programmes in Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique,
Namibia and South Africa. The latter included close liaison throughout the
electoral
process with Judge Kriegler and the Independent Electoral Commission
(IEC).
AWEPA took the initiative to hold a regional consultative workshop in Maputo
in March 1995, with participation from nine of the eleven
Electoral Commissions
and Directorates in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member
States. A report of this meeting
is in the final stages of preparation, and
will be made available to the Committee. A second such consultative meeting of
representatives
from SADC Member State Electoral Commissions and Directorates
will be convened in the second half of 1995, and members of the Committee
will
be welcome to attend. The purpose of this further consultation will be to
expand on earlier preliminary conclusions, develop
processes for regional
exchange of experience and information, and to initiate a regional newsletter on
democratisation processes
in the SADC region.
- With
regard to the theme and discussion matter of this hearing, it is strongly felt
that during a transitional period in new and emerging
democracies an objectively
independent Electoral Commission is of vital importance, particularly in
relation to the legitimacy of
the electoral process, accountability and
perceived non-partisanship. Close cooperation and, indeed, coordination with a
responsible
ministry (e.g. Home Affairs, Justice) is also essential, although
this should not involve a formal attachment during the transition
period. For
South Africa, one might suggest that under ideal conditions (see #4 below) an
independent Electoral Commission would
be advisable up to the second elections
under a new (permanent) constitution.
- Experience
has shown that a number of functions, practises and conditions ought to be put
in place before an independent Electoral
Commission is replaced by a more
permanent electoral structure. These would include: a permanent system and
service for registration
on a standing voters' roll; systems for training and
maintaining a cadre of political party electoral observers; a judicial review
process, such as Revisions Courts, for contesting individual voter registration
and other issues; designated electoral responsibility
within a particular
ministry, with officials and experts appointed on an objective, non-political
basis and in liaison with an appropriate
parliamentary committee and the
political parties; and guaranteed transparency, such as accessibility of the
public to relevant documents.
- AWEPA
is prepared on request to provide documentation and assessments of European
electoral laws and constitutions, for use as a comparative
international
background to the further deliberations of the Committee.
BALCH J (Dr)
Programme Officer
|
