ECOWAS President hinges regional development on effective election management

[FMINigeria]

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has said that professionalism of the Electoral Monitoring Bodies (EMBs) is critical to maintaining peace and stability in the region.

President of the Commission, Mr. Kadre Desire Ouedraogo while speaking at the opening of a meeting between the ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) officials in Abuja, Monday, attributed the crisis often experienced in the region to poorly organised elections which the people do not trust.

''if we are able to have free, fair and democratic elections we will have better chances of having a more stable and democratic society which will carry the values of democracy and which we need for development", Ouedraogo stated, emphasizing that election is not a battle ground but a platform for the electorate to choose their leaders.

He further commended the key roles played by the various electoral institutions in member states which he said have been instrumental to peace and stability during elections in their countries.

Also speaking, the President of ECONEC who also doubles as the President of the National Electoral Commission of Sierra-Leone, Dr. Christiana Thorpe pointed out that organizing and managing elections is one of the most complex and demanding operations states in the region must undertake.

She reiterated that the role of ECONEC is fundamental in promoting impartiality, professionalism and integrity of election management bodies in the region. The President of ECONEC added that the network continues to play a leading role in creating avenues for the exchange of experiences and building synergies among Electoral Monitoring Bodies (EMBs) and their key partners in the region.

Dr. Thorpe also said that the network adopted an action plan for 2013/2014 during the last General Assembly held at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja. This she said was done to develop strategies to tackle the challenges EMBs in the region continue to face in carrying out effective and efficient election management processes.

She stated that the action plan comprises of four main priority areas identified by the EMBs and which include improving the legal and institutional environment in the region; improving the contribution of EMBs to solve some specific problems related to the implementation of the electoral process; and identifying the roles EMBs are to play outside elections period and improving the management of EMBs.

She noted that the major challenge of ECONEC is accessibility of funds to carry out programmes. She also pointed out that the network is putting together a capacity building development concept for electoral staff in the region to improve professionalism of electoral observation.

She meanwhile disclosed that the domiciliation of the ECONEC Secretariat would be rotated biannually, to reside in the country of the serving ECOWAS Commission President. Thorpe also charged ECONEC members to be part of electoral monitoring observation mission while calling for the development of a database.

"The region has moral responsibility to decide her fate through peaceful elections or through the outbreak of violence and armed conflicts. Through collaboration and synergy building in the region, we will win the fight to improve good governance and democracy in the region", the ECONEC President said.

Econec was established on 5th February, 2008.

Source: ECOWAS President hinges regional development on effective election management
Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria

[FMINigeria]