BY MENGESHA AMARE
A tripartite forum is being organized to help an array of actors due to be partaken in the 6th national elections in Ethiopia handle complaints in a civilized manner.
Yes, prevention and management of electoral violence requires great coordination and role division among prime actors of the election. Taking this pivotal concern into account, a forum is planned to be held incorporating political parties, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) and the government—a tripartite forum indeed.
These prime concerned bodies would undeniably play an irreplaceable role in making the upcoming national elections free from various causes of unrest.
In order to prevent gaps which often happen due to a lack of coordination in the planning and division of tasks and areas of importance for violence management, thoroughly discussing all concerns in advance is quit indispensable.
There are several positive examples where electoral monitoring has been coordinated among international, domestic agencies and hundreds of civil society organizations to successfully monitor an election. If an independent electoral board has capacity and legitimacy, such an agency is particularly suited for coordinating activities.
However, the lack of sufficient coordination and consultation remains a challenge in many situations of electoral violence.
Targeting at addressing the multifarious queries rose from parties in three phases, perhaps: pre-election, during election and post-election scenarios, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has finalized preparation to organize a forum towards that end.
According to National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) Chairperson Birtukan Mideksa, a trilateral forum, in which political parties, National Election Board and the government will participate, is being organized with a view to investigating the complaints coming out of political parties and devising possible solutions to the problems, if any. The forum is also of paramount importance in preventing pre-election, during election and post –election disputes.
As stipulated in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Constitution Art. 38 (1) (c), to vote and to be elected at periodic elections to any office at any level of government; elections shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors.
For this to happen and help the nation conduct a free, fair, reliable, democratic and peaceful elections, the National Election Board of Ethiopia is aggressively working day in and day out.
Not only is the right of people respected in a great nation as citizens but it is also well focused and acknowledged in any organization to which they belong. Art. 38 (2) of the constitution highly supports this idea stating that “the right of everyone to be a member of his own will in a political organization, labor union, trade organization, or employers’ or professional association shall be respected if he or she meets the special and general requirements stipulated by such organization.”
The nature of elections is also stringently legally put in the constitution again in Article 38 (3). It incorporates that elections to the positions of responsibility within any of the organization referred to under sub article 2 of this article shall be conducted in a free and democratic manner.
Elections are an important mechanism in democratic and peace processes. Their purpose is to provide citizens with an opportunity to choose freely their political leaders and allocate power peacefully.
However, underlying tensions in a society and high-stake competition can also result in violent and counterfeit elections. Based on its mandate in peace, development and democracy promotion, NEBE is working to help the nation conduct a democratic election.
“It is well known that less visible and more complex than armed conflicts, political and electoral violence remain an important threat to human security and regional stability. If elections are legitimate and inclusive, they can pave the way for freedom of expression and promote peaceful transitions,” added Birtukan.
National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) relies on its electoral expertise and experience in conflict prevention to support the application and the verification of codes of conduct for political parties during elections. The aforesaid forum is of significantly useful in promoting efforts geared towards conflict prevention and mediation activities during elections.
In order to build on these existing measures aiming at creating a suitable environment for free and peaceful elections, National Election Board of Ethiopia periodically brings together high-level political and diplomatic actors as well as election officials to discuss the way out apart from providing them with relevant requirements.
Yes, election is a moment when citizens can hold their political representatives accountable and when power can be redistributed. Hence, inclusive, transparent elections, free from violence and fear are important conditions to meet these expectations.
Undeniably, elections can bear the risk to divide a society and stir up violent conflict along ethnic, regional or political lines especially in developing countries such as ours.
In order to make an informed decision on it and how to engage in election support, the National Election Board of Ethiopia recommends a careful political engagement and round table discussion to widen the political landscape.
NEBE engages in different ways in its electoral support. It supports political parties in their function to conduct well-managed elections.
It also supports civil society organizations to be well aware of all the situations in informing citizens about the election process and the significance of broad and peaceful participation. It further supports civil society platforms conducting domestic election observation.
This is important to enhance the legitimacy of the election process and provided contending political parties with ample opportunity to confidently accept election outcomes, whatever it may be.
National Election Board of Ethiopia has the objective of contributing to accountable state institutions providing accessible and affordable quality public services and promoting space for dialogue.
“There is a general feeling of mistrust among national stakeholders surrounding the electoral process,” which must be addressed “to ensure a peaceful and consensual process,” Birtukan emphasized.
“All efforts must be made to ensure the timely holding of an inclusive, credible and peaceful election. Both the government and political parties should abide by the election code of conduct and constitutional order,” she recommended.
NEBE is mandated to organize and conduct all public elections, referenda and all matters directly related to the conduct of elections in the country. Civil Society Organizations can also play a significant role by providing an independent assessment of the electoral process through election observation.
Furthermore, the presence of observers during the opening, voting, closing and tabulation of results reduces the risk of electoral malpractices and inspires confidence in the electoral process.
In support of efforts aimed at enhancing the credibility and transparency of the electoral processes, the National Election Board of Ethiopia has been endeavoring a lot to provide the country with reliable and democratic elections processes.
Elections to choose representatives and leaders are one way in which people can have their voices heard. A democratic system helps enable different views to be debated within a parliament, rather than opponents using force to bring about the outcome they want.
In a nut shell, as it is well recognized that without the enforcement of electoral laws, the legal constraints on the use of violence around election times are toothless tools, every aspect of the respect of rule of law has to be well underscored. The forum is of significantly useful in transforming the whole election scenario in the country if well exploited.
The Ethiopian herald December 19/2020
