Day: January 14, 2014
What do election observers do?
I am in Egypt as an election observer for the constitutional referendum. The Egyptians are calling our role mutaaba’, or witness, rather than muraaqib, observer, to emphasize the passive nature of the role.
So what do election observers do? What do they see? What do they report?
I am talking here about short-term observers. The role of long-term observers, who are deployed months before an election, is different. They are concerned not only with the electoral design and technical preparations but also with the overall context: Is there freedom of speech and association? Is there intimidation of particular groups of voters? Are all candidates given equal time on TV and radio? Are government resources used to influence the outcome? It really isn’t possible to offer a judgment on whether an election (or referendum) has been free and fair without these broader considerations. There are no official long-term observers of this Egyptian referendum, though some of those preparing for our current mission have been here since Christmas. Read more
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