Revised Commonwealth Guidelines for the Conduct of Election Observation in Member Countries
1 Introduction
1.1 The Commonwealth Charter recognises “the inalienable right of individuals to participate in democratic processes, in particular through free and fair elections in shaping the society in which they live”.
SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections
1. INTRODUCTION
SADC region has made significant strides in the consolidation of the citizens’ participation in the decision-making processes and consolidation of democratic practice and institutions. The Constitutions of all SADC Member States enshrine the principles of equal opportunities and full participation of the citizens in the political process.
Voter registration is often the most controversial and expensive component of an electoral process. No voter register is completely current and accurate, thus all voter lists remain exposed to complaints and objections, both of technical and political nature.
Implicit in the concept of free choice is that of an informed choice. Credible and transparent electoral processes must reflect the political will of the voters. Voters can neither express, nor formulate their will without access to information about candidates, political parties and the practical, procedural, aspects of the electoral process. Well-organized, non-partisan information programmes and unhindered distribution of political party information are therefore critical elements of genuine elections.
Creation of a voter list that is a "voter registry" independent from other registries (such as, the civil registry) involves collection of voter data by election authorities. However, rarely is an independent registry truly independent.