CEW-IT Workshop Sharing objectives: Learning from day I

Sharing objectives: Learning from day I, to be used to refine a Roadmap for Election Monitoring, and for Mapping Synergies between Stakeholders.

Key Learning Points for consideration:

Citizen Manifesto – by NGO Forum (Arthur Larok)
Putting citizens at the fore of shaping the agenda of politicians and the political systems for which politicians and government should be working for
• The role of (political) history of Uganda and the EA region in explaining the way our politics is and therefore the need for things like the citizens manifesto to correct some of the anomalies from history.
• Civic education and not just voter education. It is empowerment of the citizens to make their leaders more accountable.
• The process needs to be owned by the citizens with real voices and not assumed voices.

Report from Uchaguzi (Kenya) – CRECO and SODNET
CRECO – by Salome Nduta
A description of the process followed by Uchaguzi (during the recent Kenya referendum), which brought out the need for clear planning especially on the polling day for the morning and closing peak times when most information is received. Other Learning Points captured include:
• Central distribution of airtime to observers brought hiccups in the process especially where network coverage was poor.
• Even with the use of technology as the key tool in the observation process, it is important to maintain other ways of monitoring and reporting incidents to counter issues that arise for example, when presiding officers in Kenya refused some observers to use their phones during the observation process.
• Have a strategy for issues arising: Focal points with key institutions should be set up to help escalate and remedy issues arising from field reports, for example the IIEC focal point who worked with CRECO to sort out the issues arising from observers not being able to use their mobile phones at polling stations.
SODNET – by Philip Thigo
• The importance of an organisation with experience in monitoring to take the lead in coordinating the process.
• The “how to” card that standardises the reporting on incidents from observers.

Uganda Elections: Interaction between EC and Monitoring CSOs – by CCEDU (Gwada Ogot)
It is important to work with the Electoral Commission in civic and voter education, and election monitoring. The commission carries the mandate however you think of that mandate. Civil organisations need to have a working relationship that is not antagonistic. For example, the law in Uganda gives the mandate to EC to accredit organisations for the monitoring process and approve all messages going out in regards to civic and voter education.

Other related Platforms – by Appfrica Uganda, and Makerere University
Appfrica – by Matthew
• There are ICT tools that can be used to complement the process of election monitoring and in some instances to aid the efficiency of the process. “Swiftriver”, is a tool to be used by the management of information that comes in from observers.
Makerere University – by Simon Peter Muwanga
• “OpenXdata” tool gives information gatherers mobile based way to collect predefine information.

Uganda Election Platform: - by DEMgroup and NDI (Heather Kashner, Jackie Mugisha and Reinier Battenberg)
A platform – Ugandawatch2011 - has been launched for election monitoring for Uganda in 2011 by DEMgroup. A structure has been set up, which started with the voter registration and display exercise and is now going into the campaign stage and finally the polling day itself. Technical description of the platform and its application procedures and processes was presented.

Tanzania Election preparations – by TECCO/LHRC (Ezekiel Massanja)
There are advantages in having a loose network (coalition) when working as opposed to a structured (public sector?) organisations which may lose its membership.

ICT and Elections: The Top Ten Election Applications by Mountbatten (Reinier Battenberg)
The use of the 10 tactics in mapping and drawing the roadmap for civil society organisations for Uganda’s 2011 elections.


Abbreviations

CCEDU Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda
CEWIT Citizens Election Watch IT
CRECO Constitutional Review and Education Consortium
DEMGroup Democracy Monitoring Group
LHRC Legal and Human Rights Centre
NDI National Democratic Institute
RWECO Rwenzori Consortium for Civic Competence
SODNET Social Development Network
TACEO Tanzanian Coalition for Election Observation