How to become a guardian of democracy

A stint as an electoral observer is a rewarding experience - even if it is not a full-time career, writes Ian Mundell.

Being an election observer for the European Union is not exactly a job, and certainly not a career. But for Isabelle Ribot it was a natural progression from her university studies in electoral law and it remains an important part of her work as a development consultant for international institutions and non-governmental organisations. Having participated in polling in her native France, she began volunteering as a short-term international observer while still studying. Hers is one of several different observer roles that make up an EU mission.

"Election day is always the happiest day in my life," says Ribot. "Even in countries where elections are heavily criticised, we still see that everybody on election day is so happy to be voting." However, she is quick to point out that election observation is not just about polling day. "We are observing not only the implementation of the electoral process, but also the campaign activity, the judiciary, if it is involved, and how complaints are handled, the transparency of the process."

Once an election has been announced the European Commission sends a small exploratory mission to the country to assess the feasibility of an observing mission and to negotiate an invitation. Once invited by the government, a core team is put together to run the mission, consisting of experts in electoral processes, politics and the media. This team analyses the information collected by the mission’s observers and produces the final report on the election.

The core team and the mission’s long-term observers go to the country one or two months before polling day, where they begin monitoring the campaign and preparations such as voter registration. "You meet many different actors, from election officials to political parties or candidates," Ribot explains, "and also the media, voters and NGOs." In the past two-and-a-half years she has been a long-term observer in countries as diverse as Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Fiji and the West Bank and Gaza and she was a member of the core team in Yemen, co-ordinating 120 observers.

Short-term observers typically arrive a week before election day for an intensive period of training, after which they are deployed with the long-term observers at polling stations. They may stay for a further week to observe the counting, while the rest of the mission remains until the electoral cycle is over, including how the results are received by the population.

It might go without saying that the observers do not intervene in the election, but the extent to which they are focused on the electoral process is less obvious to outsiders. "It’s not about human rights violations or the political challenges of the election," Ribot explains. "We are observing whether the system is appropriate for the country and, if it is not, how it can be changed. If it is appropriate, what is dysfunctional and what is functional."

While this may seem rather passive, one of the attractions for Ribot of EU missions is that they are integrated with its broader development policy. The country is not left to deal with any problems on its own, but will subsequently be offered technical assistance to help improve its democratic structures.

"If you are interested in democratisation and development, I think it is important to be an observer because you can see the link and how to strengthen sustainable development," she says. "Every time I do a mission it reminds me how everything is linked and also how elections are an important step in the future relations that the EU will have with a given country."

• Where to start: requirements for the various election observer roles can be found on the web site of the European Commission’s EuropeAid Co-operation Office (http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/observer/index_en.htm). The minimum is some relevant national or international experience, although not necessarily monitoring an election, language proficiency, good interpersonal and professional skills, and a demonstrated commitment to democracy and human rights. CVs submitted to the central roster, also on this site, are screened by the applicant’s national government and the most qualified proposed as candidates for specific missions. The final selection is made by the Commission. Short-term observers receive a daily allowance while on mission, while long-term observers receive an additional honorarium.

• Ian Mundell is a freelance journalist based in Brussels.

A stint as an electoral observer is a rewarding experience - even if it is not a full-time career, writes Ian Mundell.