Election observation in Nigeria & Madagascar: diplomatic vs. technocratic bias

Author: Kohnert, Dirk

Source: Review of African Political Economy, Volume 31, Number 99, March 2004 , pp. 83-101(19)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

International election observation has become a valuable means of supporting African democratic polity. Notably, EU observer missions adopting a professional approach are meant to shield against political pressures from partisan stakeholder interests. However, this growing professionalism did not necessarily lead to less biased observation results. Available evidence suggests that in crucial cases, the origin and orientation of the bias changed from 'diplomatic' to 'technocratic'. The latter can be as least as damaging to the declared aims of election observation as the former. Two outstanding examples, the observation of transitional elections in Nigeria and Madagascar, will serve to illustrate this hypothesis and its consequences for the necessary reorientation of election observation methodology.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0305624042000258432

Affiliations: 1: Institute of African Affairs Hamburg, Email: Kohnert@iak.duei.de

Publication date: 2004-03-01