File: //home/eris.org.uk/public_html/news/index_year_2013.html
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"/>
<title>ERIS - News</title>
<meta name="description" content=""/>
<meta name="keywords" content=""/>
<style type="text/css">
@import url(../css/standard.php.css);
</style>
<script type="text/javascript" src="../javascript/standard.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="../javascript/flashobject.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
<div id="page_wrapper_outer">
<div id="page_wrapper_inner">
<div id="leftcolumn">
<div id="logo">
<a href="/"><img src="../images/common/eris_logo.gif" alt="Eris Logo"/></a></div>
<div id="section">
<a href="../news.html">News</a> </div>
<div id="submenulist">
<ul>
<li class=""><a href="../news/index_year_2014.html">2014</a></li><li class="selected"><a href="../news/index_year_2013.html">2013</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_year_2012.html">2012</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_year_2011.html">2011</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_year_2010.html">2010</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_year_2009.html">2009</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_year_2008.html">2008</a></li> </ul>
<div id="hline"></div>
<div id="" style="margin: 20px 0px 0px 0px">
<div class="facebook">
<img src="../images/common/facebook.gif" alt="facebook logo"/>
</div>
<div class="facebooklink">
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/London-United-Kingdom/ERIS-Electoral-Reform-International-Services/329843392626">Join the ERIS<br/> Facebook group</a>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div class="facebook">
<img src="../images/common/twitter.jpg" alt="twitter logo"/>
</div>
<div class="facebooklink">
<a href="http://twitter.com/ERIS_org"> Follow us on Twitter</a>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div class="facebook">
<img src="../images/common/linkedin.gif" alt="linkedin logo"/>
</div>
<div id="facebooklink">
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/companies/eris_2"> Linked In -<br/> Join our Network</a>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
</div>
</div>
</div><!--leftcolumn-->
<div id="bodytext">
<div id="header">
<div id="searchbox">
<form method="POST" action="/">
<input id="textbox" type="text" value="" name="searchtext"/>
<input id="button" type="image" src="../images/common/search_button.gif" name="search">
</form>
</div><!--searchbox-->
<h1>Electoral Reform International Services (ERIS)</h1>
</div><!--header-->
<div id="navigation">
<div id="sitemap">
<a href="../sitemap.html">Sitemap</a>
</div><!--navigation-->
<span class="nav"><a href="/">Home</a></span>
<span class="divider">|</span>
<span class="nav"><a href="../our_work.html">Our Work</a></span>
<span class="divider">|</span>
<span class="nav"><a href="../about_us.html">About Us</a></span>
<span class="divider">|</span>
<span class="navselected"><a href="../news.html">News</a></span>
<span class="divider">|</span>
<span class="nav"><a href="../jobs.html">Jobs</a></span>
<span class="divider">|</span>
<span class="nav"><a href="../contact_us.html">Contact Us</a></span> </div><!--navigation-->
<div id="breadcrumb">
<p><a href="/">Homepage</a> > <a href="../news/index.html">News</a></p>
</div><!--breadcrumb-->
<div id="banner_short_news">
<h2>News</h2>
</div><!--banner-->
<div id="pagetext">
<div id="bottomfullwidth">
<div id="leftcolumnfull">
<div id="news">
<h2> ERIS expresses serious concerns about role of parliamentarians in assessing the recent presidential election in Azerbaijan</h2>
<h3>October 2013</h3>
<div id="newstext"> In an article published in EU Observer by Holly Ruthrauff, ERIS expressed serious concerns about the European Parliament (EP) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)'s positive assessment of Azerbaijan's recent presidential election, which contradicted the assessment made by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR). The incident highlights the need for the EP and PACE to adhere to the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation (link <a href="http://www.ndi.org/files/1923_declaration_102705_0.pdf">here</a>), to which ERIS is also a signatory.<br/><br/>Listen to Holly Ruthrauff, ERIS's Brussels Representative, speaking about the parliamentarians' assessment on the BBC World Service with Italian MEP Pino Arlacchi, the leader of the EP delegation: <br/><br/><br/><iframe width="100%" scrolling="no" height="166" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/117933600"></iframe><br/><br/><br/>The article was also discussed in a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24573024"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BBC article</span></a>: <br/><br/>Read Holly's full article on the EU Observer website (link <a href="http://euobserver.com/opinion/121803">here</a>) below:<br/><br/>European election observers announced starkly different assessments of the 9 October presidential election in Azerbaijan.<br/><br/>The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) condemned the election, citing the lack of a level playing field, limitations on fundamental freedoms, intimidation of voters and candidates, a restrictive media environment and “significant problems ... throughout all stages of the election day processes.”<br/><br/>At the same time, the European Parliament (EP) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Pace) praised the election and said they observed a "free, fair and transparent" process around election day.<br/><br/>So what accounts for such divergent views by organisations that typically observe in joint missions?<br/><br/>Like other autocrats in the region and beyond, Azerbaijan's President, Ilham Aliyev, seeks a veneer of international legitimacy and calls in pseudo election observers who assess the election positively, regardless of its integrity.<br/><br/>Such observers may be motivated by various interests, political or economic, or even, reportedly, by gifts of Azerbaijan’s famous caviar.<br/><br/>This phenomenon has unfortunately become a typical part of elections in the region, as well as globally. The trend of internationals overlooking a blatantly undemocratic election to cast legitimacy on the incumbent winner is only accentuated in an oil-rich state like Azerbaijan.<br/><br/>But the Pace and the EP are not fake election observer groups deployed to whitewash undemocratic elections.<br/><br/>They regularly send delegations of elected parliamentarians to observe elections and have committed themselves to do so in a credible manner.<br/><br/>Both are signatories of the UN Declaration of Principles for International Election Observers, a document signed by 45 international observer groups expressly to avoid such situations.<br/><br/>The declaration requires observer groups to conduct comprehensive observation, taking into account the entire election process and placing election day into this context.<br/><br/>Indeed, it was the long-term findings of the ODIHR that the EP and Pace disavowed by issuing a separate statement, contrary to established practice.<br/><br/>Such divergent statements from European observers allow autocrats like Aliyev to “cherry pick” the observer statement they prefer, promoting positive findings with their domestic public through docile media, while ignoring the conclusions of more credible observers.<br/><br/>The EP/Pace statement lends legitimacy to a blatantly fraudulent process and undermines the work of domestic human rights activists, journalists and citizen election observers who have criticised it, often at great personal risk.<br/><br/>These kinds of outcomes also threaten the credibility of international election observation as a whole, as it is unclear to domestic and international audiences what accounts for the starkly divergent views, which then seem politicised and arbitrary.<br/><br/>In fact, observer groups like the ODIHR go to lengths to ensure their findings are based on first-hand, objective, verifiable evidence, and the wider international observer community has engaged in the Declaration of Principles in an effort to ensure that international observers base their findings on a credible methodology.<br/><br/>The support of the EP and Pace for a clearly undemocratic election process is shameful, and is an affront to the stated values of those organisations.<br/><br/>Both the EP and the Pace trumpet their promotion of human rights and democratic principles, and the EP passed a resolution in June highlighting concern about the pre-election situation in Azerbaijan.<br/><br/>Voters should ask their elected representatives why they are spending public funds to be cheerleaders for sham elections.<br/><br/>The EP and the Pace should ask whether it makes sense to continue sending such observation missions, which discredit their organisations.<br/><br/>And signatories of the Declaration of Principles should question the EP and Pace on why they have strayed so far from the agreed guidelines, weakening confidence in international election observation as a mechanism for the promotion of genuinely democratic elections.</div>
<div id="newspicture"> </div>
</div>
<div id="newslist">
<ul>
<li class="selected"><a href="../news/index_id_693_year_2013.html">ERIS expresses serious concerns about role of parliamentarians in assessing the recent presidential election in Azerbaijan</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_id_692_year_2013.html">ERIS co-organises event on follow-up to EU election observation missions</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_id_670_year_2013.html">ERIS continues its support for civic education in Tunisia</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_id_662_year_2013.html">ERIS project in Madagascar aims to strengthen capacity of civil-society organisations</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_id_633_year_2013.html">Consortium including ERIS to improve election observation standards for EU</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_id_627_year_2013.html">ERIS holds roundtable discussion on Pakistan's elections</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_id_619_year_2013.html">ERIS to support Lebanese organisation in election observation training</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_id_626_year_2013.html">ERIS organises UK media study tour for senior Algerian journalists</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_id_616_year_2013.html">ERIS supports observation of Armenian presidential elections</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_id_617_year_2013.html">Our work supporting the Kenyan elections</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_id_618_year_2013.html">ERIS to continue EU electoral assistance project in Tunisia</a></li><li class=""><a href="../news/index_id_613_year_2013.html">Cote d'Ivoire: ERIS re-launches website providing resources on reconciliation and social cohesion</a></li></ul>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
</div><!--leftcolumnfull-->
</div><!--bottomfullwidth-->
</div><!--pagetext-->
<div class="clear"></div>
<div id="footer">
<!--
<div id="footerleft" >
<div id="facebook">
<img src="/images/common/facebook.gif" alt="facebook logo" />
</div>
<div id="facebooklink"">
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/London-United-Kingdom/ERIS-Electoral-Reform-International-Services/329843392626">Join the ERIS<br /> Facebook group</a>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div id="facebook">
<img src="/images/common/linkedin.gif" alt="linkedin logo" />
</div>
<div id="facebooklink"">
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/companies/eris_2"> Linked In -<br /> Join our Network</a>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
</div><!--footerleft-->
<div id="footer_right">
<div id="footer_right_inner">
<div id="footer_job">
Jobs mailing list<br/>
<a href="../jobs.html"><img src="../images/common/signup.gif" alt="Jobs sign up"/></a>
</div>
<div id="footer_job">
Missions mailing list<br/>
<a href="../apply.html"><img src="../images/common/signup.gif" alt="Missions sign up"/></a>
</div>
<div id="footer_address">
ERIS<br/>6 Chancel Street <br/>London <br/>SE10UU
</div>
<div id="footer_phone">
Tel: +44(0)20 7620 3794 <br/>Fax: +44(0)20 7928 4366
</div>
</div><!--footer_right_inner-->
</div><!--footer_right-->
</div><!--footer-->
</div><!--bodytext-->
</div><!--page_wrapper_outer-->
</div> <!--page_wrapper_inner-->
<script type="text/javascript">
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-12798006-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
(function() {
var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl/' : 'http://www/') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();
</script>
</body>
</html>