ELECTION MONITORING
A model UP election organized by the Save the Children, Australia
 

"At Democracywatch we believe that establishing effective and impartial observation is essential for countries with a fragile democracy in their journey to establish democratic norms and values as a part of their political culture."

Elections plays a vital role to ensure democracy and good governance in a democratic state. Our ultimate goal is to establish good governance, fair trial for all, and a humanist nation.

We have been monitoring elections since 1996. We have produced a strong election monitoring team that monitors the pre and post election environment. Over the last parliamentary elections in 2001 we have deployed more than 10,000 election observer to observe the election throughout the country.
Discussion session with the network members

Democracywatch offers extensive, handy, field-based experience in the design and implementation of programs on election processes since 1996 in Bangladesh, including:

election management and administration,
domestic and international election monitoring
vote count verification (including parallel vote tabulations or quick counts).
Produce preliminary and final election monitoring report with specific recommendations
voter education program at grassroots
public awareness program on voter list with photo
provide election monitoring training for stationary and mobile observers

Democracywatch advises Election Commission on election management and administration, election laws and regulations, and election systems and procedures. The organization also counsels bilateral and multilateral donors on strategies for supporting different election project in Bangladesh. Democracywatch is leading election monitoring organization in Bangladesh, deployed about 30,000 trained observers so far in different elections including Parliamentary, Union Parishad, Municipality and By-election since 1996. The organization involved 400 local organizations to do this task effortlessly! The Executive Director of Democracywatch currently Co-Chairman of largest election working group in Bangladesh. Democracywatch designs, advises, and implements domestic election monitoring programs and conducts assessments of election processes, election systems, and election laws and regulations.




Democracywatch and its partners have organized and managed comprehensive international election monitoring programs in 64 districts since 1996. Apart from this, Democracywatch designed and implemented specialized monitoring programs and innovative techniques focused on voter registration, media access and fairness, campaign finance, election violence, women in politics and other election-related issues. Another major expertise of Democracywatch is to conduct comprehensive election monitoring training programs in all over the country. The organization produced a training manual to reinforce the information communicated during the training program. This training manual assisted the partner organization, trainees and observers. This manual describes the voting process, counting process, reporting and duties and responsibilities of election monitors. It also designed checklists and other forms, in which the monitors recorded their observations accompanied by an explanation of how to properly complete a checklist of election monitoring. In 2001 Democracywatch conducted 224 training where 9700 observers took part. In 2003 the organization conducted 100 training programs for 6090 observers including 20 ToT's. In 2008 Democracywatch conducted 195 observers' training in all over the country. About 11658 observers took part in these training programs. Local elites, election officials, NGO leaders, and journalists were also present in these training programs. Moreover the organization has equipped training cell and a group of trainers who are working to promote this training in every level.

The objectives of election monitoring are:

  • to observe whether the electoral rules and regulations are being followed
  • to monitor any violence or any untoward activities
  • to measure the spirited participation of the voters, especially for the women voters
Election Reports
Risky Constituencies 2001
Interim Report on the monitoring of
Sylhet City Corporation Election
Fact Sheet Sylhet City Corporation
UP Election Final Report-2003
National Election Final Report-2008
Election Report of Gazipur By-election

Many international organizations are interested in sending their observation teams to monitor our elections. This practice should be sustained among our national organizations and Democracywatch aims to be the foremost in this regard.

Democracywatch Working in Coalition

To effectively observe an election with what is estimated at 75 million people, making it the seventh largest in the world, the logistical set up must be appropriate. For election monitoring we have formed a network of organizations working to promote good governance, democracy and human rights. Many already have experience of these activities. Our plan is to provide the volunteers with training so as to implement the monitoring effectively.
Voters are waiting to vote

Women Observers
To measure the participation of women voters we have deployed many women observers.

Criteria for Observers

For monitoring we involved as many of our ex-students as possible. They have been trained in Good Governance and we regard them highly. We have strong with grassroots organizations those who are providing observer to monitor elections. These monitors are absolutely non-partisan and non-political. In other areas we will work in co-ordination with local organizations that willing to work with us.
Inhouse discussion with coordinator

Training Activities
Democracywatch is using the manual that produced by the network in election observation to train each constitutional coordinator (C.C.). The C.C. in turn trains the local observers.

Main Duties of the Observers are:

  • report any violence or threats to voters;
  • to detect fraud and vote manipulation;
  • help voters to vote independently;
  • count how many votes are cast;
  • check the ballot box is empty before voting starts;
  • performance of the election officials;
  • performance of the security forces

 
For further information in aspect of the organization's work please contact us: dwatch@bangla.net Democracywatch, 7 Circuit House Road, Ramna, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh Phone: +88 (02) 9344225/9344226, Fax: +88 (02) 8315807