This project boosted Gabon's electoral processes via capacity building, advocacy and other tools.
The Project in Support of National Electoral Observation in Gabon, funded by the European Union (EU), aims to contribute to the integrity of the national electoral process by supporting credible, professional and transparent election observation activities, democratic advocacy and political dialogue.
The specific objectives of the project are:
- Implementation of activities to support electoral observation through the development of a methodology inspired from regional and international best practices;
- Capacity building with regards to democratic advocacy:
a. In terms of monitoring the electoral cycle (implementation of the recommendations and the consolidation of the lessons learned during the presidential elections of August 2016);
b. To facilitate the set-up of inclusive political dialogue at national level.
With regards to the first specific objective, the project will train national observers previously involved in electoral observation actions and activities, to ensure the highest level of professionalism in future activities.
The project also aims to enhance the links between national electoral observation and international and regional public law instruments in order to enhance the ownership of the democratic reform process by national electoral stakeholders.
Moreover, following the recommendations formulated by the observation missions during the presidential elections of August 2016, the project aims to strengthen the advocacy capacities of national actors involved in supporting the democratic consolidation process.
As per the second specific objective, and taking into the current situation of post-electoral political deadlock, the project aims to support the implementation of advocacy actions facilitating inclusive political dialogue, being this an essential element of multiparty democracy as well as an important instrument for identifying consensual solutions to challenging situations.
Advocacy initiatives in favour of inclusive political dialogue are particularly relevant in contexts characterised by fragile institutional frameworks and the risk of instability and electoral violence, which is notably the case of Gabon. These actions aim to raise the awareness of national electoral and political actors with regards to:
- the importance of an inclusive national dialogue in the current situation of political impasse for identifying shared solution to contribute to the credibility of future elections;
- the importance of securing a framework/space for dialogue for all national actors involved in the political and electoral process, in order to enhance the democratic culture based on dialogue and mutual trust.
Through these activities, the project aims to achieve the following results:
- A national electoral observation methodology, based on the regional and international best practices, is developed, and the professionalism of national electoral observers is strengthened;
- Democratic advocacy activities in monitoring the electoral cycle (implementation of the recommendations formulated during the presidential elections of August 2016) are implemented and the capacities of national actors in promoting democratic reforms are strengthened;
- Democratic advocacy activities to facilitate inclusive political dialogue are implemented.
