Election Monitoring Practices of Ethiopian Human Rights Commission: a Comparative Analysis
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Date
2018-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This thesis assessed the role of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission in election monitoring. The study thus tried to draw a comparative analysis with key lessons of Kenyan and Ugandan Human Rights Commissions. By using qualitative methodology, this thesis analyzed both primary and secondary sources ofdata. The primary sources include in-depth interview with the Commissioner and experts of the Commission, National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, House of Peoples Representative, representatives of Ethiopian People‟s Revolutionary Democratic Front and some selected opposition political parties, both broadcast and print media, and representatives of some selected civil society organizations.Secondary sourcesinclude analysis of election monitoring reports of the Commission.In addition, to have a balanced view of those selected respondents; a focus group discussion has also been carried out with some selected experts from the Commission and stakeholderswho are believed to represent and reflect on the activities of election monitoring. Finally, the overall findings of the study show that EHRC‟s efforts in monitoring general election is a good beginning in exercising its monitoring mandate. However,despite its engagement in the 2010 and 2015 general election monitoring, compared to the minimum expectation and experiences of Kenya and Ugandan Human Rights Commissions, its activities of monitoring the entire electoral processes areinadequate in terms of addressing specific activities under each election phases. It was found that, the EHRC has failed to assess the compatibility of electoral laws and other enacted legislations with the Constitution and minimum international expectations of election monitoring. Furthermore,it has a flawtowards providing extensive awareness and training on civic and voter education to the public at large, political parties, the media, security officials and to vulnerable sections of the society is also the other gap. In addition to this, the engagements to work in collaboration with CSOs and other democratic institutions are insignificant. Moreover, its failure to devise follow up mechanism for the implementation of its election monitoring report is also the other major gap. Therefore, the paper concluded thatthe EHRC needs to improve and strengthen its election monitoring activities.