For Immediate Release
Contact:
In Atlanta: Deborah Hakes, +1-404-420-5124
In Abidjan: Sabina Vigani, +225-08-23-55-23
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, responding to recent allegations of attempted fraud in Cote d'Ivoire's election preparations, called for an objective and transparent resolution of the issue, noting that the claims "should not be used to discredit the other important achievements, to delay unduly the election, or to challenge previous political agreements that serve as the basis to conduct the elections."
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) , and in particular its president, have been accused by President Gbago's spokesperson of a fraudulent attempt to add individuals to the final voter list in contravention of the established procedures. Given the importance of producing a credible voter register, these allegations should be investigated objectively and transparently on the basis of factual evidence. The Carter Center calls on all political leaders and other stakeholders in the electoral process to act responsibly and to avoid distorting the current situation.
The litigation process during public inspection of the provisional voter list has thus far been conducted by local election commissions on a consensus basis and it should be possible to determine within a reasonable timeframe whether voter list entries have been made outside the agreed procedure. Based on the official procedures governing administrative disputes relating to the provisional list, all decisions taken by the local IEC are to have been recorded in writing and available in summary tables. Authorities should therefore be able, with this information in hand, to examine the existing data and verify whether irregular entries have been validated.
As illustrated by the current controversy, the need for clearly recorded voter register data at each level of the structures involved in the process is not only good administrative practice, but also provides the means for greater transparency in the collection and dissemination of this information. Ivoirian authorities should use these tools to ensure the transparency of decisions and data beyond policy makers to allow everyone to be convinced that the electoral process is being conducted in the best interest of the nation and its citizens.
Prime Minister Guillaume Soro recently announced the establishment of 70 follow-up committees comprising representatives of all structures involved in the identification of the population and voter registration operation. The Carter Center encourages Prime Minister Soro and the members of these structures to make the committees operational as soon as possible. Ivorian parties can also make productive use of the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Côte d'Ivoire for assistance.
The Carter Center has previously reported on the complexity of the population identification and voter registration processes, which have been compounded by delays and cumbersome difficulties in implementation. Political actors are reminded that these processes are the result of their own decisions, and they should therefore continue to work in the spirit of cooperation and mutual consent.
Following an invitation from the Ivorian authorities, The Carter Center launched an international election observation mission in November 2008. Previous public reports may be found at www.cartercenter.org in English and French. The Carter Center conducts its election observation missions in accordance with applicable national laws and with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, endorsed at the United Nations in 2005.
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The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, the Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers to increase crop production.