Deployment for Democratic Development

GUINEA-BISSAU

AT A GLANCE
Official Name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Chief of State: President Malam Bacai Sanha
Next Election: 2014
Capital: Bissau
Population: 1.61 million (UN, 2009)
Independence: 1974 from Portugal
Human Development Index: 173 of 182 countries (UN, 2009)
Global Gender Gap Index: not available
Gross National Income per capita: US$250 (World Bank, 2009)

Supporting the International Observation of Guinea Bissau’s Presidential Elections

PHASE I
Status: Complete, 2009
Local Partners: National Electoral Commission (NEC), United Nations Integrated Peace-Building Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS)
Canadian Experts: Alain Gauthier, Jean-Marc Baudot

Guinea Bissau’s November 16, 2008 legislative elections were heralded as a turning point in the country’s democratic progress. CIDA’s Deployment for Democratic Development (DDD) was asked by Guinea Bissau’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) to assist with the conduct of these free and fair elections. Two Canadian experts, an Elections Coordinator (Alain Gauthier) and Logistician (Jean-Marc Baudot), provided support to some 200 international electoral observers by assisting in the recruitment of support staff and by organizing briefings to give observers a better understanding of the country and the political/legal context for the elections. They also assisted the NEC with the accreditation of international observers, and proposed country-wide deployment plans in order to avoid duplication and to increase the density of observation coverage. These activities were aimed at strengthening the coordination of international observation of legislative elections and contributing to more credible and transparent elections in the long run, paving the way for the 2010 presidential election.

“I was proud to be able to contribute to the road to democracy in Guinea-Bissau as part of the International Observation Mission for the Legislative Elections in 2008 with UNOGBIS. Electoral observation is a key factor for the transparency of the process.” - Jean-Marc Baudot

PHASE II
Status: Complete, 2009
Local Partners: National Electoral Commission (NEC), United Nations Integrated Peace-Building Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS)
Canadian Experts: Claude Parent and Christian Gohel

Because of the assassination of President Joao Bernardo Vieira on March 2, 2009, new elections were held on June 28, 2009. Deployment for Democratic Development (DDD) provided technical support to help coordinate the international observation of Guinea Bissau’s presidential elections held on
June 28 and July 26, 2009. DDD’s assistance contributed to a more peaceful, credible and transparent process and hence the strengthening of democracy in Guinea Bissau.

In coordination with the National Electoral Commission (NEC) two Canadian experts—Elections Coordinator Claude Parent and Logistician Christian Gohel— provided logistical support to some 200 electoral observers who had been selected by major African organizations including the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union. They also worked closely with other missions not under the umbrella of UNOGBIS, including the Community of Portuguese Language Countries and the European Union. Their contribution included: the definition of the general working principles of the mission; the tools needed for implementation (developing observation report templates, buying or renting equipment); the supervision of support staff; and organizing briefings and training for observers on the political and legal context, the electoral process, olling procedures, logistical arrangements and a timetable for observation efforts.

“This project made me realize that our contribution could deeply and beneficially affect the hope for a better life for thousands of people that I would never meet. Despite the quite volatile situation on arrival, the common will to overcome the country’s distress resulted in one of the best elections I ever took part in.” Christian Gohel, Technical Advisor on Electoral Management.

“Enabling African, Portuguese, European, American and Canadian organizations to work together for effective election observations has certainly helped to advance democracy in Guinea Bissau.” Claude Parent, International Consultant in Electoral Management and Observation.

The Canadian experts assisted NEC in the accreditation of international observers. They helped develop a country-wide deployment plan in order to avoid duplication, reduce costs and increase the density of observation coverage. They responded to the Representative of the UN Secretary-General who sought their advice on the political situation in Guinea Bissau and on how best to implement good governance principles.