Guardians of Peaceful Elections? Revisiting the Role of International Election Observers in East Africa

Abstract

Election observation is recognized by the international community as one of the ways to promote the quality of democracy. It is often held that election observation, if conducted impartially and effectively, fends off electoral fraud and violence, leading to peaceful elections. Yet, in some cases, election observation is misused to serve particular interests thereby casting doubt about its credibility. Since the inauguration of the Third Wave of democratisation, almost all elections in Africa are conducted before the presence of observers though with different outcome. This article examines the role of international election observers in order to understand their contribution to peaceful elections. Using Kenya and Uganda from East Africa, the article argues that sometimes international election observers fail to deter fraud and violence in elections mainly due to their mode of operation and political interests.

Keywords: Election observation, Electoral Violence, Electoral fraud, Kenya, Uganda

Rodrick Henry, PhD candidate, University of Dar es Salaam, E-Mail: henryrodrick@yahoo.com