USAID/Guinea: USAID Sponsors Nationwide Campaign on Electoral Process

JULY 18, 2003

USAID Sponsors Nationwide Campaign on Electoral Process

The International Foundation for Election Systems, a USAID-sponsored non-governmental organization, is bringing citizens into the political dialogue through a nationwide civil society strengthening program.

Following the flawed 2002 legislative elections and the 2001 constitutional referendum, tensions are rising as Guineans brace for the approach of the December 2003 presidential elections. These elections will be an important test of Guinea's efforts toward democratic consolidation. Despite questions of limited political space, civil society can and must play an active role in the conduct of these elections.

Says Elizabeth Côté, Representative of International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) in Guinea, "There is currently a crisis in Guinea vis-à-vis the electoral process, not only is there a risk of a boycott by opposition parties, but there is a growing feeling amongst the electorate that their vote doesn't really count. Also, there has been no dialogue between the political parties and the administration on the electoral process since 2000. This dialogue is urgently needed." However, says Côté, "When we talk about a social dialogue, civil society must be brought into the dialogue with the administration and the political parties. Everybody must be represented."

An IFES field agent talks to villagers in Konkoure about their rights and responsibilities during an election.

Sous l'arbre à palabre... discussions about citizen's rights and responsibilities during an election are taking place under local meeting trees in villages and towns throughout Guinea.

To encourage the establishment of conditions for a more genuine and competitive political process, the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), a non-governmental organization (NGO) whose program in Guinea is sponsored by USAID, is bringing citizens throughout Guinea into the political dialogue through a nationwide civil society strengthening program. In May and June, the program mobilized the electorate through a civic and voter education campaign, in addition to a series of conferences targeting leading representatives of all sectors of Guinean society in all 7 regions on the theme Social Dialogue and the Electoral Process.

In mid-July, IFES, in partnership with the National Council of Guinean CSOs staged a two-day workshop on the democratic process in Guinea. Following a conference on the evolution of democracy in Guinea and the essential role of dialogue in the democratic process, over 85 participants representing political parties, the state and civil society discussed such issues as the separation of powers, the urgent need for an impartial state administration, and the rule of law. The National Council of Guinean CSOs was mandated by the participants to play a leading role in the establishment of platforms that will ensure constructive dialogue between all the leading stakeholders.

The USAID program aims to increase Guinean citizens' understanding of their rights and responsibilities in the electoral process, enhance the capacity of CSOs to educate citizens on the electoral process, and improve political dialogue among civil society and political party representatives, and government officials. In 2002, an emerging Guinean civil society movement established the National Council of Civil Society Organizations (GNCCSO*) which has established regional, prefectoral and subprefectoral councils. This innovative structure which includes at the national level 65 organization networks, has proven to be a reliable vehicle for strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations in Guinea all the way down to the grass roots level. The GNSCCO is already being used as a model for civil society organization in the African subregion.

portrait of Thierno Diallo in Konkoure, Guinea

Says farmer Thierno Diallo, "I've learned we need to be vigilant to ensure that there is no violence and ensure that elections are held under peaceful conditions. We've learned that we need to have certain papers in order to vote, and to vote for the candidate of our choice and not be influenced by others."

Working in collaboration with this civil society framework, the civic education campaign, carried out in villages and towns throughout Guinea, is using local NGO staff to convey good information about the electoral process. Trainers speak to villagers in either Pulaar, Soussou, Malinke, Baga, Mano, Kissi and Guerzé or a combination of these depending upon their audience, and work effectively to include those who are illiterate through the use of a series of images, and through oral presentations.

Says Aissata Sidibe, a trainer for local NGO AVODEG**, "We were in Moussaya Centre village this morning -- there were 600 people there, 350 women and 250 men, including several local authorities and members of 28 civil society organizations. We told them that we came to help them prepare for the upcoming elections. We reminded them of what we had taught last time we came on their rights and responsibilities as citizens. People told us they had the right to vote, and to possess administrative documents. Others said they had the right to choose a presidential candidate who would run our country well if elected.

"Then we discussed their other rights such as: the right to grow up and live in a good family environment; the right to justice, especially if one is the victim of abuse; the right to education; the right to assemble; and the free choice of one's own religion. Then we went on to explain the how and why of voting, and what a political party was, and we passed around images to help reinforce what we were saying."

The training of trainers approach has given trainers throughout Guinea a wealth of knowledge on citizen and voting rights and procedures, making them resource people in and around their local communities. Says Mamadou Sylla, trainer for local NGO AVODEG in the rural Kindia area, "I love the fact that I meet people in their villages in some of the most remote corners of the country. It is a joy to teach people what I"ve been taught, and to permit them to get all of the administrative documents that a citizen in a democracy should have. Those documents allow citizens to express themselves through voting, and to say what they need to say to develop their own country."

men at a USAID-sponsored civic forum reading pamphlets created by NGO IFES

Distributing illustrated pamphlets after oral presentations has been a good way of reinforcing messages designed to promote a peaceful election process.

The process used by trainers is one based on dialogue and exchange combined with a series of images and illustrated pamphlets in local languages proved to be an effective means of conveying good information about the electoral rights and responsibilities of the voting population whether or not participants are able to read or write. The training also encourages them to take an active part in the management of local affairs.

Says Thierno Boubacar Diallo, a small farmer from Konkouré village, "I learned so many things today during this presentation. For example, we need to be vigilant to ensure that there is no violence and ensure that elections are held under peaceful conditions. We've learned that we need to have certain papers in order to vote, and that we should vote for the candidate of our choice and not be influenced by others. We didn't know these things before. We've also learned that to be productive, we need to form working groups here in our village. This will permit us to have a better standard of living, and to take better care of our families. It will also ensure the development of our community." He adds, "With all that we've learned, we now know how the elections should go, and how to counsel our families about how to act during elections so that they'll be carried out peacefully."

*GNCCSO = Conseil National des Organisations de la Société Civile Guinéenne.
** AVODEG = Association des Volontaires pour le Développement de la Guinée, or Association of Volunteers for the Development of Guinea.

Article by Laura Lartigue and Elizabeth Côté. Photos by Laura Lartigue.