STEP – “Systematic transparency in the election process”
Timespan: 2020 – 2022
Donor: European Union, Government of the United States of America and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Applicant: Coalition for Free and Fair Elections “Pod lupom”
Partner: Local Democracy Agency Mostar (LDA Mostar)
Description:
The STEP Project is implemented by the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections “Pod lupom”. The Coalition consists of five NGOs from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina:
- Centers for Civil Initiatives
- Citizens’ Association “Democracy-Organization-Progress” Prijedor
- Institute for Youth and Community Development “Perpetuum Mobile” Banja Luka,
- Center for Civil Cooperation Livno
- Tuzla Citizens’ Forum
The STEP Project will directly increase the strength and visibility of civil society organizations (CSOs) in civic election observation and support the development of civil society in the democratization process in the Bosnia and Herzegovina, covering two election cycles: Local Elections 2020 and General Elections 2022. The Project seeks to strengthen civic participation and strengthen the CSO movement across the country to support free and fair elections, while reducing the risk of electoral fraud and manipulation.
Through the Project, a series of activities were designed and they are divided into five components following the imperative of capacity building of CSOs in order to strengthen the civil sector for sustainable election observation activities in the future. STEP consists of five components:
- Capacity building and network development
- Election observation
- Policy development and advocacy
- Communication with the public and educating
- Media monitoring
The Coalition was established in May 2014 with the aim of implementing a project of civic, non-partisan observation of the 2014 General Elections.
The main activity of the Coalition is election observation. So far, the Coalition has observed the 2014 General Elections, the early local elections in seventeen municipalities, the 2016 Local Elections, the first elections in the newly formed Stanari Municipality, the repeated elections in Stolac Municipality, the revocation of Lukavac Mayor, the 2018 General Elections and Local elections 2020. About 10,000 observers were engaged in all these elections. In addition, the Coalition conducts research and development of international comparative analyzes, monitoring sessions of the BiH Central Election Commission, organizing round tables and conferences bringing together representatives of legislative institutions, the election administration, the international and academic community, the media and civil society. The coalition advocates the improvement of the election process in all its segments. In addition to the above activities, the Coalition also educates young voters during the election year, in order to motivate and encourage them to actively participate in the election process.
VISION
The Coalition “Pod lupom” is recognized as the driving force of the civic electoral and democratic awakening. Civic groups and individuals, as well as civil society organizations, take over the values advocated by the Coalition, which makes this initiative a strong and organized civic movement in BiH.
MISSION
The coalition is improving the electoral culture and processes in BiH. In its work, the Coalition respects the following principles: impartiality, ethics, transparency, professionalism, innovation, responsibility and solidarity.
OBJECTIVES
- To prevent election fraud
- To prevent election irregularities
- Raise awareness of electoral manipulations
- Encourage the expression of the free will of voters
- Report objectively and timely on the election process
- To deliver recommendations for improvement of the election process and election legislation
THE ROLE OF THE LOCAL DEMOCRACY AGENCY MOSTAR (LDA MOSTAR)
The LDA Mostar team has decided to support the work of the Coalition for the BH Local elections 2020. LDA Mostar was engaged as a long-term observers (LTO). We’ve monitored the election process for a period of about two and a half months before and on the day of elections. For the Local elections 2020, LDA Mostar members observed the elections in the municipalities of Neum and Ravno as well as the city of Mostar.
The activities of LDA Mostar were related to:
- Observation of the pre-election process (observation of the work of the election administration and monitoring of compliance with election deadlines, observation of the (pre) election campaign, observation of reporting by local and other media and observation and reporting of election irregularities)
- Animation of short-term observers – STOs (including campaigns on the streets, training and accreditation of election day observers)
- Weekly reporting
- Appointment of STOs at polling stations and coordination of STOs on the actual Election Day
- Presentation of the STEP Project and the Coalition in public in accordance to the rules of the Coalition
Here you can see Short overview on the implemented activities
Newsletter
Sep-Dec, 2020
