22 October 2015 – ASEAN, through the initiative of the Philippines and in cooperation with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), launched the report on the ASEAN Election Observation Workshop on October 19 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia. A copy of the Report was symbolically handed to Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee, Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Nur Hassan Wirajuda, Philippine Ambassador to ASEAN  Elizabeth P. Buensuceso, DSG Arthakaivalvatee, and COMELEC Commissioner Luie Tito F. Guia officiated the event, which was witnessed by members of the ASEAN Committee of Representatives, other Ambassadors and diplomats based in Jakarta , officials of the International IDEA, media and other civil society representatives.

The Report records the proceedings of the Election Observation workshop held in Manila, the Philippines, from June 24 to 25. Officials of election management bodies (EMBs) and Ministries of Foreign Affairs of ASEAN Member States learned about election observation missions of various regional organizations like the Organization of  American States OAS, the European Union and African Unionin the workshop. Other stakeholders, including a civil society organization, also shared their experiences on election observation.

In her remarks, Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso hailed the workshop, the first of its kind to ever be held in ASEAN, as an excellent example of how to realize a truly people-centered ASEAN which will be the focus of the ASEAN Vision 2025- the new roadmap that will chart the direction of ASEAN in the next ten years. She said that the workshop  underscored the symbiotic relationship of  governments and civil society to enable them to deliver credible, satisfactory and legitimate election results for the benefit of the people. “Member States should consciously include and harness the valuable contribution that civil society can make in the common vision of ASEAN integration and community building.”  She said that the ASEAN Election Observation Workshop effectively implemented a few action lines in the ASEAN Political Security Community (APSC) Blueprint, especially under the headings, “Promoting understanding and appreciation of political systems, culture and history” and “Promoting Principles of Democracy.”

In his keynote speech, Dr. Nur Hassan Wirajuda, also amember of the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security, International IDEA and Kofi Annan Foundation, underscored the core values of the APSC--promotion of democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights and good governance and peaceful conflict resolution.

He expressed the hope that the charting of the new ASEAN roadmap to integration by 2025 would provide an opportunity to add elements of enhancing ASEAN democratic processes including capacity building for the conduct of national elections. “I hope the report and recommendations of the workshop present a strategy that will deepen democracy and improve the integrity of national elections in ASEAN.”

International IDEA, an intergovernmental organization that has engaged the ASEAN Secretariat through the Inter Regional Dialogue on Democracy, lent its expertise to the workshop. The Mission of the Republic of Korea to ASEAN also supported the workshop. 

For her part, Ms. Leena Rikkila Tamang, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, International IDEAsaid that “It is a fundamental principle of IDEA’s approach that building of democratic institutions within any community comes from within that community and cannot be imposed from outside, while the sharing of experience among peers can enrich and inform the process.”

Report Highlights

• Respect to the state sovereignty, and adherence to the law of the host country, respecting the internationally recognised global standards for domestic election monitoring, and the global principles and codes of conduct for observers.
• Electoral integrity is a fundamental element of democracy; electoral observers can play a vital role, raising voter confidence, reassurance, providing credible and essential feedbacks
• EMB independence, voter registration, media freedom, freedom of movement, women’s participation, access for disabled people, minority participation, and use of money in campaigns and political financing are all key issues which may be addressed during electoral cycle implementation and for recognition of credible elections by regional and international community.

Key recommendations :

• Developing and strengthening ASEAN Network of Election Monitoring Bodies
• ASEAN EMBs, International IDEA and dialogue partners should open dialogue and engage the AMS High Level Task Force on ASEAN Community Vision 2025 to get election observation expressed within the ASEAN political cooperation agenda.
• Based on the tentative dates declared by various AMS, Myanmar General Elections on November 08, the Philippines Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections on 9 May 2016, Indonesian General Elections 2019, and Thailand General Elections sometime in 2017 (undecided) present opportunities to ASEAN and IDEA in putting together a regional framework for elections observation as trials and learning opportunities.
• Asian Engagement with other EMBs, IDEA could facilitate an Asia Regional experience sharing with other EMBs sometime in 2016, which could provide opportunity for the ASEAN region to both share and learn from other Asian experiences on election observation.
• Engaging ASEAN & Asian Civil Society, IDEA and ASEAN Secretariat can gradually facilitate the participation as dialogue partners of various groups working at regional, sub-regional and national level for the electoral rights of vulnerable groups, minorities, women, and physically challenged people, ensuring that the right to vote is upheld with the utmost respect by EMBs and the legal framework developed is reflective of the inclusive goal of the ASEAN Political Security Community.
• Resource persons encouraged ASEAN EMBs and host governments to be open to the possibility of having domestic and international election observation missions (EOMs) and not to view these missions as impinging on sovereignty and interfering in internal affairs of the state.

Speeches:

1. Remarks of Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso, Philippine Permanent Representative to ASEAN on the ASEAN Workshop on Election Observation Report
2. Remarks for Launch of the ASEAN Workshop on Election Observation Report by Republic of Korea Deputy Chief of Mission Sang-beom Lim
3.  Message of Leena Rikkila Tamang on the Launch of the ASEAN Workshop on Election Observation Report
4. Launch of the ASEAN Workshop on Election Observation Report Keynote Speech by Dr. Hassan Wirajuda
5. Message of COMELEC Commissioner Luie Tito F. Guia at the Launch of the ASEAN Workshop on Election Observation Report

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