Thematic Area: Democratic Governance

Project Document of ELECT Project

Progress Report Quarter 2 2009

Progress Report Quarter 1 2009

Annual Report 2008
Progress Report Quarter 1 2008
Progress Report Quarter 2 2008
Progress Report Quarter 3 2008
Progress Report Quarter 1 2007
Progress Report Quarter 2 2007
Progress Report Quarter 3 2007
Annual Report 2006

[Last Updated August 2009]

Project Start Date: October 2006
Project End Date: October 2010
Project Location: Kabul (project has started working in provinces in the fourth quarter of 2008)
Status of the project: Ongoing

Background

As a follow up to the Bonn process, UNDP was given a pivotal role in helping establish viable governance structures. Among these efforts was support to the 2004 presidential and 2005 parliamentary and provincial council elections. Both of these elections were a success with large voter turnout and nationally accepted results. UNAMA was tasked with the political oversight of the elections process, with UNDP holding responsibility for the execution of the 2004 presidential elections and managing all resource mobilization and donor relations for the 2005 parliamentary and provincial council elections. UNOPS was the implementing agent for all electoral activities in 2005.

Presidential elections were successfully held on 9 October 2004 with over eight million voters (42% of whom were women), out of the 10.5 million successfully registered through the Voter Registration Programme, casting their ballots, resulting in the election of President Hamid Karzai.

An addendum forming an integral part of the 2004 Afghan Elections Project was signed on 28 March 2005 reflecting the activities to be undertaken to facilitate the Wolesi Jirga (House of People) and Provincial Council Elections on 18 September 2005. Over 6.4 million voters turned out for this election, representing over 50% of the registered voters. The proportion of women voters also remained high, at about 42%.

Throughout the duration of the election project, capacity building and technical support was provided to the Joint Electoral Management Body, which was temporarily invested with electoral management and administration powers of the Independent Election Commission as contemplated under the constitution, up until the inauguration of the National Assembly on 18 December (per Article 57 of the Electoral Law).

The immediate follow up to the election period – The Transitional Phase

Following the successful completion of the Wolesi Jirga and Provincial Council Elections, it was envisaged that the Voter Registration and Elections Project (VREP) 2004-2005 would be closed and, following a three month “transitional phase” was planned. This transitional phase was intended to provide support to ensure the continuation of the Independent Election Commission (IEC). The transitional period was extended for an additional six months (until 21 September 2006) to provide critical support to the IEC in order to ensure its sustainability. During this period of time UNDP took over the responsibility to secure the salaries for the staff of the Independent Electoral Commission Secretariat as well as the operational costs to keep the headquarters and the provincial offices functional.

Achievements of the transitional phase (March-September 2006):

• The functionality of the IEC was secured through financial support as well as through the establishment of a consultation mechanism between IEC, UNDP, UNAMA and other stakeholders - an effective advocacy group put in place to support the IEC in political discussions.

• An audit was conducted on the Voter Registration and Elections Project (VREP) covering the period of 2004-2005 elections. (The 2003 activities were already audited.)

• Major challenges the IEC was faced with like the retention of staff and the access to the fiscal budget were solved due to the extensive cooperation of all organizations working in cooperation with the IEC and ongoing support from UNAMA.

• An evaluation of the 2004-2005 Election project was conducted to capture important recommendations for future elections in Afghanistan, for example a review of the Civil and voter registry, intensive capacity building programmes for the IEC staff, a review of the Electoral law and the legal processes connected to it.

On the basis of the recommendations and in close consultation with the IEC and other stakeholders, a comprehensive project document was developed, “Enhancing Legal and Electoral Capacity for Tomorrow” (ELECT), to support the capacity building process of the newly established Independent Election Commission in addressing the needs beyond 21 September 2006. The project document was signed and work began in October 2006. A key part of ELECT is an inter-organizational agreement to coordinate electoral support activities.

Focusing on capacity building and the need to conduct a new nation-wide voter registration and the hope that this activity could be combined with a national civil registration programme, preparations and fundraising for the Civil and Voter registry pilot project, a sub-activity of ELECT was concluded with the receipt of 336,000 USD$ from the UN Democracy Fund. Other funds were raised from Canada, Italy, Denmark and UNDP.

Achievements (ELECT) 2007:

• The Civil and Voter Registration Pilot (CVR) Project was successfully carried out in the Provinces of Kabul, Bamyan and Nangarhar. Approximately 26,000 people were registered using either a computerized or manual registration system.

• Training of trainers for the CVR Pilot Project took place.

• A successful public outreach campaign on the Civil and Voter Registry was launched.

• A gender focal point was employed in order to ensure gender mainstreaming within the IEC and the Electoral process.

• A national seminar on Lessons Learned from the 2003-2005 electoral cycles took place in Kabul. Recommendations from this exercise have helped shape future programming.

• Support to the IEC in establishing basic office infrastructure.

• The new electoral law was drafted and sent to the Parliament for approval.

Future Elections

The ELECT projects’ main aim in 2007 was the provision of capacity building to the IEC and the conduct of a pilot project on CVR. At the conclusion of this process, a comprehensive electoral support programme was determined.

In April it was announced that a political consensus had been reached to hold Presidential and Provincial Council Elections in the fall of 2009 and the Parliamentary and District Council Elections in the summer of 2010. On the 9th July the IEC announced that they would conduct a voter registration exercise beginning on 6th October through to 2nd February 2009. Voter registration was planned to be conducted in four phases with the and aim of capturing citizens who will have turned 18 by the 2009 elections; those who have returned to Afghanistan, or have lost their previous cards or those who have not registered yet.

With this massive undertaking, the ELECT project expanded its assistance to the IEC with a program of support for the VR exercise. A project document revision was agreed by donors in December August 2008 with funding of $101m generously provided in a timely way. The ELECT project capacity was enhanced with the appointment in June 2008 of a new Chief Electoral Adviser, Chief of Operations and other staff, and support to the IEC extended to the provinces and regions. The second revision of the ELECT project document was agreed to in December 2008 that included the cost of the presidential and provincial council elections in 2009.

Assumptions and Challenges

Among the many risks the major one was that security would permit an update of voter registration in all provinces and districts, yet the process of voter registration did not encounter not major security challenges.

Future Priorities:

• Support for National Voter Registration

• Enhancing the capacity of the IEC including Commissioners, Secretariat, Departments and provincial and regional offices.

• Support to the planning for the 2009 and 2010 elections

• Expansion of support to embrace broader electoral stakeholders including media, civil society, police and observers.

Partnerships and Resources

Budget:

Total Budget for 2009 Presidential and Provincial Council Election: 296,380,882 US$

Donors:

UNDP, USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Norway, Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Japan, Korea, Estonia

Government Counterpart:

The Independent Election Commission

Implementing Partners:

International Organization of Migration (IOM), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) , The Asia Foundation (TAF), International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES), Free & Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA), Afghan Center for Training & Development (ACTD), Afghan Women’s Educational Center (AWEC), Foundation for Culture and Civil Society (FCCS).

Focal Points:

Margie Cook, Project Manager/Chief Electoral Advisor (margie.cook@undp.org)

For more information for Afghanistan election, please visit these links.

ELECT Website

UNAMA Website

Official Webiste of Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan

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