Johannesburg - In a joint statement by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and the Electoral Integrity Project, they said that electoral reforms should be undertaken worldwide to learn the lessons from holding elections during a pandemic and prepare for future emergency situations.
They said the pandemic was thought to pose a major threat to democracy by providing an opportunity for would-be autocrats to consolidate power and undermine human rights.
“Elections During Emergencies and Crises: Lessons for Electoral Integrity from the Covid-19 Pandemic” is edited by Toby S. James (University of East Anglia), Alistair Clark (Newcastle University) and Erik Asplund (International IDEA).
The book features a comprehensive set of 26 country case studies and eight thematic chapters. It examines how the pandemic affected election quality, what measures were put in place to protect elections, and what worked to defend them.
The volume makes recommendations for how elections can be pandemic-proof in the future.
Toby said that the Covid pandemic presented a huge challenge to elections and democracy. During the eye of the storm, there was little time for calm reflection. There was a need to undertake immediate, short-term responses.
“With a little distance from the immediacy of the pandemic, now is an opportunity to take action to assess whether elections are ready for future emergencies,” said Toby.
Clark said that those running elections during the Covid-19 pandemic needed to react in real time, balancing potential contagion alongside the importance of citizens’ democratic rights. This volume combines research from around the world about how countries did this.
"It draws wider conclusions on lessons learnt about holding elections during major emergencies. The book presents a valuable resource for election administrators and policymakers looking to the future,“ said Clark.
Asplund said that action is needed for policymakers to strengthen their preparedness for another natural disaster and unexpected challenges, but also to strengthen their underlying systems for running elections with integrity.
“The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the need for election authorities around the globe to adopt risk management frameworks, resilience-building measures, and crisis management procedures to protect elections,” said Asplund.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health says that although the World Health Organization (WHO) says Covid-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency internationally, it is important to clarify that this doesn’t mean the pandemic is over.
The department said the fact of the matter is that the pandemic remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in high-risk populations such as the elderly and people living with comorbidities.
The department further detailed that the number of cases is far lower at the moment than during the height of the pandemic, hence it is no longer viewed as a public health emergency.
They added that, in line with WHO recommendations, it continues to recommend vaccination, especially for routine health services, and will continue to offer services aimed at preventing and treating Covid, including vaccination services.
The Star