Kenya general elections 1997 : implementing a new model for international election observation in Africa

Report by the Dutch coordinator of the Election Observation Centre set up by the member States of the Donors for Development and Democracy Group in Nairobi, Kenya, on the various activities (information gathering, liaison, observation, reporting) performed while monitoring the 1997 elections, the problems encountered and the conclusions to be drawn from the experience. The use of locally available diplomats, familiar with the country, as international observers proved very cost-effective, while carrying out election observation over a long period allowed for a better understanding of the electoral process. A prerequisite for the successful implementation of this new model of international election observation is the recruitment and training of domestic observers, since a nationwide coverage of polling stations by domestic observer groups is an integral element of the model