The struggle for power can sometimes spill over into violence. Where the political system is unable to manage the tension between competing interests in society, people take to the streets, and not always with peaceful intentions.

The IPU debated electoral violence at its recent Assembly in Geneva. In polls where there was no clear winner, where politics was seen as a zero-sum game and the strongmen in power were loath to relinquish it, the danger of violence was never far off. Parliamentarians at the 123rd IPU Assembly were quick to point out that women were disproportionately affected by electoral violence: women candidates were often targeted and deterred from joining the political process by a climate of intimidation.

The MPs were not meeting to bewail the victims, however, but to try and find ways to curb the risk of violence.  A number of factors were singled out that could either contribute to, or mitigate, the risk of electoral violence. High on the list was voter education. If people were not able to understand politics and elections, there was not much chance of them being able to take part in them. Greater knowledge of the purpose of elections, the place of parliament and the role of political parties in a democratic system of governance contributed to a healthier political environment. The ultimate test of an election, said the delegates, was whether or not the results were acceptable to the citizen. The perception of an uneven playing field or manipulated results heightened the risk of violence.

Second came the institutions that had to be in place. A sine qua non for a free and fair election is an independent national electoral commission. The commission has to manage the entire electoral process. The impartiality of the judiciary and the security forces was also seen as crucial. All levels of the State administration must respect strict neutrality throughout the electoral process.

The onus for fostering a climate of political tolerance was also on the individual candidates themselves and their political parties. The practice, common to many countries, of requiring political parties to sign a code of conduct for the electoral period, was recommended.

Finally, and self-evidently, election observation by national and international observers could play a big part in building confidence in the electoral process. For it to be effective, observation had to take place over the entire electoral cycle, and not just on polling day. More work was needed, said the parliamentarians, to develop standards for observation of the post-election phase, including the announcement of election results and the management of legal challenges to the results.

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