The Rise of Election Monitoring: What Makes Elections Free and Fair?

Öz

One of the most important conditions of democracy is that elections are held freely and fairly. The fact that political power comes to power through free and fair elections also provides legitimacy for this power structure. For this reason, many countries invite international organizations or independent election observers to monitor upcoming elections and assess whether they are free and fair. Even the United Nations requires that elections held in former colonies and trust territories be deemed free and fair in order to recognize them as independent states. To fulfill these needs and the increasing demands worldwide, it has become necessary to subject the quality of elections being free and fair to objective criteria. This study will first examine the relationship between elections and democratic development, drawing on the work of Robert Dahl. This provides a basis for defining the concept of "free and fair." Then, a list of criteria for elections to be considered free and fair will be presented, and the practical importance of this list will be discussed.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Election
• Democracy
• Fair and Free Elections
• Election Observers

Seçimleri Serbest ve Adil Kılan Şey Nedir?

Öz

Demokrasinin en önemli koşullarından birisi seçimlerin serbest ve adil bir şekilde gerçekleştirilmesidir. Siyasi iktidarın serbest ve adil seçimle yürütmenin başına geçmesi bu iktidar yapısı için aynı zamanda bir meşruiyet sağlayıcıdır. Bu sebeple pek çok ülke yapılacak olan seçimleri takip etmesi ve seçimlerin serbest ve adil olup olmadığını değerlendirmesi için uluslararası kuruluşları veyahut da bağımsız seçim gözlemcilerini davet etmektedir. Hatta Birleşmiş Milletler, eski kolonileri ve vesayet bölgelerini bağımsız bir devlet olarak tanımak için yapılan seçimlerin serbest ve adil olarak nitelenmesini şart koşmaktadır. Bu tür ihtiyaçlar ve dünyanın her yerinde artan talepleri karşılamak için seçimlerin serbest ve adil olma niteliğinin objektif olarak bazı kıstaslara tabi tutulması zaruri olarak meydana çıkmıştır. Bu çalışmada, ilk olarak Robert Dahl’ın çalışmalarından yola çıkarak seçimler ile demokratik gelişme arasındaki ilişki incelenecektir. Bu, “serbest ve adil” kavramının tanımlanması için bir temel sağlamaktadır. Daha sonra seçimlerin serbest ve adil sayılması için ortaya konan kriterlerin bir listesi sunulacak ve bu listenin uygulamadaki önemi ele alınacaktır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Seçim
• Serbest ve Adil Seçimler
• Demokrasi
• Seçim Gözlemcileri

Kaynakça

1. Sartori G, ‘Concept Misformation in Comparative Politics’ (1970) 64 American Political Science Review 1033-1053
2. Beigbeder Y, International Monitoring of Plebiscites, Referenda and National Elections: Self-Determination and Transition to Democracy (Martinus Nijhoff 1994) 94-143
3. Ebersole JM, ‘The United Nations Response to Requests for Assistance in Electoral Matters’ (1992) 13 Virginia Journal of International Law 91-122
4. Beigbeder Y, International Monitoring of Plebiscites, Referenda and National Elections: Self-Determination and Transition to Democracy (Martinus Nijhoff 1994)
5. Garber L and Gibson C, Review of United Nations Electoral Assistance 1992–93 (Project INT/91/033, United Nations Development Programme, 18 August 1993)
6. Ebersole JM, ‘The United Nations Response to Requests for Assistance in Electoral Matters’ (1992) 13 Virginia Journal of International Law 91-122
7. McCoy J, Garber L and Pastor R, ‘Pollwatching and Peacemaking’ (1991) 2 Journal of Democracy 102-114
8. Lessons Learnt: International Election Observation: Seventeen Organizations Share Experiences on Electoral Observation (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 1995) 13

9. Elklit J, ‘Is the Degree of Electoral Democratization Measurable? Experiences from Bulgaria, Kenya, Latvia, Mongolia and Nepal’ in David Beetham (ed), Defining and Measuring Democracy (Sage 1994) 89-111
10. Goodwin-Gill GS, Free and Fair Elections: International Law and Practice (Inter-Parliamentary Union 1994) 27-80
11. Kimberling WC, ‘A Rational Approach to Evaluating Voter Registration’ in John C Courtney (ed), Registering Voters: Comparative Perspectives (Center for International Affairs, Harvard University 1991) 3-11
12. Sørensen G, Democracy and Democratization: Processes and Prospects in a Changing World (Westview Press 1993)
13. Schmitter PC and Karl TL, ‘What Democracy Is ... and Is Not’ (1991) 2 Journal of Democracy 75-88
14. Dahl RA, Democracy and Its Critics (Yale University Press 1989) 221
15. Dahl RA, ‘Democracy and Human Rights Under Different Conditions of Development’ in Asbjørn Eide and Bernt Hagtvet (eds), Human Rights in Perspective: A Global Assessment (Basil Blackwell 1992) 235-251
16. Gould R and Jackson C, A Guide for Election Observers (Commonwealth Parliamentary Association 1995)
17. Gould R and Jackson C, A Guide for Election Observers (Commonwealth Parliamentary Association 1995)
18. Democracy Forum: Report on the Democracy Forum in Stockholm, June 12–14, 1996 (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 1996) 14-21
19. Kaynak belirtilmemiş
20. Barkan JD, ‘Kenya: Lessons from a Flawed Election’ (1993) 4 Journal of Democracy 85-99
21. Geisler G, ‘Fair? What Has Fairness Got to Do with It? Vagaries of Election Observation and Democratic Standards’ (1993) 31 Journal of Modern African Studies 613-637
22. Macrory PFJ, Elklit J and Sabat Mendez R, Facing the Pluralist Challenge: Human Rights and Democratization in Kenya’s December 1992 Multi-Party Election (International Human Rights Law Group 1992)
23. Elklit J, ‘Et valg i Afrika: Kenya 1992 som eksempel’ in Gorm Rye Olsen (ed), Afrika – det ukuelige kontinent (Danmarks Radio Forlaget 1994) 115-136
24. Kaynak belirtilmemiş
25. Manion M, ‘The Electoral Connection in the Chinese Countryside’ (1996) 90 American Political Science Review 736-748
26. Elklit J, ‘The Chinese Village Committee Electoral System’ China Information (forthcoming)
27. Clapham C, Africa and the International System: The Politics of State Survival (Cambridge University Press 1996) 200
28. Tjønneland EN, ‘The Birth of Democracy in South Africa’ in EN Tjønneland (ed), South Africa’s 1994 Elections: The Birth of Democracy, Its Future Prospects and Norwegian Development Aid (Norwegian Institute of Human Rights 1994) 7-47
29. Elklit J, ‘Historisk valg med mange problemer’ (1994) 49 Udenrigs 1-11
30. Gould R, ‘Towards Free and Fair Elections – The Role of International Observers’ (1994) 2 In Focus 4-7
31. Johnson RW, ‘How Free? How Fair?’ in RW Johnson and Lawrence Schlemmer (eds), Launching Democracy in South Africa: The First Open Election, April 1994 (Yale University Press 1996) 323-352
32. Goodwin-Gill GS, Free and Fair Elections: International Law and Practice (Inter-Parliamentary Union 1994) 81
33. O’Donnell G and Schmitter PC, Transitions from Authoritarian Rule: Tentative Conclusions About Uncertain Democracies (Johns Hopkins University Press 1986) 7