The deployment of observers is entirely the responsibility of the sponsoring agency, and the Commission will play no role in this regard. The only advice we wish to give is that the observers are not recruited from the local area, it good practice to deploy them in good time.
When deployed in good time, it is possible for the observer to do certain things before Election Day, such as:
- ♦ Ascertain from election officials whether all materials and full complement of staff are available.
- Find out from security officials if the general atmosphere is peaceful or where problems are anticipated.
- ♦ Carefully select and locate the polling stations to visit, to prevent having to wander about looking fro them on Election Day.
I order to avoid duplication of effort and to be able to cover as many polling stations as possible; it is useful for different observer groups to coordinate the deployment of their members. Clearly, it is of little use of capable observes from different groups to congregate at the polling station.