Posted on 09/18/2004 12:45:24 AM PDT by Byron_the_Aussie
WASHINGTON, D.C., Sep 17 (OneWorld) - A team of 20 independent democracy experts from 15 countries and five continents has arrived in the United States in order to observe this year's presidential election campaign.
The election monitors, who have been brought here by the San Francisco activist group "Global Exchange," will be fanning out in the coming days initially to research how the election preparations are being conducted in five states. They will then return just before the actual polling November 2.
The five states include Florida, Ohio, Arizona, Missouri, and Georgia. According to Global Exchange, Florida was selected due to the controversy that erupted there in the 2000 elections; Georgia because it is one of only two states where voters will use only touch-screen voting machines.
Arizona was picked because elections there are publicly financed, while Missouri was the scene of widespread reports of Republican efforts to suppress the black vote in 2000. Ohio was also of interest because it is expected to be one of the most hotly contested battleground states in this year's election.
"Many of us in this room have worked for many, many years in different situations and in different countries," said Brigalia Bam, one of the observers who also chairs South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission at a press conference at the National Press Club Thursday. "It is that experience that has brought us to the United States." She said all elections should be assessed by the degree to which they are "responsive, transparent, and fair."
Other observers, with similar qualifications, hail from Argentina, Australia, England, Canada, Chile, Ghana, India, Ireland, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, Thailand, Wales and Zambia.
The Global Exchange group, which hopes to meet with local and state election authorities, as well as with civic groups that are also involved in getting out the vote and ensuring a fair election, is not the only international team that will be observing the November elections.
The State Department last month invited formally invited an observer delegation from the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a 55-nation body that encourages all member countries to observe each others' elections.
State Department officials stressed that the OSCE delegation will not have the authority to assess the fairness of the vote, but it will be expected to issue a report on any problems or shortcomings as part of a new program for all OSCE members.
That invitation drew praise from more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers who had asked UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) to dispatch observers to the November elections earlier this summer.
In a letter to Annan, which the UN subsequently referred back to Powell, the lawmakers said they were concerned about the possibility of irregularities in the 2004 balloting.
"Given the deeply troubling events of the 2000 election, the growing concerns about the lack of necessary reforms and potential abuse in the 2004 election," the lawmakers wrote, "we believe that the engagement of international election monitors can be the catalyst to expedite the necessary reform, as well as reduce the likelihood of questionable practices and voter disenfranchisement on Election Day."
The letters drew outrage from many Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives. They promptly attached an amendment to the 2005 foreign-aid bill banning the use of any of that money to finance UN monitoring of the election.
"For over 200 years, this nation has conducted elections fairly and impartially, ensuring that each person's vote will count," said Rep. Stephen Buyer during debate on the floor of the House of Representatives. "Imagine going to your polling place on the morning of November 2 and seeing blue-helmeted foreigners inside your local library, school or fire station."
The delegation invited by Global Exchange said they were less likely to be watching specific polling places on Election Day as they were to be examining the larger process, particularly with respect to the possible disenfranchisement of voters.
"The potential for minority and specific groups to be disenfranchised, that's certainly ...a concern that needs to be closely looked at," said David MacDonald, a former Minister of Communications and Secretary of State under Progressive Conservative governments in Canada.
Several of the Global Exchange observers stressed that U.S. officials should not be offended by their presence. "I think it's productive that America should also invite observers because, if we judge ourselves, we wouldn't be judged," said Damaso Magbual, deputy secretary general of the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) in the Philippines.
"We may think we are the best, (but) it's always best to have others see to have others see it from an outside perspective, to find out how things are," he noted.
"In all places, there is a need for sharing experiences, and there is always room to improve," said Horacio Boneo, an Argentine professor who has taken part in electoral assistance and observation in more than 60 countries and is one of the United Nations (news - web sites)' top advisers on elections.
Global Exchange said the delegation marks the first major effort by a non-governmental organization (NGO) to monitor U.S. election processes. A spokesman added that some counties with which the group had made contact had invited the observers to meet with election officials and even attend tabulation centers on Election Day, while in other cases - notably Miami's Dade County - no response has been forthcoming.
''I don't think they have anything they particularly want to hide from us," said Bam, who will be part of the team to be sent to Florida.
It is, I'm sad to say. This is from the Global Exchange website:
The monitoring team includes, among others...: South African Dr. Brigalia Bam, Chairwoman of the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa.
What a disgrace. An 'independent observer' from South Africa, one of the most corrupt crime-ridden hellholes on earth.
Yep, I remember. I was reading Free Republic, right through that election. I suppose the Dems will be giving out free booze and smokes, again?
They can observe anything they want, but they better keep their mouths shut. This is our country and our election. The Rats are not the party they where when I was young. They are Communists and everyone better wake up or our country will turn into Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Russia. God Bless America and all who have or are now wearing or who will wear a uniform defending her. I know what this must sound like but it keeps slapping me in the face and I hope others notice it too.
I don't see Chigago on this list either.
Maybe these intrepid election monitors are afraid of all the dead democrats who'll be spontaneously rising from the grave to vote.
They're here... Foreigners to act as 2004 USA election overseers sent by the UN, requested by 9 US Congressmen Ping.
True, they may be part of a leftist stunt, but when it all comes down to it, they won't have any choice but to be extemely impressed.
And the entertainment we will provide of our leftists pulling out their hair and nashing their teeth after the pummeling in the November election should be greatly amusing, if not to them, then to us.
That invitation drew praise from more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers who had asked UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) to dispatch observers to the November elections earlier this summer.
This is disgusting and it is going to happen on Election Day 2004 in my country.
I don't need to read past the headline.
This is a HUGH mistake on the part of our government.
Since when do any foreign countries have ANY say in our electoral process?
This is going to open the door for other 'human rights' monitors.
What's next? Courts? Abortion? Child rearing?
They need to put a stop to this NOW!
"Election Day, while in other cases - notably Miami's Dade County - no response has been forthcoming"
Interesting....that Dade county doesn't want the international observers. (''I don't think they have anything they particularly want to hide from us," said Bam, who will be part of the team to be sent to Florida)
Yeah sure they don't....
You speak for me on that!
That's two of us!
"Election Day, while in other cases - notably Miami's Dade County - no response has been forthcoming"
Interesting....that Dade county doesn't want the international observers. (''I don't think they have anything they particularly want to hide from us," said Bam, who will be part of the team to be sent to Florida)
Yeah sure they don't....
So - there are to be TWO groups monitoring the elections in the U.S.?
The group invited by Global Exchange and the OSCE group from Europe?
It would seem the Black caucus of the U.S. are intent upon dividing the country, sending it into third world status internationally, and opening doors for the United Nations yet again.
Who of any of these groups would be above bribery? Does the U.S. get to check out their credentials?
What if they oppose certain state results - will the U.S. electoral process be impeded by these people?
I have called the republican party in my area and they seem unimpressed - saying the U.S. "monitors elections" all the time - yes in third world countries...
I think the United States has been under enough scrutiny by the "world" powers long enough. Time to shut the doors and re-examine our own needs instead of pouring money into ungrateful nations who now intend to oversee the sacred voting process - which to me negates the foundations of this country.
I can't believe that it has come to this. There are so many lawmakers in this country that must really hate America. We already know that the conclusions of these "observers" will be that US elections are corrupt and that certain segments of our population are denied the right to vote. Then they will do a study of the 2000 election and determine that President Bush was "selected" and not "elected". Then they, with the help of the Libs/Dems in Congress, will ask the U.N. to bring in armed "peace keeping" forces for our future elections. I wonder how local election officials will greet these observers? Should be an interesting election day.
Not to mention, the ANC is an Admitted Communist Organization. A polictical organization which maintains a military wing, which is something I am sure the democrats would love to have for themselves.
Everyone should take a look at the speech Nelson Mandela made upon his release from prison. There was a Soviet Union Flag hanging from the podium where he made his speech.
Any of the African Union Nations should be excluded as the AU is a front for the ANC.
Get the Turd World garbage outta my country, darnit!
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