aarable

The below set me wondering (from Sunday's paper):


TORY MP James Gray was at the centre of a fresh controversy last
night after securing work for his 17-year-old son as an international
election monitor.

Mr Gray, one of five British MPS on a taxpayer-funded trip to
observe elections in Nepal this month, surprised other members
of the group by linking up with schoolboy William in Kathmandu -
then having him accredited by the British Embassy as a monitor,


The Foreign Office said the trip had been funded by the cross-

departmental 'Conflict Prevention Pool'. It added: 'James Gray's son
was involved in the UK's Election Observation Team in Nepal. He was working there at the time, recruited locally on a voluntary, unpaid basis and registered with appropriate authorities. The Government did not incur any costs as a result of Mr Gray’s son’s involvement.


I though that all sorts of qualifications were necessary for this job.

chikrodah

Well aarable, one has to wonder whether you ever bothered to listen to Aardvark when he explained to you on numerous occasions, in front of witnesses, just what's involved in being an International Election Monitor.

But that's not really the point of your post, is it?

I'm sure Aardvark will be happy to elucidate in detail later, but I'll do my best for now.

1. There are many different types of International Election Monitor.
2. The UK uses Monitors from a wide variety of backgrounds.
3. Typically UK IEMs on either Long or Short Term Observations need either at least a Masters degree, significant long-term experience in running or observing elections, or a specialist knowledge of the region.
4. It helps to have at least a colloquial understanding of one European language and, if possible, a colloquial ability in the language of the country you are monitoring.
5. The work is hard, the pay is minimal and it's not unusual for an IEM to spend several weeks working 18 hour days in barely adequate accomodation half-way up a mountain in poor conditions. Central heating and a regular water supply (let alone hot water) are not guaranteed. Interesting diseases caused by heavy metal pollution may be your only souvenir of your trip.
6. Parliamentarian Monitors are MPs who have a different remit to 'normal' International Election Monitors. They are governed by differing rules and processes. It's not the same job.

Aardvark

Different organisations monitor elections to different levels and require different skill sets.

The UK provides election observers to elections in the OSCE region (56 countries) through 3 NGOs who recruit and select observers. The EU provides election observers to the rest of the world and recruits observers throughout the EU. The UK provides observers to EU missions, but only one of the NGOs recruits for EU missions. The lists of observers for OSCE missions are submitted to the FCO for approval; the lists for the EU go to Brussels. The contract for OSCE missions is signed between the NGO and observer and the observers do not report to the FCO. I don't know about EU missions as I've never been on one (which is a pity as I am told there are major differences in approach as well as more money).

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) also sends Parliamentarians as observers as does the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The European Parliament sends its own MEPs on missions.

Parliamentarians are a law unto themselves and, although part of the mission, can operate to different rules and to a different agenda. Some are exceptionally good, others less so.

OSCE missions work in English, although most of the senior observers speak Russian. EU missions work in English, Spanish or French.

The cost of sending observers is moderate, but even so some recruitment is done in country and the local embassies find a number of expatriates to act as observers. The reason for this is that they might already have in-country experience, knowledge of the language or a knowledge of the history or culture of the country. I am surprised that a 17-year old should act as an observer, but he was probably recruited in-country on that basis. Had he been recruited by the EU who were running the mission his accreditation would have been through the Nepalese Central Election Commission as an EU observer and not as a representative of the British Embassy.

Had Mr Gray junior applied to be an EU observer through the British NGO he would have been refused as lacking the necessary qualifications.

The invitation to apply to observe in Nepal stated:

The NGO in question has an open database and anyone can apply to be added, but most of the people they recruit have a minimum of one degree in politics, law or international studies or bring something else of use to the table - language skills, world travel experience, elected representatives, in country experience for specific missions. Mr Gray Jnr doesn't qualify IMHO.

There are usually 3 types of observer on a mission.

The core team which includes political analysts, media analysts, lawyers, logisticians etc. Most of the core team posts require a post-graduate degree in law, politics or international studies plus other relevant experience. The head of mission is always of ambassador status in his/her own country. The core team arrives first, deals directly with the host government and sets up the mission by establishing an office and recruiting local staff.

Long-term observers arrive a few weeks before the elections. They usually have 2 degrees, but some have only one or offer specific experience that is appropriate to the role (there are a lot of ex-military officers involved). I am an ex-military officer with 2 degrees in law and time served as an elected representative - hence my 6 LTO missions. LTOs establish field offices around the host country and observe the election process in a local area. LTOs interview candidates, election authorities, media and civic authorities, recruit drivers and interpreters and ensure the polling stations are covered on election day. On polling day my all time best was to manage 20 teams of 4 for around 30 hours.

Short-term observers are a more eclectic bunch. They are recruited for the period around election day and observe polling stations. They literally fly into the country, have a quick brief, deploy to their AoRs, meet their drivers and interpreters, have a local brief from the LTOs, familiarise themselves with their polling station/s and observe the election using a standard proforma. They are on their way home within 48 hours of the election. They are drawn from a wider variety of backgrounds, but the NGOs still expect them to have something to offer above wanting to travel.

All Parliamentary delegates are STOs, none works as LTO. All embassy recruited staff are STOs.

STOs are not paid. LTOs from the UK on OSCE missions are paid a basic honorarium. Core team staff are paid a salary of sorts; it is good by east European standards, but not by western standards. The job is done by people who love long hours, hard work and meeting educated people from around the world.

Teams operate as 2 observers (always drawn from different nations with the exceptions of some locally recruited staff), a local interpreter and driver (muleteer in Nepal??). The job is politically sensitive and if you can't cope with sharing a room with a person of a different race/religion/nationality/culture then you wouldn't enjoy it. If you are not prepared to entertain people with a different world view to your own you won't enjoy it. You have to tolerate long hours (24 hours plus on election day), hard conditions (no heating, no running water on occasion), earthquakes (well 3 tremors thus far), local drivers and people who are so friendly you can cause major offence by not drinking the home made raki, vodka, cha cha, wine etc (my last landlady couldn't guarantee heating or running water, but she owned her own vineyards).

Election observation is no place for people who will break off friendships just because someone doesn't agree with them or will e-mail people saying they don't want to hear alternative opinions to their own (aarable). The most important skill any election observer must demonstrate is tolerance of others. I have happily worked for 5 weeks with a French diplomat who wanted more EU and who had not only read the whole constitution, but had voted for it. Sometimes you have to talk about the Rugby.

__________________
When in Woking do as the Wokes do.

"I do not wish to form my opinions by thoughtlessly quoting others; I wish others to support their opinions by sensibly quoting me." Paul Wesson (Aardvark) 13th April 2008

kernow

Only two! Called "Blood Relative"!

Aardvark

kernow,

I'm surprised that you didn't do me the courtesy of reading my post. I am considered, not just in this country, to be an expert on the subject having undertaken 14 OSCE missions in total, (8 STO, 6 LTO) and having a knowledge of our own system borne out of participating in 20-30 elections and by-elections, 8 as candidate . I usually like your postings, but on this occasion you lower yourself. Thousands of people from all over the world have acted as election observers. I am privileged to have met and or worked with hundreds of them. Your post demonstrates an ignorance of massive proportions and is an insult to the citizens and subjects of every country in the world (even San Marino sent 3 observers to an OSCE election).

Mr Gray junior is an exception in being accepted at such a young age, but the embassy in Katmandu would not have accredited him if he brought nothing to the table and didn't present well. I, personally, think he lacks experience, but he would not have observed alone and would have had the basic training required to observe. I am often surprised at the people who observe on missions, but each of them has particular qualities and skills. Mr Gray's parentage would not have been the only consideration and might not even have been critical. For all we know he was on one of these projects building schools, teaching English to junior school kids or participating in an expedition of some sort. He might have already had knowledge of the country or language - the article is not forthcoming.

I never cease to be amazed by the knowledge I pick up from other observers and the surprising political stances they adopt - drinking at 3 in the morning with a former Serb communist turned constitutional monarchist was a treat.

Personally I think Mr Gray is too young, as some of the hostile situations I have found myself in have required a lot of knowledge and experience of the world. I've interviewed, albeit as LTO, a candidate who had just had an opponent's supporter murdered - it was not something for the feint hearted or inexperienced. Thugs with guns can appear from nowhere and facing them down with a laminated accreditation would not be easy for a 17-year old.

Mr Gray Jnr is atypical of observers; most are highly qualified, highly skilled individuals. I have yet to meet, AFAIK, anyone whose position was dependent on their family connections. Most, if not all, countries take selection of observers very seriously, but some favour foreign ministry appointees over politicos or election administrators.

I was very fortunate to be recruited into the pool of UK observers. I am proud of the fact that I give UKIP a good name when I am overseas. It is a surprise to many activists from the big 3 parties that I am there and am able to present my arguments cogently and in the spirit of a tolerant exchange of views. The people who act as election observers, especially the Parliamentarians, are frequently destined to run their countries. I favour greater experience and qualifications, but if our embassy in Katmandu supports Mr Gray Jnr's accreditation as part of a team then I would be inclined to go with it.

__________________
When in Woking do as the Wokes do.

"I do not wish to form my opinions by thoughtlessly quoting others; I wish others to support their opinions by sensibly quoting me." Paul Wesson (Aardvark) 13th April 2008