DECLARATION  OF PRINCIPLES  FOR INTERNATIONAL  ELECTION OBSERVATION

October 27, 2005

Genuine democratic elections are an expression of sovereignty, which belongs to the people of a country, the free expression of whose will provides the basis for the authority and legitimacy of government. The rights of citizens to vote and to be elected at periodic, genuine democratic elections are internationally recognized human rights. Genuine democratic elections serve to resolve peacefully the competition for political power within a country and thus are central to the maintenance of peace and stability. Where governments are legitimized through genuine democratic elections, the scope for non-democratic challenges to power is reduced.

See more information

View the document embedded below, or download the full report via the following link.
https://anfrel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Declaration-of-Principles-for-International-Elections-Observation.pdf