• the adoption of codes of conduct by the media, civil society, election
observers and political parties;
• establishing a professional, inclusive and, preferably, permanent,
independent and autonomous EMB;
• the adoption of appropriate election procedures by the EMB, which are
made available to the public and consistently followed;
• and so on.
From internal sources:
• designing and implementing an appropriate constitutional and statutory
framework for an accessible and effective EJS;
• appointment of members of the EMB and EDRB at the highest level by
consensus among the various political forces active in society, especially
those represented in the legislative body;
• an EMB and an EDRB committed to democratic principles and values,
especially those of independence and impartiality;
• the ability of the EMB and the EDRB to make transparent decisions
and to explain and disseminate them;
• appropriate electoral training for EMB and EDRB staff;
• the adoption of codes of conduct by the staff of the EMB and the
EDRB;
• gender and minority inclusiveness in the EMB and the EDRB;
• the adoption of security measures for receiving, counting and tallying
the vote;
• and so on.
56. In addition, it should be noted that a committed, sensitive and effective
EMB plays an important role, on an ongoing basis, in preventing electoral
disputes. Indeed, it is common in EMBs – particularly those which include
representatives of political parties – for there to be extensive debate before any
decisions related to an election are made, and an effort made to harmonize
the conflicting interests of the political parties.
2. An appropriate legal framework
57. Electoral disputes may be prevented through the adoption of provisions
and mechanisms that are in line with the democratic principles and values
generally shared in a society, and that stem from that society’s traditions and
context.
58. If an electoral reform achieves the effective participation of the principal
parties and political forces as well as key sectors of society, it is likely that fewer
disputes will arise – especially if consensus-based approaches, and not just
majority rule, are used in adopting the reform. This implies a commitment
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