The campaign “My voice-my decision” has begun

 

Family and proxy voting are inevitable features of the Macedonian election process since 1998, when for the first time were recorded by the relevant institutions. These tendencies are “rooted” in some parts of the country and undermine the democratic capacity of Macedonia to conduct proper elections according the international and EU standards. Eventually, it negatively influences the country image and its progress in the EU integration process.

 

CRPM team recognizes this problem as one of the most pressing issues that needs to be tackled. The present situation undermines the right to vote of a specific category of the population (mostly marginalized women living in the rural areas in Western Macedonia), which negatively impacts the equal status and practice of the democratic rights of those women.

The most striking problem is the lack of systematic and consistent approach in tackling this problem. There is no strategy, which sets clear framework to combat the problem of family and proxy voting. The State Election Commission (SEC) has the role of а partner to the foreign donors that finance projects related to this issue, but in fact it is very passive and does not provide any input in the design and the implementation of the financed project. This situation ultimately impacts the sustainability of the solution(s) to the problem.  The analysis conducted by CRPM in 2008/2009 analyzing the reasons that generate this problem[1],  showed that the projects financed by the foreign donors usually lack continuity, are characterised by tight time frame, bad timing and are concentrated only in the period before elections, which impacts their effectiveness and results.

Hence, CRPM team recognized the need for a national strategy against family and proxy voting which will provide a consistent frame for all government and foreign funded projects that tackle this problem, an analysis of the situation, setting objectives, and necessary time period for achieving such objectives. This strategy will be grounded in evidence and will respond to the real needs of the people of Macedonia. This should provide better focus and results. For this purpose, CRPM together with SEC will provide a National Strategy against Family and Proxy Voting, which will define the steps and measures to be undertaken in a specific time frame. This strategy will be based on the information gathered from the field activities organized within the project (forums/trainings, campaign etc.), the information provided by SEC and the results of the previous projects in this area.

In parallel with this activity CRPM together with its partner women civic organization ANTICO will conduct wide awareness raising campaign in the 1, 2, 5 and 6 electoral districts where this problem has been noted. The lessons learned from this campaign will be integrated in the National Strategy against Family and Proxy Voting. The advantage is that this activity is conducted  much before the elections, and the expectations are that this will contribute for more effective results on the ground, due to several reasons: first of all, we are not faced with impossibly short deadlines; the overall political context is not tensed as it is before the elections, and the campaign is consisted of several approaches direct (trainings and door to door distribution of promotional materials) and indirect (media campaign) aiming to achieve wider reach to the most marginalized citizens.

CRPM wants to inform you that the awareness raising campaign has started with the organization of the trainings for the marginalized women in the 1, 2, 5 and 6 constituencies and by distribution of the promotional materials, aprons and bags printed with the message of the project.

 

 

 

The project is funded by EU, through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights EIDHR