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Palgrave Macmillan

International Election Observation in the Commonwealth Caribbean

Race, Aid and Democratization

  • Book
  • © 2018

Overview

Authors:
  1. Lisa Ann Vasciannie

    1. Department of Government, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica

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  • Considers the role of democracy assistance and international election observation in the Caribbean

  • Explores why Caribbean countries accept the imposition of observation within the context of sovereignty

  • Holds wide readership appeal for students, academics, policy-makers, and practitioners in the fields of democracy, democracy assistance, elections, election observation, and governance

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xi
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  2. Introduction

    • Lisa Ann Vasciannie
    Pages 1-19

  3. International Election Observation: Context and Definitions

    • Lisa Ann Vasciannie
    Pages 21-72

  4. The Challenges of Observation: Procedural, Legal and Logistical Issues

    • Lisa Ann Vasciannie
    Pages 73-97

  5. Election Observation in the Caribbean

    • Lisa Ann Vasciannie
    Pages 99-128

  6. Electoral Politics in Guyana

    • Lisa Ann Vasciannie
    Pages 129-154

  7. Election Observation in Guyana: A Case Study of the Commonwealth Caribbean

    • Lisa Ann Vasciannie
    Pages 155-196

  8. International Election Observation in the Caribbean: Trends and Outcomes

    • Lisa Ann Vasciannie
    Pages 197-217

  9. Back Matter

    Pages 219-224
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Keywords

About this book

This book examines the practice of international election observation in a Caribbean context.  It presents a survey of the Commonwealth Caribbean perspective and a concise case study of Guyana between 1964 and 2015. This research traces the roots of election observation and how this practice became integrated into the landscape of Caribbean electoral politics. More specifically, the study examines the process by which election observers have become key actors in elections in the Commonwealth Caribbean. One of the issues the book contemplates is why Caribbean countries accept the imposition of observation within the context of sovereignty. The case of Guyana and other Anglophone Caribbean states shows the costs of not having observers have been multidimensional and have eclipsed concerns of respecting state sovereignty.

Reviews

“Lisa Ann Vasciannie’s book International election observation in the Commonwealth Caribbean is a convincing and important contribution to research concerning electoral participation and democratic relations in Commonwealth Caribbean countries. … This book opens up the research area, asks probing questions and invites others to contribute further.” (Karen Hunte, Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, Vol. 56 (3), May, 2018) “This is path breaking scholarship on the practices of international election observation in a Caribbean context. Dr. Lisa Vasciannie interrogates the internal processes of democratic elections and enables the reader to understand the motives behind the assistance given by developed countries. This study is an excellent discussion of how democratic political institutions and mechanisms can be sustained over time and is therefore of international significance.” (Rupert Lewis, Emeritus Professor, Department of Government, University of the West Indies, Jamaica)

“Elections in the anglophone Caribbean can be vigorously contested and democracy sullied by electoral infractions. In certain places, such as Guyana where electoral and ethnic competition intertwine, the lack of credible electoral observation can be a costly omission. Observing elections is therefore key to delivering democracy. Within these pages Dr. Li


sa Vasciannie demonstrates that, in order to uphold democracy, principles of national sovereignty must be subsumed to the prerequisites of electoral observation. This thoroughly researched work deserves to be on the bookshelf of anyone who is concerned about democracy in the Caribbean.” (Bayney Karran, Ambassador of Guyana to China)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Government, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica

    Lisa Ann Vasciannie

About the author

Lisa Ann Vasciannie is Lecturer at the University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica. Dr. Vasciannie has done extensive research on international election observation in the Commonwealth Caribbean and within the Organization of American States. She recently served as Vice President of the Organization of Women of the Americas in Washington, DC, USA and was part of the Commonwealth Observer team to the Maldives in 2012 and Tanzania in 2015.

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