VIII Conference on Electoral Justice: At the nexus of justice and politics
The VIII Conference on Electoral Justice, “The Judicialization of Politics, Internal Democracy of Political Parties and the Integrity of the Electoral Process”, was carried out in Manaus, Brazil, between 28 April and 2 May, 2016. The activity was co-organized by the Superior Electoral Court of Brazil and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
The conference has, since its inception in 2009, become an annual gathering of the representatives of electoral tribunals in charge of delivering electoral justice in the Ibero-American countries. This year, members from 14 different electoral courts in the region joined the conference, as well as a representative of the Central Electoral Board of Spain. The participants presented their particular cases and exchanged experiences regarding the main themes of the activity. Representatives of the Organization of American States (OAS) were also present.
The opening session was held at the Amazona’s Electoral Tribunal Auditorium on 28 April. The session included the participation of the President of the Superior Electoral Court of Brazil, José Antonio Dias Toffoli, the President of the Regional Electoral Tribunal of the Amazonas, Socorro Guedes, the Major of the City of Manaos, Arthur Virgílio Neto and International IDEA’s Secretary-General, Yves Leterme.
Following the opening session, the activity included three panels (Judicialization of Politics, Internal Democracy of Political Parties and the Integrity of the Electoral Process), two workshops, final accounts of each panel and the signing of the Declaration of Amazonas [English | Spanish | Portuguese].
The first panel “The Challenges of the Electoral Justice in Ibero-America” was moderated by International IDEA’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Daniel Zovatto, while José Antonio Dias Toffoli, Yves Leterme, Francisco Távara (President of the National Jury of Elections of Peru), Erasmo Pinilla (President of the Electoral Tribunal of Panamá) and Salvador Goma (Magistrate of the Superior Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Power of the Federation of Mexico) participated.
“Currently, the debate on democracy and Electoral Justice in Latin America must focus on the matters related to the electoral integrity and the quality of democracy, as well as in the important role that the Electoral Justice must play in both dimensions”, affirmed Daniel Zovatto.
Francisco Távara addressed the topic of the consolidation of the electoral justice and the oversight of campaigns. He also briefly referred to the competences of the political parties and the authorities during electoral processes. Meanwhile, the Magistrate Salvador Gomar declared that the regulation of political parties is needed in order to guarantee rights. In his opinion, the judicialization of politics and the politicization of the judicial system must continue.
Dias Toffoli discussed the problem of the credibility deficit that political parties have in the society. He went on to discuss the deficit that affiliates have towards the political parties, since there is no effective participation that responds to the interests of their affiliation.
In the final declaration, the signatories committed to stress the importance of the contribution given by the electoral justice in Ibero-America to the constitutional Rule of Law for the improvement of the democratic experience, the strengthening of the representative institutions, the update of party systems, and the integrity of the electoral processes.
In this sense, the Ibero-American Conference on Electoral Justice reaffirms itself as the only inter-institutional space dedicated in an exclusive manner to the importance of the electoral justice topic.
