Topic: Promoting Peaceful Post-Election Transitions
Country: Venezuela
Delegate Name: Nell Cunningham
School: Traverse City West High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Venezuela position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
Post election peace is the standard that Venezuela has held its self to firmly over the past four years. Though six elections have taken place Venezuela has never slowed its industry nor compromised the welfare of its citizens. Proving peace is not impossible even in an unfriendly international climate. There are many steps that can be taken by an international body, such as the United Nations that would be inappropriate for a single nation to take. Oversight of elections to ensure that they are fair and their outcome legitimate is vital to ensuring peace in a nation.
In a nation where elections are taking place for the first time it is the duty of the United Nations to insure that the elections are meaningful to the inhabitants of that nation. It is unacceptable for any one nation to feel that it has the right to control the elections of a sovereign state. The International community has not enforced the right of each state to be independent from the influence of another state, and as such has failed those nations most in need of assistance. In order to ensure that each state and the citizens of each state has an equal chance to improve their system of governing, the United Nations must act as the referee in the time honored tradition of elections.
To avoid violent retaliation to the winners of an election it is vital that those election results are fair and consistent with the wishes of the people. If the people and the political leaders have faith that the election was fair then they have no reason to act out violently against the ruling party. The United Nations should do more than simply over seeing a volatile election, it should be present to from beginning to end, never abandoning a country to violence. If a nation does not wish for the presence of the UN in its election then the UN must respect this wish but encouragement should be given to that country to allow a Non-governmental Organization to act as an over seer, at least, to the election. For those nations who seek legitimacy through the United Nations Venezuela would suggest a program be made available to rate the election process of that nation in order to demonstrate not only to the citizens but also to the world the state of the elections in that country. This system would also aid in the predictions of violence in a nation fallowing the election. Another step that could be taken to ensure a peaceful post election environment would be to offer protection to the losing person in an election. Respect to human dignity must be paid, even to those not victorious.
The world has seen elections recently that continue to prove that nations around the world are fallowing South America's lead by inhibiting great change and prosperity. Free and Fair elections are the only way to truly ensure that the people will be satisfied with the outcome and therefore not feel the need to protest in a violent manner.
