The Bolivian Election - Research Paper Example

?Insert Insert Insert The Bolivian Election An NGO, or non-government organization, is an organization which is formed and operates independently from the government. NGOs can have broad goals ranging from providing health care to the community to protecting the environment. NGOs may or may not have expressly defined political motives. For example, an NGO who advocates women's rights absolutely has a political motive, while the political motive of one that focuses on providing aid may not be so clear, if present at all. All though they may not have a direct political motive NGOs very well may have unintentional political consequences as will be discussed later. NGOs in emerging democracies are typically funded by non-governmental outsides sources, such as foreign aid or private donors. However, it is possible for an NGO to be partially or even fully government funded. It is important to note that Bolivia became a democratically elected government in 1982. In the first stages of its democracy Bolivia had a very centralized national government, and along with it came much corruption and a general unhappiness of its citizens with democracy. However, in 1994 much of the central power devolved to the local municipalities including the appropriations of funds. This act is known as the Law of Popular Participation. During these times NGOs preformed a vital role in the cross over to the new system. They were often consulted in planning, helped with organization, and educated citizens about the new system (Boulding 461). The article sets out to examine how NGOs can effect political participation in emerging or weak democracies. (Boulding 456) states that NGOs can promote political activity of a country by providing resources, and by making available opportunities for association. When an NGO provides resources to a community, they have the ability to make citizen political participation easier. For example, if an NGO helps with a country's communication technology, it may make it easier for citizens to know what is currently happening with their current government, thus encouraging political interest. Secondly, NGOs give citizens a community to network with each other. In these places they are able to share their political ideas as well as their grievances with the current leaders. "NGOs, whether they are providing small business training, lobbying for women’s' or indigenous rights, providing health care, or building houses, all involve local interaction between NGO workers, neighbors, and others in the community. By spending time together, talking, and working toward a common project, people (Boulding 456). As evidenced in the previous elections, Bolivia often experience violent elections dating back to 1980s when the country was identified to be politically emotional due to poor leadership and the desire of the incumbent government to rig elections causing uncalled for animosity in the country. The huge funds donated by Europe and the United States since 1980s for the sole purpose of strengthening democracy for instance; through promoting the involvement of civil society in ensuring that peaceful election process. The fruitless efforts necessitated the desire to act on the issues which lead to post election violence so that the problem could be solved permanently through embracing peace and reconciliation (Boulding 456). However, in order to determine the best solution on the same, research had to be carried out to determine the cause and corresponding results of post election violence so that a common objective would be set to avert the post election violence since it had been a routine in the country. However, to ascertain the consequences of post election violence, research process should be continuous since all research outcomes had not achieved perfect solution. Electorates and the corresponding leadership require periodic research processes which corresponds to the current research study (Boulding 459). In the Bolivian history, myriad research processes had been carried out on the post election violence since decades ago; it is encouraging that the involvement of NGOs in the campaign against violence has since achieved milestones. The mode of election has also changed due to the monitoring and evaluation efforts of the NGO’s to ensure that elections are conducted with utmost truth and fairness it deserves (Boulding 459). The poor living standards, lack of basic healthcare, poor sanitation and housing among others issues prompted the NGO’s intervention in order to assist the developing country in achieving sustainable economic standard. The victims of post election violence are often handled by the NGOs who sympathize with the innocent victims of violence that results into injuries, hunger, loss of property and housing just to mention in order to provide humanitarian assistance (Boulding 460). It is adept that the NGOs determine the solution to the cause of all tribulations in the country in order to ensure that a repeat of such inhumane acts would not be experienced further (Boulding 460). The research is aimed at depicting the importance of NGO participation on political activities in Bolivia, which has since been performing poorly in terms of election and post election issues derailing the country’s economic development. The research is supposed to study and analyze the previous elections carried out in the country and the corresponding results (Boulding 461). However, the article will also consider the outcomes from previously conducted research to integrate the best process that when implemented would pave the way for emotionless elections with integrity that confidently affirms a people elected government. The integrity of election results would create unity in the country leading to better development and government participation in building the country which is marred with tribulations (Boulding 461) However, there are two distinct reasons that lead to election violence that the paper will illustrate. The only area that the NGOs have not fully impacted on is the voter turnout, efforts to derive perfect convicting information is in progress towards ensuring that people vote for their preferred choice of leadership that would deliver to their satisfaction (Boulding 462). Since voters are the most affected in post-election, feuds it is adept that they keep away from voting. Unsatisfactory electoral process full of influence and fraudulent vote tallying process with unreflected total vote count denying the innocent Bolivians a chance to vote in an exemplary presidential candidate of their choice (Boulding 463). The NGOs are determined to create a culture that would embrace citizen democratization, which is vital since it is not possible to rely on civil society as a motivational tool in ensuring that voters are motivated to cast their votes in a justified way that would avert election protests (Boulding 462). The country is privileged to have many NGOs since they are source of funds from the international donors aimed at facilitating and strengthening the civil societies which are not limited to Churches, labor unions, and clubs and community organizations. This implies that the country should ensure that the available privileges are not gone to waste. The NGOs have struggled to pave the way for development which is only hampered by the renown post election violence experienced after the announcement of election poll results (Boulding 457). However, in order for the country to enjoy the political life there has to be a stable strategy in developing democracy, this is not possible in Bolivia since the country is experiencing politics of weak democracies that interferes with the roles of civil society in the country making it impossible for the civil society to moderate the country’s political life (Boulding 458). The methodology involved in the accumulation of information that led to completion of the research process was based on personal views through interviews with the electorates who are often emotional considering the pathetic situations that they have to go through in electioneering periods. However, through collected information from the media and gutter press, it is splendid that the government often pledges what they are not ready to deliver despite having huge funds for developmental purposes within the country (Boulding 465). The best way that the NGOs utilized to attract crowds were through organized community sensitization programs where the citizens were informed on the importance of voting and election process. However, through answering questionnaires and both opinions and views from the participants, it was adept that any researcher would read in between the line from the facials expression to derive voter satisfaction or dissatisfaction in the Bolivian electoral process (Boulding 458). Since Bolivia is a tiny country marred with poverty, poor education standards and unhygienic medication facilities among others, it was not difficult to organize for social events that would bring people together within the community (Boulding 467). Through such methodologies, the research objectives were achieved to pave the way for the establishment of an adept way forward to eradicate and completely stop election fraud and post election violence; which is detrimental to the progress of the whole country to serve as an example to other countries especially the third world countries with a slow rate of economic development (Boulding 461). Hence the research achievement aims at establishing a rapport between the electorate and the vying political leaders to level a campaign ground that would lead to achievement of perceived government that would protect and safeguard the Bolivian wealth with provisions for economic development from the sub national grounds to the country’s headquarters in La Paz (Boulding 457). The relevant research design and data source for the accomplishment of the research process was obtained from the results of previous elections, which were closely contested, the compiled NGO and observer reports corresponding to the specific election results from which we obtained the full report. However, information from grapevine and gutter press is also an insight in deriving a collective responsibility to attain the research objective which is to embrace peaceful election (Boulding 464). Data collection process was carried out through involvement of the local community in the program; offering solutions to issue like infrastructural and educational programs are distinct ways through which the research data was collected. During the process, the local community is able to reveal all the reasons as to why their preferred choice was not accorded the portfolio vied for in the previous elections (Boulding 465). However, through participation of various NGOs, which are well vast with their respective areas of operation, the perceived data was obtained with accuracy since the concerned persons were able to reveal the true picture depicted by poor results and malpractices in the election process. However, through the information obtained from the foreign financing (VIPFE- a Spanish acronym), accurate data about the active NGOs and corresponding functions were obtained. The information enabled direct contact through both face to face interviews and teleconferences which enabled the completion of research data mining process successfully (Boulding 466). Research regulations require that researchers should be neutral at all times; however, data collection would not be complete with information obtained from local citizens without considering the government side. Data from the government archives which dates back to ancient times prior to democratic reign some of the research data compiled by the government press and respective ministries on the evaluation of damages that resulted from the post-election protests (Boulding 466). The government archives contain vast information, which is not limited to voter registration, voter turnout, protest data and the perceived rigged election results which revealing the corresponding information of what had been received from the other data sources (Boulding 468). The comparison of research data enhanced a perception which was essential in conclusion of the research process, counter checking the previously achieved research results with other companies in the related field assured the government and citizens at large that the research process was truly impartial and should be recommended for further action on various ways through which the country would derive better election result outcomes which are not conflict oriented (Boulding 463). According to the research findings, it is adept to admit that the high number of NGOs present in the country is encouraging and should be assured of good governance in order to improve the country both physically and economically through commissioning developmental projects in the country instead of the renowned protests after announcing election results every electioneering year (Boulding 465). The public should stop taking the law into their own hands despite claims of fraudulent election results; instead they should organize and declare their stand on the election results hence calling for concerned legal practices to justify their claims (Boulding 459). The NGOs should be included in the election process as observers and also work towards not only protecting the rights of the citizens but ensures transparent election process. The country should not engage in wars resulting from mere political quagmires which do not add value to the country’s ethnicity but instead deprive the country of developmental plans that would be achieved within a short time spans (Boulding 462). Citizens should embrace co-existence through enhancing unity among them to pave the way for economic development instead of engaging fellow citizens in a fruitless protest marred with uncertainties of no beneficial purpose at all (Boulding 464). The research about Bolivian search for peaceful election is a case sample that all the developing countries should learn from so that such petty issues would not be repeated in future. Reason that would lead to inter tribal war like poor leadership should be eradicated in order to enhance productivity within a country (Boulding 461). However, in order to attain better leadership the secret weapon of peaceful war is an individual’s vote, so every citizen should vote diligently and awaits the results with courage. However, the government should not involve state resources in manipulation their quest for leadership, the election process should be fair and free for all eligible voters countrywide (Boulding 465). The reach study of this type should be conducted in the future through accumulation of information obtained for more than two years the research information also should not date back to more than two election results since the methodologies involved in fraudulently achieving audited election outcomes often change with technological advancement. However, since there is a possibility of using internet search on the same, not all election process should be fair and free for all eligible voters countrywide (Boulding 465). The country should be dealt with in regions depending on the factors that lead to their protest since not every region maybe against the incumbent government (Boulding 467). Works Cited Boulding, Carew E. "NGOs and Political Participation in Weak Democracies" The Southern Political Science Association: University of Colorado: Vol. 72, No. 2, April 2010, 456- 468.Print. Read More