Published Article

ABSTRACT The paper discusses the ecology of international organization and administration in the West African sub-region dominated by the Economic Community of West African States. ECOWAS has not yet decided on a single approach to election observation that would be valid for each of its missions. Selecting a single methodology would give ECOWAS the means to consistently identify (1) minimum circumstances under which they would agree to observe an election; and (2) the scope of their mission, in terms of length of time in country and focus of observation efforts. One of the strengths of ECOWAS was rightly considered to be the furthest developed regional organization in Africa, in this context, progressive regional protocols for membership integration and harmonization of resources towards the development of her member states. One of the weaknesses of ECOWAS is that it remains largely a project of Heads of States, the integration avant-garde working in Abuja, and the donors. Linkages between ECOWAS and the national capitals still need to be expanded and strengthened. The reality and experience of ECOWAS with election observation illustrates the challenges that must be overcome by African organizations in pursuit of free and fair elections. The main issues facing ECOWAS are gaps in their observation methodology, conflicts of interest, inexperience, and the absence of coordination with other electoral players. KEYWORDS: Strength, Weaknesses, Reality, Experience, Conflicts of Interest, Capacity, Regional Cooperation, ECOWAS