viii. Monitoring Elections Monitoring/observing elections helps promote and protect the civil and political rights of voters. If voters can freely exercise their electoral choice without discrimination based on race, gender, age and social status, then the integrity of elections has been safeguarded. Election observers and monitors must enjoy the freedom to carry out their task. Under the Code of Conduct for Non-Partisan Citizen Election Observers and Monitors endorsed by the Venice Commission at its 91st Plenary Session21, observers should report impartially, accurately and timely all observations and findings, both positive and negative. There must be sufficient documentation of all serious problems to permit verification of the events and provide an impartial and accurate picture of what took place. SUHAKAM is concerned about prohibitions on speaking to the media and releasing information to a third party before reporting to the EC. There must be no hurdles put in the way of the observation groups’ “rights to move and observe freely as well as issue reports and address the press and public as they wish”. C. Recommendations i. Political Funding All political funding should be made public. Specific laws are needed to manage political financing. ii. Accessibility to Polling Stations a) b) c) 21 80 All polling centres must be accessible and disabled-friendly. Channels 1 and 2 must be located on the ground, and senior citizens and PWD must be assigned to these channels. The EC, in collaboration with healthcare centres, should ensure there are sufficient numbers of wheelchairs throughout election day. The Declaration is the product of a process initiated through the Global Network of Domestic Elections Monitors and facilitated by the National Democratic Institute, and is the key document for global standards on domestic election observation and monitoring ANNUAL REPORT 2020