3.4 Security of elections Political elections are, ideally, a non-violent competition where several groups of political actors oppose each other in seeking the approval of voters. It is expected of all actors involved in the election to conform to predetermined rules so as to enable the voters to proceed with serenity and in full knowledge of the issues regarding the devolution of power among the different competitors. Unfortunately, as in all competitions, it often happens that some actors resort to certain actions either in the form of violence on other actors or in the form of fraudulent behaviour, thereby provoking conflicts. If such actions take place during the electoral process, and if nothing is done to eradicate them, the consequences for the results of the elections, for peace and even for the democratic system as a whole, are well known. Sometimes, it is the disqualification of certain candidates or political parties; at other times it is the endless electoral dispute. Yet some other times, it is the complete abandonment of the whole process, or the election of illegitimate political authorities. The actions in question, which can be observed in the majority of the new democracies of the region, can take several forms. These security threats can affect the actors of the electoral process, the infrastructure, and the polling information or material. They can take the form of intimidation on the part of stakeholders in the electoral process (voters, polling agents, etc.) to force them to adopt the desired behaviour. They can equally take the form of violations of laws and regulations with the aim of deterring other candidates and influencing the election results(e.g. attempts to deprive other actors of their fundamental liberties or manipulation of the ballot). Just like the actions described above, their actors are equally of 192