5 CHAPTER TYPES OF ASSISTANCE ON ELECTORAL MATTERS (ECOWAS) T he second part of chapter III discussed some of the major challenges that the management of elections and the recourse to electoral commissions in the new West African democracies pose and suggests some ideas for reflection. Again in chapter III, suggestions were made about factors which could be taken into consideration in the quest to resolve the challenges mentioned above by each country. This last chapter, chapter V, complements chapter III with propositions to resolve the challenges that come with the management of elections in West Africa which could be implemented at the supranational level, especially at the level of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS). The consolidation of democracy in West Africa is in fact one of the priorities of ECOWAS which realized very early that there could be no economic progress(or development) in the sub-region without this adequate political framework susceptible to lead to peace and the expression of the character of the people. The community is gradually building regional judicial and institutional frameworks that are necessary in coping with the challenges of erecting and consolidating democracy in most of the countries of the sub-region. The Protocol relating to the Mechanism of Prevention, Management, Resolution of Conflicts, Peace Keeping and Security of 1999 and its additional Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance of 2001 may be cited in this respect. The creation of such institutions as the Defence and 223