First-Ever Presidential Election Delivers Victory for Student Action Committee in Baku
The Student Action Committee (SAC) at School 177 in Baku, Azerbaijan organized it’s first-ever Student Action Committee presidential election in March 2005. The entire election process was organized by the children, from getting transparent ballot boxes donated from the Precinct Election Commission to creating a voter list with full voter details to designing specially-made ballot papers (which were even stamped and had the corners cut off.) The students even arranged for two of their peers to represent the Constituency Election Commission. The representatives were charged with announcing the election results and dealing with SAC members whose names were not included on the voter list.
The election was preceded by several weeks of campaigning by two registered candidates. Campaign pledges, displayed prominently in the school corridors, included proposals to work with SACs at other schools and to assist the local orphanage.
On Election Day, observers were invited from USAID implementing partner International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), the local Education Department, the Narimanov municipality, the local Precinct Election Commission, and the school administration. During the voting and counting process, the School Director made one or two suggestions, but otherwise let the children take charge.
When the results were announced, IFES and a member of the Precinct Election Commission helped stamp the credentials of the newly-elected President of the Student Action Committee, Gunay Badalova. A presidential inauguration followed, with Gunay taking the oath of office with her hand placed solemnly on the Student Action Committee’s constitution, which was written by the children.
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| Students at School 177 designed a successful, democratic election process to select their leader |
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