Guidelines to Assist National Minority Participation in the Electoral Process Page: 28 represented on the commission and that each party exercises some form of oversight concerning the operation of the commission. The problem associated with this is that in transitional situations, the number of parties often proliferates, thereby resulting in an unwieldy and ineffective commission. Secondly, the commission may be comprised of individuals who lack the requisite skills and/or experience to ensure effective participation on the commission. In Eastern Central Europe, in practically all emerging democracies, elections are managed either by independent commissions (71%) or by the government under supervisory authority (29%), which usually includes political party representatives. It should however be noted that while there may be legislative provision for the independence and neutrality of electoral commissions, in practice this is often much harder to achieve. Issues such as the manner of appointment and by whom, as well as the funding of election commissions are aspects that may detract from and influence the independence or neutrality of the electoral body. B. COMPOSITION OF ELECTORAL COMMISSION OR BODY It is essential that in terms of the composition of the electoral commission or body, that there is appropriate national minority representation. This would apply to all of the approaches detailed above, although it would be harder to achieve if the electoral body is located within a government ministry. Notwithstanding this, if the body should be located within a government ministry, then there should be sufficient representation and transparency to ensure that national minorities not only play a role in the making of decisions, but that all decisions and the reasons therefore should be made public. This participation of minorities, where appropriate, in the composition of the commission at a senior level should be replicated to ensure that there is minority participation and representation at every level of the electoral administration, from national to local. In communities where individuals and voters will interact with representatives of the electorate administration it is particularly important for minority groupings to be represented and included in the administration. In addition, the principles of transparency and impartiality are important in allaying the fears and concerns of minorities. 1. Transparency The overall credibility of an electoral process is substantially dependent on all relevant groups, from government and civil society, participating in the formation and functioning of electoral structures and processes. In this respect, the value of constant consultation, communication and co-operation among the electoral administration, the political parties and the institutions of society cannot be over emphasised. In the formulation of the legislative framework of an electoral administration, this aspect should receive particular attention. 2. Impartiality The functioning of an electoral body should not be subject to the direction of any other person, authority or political party; it must function without political favour or bias. The body in charge of administering or supervising an election must be able to operate free of interference, simply because any allegation of manipulation, perception of bias, or alleged interference, will have a direct impact, not only on the credibility of the body in charge, but on the entire process. There are many instances in which the perceived influence of a political party or parties of the electoral machinery has severely detracted from the validity of election results. Particularly in developing and emerging democracies, there is a much greater degree of vulnerability to allegations of undue influence and bias, thereby making the entire process more susceptible to