Page 9 Article 7 Adequate arrangements shall be made to hear and dispose of all petitions relating to the conduct of elections and announcement of results. Article 8 Member States shall use the services of civil society organisations involved in electoral matters to educate and enlighten the public on the need for peaceful elections devoid of all acts of violence. Article 9 The party and/or candidate who loses the elections shall concede defeat to the political party and/or candidate finally declared the winner, following the guidelines and within the deadline stipulated by the law. Article 10 All holders of power at all levels shall refrain from acts of intimidation or harassment against defeated candidates or their supporters. SECTION III: ELECTION MONITORING AND ECOWAS ASSISTANCE Article 11 The provisions of Article 42 of the Protocol of 10th December 1999 are hereby complemented by the provisions under this section. Article 12 1. At the request of any Member State, ECOWAS may provide assistance in the conduct of any election.