African Union election observation mission for the 20th of march 2016 election in Cape Verde Republic
African Union Commission (AUC) announces the arrival of an observation mission for parliamentary elections for the 20th March 2016 in the Republic of Cape Verde. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), HE Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has decided to dispatch this Mission, to monitor and report on the electoral process in accordance with the African Charter on Democracy, elections and governance.
The mission is led by HE Sylvie Kayitesi Zainabo, former President of African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR). She is a Rwandan national; the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) is made up of a team of 20 observers. This team is comprises Pan-African Parliamentarians, officials of election management bodies, members of civil society and human rights.
The observers come from 12 countries, namely: Algeria, Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles, Swaziland, Togo and Tunisia.
The Mission will monitor the progress of the electoral process in line with relevant provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance adopted in 2007 and entered into force in 2012, which aims to improve the electoral processes in Africa, strengthen electoral institutions and the conduct of fair, free and transparent elections ; the Declaration of the OAU / AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa 2002; AU Guidelines for observation missions and monitoring the elections of 2002 and other relevant international instruments governing the conduct of democratic elections in Africa, including the African Mechanism of Peer Review. The observation will also rely on the existing legal framework for the organization of the parliamentary elections in Cape Verde Republic.
In order to achieve its goal of having an independent, honest, professional and impartial observation based on transparency, integrity, fairness and regularity of the elections, the Mission will meet with various political authorities in the countries such as institutions in charge of elections, political parties in contention, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Constitutional
courts in the Cape Verde Republic.
The Mission will deploy observer teams on the 19th of March 2016 in the five (5) islands namely: Fogo, Santiago, Santo Antao, Sao Nicolau and Sao Vicente.
At the end of the elections, the Mission will present its preliminary report and recommendations of the elections at a press conference to be held on March 22nd 2016 by 10 am at the Hotel Santiago in Praia. At the end of the electoral process, the AUEOM will issue a final report containing a detailed analysis of the conduct of the electoral process in Cape Verde Republic.
The mission arrived in the Republic of Cape Verde on March 16th and will remain there until 24th of March 2016. The Mission's Secretariat is located at the Santiago Hotel.
The African Union Electoral Observation Mission thanked the authorities of Cape Verde Republic for all the steps they had taken in order to facilitate its work on the ground.