COMESA to deploy election observers

Jan 29, 2016

The Observer Mission, according to the statement, will be led by a member of the COMESA Committee of Elders, Ambassador Ashraf Gamaal Rashed, and will comprise of Observers drawn from selected Member States and a support team from COMESA Secretariat.



The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is to deploy a short-term Election Observer Mission to Uganda for the forthcoming general elections.

This is at the invitation of Uganda Government, a statement from the COMESA Secretariat said.

The team is expected to be in the country from February 14 to 20.

"The main objective of the Observer Mission is to provide an independent assessment of the electoral process thereby providing credibility and legitimacy to the electoral process as a way of promoting peace, security and stability in the COMESA region as provided for under Article 3(d) of the COMESA Treaty," the statement said.

The mission is expected to issue a comprehensive report of their observations which will be shared with relevant stakeholders in Uganda.

The Observer Mission, according to the statement, will be led by a member of the COMESA Committee of Elders, Ambassador Ashraf Gamaal Rashed, and will comprise of Observers drawn from selected Member States and a support team from COMESA Secretariat.

The general elections are scheduled for February 18.

The statement said that the Mission will base its assessment of the general elections on the legal framework governing elections in Uganda and other international, continental and regional standards for the conduct of democratic elections.

"The election observer mission will also consult with relevant government institutions, political parties, other Observer Missions on the ground, including the African Union (AU), the East African Community (EAC), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), as well as other international and local observers, to enhance the Mission's understanding of the whole electoral processes."


This will be the second time COMESA is participating in election observation in Uganda, having observed the last general elections held five years ago in 2011.

Other organisations to observer the elections include the European Union and the East African Legislative Assembly.                

 

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