AU deploys short-term election observers to Eswatini’s 2018 General Elections

Addis Ababa, 17 September 2018: Following an invitation from the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission His Excellency Moussa Faki Mahamat, has authorized the deployment of an African Union Short-Term Election Observation Mission to the Kingdom of Eswatini’s General Elections scheduled for 21 September 2018.

The AU Mission is led by His Excellency James Alix Michel, former President of the Republic of Seychelles, and comprises thirty (30) observers drawn from the AU Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC), the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), Election Management Bodies (EMBs), Civil Society Organisations, Think Tanks and independent electoral experts.

The Mission’s observers arrive in Eswatini on 16 September 2018 to assess and report on the conduct of the elections, including the pre-election environment as well as voting day operations and immediate post-election development. The Mission will share its findings and assessment of the elections at a press conference in Eswatini after the conclusion of the voting process.

The AU conducts its election observation work in accordance with the 2007 African Union Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance; the 2002 OAU/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa; the 2002 African Union Guidelines for Election Observation and Monitoring Missions; the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; and the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, which provides guidelines for professional and impartial methods of international election observation. The mission will also be guided by the host nation’s constitution and legal framework for elections.

The overall objective of AU election observation missions (AUEOMs) is to promote democracy, strengthen democratic institutions and build public confidence in electoral processes in Africa. This objective is in line with the aspirations outlined in the AU’s Agenda 2063, particularly Aspiration No.3, which aims to ensure good governance, democracy, and respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law on the continent. The conduct of free, fair and credible elections, which the AUEOMs aim to ensure in member states, is deemed critical to the realization of Agenda 2063 and the attainment of the AU’s vision of an integrated, peaceful and prosperous Africa.