2024 General Elections: SADC Electoral Observer Mission Officially Launched

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has officially launched its Electoral Observer Mission (SEOM), marking a significant step in preparation for the upcoming general elections in Mauritius scheduled for November 10, 2024. The launch took place on Tuesday, November 5, at the Caudan Arts Centre, led by Mohammed Othman Chande, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Tanzania.

This observer mission is part of SADC’s commitment to uphold democratic principles across its member states, as outlined in Article 3 of the SADC’s Revised Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021).

Mauritius has officially invited SADC to oversee the electoral process for its National Assembly, and a preliminary statement from the mission is expected to be released on November 12, 2024.

The deployment of the mission was organized by Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania and head of the SADC’s Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security.

She appointed Mohammed Othman Chande as the head of the mission and mandated Elias Mpedi Magosi, the Executive Secretary of SADC, to coordinate the deployment of electoral observers throughout Mauritius.

A team from the SADC secretariat arrived in Port-Louis on October 28 to prepare for the mission’s activities.

Observers will be situated across all ten administrative districts of Mauritius, which includes nine districts on the main island and one on Rodrigues.

The focus of the observation mission will be on three key phases of the electoral process: the pre-election period, Election Day, and the post-election activities.

The goal is to assess the elections based on principles that promote regular, free, fair, transparent, credible, and peaceful elections.

An essential part of their work included consulting a wide range of electoral stakeholders to better understand the political and security context surrounding the electoral process.

During the preparation phase, Mohammed Othman Chande emphasized the crucial role of transparency and integrity in the electoral process.

In advance of their deployment, SADC observers underwent a four-day pre-deployment training from November 1 to 4, 2024.

This training was designed to equip the observers with the necessary knowledge regarding the political and security landscape, as well as the constitutional and electoral frameworks pertinent to conducting elections in Mauritius.

At the opening of the training, Talha M. Waziri, the National Contact Point for SADC and Director of the Department of Regional Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, highlighted the importance of adhering to SADC’s revised principles and guidelines for elections.

He emphasized the need for compliance with international and regional frameworks, such as the United Nations Charter and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance, to ensure fair electoral practices in Mauritius.

Source: l’Express