EAC to deploy Election Observer Mission in the United Republic of Tanzania
A 55 member EAC Election Observer Mission is due to arrive in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Sunday, 18th October 2015, to observe the General Elections slated for 25th October 2015 in both the Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.
The EAC Mission is a response to the invitation of the National Electoral Commission of Tanzania as well as the decision of the EAC Council of Ministers on observation of elections in the Partner States. The Mission’s mandate is to observe the overall electoral environment, pre-election activities, the polling day, the counting and tallying of results.
The Mission, which is being led by H.E. Awori Arthur Athansius Moody, former Vice President of the Republic of Kenya, will first undergo a pre-deployment training from 19th to 21st October 2015 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania before deploying to the regions.
The Mission is preceded by a pre-elections assessment team that was deployed from 4th October 2015 to assess the level of preparedness by key stakeholders and prepare a report that will inform the Short Term Election Observation Mission.
The members of the EAC Election Observer Mission has been drawn from different but complementary disciplines and includes, members of the East African Legislative Assembly as well as Members of National Assemblies from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, National Electoral Commissions, National Human Rights Commissions, Civil Society Organisations, and youth representatives from EAC Youth Ambassadors Forum.
The exclusion of members from the United Republic of Tanzania is consistent with the adopted practice on the Principles of Election Observation and Evaluation which precludes nationals of the host country from participating as Election Observations in their own countries.
Commenting ahead of the deployment, the EAC Deputy Secretary-General in charge of Political Federation, Mr Charles Njoroge says the Mission is being undertaken pursuant to Article 3 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community which requires “…adherence to universally acceptable principles of democratic governance and in line with the EAC Principles of Election Observation and Evaluation”.
The EAC Deputy Secretary-General asserts that “as the region moves deeper in the integration process with the ultimate goal of having a Political Federation, EAC Partner States need to standardise their governance practices and should take keen interest in each other’s political and electoral processes”.
Mr Njoroge contends that successful and peaceful elections in the United Republic of Tanzania is of paramount importance to the Partner States and the region as a whole because lack of peace and stability in any Partner State will definitely undermine the outstanding milestones the region has so far achieved through regional integration.
“Therefore, we expect a successful mission and we very much hope that they will further strengthen the democratic process and advance development in the region”.
The Mission is expected to prepare a Report that will be submitted to, among others, the National Electoral Commission of Tanzania, through the EAC Council of Ministers for consideration and implementation. The Mission will leave Tanzania on 29th October 2015.