EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Malawi 2004 General Election

Press Release

EISA hereby launches its Regional Election Observer Mission for the upcoming General Elections due to be held in Malawi on 18 May 2004. Leading the delegation is the former President of the Republic of Botswana and EISA Patron, Sir Ketumile Masire. The mission will be composed of 31 members drawn from civil society organisations, election management bodies and academic institutions from various SADC countries, namely Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

The Malawi Election will be the second electoral process where the assessment of the election will be based on the recently adopted Electoral Commission Forum of SADC Countries (ECF)/EISA Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO). It should be recalled that these principles were adopted in November 2003 were drafted in consultation with all Electoral Commissions in the SADC region as well as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who work in the elections field. PEMMO gives the region an objective basis in terms of which to conduct and assess elections.

The mission is expected to arrive in Malawi on May 9 2004 in order to hold a series of meetings with election stakeholders, including Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), political parties, CSOs and academics, ahead of election day. The mission will remain in the country until 22 May 2004 after observing the voting and counting processes as well as post-polling activities. The mission will cover selected rural and urban areas in the Northern, Southern and Central regions of Malawi.

EISA is a regional non-governmental organisation established in 1996, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its mission is to strengthen electoral processes, good governance, human rights and democratic values in the SADC region and beyond through research, capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. The Insitute services governments, electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations and other institutions operating in the democracy and governance fields in the SADC region and beyond.

issued by eisa

Mission leader
Sir Ketumile Masire