EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Zanzibar 2005 General Elections

EISA hereby launches its Regional Election Observer Mission for the upcoming general election due to be held in Zanzibar on 30 October 2005. Leading the delegation is Justice Anastasia Msosa, Chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission. The mission will be composed of 9 members drawn from civil society organisations, election management bodies and academic institutions from various SADC countries, namely Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho, South Africa and Zambia.

The mission is expected to arrive in Zanzibar on 20 October 2005 in order to hold a series of meetings with election stakeholders, including the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC), political parties, CSOs and academics, ahead of election day. The mission will remain in the country until 2 November 2005 after observing the voting and counting processes as well as the immediate post-polling activities. The mission will cover selected rural and urban areas on the islands of Unguja and Pemba.

In assessing the elections, EISA will be using the Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO). It should be recalled that these principles were adopted in November 2003 and were drafted in consultation with all electoral commissions in the SADC region as well as civil society organisations (CSOs) who work in the field of elections. PEMMO provides the region with an objective basis in terms of which to conduct and assess elections. The principles were launched in Zanzibar on 12 August 2005 in a ceremony co-hosted by EISA and the Zanzibar Electoral Commission. The ceremony brought together representatives of the electoral authorities, civil society organisations, media and government.

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. EISA services governments, electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations and other institutions operating in the democracy and governance fields in the SADC region.