Launch: Election Observer Mission to the 2006 Provincial & Second Round of Presidential Elections, DRC

Press Release

23 November 2006

EISA is pleased to announce the official launch of its Regional Observer Mission to the Provincial and Second Round of Presidential Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) scheduled for Sunday 29 October 2006. The mission is led by Mr Yusuf Aboobaker, the chairperson of the Mauritius Electoral Supervisory Commission (ESC) and is present in the country at the invitation extended by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) to observe the historic elections.

The EISA mission consists of 50 members and includes representatives of electoral commissions, civil society organisations (CSOs) and political parties from Angola, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as delegates from the Netherlands.

EISA's Principles on Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region ( PEMMO) will be used as a benchmark for observing elections. PEMMO was launched in DRC on 28 February 2006. It should be recalled that these principles were adopted in November 2003 and drafted in consultation with all electoral commissions in the SADC region as well as CSOs working in the field of elections. PEMMO provides the region with an objective basis in terms of which to conduct and assess elections.

The mission is expected to arrive in DRC on October 23 2006 in order to hold a series of meetings with election stakeholders, political parties, CSOs and academics ahead of Election Day. It will remain in the country until 22 November 2006 after observing the voting and counting processes as well as post-polling activities. The mission will cover selected rural and urban areas of the country.

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 Institute 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.