interim statement
EISA Observer Mission 2004 Namibia Presidential and National Assembly elections (continued)

Stakeholder meetings and political party rallies

Members of the Mission held meetings with various electoral stakeholders, including representatives of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), political parties, civil society organisations, the media and academics. The Mission also met domestic observers from the Namibia Non-Governmental Organisations Forum (NANGOF), church groups and other international observer teams. Stakeholder meetings were held in Windhoek and at constituency levels. These meetings provided useful insight into the different key stakeholders' assessment of the process as well as the general mood in the country as the election drew near.

Our teams also attended political party rallies in various parts of the country where they were deployed.

Observation of campaign, voting and counting

The members of the Mission were deployed in the field between 12-18 November 2004, where they held meetings with electoral stakeholders in the process of observing the campaigns, voting, as well as the counting.

Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation

The EISA observer Mission's assessment of the Namibia's 2004 Presidential and National Assembly elections is based on the Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO) in the SADC Region. PEMMO is a set of benchmarks against which an election can be measured to assess whether conditions exist that reflect the will of the people of Namibia. PEMMO was developed by EISA in partnership with the Electoral Commissions Forum (ECF) of SADC Countries, which comprises all the election management bodies in the SADC region. These principles are the result of extensive research and region-wide consultations with electoral stakeholders, in particular electoral management bodies and civil society organisations who work essentially in the election field. The principles contained in the PEMMO are not inconsistent with the legal framework governing elections in Namibia. Thus, the Mission experienced no major difficulties applying PEMMO in assessing and evaluating the Namibian electoral process.

The principles cover the whole electoral process, including the period before, during and after the poll. They provide an objective standard against which an election can be measured. Furthermore, they constitute a useful tool for both post-election review and electoral reforms. For observers, PEMMO also outlines guidelines on the expected behaviour for the enhanced ethical conduct and credibility of both election observation and monitoring groups.

After its adoption at a Regional Conference on the 6th November 2003 in Johannesburg, PEMMO has been successfully used to assess elections in South Africa, Malawi and Botswana held in April, May and October 2004 respectively.

Findings of the mission

The EISA Election Observer Mission, basing itself on the PEMMO as a guideline, made the following findings:

The legal and regulatory framework for elections

The Mission found that the legal and regulatory framework for the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Namibia is generally conducive to the holding of democratic elections. This framework, thus, provided for a smooth, orderly and peaceful electoral contest devoid of violent conflict and intimidation. This framework also guarantees the promotion and protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights. The overall legal and regulatory framework includes:

• The Constitution, 1998 (as Amended)
• The 1992 Electoral Act (as Amended) and
• The 2004 Code of Conduct for Political Parties.