EAC to deploy Election Observer Mission in the Republic of Uganda
The East African Community is set to deploy an Election Observer Mission team to General Election taking place on 18th February 2016 in the Republic of Uganda.
A 50 member of Short-Term Election Observer Mission Team which is being led by H.E. Ali Hassan Mwinyi, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania is due to arrive in Kampala, Uganda, on Tuesday 9th February 2016, to observe the General Elections slated for 18th February 2016 in Uganda. 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 is preceded by a Pre-Elections Assessment Team, which was deployed from 31st January 2016 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, delegates from four Partner States (Kenya, United Republic Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi), EAC Youth Ambassadors, Mission Leader, Mission Coordinator, one EAC Executive Staff and technical officers from the Secretariat as well as EALA.
The exclusion of members from the Republic of Uganda 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.
The EAC Observer Mission is a response to the invitation of the Uganda Electoral Commission as well as the decision of the EAC Council of Ministers on observation of elections in the Partner States.
The Mission is expected to prepare a report that will be submitted to, among others, the Electoral Commission of Uganda, through the EAC Council of Ministers for consideration and implementation. The Mission will depart Uganda on 21st February 2016.