African Union deploys election observers in Lesotho

By
Bilal Satti
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206
African Union
Logo of African Union

Maseru, 30 September 2022 (TDI): The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, will deploy African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to Lesotho to observe the Elections from 30 September to 13 October 2022.

The deployment of the observers will take place as the Kingdom of Lesotho is to hold National Elections on 7 October.

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The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) comprises thirty-five short-term observers (STOs) and a Core Team of three electoral experts.

Objectives of the AUEOM

Objectives of AUEOM are:

  • To provide a correct and impartial reporting or evaluation of the quality of the 7 October National Assembly Elections in Lesotho, including the extent to which the conduct of the elections meets regional, continental, and international standards for democratic elections.
  • To offer recommendations for developments of future elections based on the findings.
  • To demonstrate AU’s solidarity and support for Lesotho’s election and democratization process.

The African Union had already provided electoral support to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of Lesotho from 20 to 25 September 2022.

IEC Lesotho

The vision of IEC Lesotho is to work towards a strong participatory and democratic electoral process. IEC wants to have management of democratic elections and referenda.

Likewise, it aims for the enhancement of public participation in the electoral process through the promotion of civic and voter education.

The assistance was concentrated on enhancing the skills of district election officials, IEC returning officers, and their assistants.

It also involved helping the Lesotho Mounted Police Service train trainers in electoral security. The AUEOM draws its mandate from various African Union instruments which include:

  • The AU Guidelines for Elections Observation and Monitoring Missions (2002).
  • The OUA/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa (2002); African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (1981).
  • African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance (2007).