Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has been appointed to lead the African Union Election Observation Mission in South Africa in May 2024.
South Africa is set to hold its elections on May 29, 2024.
"The Republic of South Africa is scheduled to hold General Elections on 29 May 2024. As the country makes final preparations towards this end, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, will deploy an African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to South Africa," AU stated.
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The AUEOM comprises 60 short-term observers (STOs) including three Core Team electoral experts, set to observe the Elections from May 21 to June 3, 2024.
"The objectives of the AUEOM are to provide impartial reporting or assessment of the quality of the 29 May General Elections in South Africa, including the degree to which the conduct of the elections meets regional, continental and international standards for democratic elections; offer recommendations for improvement of future elections based on the findings; and demonstrate the AU’s solidarity and support towards South Africa’s elections and democratization process to ensure that the conduct of democratic, credible and peaceful elections contributes to the consolidation of democratic governance, peace and stability in the country," AU added.
"The AUEOM draws its mandate from various AU instruments, notably: (a) the African Union Guidelines for Elections Observation and Monitoring Missions (2002); (b) the OUA/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa (2002); African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (1981) and (c) African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007). It also aligns with Aspiration 3 of the AU Agenda 2063, which aims to ensure good governance, democracy and respect for human rights, justice, and the rule of law."
The AUEOM will engage with several stakeholders and observe the final preparations and polling process. Based on the findings, the AUEOM will issue its preliminary statement after Election Day.
