From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri Jul 21 16:26:54 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Fri Jul 21 16:25:20 2006
Subject: [Eisa] DRC Election Update 2006, No. 1
Message-ID: <20060721141754.E44E1ACA92@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
The latest in EISA's Election Update Series can be downloaded from our web
site.
The DRC's forthcoming, historic elections at the end of this month have
aroused worldwide interest. Read more about the background to and political
context surrounding this event in EISA's Election Update DRC 2006, Number 1.
Available for free download from the EISA web site at
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/cateu.htm
More information about the DRC, and EISA's country office there, is
available on our web site at www.eisa.org.za/WEP/drc.htm
Regards
Alka
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Jul 25 10:50:51 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Jul 25 10:44:21 2006
Subject: [Eisa] Election Update 2006 DRC No 1 - French
Message-ID: <20060725084208.5F9D7AC60B@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
This Election Update is now available in French - download the English or
French version from the EISA web site at
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/cateu.htm
Regards
Alka
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Thu Jul 27 16:24:31 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Thu Jul 27 16:19:21 2006
Subject: [Eisa] =?iso-8859-1?q?EISA_DRC_Observer_Mission=3A_Arrival_State?=
=?iso-8859-1?q?ment/Communiqu=E9?=
Message-ID: <20060727141509.A00FEAC859@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
The EISA Regional Observer Mission to the historic DRC Presidential and
Parliamentary Elections on 30 July 2006 will deploy several teams throughout
the country to observe the elections and post-polling activities.
Read more about the Mission activities on the EISA web site at:
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727.htm [English] OR
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727.htm [Fran?ais]
Regards
Alka
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri Jul 28 16:06:54 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Mon Jul 31 08:55:00 2006
Subject: [Eisa] EISA Newsletter July 2006-07-28
Message-ID: <20060728164231.6D544AC8D0@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
EISA NEWSLETTER JULY 2006-07-28
This is the second of our newsletters detailing upcoming events and new
resources available on our web site.
1. SYMPOSIUM ON DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT / ACE Southern Africa launch
As part of the celebration activities marking its tenth anniversary, EISA
will hold its First Annual Symposium in Johannesburg from 18 to 20 October
2006 with the theme ?Challenges for Democratic Governance and Human
Development in Africa?. Participants will deliberate on progress made in the
pursuit of democratic governance and human development and interrogate the
challenges that remain. The goal is to make concrete policy recommendations
for tackling these challenges: http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/researchscp.htm.
The official launch of the ACE Knowledge Network in Southern Africa will
take place on the eve of the Symposium. EISA is a content development
partner for ACE. The ACE Knowledge Network may be found at
http://www.aceproject.org .
2. DRC ELECTIONS 30 JULY 2006
For information on the elections and EISA?s involvement see:
* EISA launched its Regional Election Observer Mission for the forthcoming
DRC Parliamentary and Presidential Elections to be held on 30 July 2006:
Mission launch statement: http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060606.htm.
Mission arrival statement (English):
http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727.htm.
Communiqu? (French): http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727f.htm
.
Further information: Ms Belinda Musanhu, Mission Coordinator, on +243 (0)81
201 6887.
* EISA Election Update 2006: Democratic Republic of Congo, 1, 20 July 2006,
Compiled by
Dr Gaston Kalombo, is available in French and English. It provides
information on the electoral process, the state of preparedness for the
election and the pre-election processes:
French: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eu200601rdcf.pdf
English: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eu200601rdc.pdf.
* Further information on the DRC and the elections visit our web pages on
the DRC which have recently been substantially expanded and updated:
http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/drc.htm.
3. ANGOLA: SEMINAR ON PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF ELECTORAL CONFLICT
A seminar was held in Luanda on the 3rd - 7th July 2006 to facilitate a
national Angolan process that will create capacity at all levels and will
hopefully pave the way towards the establishment of formal or informal
conflict management mechanisms that safeguard the integrity of the electoral
process. The seminar included:
* Training of trainers to familiarise Angolan electoral stakeholders with
the prevention and management of electoral conflict so that they act jointly
in identifying and resolving problems;
* Sharing experiences from other SADC countries in the prevention and
management of electoral conflict, most especially in post-conflict
countries;
* Exploring the best way to adapt the SADC experiences and lessons learned
to the Angolan environment in order to establish conditions for a
transparent and credible electoral process.
See http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/aa2006ec.htm.
4. NEW PUBLICATIONS
The following new publications have been released:
* "The Politics of Party Coalitions in Africa", Denis Kadima (ed), EISA,
2006, 278 pages; the contributors are Roukaya Kasenally, Samson Lembani,
Zefanias Matsimbe and Felix Owuer. The book documents the emergence and
growth of party coalition governments and opposition formations in Africa. A
foreword by former Mauritian President Cassam Uteem is followed by a general
introduction discusses current theoretical work on coalitions. Studies of
Kenya, Mauritius, Malawi South Africa and Mozambique comprise the body of
the text and the work concludes with a comparison of experiences and lessons
learned from them.
Book launch and presentation from the author:
http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/dkbook072006.htm.
Ordering details: http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/catbooks.htm.
* ?Investigating Intra-party Democracy in Lesotho: Focus on Basutoland
Congress Party and Basotho National Party?, Fako Johnson Likoti, 2005, EISA
Occasional Paper 39, 17 pages. The paper looks at the role of political
parties and the extent to which they have embraced and institutionalized
internal democracy. Further more, the paper probes the extent to which
parties promote the consolidation of democracy:
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/op39.pdf.
* ?Election Management and Observation in Southern Africa: A Comparative
Review of Existing Norms, Principles and Guidelines for Democratic
Elections?, Khabele Matlosa, 2006, EISA Occasional Paper 40, 17 pages. This
paper explores critical comparative insights of the value of instruments
whose main thrust is to establish a code of ethics for ensuring best
practice in election management and observation in Africa in general and
Southern Africa in particular: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/op40.pdf..
* ?Election Update South Africa: Local Government Elections 2006?:
No 1: Pre-Election Political and Constitutional Setting":
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eusa200601.pdf;
No 2: Local Government Election Day I":
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eusa200602.pdf;
No 3: Local Government Election Day II":
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eusa200603.pdf.
* ?EISA Observer Mission: The 2005 Constitutional Referendum in the DRC/Le
R?f?rendum Constitutionnel en RDC, 18-19 December 2005?; French and
English?: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/drc05omr.pdf.
5. POLITICAL PARTIES ? more countries updated
We have improved our party lists and added information on the legal
situation, as far as aspects such as party registration, funding and
campaign codes of conduct are concerned, for the following countries:
* Botswana: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/botparties.htm.
* Malawi: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/malparties.htm
.
* Namibia : http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/namparties.htm
* Mozambique: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/mozparties.htm
.
* South Africa: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/souparties.htm
* Zimbabwe: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/zimparties.htm.
6. REGIONAL ROUNDUP
The Regional Roundup e-mail news-clipping service has been expanded to
provide the latest election and related news for all the countries of
sub-Saharan Africa. Readers can subscribe by sending an email to
rr@eisa.org.za.
Regards
Deane and Alka
EISA web team
------------------
Deane Stuart
Researcher (ICT), EISA
deane@eisa.org.za
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 5495
fax +27 8660 32669
EISA - Promoting Credible Elections and
Democratic Governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Aug 2 16:31:20 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Wed Aug 2 16:28:46 2006
Subject: [Eisa] Symposium dates - changed
Message-ID: <20060802142136.AE685AC96D@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
Please note that the dates for the EISA Symposium are 8-10 November, 2006,
and not October as stated in our recent newsletter. More information about
the Symposium is available form the EISA web site.
Regards
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Aug 2 16:30:09 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Wed Aug 2 16:29:23 2006
Subject: [Eisa] =?iso-8859-1?q?DRC_Elections=3A_EISA_Observer_Mission_int?=
=?iso-8859-1?q?erim_press_statement_and_d=E9claration_pr=E9liminai?=
=?iso-8859-1?q?re?=
Message-ID: <20060802142020.DFD9BAC9BB@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
EISA Regional Election Observer Mission to the DRC: Press Release and
D?claration Pr?liminaire
In response to an invitation extended by the Commission Electorale
Independante (CEI), EISA successfully deployed an observer mission to the
Presidential and Parliamentary Elections held in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC) on Sunday 30 July 2006. The Mission has made a preliminary
assessment of the poll and its findings and recommendations are presented in
an interim press statement (English). A more detailed interim statement is
available in French and an English version will be available shortly.
Download the D?claration Pr?liminaire:
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/rdc06dp.pdf
Read the English press release on the web:
http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060802.htm
The full text of the English press release is displayed below:
In response to an invitation extended by the Commission Electorale
Independante (CEI), EISA successfully deployed an observer mission to the
Presidential and Parliamentary Elections held in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC) on Sunday 30 July 2006.
The Mission has made a preliminary assessment of the poll and its findings
and recommendations are presented in this interim press statement. Our
observations and views regarding the electoral process in the DRC are based
on the guidelines enshrined in the Principles for Election Management,
Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO).
The Mission was a short-term observation assignment and consisted of 30
members, including representatives from Electoral Commissions, Civil Society
Organisations and Political Parties from Angola, C?te d?Ivoire, Lesotho,
Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, the
Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. EISA deployed 13 observer
teams across all the provinces.
This is a preliminary summary of the findings of the mission:
* Major challenges of logistical and financial resources for the CEI to run
the election.
* Certain political parties as well as independent candidates feel that
access to State-owned media was unbalanced while access to private media was
restrictive and prohibitive.
* There were isolated cases of violent clashes involving security forces and
some political formations during the campaign. However this was not a
generalised trend.
* The Mission is satisfied that the polling arrangements were of such a
nature as to ensure and assure the secrecy of the ballot. Generally
speaking, polling officials conducted themselves in an efficient manner.
* Although the polling process was not perfect, on balance, the Mission is
of the view that these imperfections were not of such a nature so as to
jeopardise the outcome of the process, or to put in doubt its sincerity and
integrity. These complaints relate mostly to the availability and
shortcomings in the electoral lists and registration cards.
* Inconsistencies in levels of staff performance, in particular for the
counting process. The Legislative ballot, given its size and bulk, was
difficult to handle both by the voters and the electoral staff.
* Parties were not as effective as they should have been in regard to voter
and civic education. In addition some party witnesses did not display a
thorough knowledge of the voting and counting process.
* The Mission noted, however, that while the constitutional provision for
gender equality exists, this was not reflected in the actual practice.
The mission has made recommendations which can be found in our interim
statement and will be discussed more fully in our final report. We will not
be able to observe the compilation of the counting process and the
announcement of the final outcome.
On the basis of its observation and using the guidelines enshrined in the
PEMMO, the EISA Election Observer Mission concludes that the Presidential
and Parliamentary Elections held on 30 July 2006 in the DRC were conducted
in a manner that allowed the people of the DRC to express their democratic
choice without hindrance.
The Mission wishes to congratulate the CEI for successfully meeting the
daunting challenge of a complex election.
The Mission also encourages the people of the DRC in their desire to
strengthen their democratic institutions and to make use of the institutions
provided for in the event of any election related disputes.
Yusuf Aboobaker S.C.
Mission Leader EISA Observation Mission
DRC Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, 2 August 2006
Contacts:
Belinda Musanhu +243 81 201 6887 or +27 723064558
Robyn Smith +243 81 3691662 or +27828563205
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Thu Aug 3 11:52:21 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Thu Aug 3 12:36:59 2006
Subject: [Eisa] DRC Election Observer Mission - Interim Statement (English)
Message-ID: <20060803094233.58401ACA43@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
The English version of the Interim Statement from EISA's Regional Observer
Mission to the DRC 2006 Elections is now available for download from
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/drc06is.pdf
Regards
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Sep 13 11:26:50 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Wed Sep 13 12:07:04 2006
Subject: [Eisa] Electoral Observer Mission: Zambia 2006
Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAE12475B@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za>
EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Zambia 2006 Tripartite Elections
EISA hereby launches its Regional Election Observer Mission for the
upcoming Tripartite Elections due to be held in Zambia on 28 September,
2006. Leading the delegation is Mr Abel Leshele Thoahlane, Chairperson
of the Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho. The mission will be
composed of 15 members drawn from civil society organisations, election
management bodies and academic institutions from various SADC countries,
namely Namibia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa and
Angola.
The mission's assessment will be based on the EISA/ECF Principles on
Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region
(PEMMO) which were launched in Zambia on 24 March 2006. It should be
recalled that these principles, which were adopted in November 2003,
were drafted in consultation with all Electoral Commissions in the SADC
region as well as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who work in the
elections field. PEMMO gives the region an objective basis in terms of
which to conduct and assess elections.
The mission is expected to arrive in Zambia on September 21, 2006 in
order to hold a series of meetings with election stakeholders, including
the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), Political Parties, CSOs and
academics, ahead of Election Day. The mission will remain in the country
until 30 September 2006, after observing the voting and counting
processes as well as post-polling activities. The mission will cover
selected rural and urban areas in Zambia.
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.
Issued by EISA
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Sep 26 12:18:44 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Sep 26 12:22:39 2006
Subject: [Eisa] EISA Observer Mission, Zambia - Arrival Statement
Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAE15C3F3@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za>
EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Zambia 2006 Tripartite Elections -
Arrival Statement
26 September 2006
http://www.eisa.org.za
EISA is pleased to announce the official launch of its Election Observer
Mission to the 2006 Tripartite Elections in Zambia scheduled for
Thursday 28 September 2006. The Mission, which is led by Mr Abel Leshele
Thoahlane, Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission of
Lesotho and of the EISA Board of Directors, is in the country at the
invitation of the Electoral Commission of Zambia. Mr Denis Kadima,
EISA's Executive Director, is the Deputy Mission Leader.
The EISA Mission consists of 14 members, including representatives from
electoral commissions and civil society organisations (CSOs) from
different countries (namely, Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of
Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, Portugal, South Africa, Zanzibar and
Zimbabwe). The mission is based at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka.
The overall objective of the Mission is in line with EISA's vision of
promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa.
Specific objectives for this particular Mission include the following:
* To assess whether conditions exist for the conduct of elections
that allow the people of Zambia to freely express their will;
* To assess and determine whether the elections are conducted in
accordance with the electoral legislative framework for elections in
Zambia;
* To determine whether the final results of the electoral process as
a whole reflect the wishes of the people of Zambia;
* To assess whether the elections meet the benchmarks set out in the
Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the
SADC Region (PEMMO), developed under the auspices of EISA and the
Electoral Commissions Forum (ECF) of SADC countries.
PEMMO was produced after 3 years of work by the ECF and EISA, in
consultation with CSOs who work in the field of elections. Subsequently,
the election principles, which serve as benchmarks in the conduct and
assessment of elections in the SADC region, were adopted on 6 November
2003 in Johannesburg, South Africa. PEMMO has been applied for the
assessment of all elections held since April 2004 to date in the SADC
region.
On Sunday 24 September 2006, EISA will deploy teams throughout selected
provinces in Zambia where they will meet electoral stakeholders,
including electoral officials, representatives of political parties,
CSOs and the voters ahead of the elections. On Election Day, 28
September, the EISA teams will observe the voting and counting
processes.
On Friday 29 September 2006, all EISA Teams will reconvene in Lusaka
where an interim statement expressing the Mission's preliminary views
and recommendations on the 2006 Tripartite Elections in Zambia will be
issued. The principles enshrined in the PEMMO will be taken into account
to direct the Mission's observations on the polling and results
processes, as well as the electoral environment as a whole. The EISA
Mission will remain in Lusaka until Tuesday 3 October 2006 in order to
observe post-polling activities, including the announcement of results.
The Mission undertakes to cooperate closely with the Zambian electoral
stakeholders and other observers, and strives to act, at every stage of
the electoral process under scrutiny, with impartiality, objectivity and
independence.
EISA is a regional non-profit organisation established in 1996 and
headquartered in Johannesburg South Africa with field offices in Angola
(Luanda) the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa) and Mozambique
(Maputo) The vision of the organisation is to promote credible elections
and democratic governance throughout Africa. This vision is executed
through the organisational mission: to strengthen electoral processes,
good governance, human rights and democratic values through research,
capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. EISA
services electoral commissions, political parties, civil society
organisations, governments and other institutions operating in the
democracy and governance fields in Africa.
Contact the EISA Mission Secretariat
The Secretariat is based at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lusaka and can
be contacted on the following numbers:
Ms Belinda Musanhu, EISA Mission Coordinator, +260 99127593
Nosipho Mokoena, +260 99827633
Zahira Seedat, +260 99774965
Lucky Sichula, +260 97864038
Abel Leshele Thoahlane
Mission Leader
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri Jul 21 16:26:54 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007
Subject: [Eisa] DRC Election Update 2006, No. 1
Message-ID: <20060721141754.E44E1ACA92@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
The latest in EISA's Election Update Series can be downloaded from our web
site.
The DRC's forthcoming, historic elections at the end of this month have
aroused worldwide interest. Read more about the background to and political
context surrounding this event in EISA's Election Update DRC 2006, Number 1.
Available for free download from the EISA web site at
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/cateu.htm
More information about the DRC, and EISA's country office there, is
available on our web site at www.eisa.org.za/WEP/drc.htm
Regards
Alka
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Jul 25 10:50:51 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007
Subject: [Eisa] Election Update 2006 DRC No 1 - French
Message-ID: <20060725084208.5F9D7AC60B@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
This Election Update is now available in French - download the English or
French version from the EISA web site at
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/cateu.htm
Regards
Alka
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Thu Jul 27 16:24:31 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007
Subject: [Eisa] =?iso-8859-1?q?EISA_DRC_Observer_Mission=3A_Arrival_State?=
=?iso-8859-1?q?ment/Communiqu=E9?=
Message-ID: <20060727141509.A00FEAC859@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
The EISA Regional Observer Mission to the historic DRC Presidential and
Parliamentary Elections on 30 July 2006 will deploy several teams throughout
the country to observe the elections and post-polling activities.
Read more about the Mission activities on the EISA web site at:
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727.htm [English] OR
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727.htm [Fran?ais]
Regards
Alka
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri Jul 28 16:06:54 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007
Subject: [Eisa] EISA Newsletter July 2006-07-28
Message-ID: <20060728164231.6D544AC8D0@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
EISA NEWSLETTER JULY 2006-07-28
This is the second of our newsletters detailing upcoming events and new
resources available on our web site.
1. SYMPOSIUM ON DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT / ACE Southern Africa launch
As part of the celebration activities marking its tenth anniversary, EISA
will hold its First Annual Symposium in Johannesburg from 18 to 20 October
2006 with the theme ?Challenges for Democratic Governance and Human
Development in Africa?. Participants will deliberate on progress made in the
pursuit of democratic governance and human development and interrogate the
challenges that remain. The goal is to make concrete policy recommendations
for tackling these challenges: http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/researchscp.htm.
The official launch of the ACE Knowledge Network in Southern Africa will
take place on the eve of the Symposium. EISA is a content development
partner for ACE. The ACE Knowledge Network may be found at
http://www.aceproject.org .
2. DRC ELECTIONS 30 JULY 2006
For information on the elections and EISA?s involvement see:
* EISA launched its Regional Election Observer Mission for the forthcoming
DRC Parliamentary and Presidential Elections to be held on 30 July 2006:
Mission launch statement: http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060606.htm.
Mission arrival statement (English):
http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727.htm.
Communiqu? (French): http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727f.htm
.
Further information: Ms Belinda Musanhu, Mission Coordinator, on +243 (0)81
201 6887.
* EISA Election Update 2006: Democratic Republic of Congo, 1, 20 July 2006,
Compiled by
Dr Gaston Kalombo, is available in French and English. It provides
information on the electoral process, the state of preparedness for the
election and the pre-election processes:
French: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eu200601rdcf.pdf
English: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eu200601rdc.pdf.
* Further information on the DRC and the elections visit our web pages on
the DRC which have recently been substantially expanded and updated:
http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/drc.htm.
3. ANGOLA: SEMINAR ON PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF ELECTORAL CONFLICT
A seminar was held in Luanda on the 3rd - 7th July 2006 to facilitate a
national Angolan process that will create capacity at all levels and will
hopefully pave the way towards the establishment of formal or informal
conflict management mechanisms that safeguard the integrity of the electoral
process. The seminar included:
* Training of trainers to familiarise Angolan electoral stakeholders with
the prevention and management of electoral conflict so that they act jointly
in identifying and resolving problems;
* Sharing experiences from other SADC countries in the prevention and
management of electoral conflict, most especially in post-conflict
countries;
* Exploring the best way to adapt the SADC experiences and lessons learned
to the Angolan environment in order to establish conditions for a
transparent and credible electoral process.
See http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/aa2006ec.htm.
4. NEW PUBLICATIONS
The following new publications have been released:
* "The Politics of Party Coalitions in Africa", Denis Kadima (ed), EISA,
2006, 278 pages; the contributors are Roukaya Kasenally, Samson Lembani,
Zefanias Matsimbe and Felix Owuer. The book documents the emergence and
growth of party coalition governments and opposition formations in Africa. A
foreword by former Mauritian President Cassam Uteem is followed by a general
introduction discusses current theoretical work on coalitions. Studies of
Kenya, Mauritius, Malawi South Africa and Mozambique comprise the body of
the text and the work concludes with a comparison of experiences and lessons
learned from them.
Book launch and presentation from the author:
http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/dkbook072006.htm.
Ordering details: http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/catbooks.htm.
* ?Investigating Intra-party Democracy in Lesotho: Focus on Basutoland
Congress Party and Basotho National Party?, Fako Johnson Likoti, 2005, EISA
Occasional Paper 39, 17 pages. The paper looks at the role of political
parties and the extent to which they have embraced and institutionalized
internal democracy. Further more, the paper probes the extent to which
parties promote the consolidation of democracy:
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/op39.pdf.
* ?Election Management and Observation in Southern Africa: A Comparative
Review of Existing Norms, Principles and Guidelines for Democratic
Elections?, Khabele Matlosa, 2006, EISA Occasional Paper 40, 17 pages. This
paper explores critical comparative insights of the value of instruments
whose main thrust is to establish a code of ethics for ensuring best
practice in election management and observation in Africa in general and
Southern Africa in particular: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/op40.pdf..
* ?Election Update South Africa: Local Government Elections 2006?:
No 1: Pre-Election Political and Constitutional Setting":
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eusa200601.pdf;
No 2: Local Government Election Day I":
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eusa200602.pdf;
No 3: Local Government Election Day II":
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eusa200603.pdf.
* ?EISA Observer Mission: The 2005 Constitutional Referendum in the DRC/Le
R?f?rendum Constitutionnel en RDC, 18-19 December 2005?; French and
English?: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/drc05omr.pdf.
5. POLITICAL PARTIES ? more countries updated
We have improved our party lists and added information on the legal
situation, as far as aspects such as party registration, funding and
campaign codes of conduct are concerned, for the following countries:
* Botswana: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/botparties.htm.
* Malawi: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/malparties.htm
.
* Namibia : http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/namparties.htm
* Mozambique: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/mozparties.htm
.
* South Africa: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/souparties.htm
* Zimbabwe: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/zimparties.htm.
6. REGIONAL ROUNDUP
The Regional Roundup e-mail news-clipping service has been expanded to
provide the latest election and related news for all the countries of
sub-Saharan Africa. Readers can subscribe by sending an email to
rr@eisa.org.za.
Regards
Deane and Alka
EISA web team
------------------
Deane Stuart
Researcher (ICT), EISA
deane@eisa.org.za
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 5495
fax +27 8660 32669
EISA - Promoting Credible Elections and
Democratic Governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Aug 2 16:31:20 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007
Subject: [Eisa] Symposium dates - changed
Message-ID: <20060802142136.AE685AC96D@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
Please note that the dates for the EISA Symposium are 8-10 November, 2006,
and not October as stated in our recent newsletter. More information about
the Symposium is available form the EISA web site.
Regards
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Aug 2 16:30:09 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007
Subject: [Eisa] =?iso-8859-1?q?DRC_Elections=3A_EISA_Observer_Mission_int?=
=?iso-8859-1?q?erim_press_statement_and_d=E9claration_pr=E9liminai?=
=?iso-8859-1?q?re?=
Message-ID: <20060802142020.DFD9BAC9BB@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
EISA Regional Election Observer Mission to the DRC: Press Release and
D?claration Pr?liminaire
In response to an invitation extended by the Commission Electorale
Independante (CEI), EISA successfully deployed an observer mission to the
Presidential and Parliamentary Elections held in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC) on Sunday 30 July 2006. The Mission has made a preliminary
assessment of the poll and its findings and recommendations are presented in
an interim press statement (English). A more detailed interim statement is
available in French and an English version will be available shortly.
Download the D?claration Pr?liminaire:
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/rdc06dp.pdf
Read the English press release on the web:
http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060802.htm
The full text of the English press release is displayed below:
In response to an invitation extended by the Commission Electorale
Independante (CEI), EISA successfully deployed an observer mission to the
Presidential and Parliamentary Elections held in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC) on Sunday 30 July 2006.
The Mission has made a preliminary assessment of the poll and its findings
and recommendations are presented in this interim press statement. Our
observations and views regarding the electoral process in the DRC are based
on the guidelines enshrined in the Principles for Election Management,
Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO).
The Mission was a short-term observation assignment and consisted of 30
members, including representatives from Electoral Commissions, Civil Society
Organisations and Political Parties from Angola, C?te d?Ivoire, Lesotho,
Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, the
Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. EISA deployed 13 observer
teams across all the provinces.
This is a preliminary summary of the findings of the mission:
* Major challenges of logistical and financial resources for the CEI to run
the election.
* Certain political parties as well as independent candidates feel that
access to State-owned media was unbalanced while access to private media was
restrictive and prohibitive.
* There were isolated cases of violent clashes involving security forces and
some political formations during the campaign. However this was not a
generalised trend.
* The Mission is satisfied that the polling arrangements were of such a
nature as to ensure and assure the secrecy of the ballot. Generally
speaking, polling officials conducted themselves in an efficient manner.
* Although the polling process was not perfect, on balance, the Mission is
of the view that these imperfections were not of such a nature so as to
jeopardise the outcome of the process, or to put in doubt its sincerity and
integrity. These complaints relate mostly to the availability and
shortcomings in the electoral lists and registration cards.
* Inconsistencies in levels of staff performance, in particular for the
counting process. The Legislative ballot, given its size and bulk, was
difficult to handle both by the voters and the electoral staff.
* Parties were not as effective as they should have been in regard to voter
and civic education. In addition some party witnesses did not display a
thorough knowledge of the voting and counting process.
* The Mission noted, however, that while the constitutional provision for
gender equality exists, this was not reflected in the actual practice.
The mission has made recommendations which can be found in our interim
statement and will be discussed more fully in our final report. We will not
be able to observe the compilation of the counting process and the
announcement of the final outcome.
On the basis of its observation and using the guidelines enshrined in the
PEMMO, the EISA Election Observer Mission concludes that the Presidential
and Parliamentary Elections held on 30 July 2006 in the DRC were conducted
in a manner that allowed the people of the DRC to express their democratic
choice without hindrance.
The Mission wishes to congratulate the CEI for successfully meeting the
daunting challenge of a complex election.
The Mission also encourages the people of the DRC in their desire to
strengthen their democratic institutions and to make use of the institutions
provided for in the event of any election related disputes.
Yusuf Aboobaker S.C.
Mission Leader EISA Observation Mission
DRC Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, 2 August 2006
Contacts:
Belinda Musanhu +243 81 201 6887 or +27 723064558
Robyn Smith +243 81 3691662 or +27828563205
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Thu Aug 3 11:52:21 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007
Subject: [Eisa] DRC Election Observer Mission - Interim Statement (English)
Message-ID: <20060803094233.58401ACA43@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
The English version of the Interim Statement from EISA's Regional Observer
Mission to the DRC 2006 Elections is now available for download from
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/drc06is.pdf
Regards
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Sep 13 11:26:50 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007
Subject: [Eisa] Electoral Observer Mission: Zambia 2006
Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAE12475B@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za>
EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Zambia 2006 Tripartite Elections
EISA hereby launches its Regional Election Observer Mission for the
upcoming Tripartite Elections due to be held in Zambia on 28 September,
2006. Leading the delegation is Mr Abel Leshele Thoahlane, Chairperson
of the Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho. The mission will be
composed of 15 members drawn from civil society organisations, election
management bodies and academic institutions from various SADC countries,
namely Namibia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa and
Angola.
The mission's assessment will be based on the EISA/ECF Principles on
Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region
(PEMMO) which were launched in Zambia on 24 March 2006. It should be
recalled that these principles, which were adopted in November 2003,
were drafted in consultation with all Electoral Commissions in the SADC
region as well as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who work in the
elections field. PEMMO gives the region an objective basis in terms of
which to conduct and assess elections.
The mission is expected to arrive in Zambia on September 21, 2006 in
order to hold a series of meetings with election stakeholders, including
the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), Political Parties, CSOs and
academics, ahead of Election Day. The mission will remain in the country
until 30 September 2006, after observing the voting and counting
processes as well as post-polling activities. The mission will cover
selected rural and urban areas in Zambia.
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.
Issued by EISA
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Sep 26 12:18:44 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Feb 27 14:11:01 2007
Subject: [Eisa] EISA Observer Mission, Zambia - Arrival Statement
Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAE15C3F3@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za>
EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Zambia 2006 Tripartite Elections -
Arrival Statement
26 September 2006
http://www.eisa.org.za
EISA is pleased to announce the official launch of its Election Observer
Mission to the 2006 Tripartite Elections in Zambia scheduled for
Thursday 28 September 2006. The Mission, which is led by Mr Abel Leshele
Thoahlane, Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission of
Lesotho and of the EISA Board of Directors, is in the country at the
invitation of the Electoral Commission of Zambia. Mr Denis Kadima,
EISA's Executive Director, is the Deputy Mission Leader.
The EISA Mission consists of 14 members, including representatives from
electoral commissions and civil society organisations (CSOs) from
different countries (namely, Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of
Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, Portugal, South Africa, Zanzibar and
Zimbabwe). The mission is based at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka.
The overall objective of the Mission is in line with EISA's vision of
promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa.
Specific objectives for this particular Mission include the following:
* To assess whether conditions exist for the conduct of elections
that allow the people of Zambia to freely express their will;
* To assess and determine whether the elections are conducted in
accordance with the electoral legislative framework for elections in
Zambia;
* To determine whether the final results of the electoral process as
a whole reflect the wishes of the people of Zambia;
* To assess whether the elections meet the benchmarks set out in the
Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the
SADC Region (PEMMO), developed under the auspices of EISA and the
Electoral Commissions Forum (ECF) of SADC countries.
PEMMO was produced after 3 years of work by the ECF and EISA, in
consultation with CSOs who work in the field of elections. Subsequently,
the election principles, which serve as benchmarks in the conduct and
assessment of elections in the SADC region, were adopted on 6 November
2003 in Johannesburg, South Africa. PEMMO has been applied for the
assessment of all elections held since April 2004 to date in the SADC
region.
On Sunday 24 September 2006, EISA will deploy teams throughout selected
provinces in Zambia where they will meet electoral stakeholders,
including electoral officials, representatives of political parties,
CSOs and the voters ahead of the elections. On Election Day, 28
September, the EISA teams will observe the voting and counting
processes.
On Friday 29 September 2006, all EISA Teams will reconvene in Lusaka
where an interim statement expressing the Mission's preliminary views
and recommendations on the 2006 Tripartite Elections in Zambia will be
issued. The principles enshrined in the PEMMO will be taken into account
to direct the Mission's observations on the polling and results
processes, as well as the electoral environment as a whole. The EISA
Mission will remain in Lusaka until Tuesday 3 October 2006 in order to
observe post-polling activities, including the announcement of results.
The Mission undertakes to cooperate closely with the Zambian electoral
stakeholders and other observers, and strives to act, at every stage of
the electoral process under scrutiny, with impartiality, objectivity and
independence.
EISA is a regional non-profit organisation established in 1996 and
headquartered in Johannesburg South Africa with field offices in Angola
(Luanda) the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa) and Mozambique
(Maputo) The vision of the organisation is to promote credible elections
and democratic governance throughout Africa. This vision is executed
through the organisational mission: to strengthen electoral processes,
good governance, human rights and democratic values through research,
capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. EISA
services electoral commissions, political parties, civil society
organisations, governments and other institutions operating in the
democracy and governance fields in Africa.
Contact the EISA Mission Secretariat
The Secretariat is based at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lusaka and can
be contacted on the following numbers:
Ms Belinda Musanhu, EISA Mission Coordinator, +260 99127593
Nosipho Mokoena, +260 99827633
Zahira Seedat, +260 99774965
Lucky Sichula, +260 97864038
Abel Leshele Thoahlane
Mission Leader
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri Jul 21 16:26:54 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007
Subject: [Eisa] DRC Election Update 2006, No. 1
Message-ID: <20060721141754.E44E1ACA92@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
The latest in EISA's Election Update Series can be downloaded from our web
site.
The DRC's forthcoming, historic elections at the end of this month have
aroused worldwide interest. Read more about the background to and political
context surrounding this event in EISA's Election Update DRC 2006, Number 1.
Available for free download from the EISA web site at
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/cateu.htm
More information about the DRC, and EISA's country office there, is
available on our web site at www.eisa.org.za/WEP/drc.htm
Regards
Alka
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Jul 25 10:50:51 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007
Subject: [Eisa] Election Update 2006 DRC No 1 - French
Message-ID: <20060725084208.5F9D7AC60B@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
This Election Update is now available in French - download the English or
French version from the EISA web site at
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/cateu.htm
Regards
Alka
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Thu Jul 27 16:24:31 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007
Subject: [Eisa] =?iso-8859-1?q?EISA_DRC_Observer_Mission=3A_Arrival_State?=
=?iso-8859-1?q?ment/Communiqu=E9?=
Message-ID: <20060727141509.A00FEAC859@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
The EISA Regional Observer Mission to the historic DRC Presidential and
Parliamentary Elections on 30 July 2006 will deploy several teams throughout
the country to observe the elections and post-polling activities.
Read more about the Mission activities on the EISA web site at:
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727.htm [English] OR
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727.htm [Fran?ais]
Regards
Alka
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri Jul 28 16:06:54 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007
Subject: [Eisa] EISA Newsletter July 2006-07-28
Message-ID: <20060728164231.6D544AC8D0@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
EISA NEWSLETTER JULY 2006-07-28
This is the second of our newsletters detailing upcoming events and new
resources available on our web site.
1. SYMPOSIUM ON DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT / ACE Southern Africa launch
As part of the celebration activities marking its tenth anniversary, EISA
will hold its First Annual Symposium in Johannesburg from 18 to 20 October
2006 with the theme ?Challenges for Democratic Governance and Human
Development in Africa?. Participants will deliberate on progress made in the
pursuit of democratic governance and human development and interrogate the
challenges that remain. The goal is to make concrete policy recommendations
for tackling these challenges: http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/researchscp.htm.
The official launch of the ACE Knowledge Network in Southern Africa will
take place on the eve of the Symposium. EISA is a content development
partner for ACE. The ACE Knowledge Network may be found at
http://www.aceproject.org .
2. DRC ELECTIONS 30 JULY 2006
For information on the elections and EISA?s involvement see:
* EISA launched its Regional Election Observer Mission for the forthcoming
DRC Parliamentary and Presidential Elections to be held on 30 July 2006:
Mission launch statement: http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060606.htm.
Mission arrival statement (English):
http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727.htm.
Communiqu? (French): http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727f.htm
.
Further information: Ms Belinda Musanhu, Mission Coordinator, on +243 (0)81
201 6887.
* EISA Election Update 2006: Democratic Republic of Congo, 1, 20 July 2006,
Compiled by
Dr Gaston Kalombo, is available in French and English. It provides
information on the electoral process, the state of preparedness for the
election and the pre-election processes:
French: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eu200601rdcf.pdf
English: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eu200601rdc.pdf.
* Further information on the DRC and the elections visit our web pages on
the DRC which have recently been substantially expanded and updated:
http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/drc.htm.
3. ANGOLA: SEMINAR ON PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF ELECTORAL CONFLICT
A seminar was held in Luanda on the 3rd - 7th July 2006 to facilitate a
national Angolan process that will create capacity at all levels and will
hopefully pave the way towards the establishment of formal or informal
conflict management mechanisms that safeguard the integrity of the electoral
process. The seminar included:
* Training of trainers to familiarise Angolan electoral stakeholders with
the prevention and management of electoral conflict so that they act jointly
in identifying and resolving problems;
* Sharing experiences from other SADC countries in the prevention and
management of electoral conflict, most especially in post-conflict
countries;
* Exploring the best way to adapt the SADC experiences and lessons learned
to the Angolan environment in order to establish conditions for a
transparent and credible electoral process.
See http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/aa2006ec.htm.
4. NEW PUBLICATIONS
The following new publications have been released:
* "The Politics of Party Coalitions in Africa", Denis Kadima (ed), EISA,
2006, 278 pages; the contributors are Roukaya Kasenally, Samson Lembani,
Zefanias Matsimbe and Felix Owuer. The book documents the emergence and
growth of party coalition governments and opposition formations in Africa. A
foreword by former Mauritian President Cassam Uteem is followed by a general
introduction discusses current theoretical work on coalitions. Studies of
Kenya, Mauritius, Malawi South Africa and Mozambique comprise the body of
the text and the work concludes with a comparison of experiences and lessons
learned from them.
Book launch and presentation from the author:
http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/dkbook072006.htm.
Ordering details: http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/catbooks.htm.
* ?Investigating Intra-party Democracy in Lesotho: Focus on Basutoland
Congress Party and Basotho National Party?, Fako Johnson Likoti, 2005, EISA
Occasional Paper 39, 17 pages. The paper looks at the role of political
parties and the extent to which they have embraced and institutionalized
internal democracy. Further more, the paper probes the extent to which
parties promote the consolidation of democracy:
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/op39.pdf.
* ?Election Management and Observation in Southern Africa: A Comparative
Review of Existing Norms, Principles and Guidelines for Democratic
Elections?, Khabele Matlosa, 2006, EISA Occasional Paper 40, 17 pages. This
paper explores critical comparative insights of the value of instruments
whose main thrust is to establish a code of ethics for ensuring best
practice in election management and observation in Africa in general and
Southern Africa in particular: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/op40.pdf..
* ?Election Update South Africa: Local Government Elections 2006?:
No 1: Pre-Election Political and Constitutional Setting":
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eusa200601.pdf;
No 2: Local Government Election Day I":
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eusa200602.pdf;
No 3: Local Government Election Day II":
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eusa200603.pdf.
* ?EISA Observer Mission: The 2005 Constitutional Referendum in the DRC/Le
R?f?rendum Constitutionnel en RDC, 18-19 December 2005?; French and
English?: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/drc05omr.pdf.
5. POLITICAL PARTIES ? more countries updated
We have improved our party lists and added information on the legal
situation, as far as aspects such as party registration, funding and
campaign codes of conduct are concerned, for the following countries:
* Botswana: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/botparties.htm.
* Malawi: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/malparties.htm
.
* Namibia : http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/namparties.htm
* Mozambique: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/mozparties.htm
.
* South Africa: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/souparties.htm
* Zimbabwe: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/zimparties.htm.
6. REGIONAL ROUNDUP
The Regional Roundup e-mail news-clipping service has been expanded to
provide the latest election and related news for all the countries of
sub-Saharan Africa. Readers can subscribe by sending an email to
rr@eisa.org.za.
Regards
Deane and Alka
EISA web team
------------------
Deane Stuart
Researcher (ICT), EISA
deane@eisa.org.za
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 5495
fax +27 8660 32669
EISA - Promoting Credible Elections and
Democratic Governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Aug 2 16:31:20 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007
Subject: [Eisa] Symposium dates - changed
Message-ID: <20060802142136.AE685AC96D@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
Please note that the dates for the EISA Symposium are 8-10 November, 2006,
and not October as stated in our recent newsletter. More information about
the Symposium is available form the EISA web site.
Regards
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Aug 2 16:30:09 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007
Subject: [Eisa] =?iso-8859-1?q?DRC_Elections=3A_EISA_Observer_Mission_int?=
=?iso-8859-1?q?erim_press_statement_and_d=E9claration_pr=E9liminai?=
=?iso-8859-1?q?re?=
Message-ID: <20060802142020.DFD9BAC9BB@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
EISA Regional Election Observer Mission to the DRC: Press Release and
D?claration Pr?liminaire
In response to an invitation extended by the Commission Electorale
Independante (CEI), EISA successfully deployed an observer mission to the
Presidential and Parliamentary Elections held in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC) on Sunday 30 July 2006. The Mission has made a preliminary
assessment of the poll and its findings and recommendations are presented in
an interim press statement (English). A more detailed interim statement is
available in French and an English version will be available shortly.
Download the D?claration Pr?liminaire:
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/rdc06dp.pdf
Read the English press release on the web:
http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060802.htm
The full text of the English press release is displayed below:
In response to an invitation extended by the Commission Electorale
Independante (CEI), EISA successfully deployed an observer mission to the
Presidential and Parliamentary Elections held in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC) on Sunday 30 July 2006.
The Mission has made a preliminary assessment of the poll and its findings
and recommendations are presented in this interim press statement. Our
observations and views regarding the electoral process in the DRC are based
on the guidelines enshrined in the Principles for Election Management,
Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO).
The Mission was a short-term observation assignment and consisted of 30
members, including representatives from Electoral Commissions, Civil Society
Organisations and Political Parties from Angola, C?te d?Ivoire, Lesotho,
Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, the
Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. EISA deployed 13 observer
teams across all the provinces.
This is a preliminary summary of the findings of the mission:
* Major challenges of logistical and financial resources for the CEI to run
the election.
* Certain political parties as well as independent candidates feel that
access to State-owned media was unbalanced while access to private media was
restrictive and prohibitive.
* There were isolated cases of violent clashes involving security forces and
some political formations during the campaign. However this was not a
generalised trend.
* The Mission is satisfied that the polling arrangements were of such a
nature as to ensure and assure the secrecy of the ballot. Generally
speaking, polling officials conducted themselves in an efficient manner.
* Although the polling process was not perfect, on balance, the Mission is
of the view that these imperfections were not of such a nature so as to
jeopardise the outcome of the process, or to put in doubt its sincerity and
integrity. These complaints relate mostly to the availability and
shortcomings in the electoral lists and registration cards.
* Inconsistencies in levels of staff performance, in particular for the
counting process. The Legislative ballot, given its size and bulk, was
difficult to handle both by the voters and the electoral staff.
* Parties were not as effective as they should have been in regard to voter
and civic education. In addition some party witnesses did not display a
thorough knowledge of the voting and counting process.
* The Mission noted, however, that while the constitutional provision for
gender equality exists, this was not reflected in the actual practice.
The mission has made recommendations which can be found in our interim
statement and will be discussed more fully in our final report. We will not
be able to observe the compilation of the counting process and the
announcement of the final outcome.
On the basis of its observation and using the guidelines enshrined in the
PEMMO, the EISA Election Observer Mission concludes that the Presidential
and Parliamentary Elections held on 30 July 2006 in the DRC were conducted
in a manner that allowed the people of the DRC to express their democratic
choice without hindrance.
The Mission wishes to congratulate the CEI for successfully meeting the
daunting challenge of a complex election.
The Mission also encourages the people of the DRC in their desire to
strengthen their democratic institutions and to make use of the institutions
provided for in the event of any election related disputes.
Yusuf Aboobaker S.C.
Mission Leader EISA Observation Mission
DRC Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, 2 August 2006
Contacts:
Belinda Musanhu +243 81 201 6887 or +27 723064558
Robyn Smith +243 81 3691662 or +27828563205
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Thu Aug 3 11:52:21 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007
Subject: [Eisa] DRC Election Observer Mission - Interim Statement (English)
Message-ID: <20060803094233.58401ACA43@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
The English version of the Interim Statement from EISA's Regional Observer
Mission to the DRC 2006 Elections is now available for download from
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/drc06is.pdf
Regards
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Sep 13 11:26:50 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007
Subject: [Eisa] Electoral Observer Mission: Zambia 2006
Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAE12475B@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za>
EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Zambia 2006 Tripartite Elections
EISA hereby launches its Regional Election Observer Mission for the
upcoming Tripartite Elections due to be held in Zambia on 28 September,
2006. Leading the delegation is Mr Abel Leshele Thoahlane, Chairperson
of the Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho. The mission will be
composed of 15 members drawn from civil society organisations, election
management bodies and academic institutions from various SADC countries,
namely Namibia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa and
Angola.
The mission's assessment will be based on the EISA/ECF Principles on
Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region
(PEMMO) which were launched in Zambia on 24 March 2006. It should be
recalled that these principles, which were adopted in November 2003,
were drafted in consultation with all Electoral Commissions in the SADC
region as well as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who work in the
elections field. PEMMO gives the region an objective basis in terms of
which to conduct and assess elections.
The mission is expected to arrive in Zambia on September 21, 2006 in
order to hold a series of meetings with election stakeholders, including
the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), Political Parties, CSOs and
academics, ahead of Election Day. The mission will remain in the country
until 30 September 2006, after observing the voting and counting
processes as well as post-polling activities. The mission will cover
selected rural and urban areas in Zambia.
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.
Issued by EISA
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Sep 26 12:18:44 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Tue Apr 17 18:14:34 2007
Subject: [Eisa] EISA Observer Mission, Zambia - Arrival Statement
Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAE15C3F3@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za>
EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Zambia 2006 Tripartite Elections -
Arrival Statement
26 September 2006
http://www.eisa.org.za
EISA is pleased to announce the official launch of its Election Observer
Mission to the 2006 Tripartite Elections in Zambia scheduled for
Thursday 28 September 2006. The Mission, which is led by Mr Abel Leshele
Thoahlane, Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission of
Lesotho and of the EISA Board of Directors, is in the country at the
invitation of the Electoral Commission of Zambia. Mr Denis Kadima,
EISA's Executive Director, is the Deputy Mission Leader.
The EISA Mission consists of 14 members, including representatives from
electoral commissions and civil society organisations (CSOs) from
different countries (namely, Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of
Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, Portugal, South Africa, Zanzibar and
Zimbabwe). The mission is based at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka.
The overall objective of the Mission is in line with EISA's vision of
promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa.
Specific objectives for this particular Mission include the following:
* To assess whether conditions exist for the conduct of elections
that allow the people of Zambia to freely express their will;
* To assess and determine whether the elections are conducted in
accordance with the electoral legislative framework for elections in
Zambia;
* To determine whether the final results of the electoral process as
a whole reflect the wishes of the people of Zambia;
* To assess whether the elections meet the benchmarks set out in the
Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the
SADC Region (PEMMO), developed under the auspices of EISA and the
Electoral Commissions Forum (ECF) of SADC countries.
PEMMO was produced after 3 years of work by the ECF and EISA, in
consultation with CSOs who work in the field of elections. Subsequently,
the election principles, which serve as benchmarks in the conduct and
assessment of elections in the SADC region, were adopted on 6 November
2003 in Johannesburg, South Africa. PEMMO has been applied for the
assessment of all elections held since April 2004 to date in the SADC
region.
On Sunday 24 September 2006, EISA will deploy teams throughout selected
provinces in Zambia where they will meet electoral stakeholders,
including electoral officials, representatives of political parties,
CSOs and the voters ahead of the elections. On Election Day, 28
September, the EISA teams will observe the voting and counting
processes.
On Friday 29 September 2006, all EISA Teams will reconvene in Lusaka
where an interim statement expressing the Mission's preliminary views
and recommendations on the 2006 Tripartite Elections in Zambia will be
issued. The principles enshrined in the PEMMO will be taken into account
to direct the Mission's observations on the polling and results
processes, as well as the electoral environment as a whole. The EISA
Mission will remain in Lusaka until Tuesday 3 October 2006 in order to
observe post-polling activities, including the announcement of results.
The Mission undertakes to cooperate closely with the Zambian electoral
stakeholders and other observers, and strives to act, at every stage of
the electoral process under scrutiny, with impartiality, objectivity and
independence.
EISA is a regional non-profit organisation established in 1996 and
headquartered in Johannesburg South Africa with field offices in Angola
(Luanda) the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa) and Mozambique
(Maputo) The vision of the organisation is to promote credible elections
and democratic governance throughout Africa. This vision is executed
through the organisational mission: to strengthen electoral processes,
good governance, human rights and democratic values through research,
capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. EISA
services electoral commissions, political parties, civil society
organisations, governments and other institutions operating in the
democracy and governance fields in Africa.
Contact the EISA Mission Secretariat
The Secretariat is based at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lusaka and can
be contacted on the following numbers:
Ms Belinda Musanhu, EISA Mission Coordinator, +260 99127593
Nosipho Mokoena, +260 99827633
Zahira Seedat, +260 99774965
Lucky Sichula, +260 97864038
Abel Leshele Thoahlane
Mission Leader
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri Jul 21 16:26:54 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007
Subject: [Eisa] DRC Election Update 2006, No. 1
Message-ID: <20060721141754.E44E1ACA92@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
The latest in EISA's Election Update Series can be downloaded from our web
site.
The DRC's forthcoming, historic elections at the end of this month have
aroused worldwide interest. Read more about the background to and political
context surrounding this event in EISA's Election Update DRC 2006, Number 1.
Available for free download from the EISA web site at
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/cateu.htm
More information about the DRC, and EISA's country office there, is
available on our web site at www.eisa.org.za/WEP/drc.htm
Regards
Alka
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Jul 25 10:50:51 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007
Subject: [Eisa] Election Update 2006 DRC No 1 - French
Message-ID: <20060725084208.5F9D7AC60B@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
This Election Update is now available in French - download the English or
French version from the EISA web site at
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/cateu.htm
Regards
Alka
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Thu Jul 27 16:24:31 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007
Subject: [Eisa] =?iso-8859-1?q?EISA_DRC_Observer_Mission=3A_Arrival_State?=
=?iso-8859-1?q?ment/Communiqu=E9?=
Message-ID: <20060727141509.A00FEAC859@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
The EISA Regional Observer Mission to the historic DRC Presidential and
Parliamentary Elections on 30 July 2006 will deploy several teams throughout
the country to observe the elections and post-polling activities.
Read more about the Mission activities on the EISA web site at:
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727.htm [English] OR
www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727.htm [Fran?ais]
Regards
Alka
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri Jul 28 16:06:54 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007
Subject: [Eisa] EISA Newsletter July 2006-07-28
Message-ID: <20060728164231.6D544AC8D0@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
EISA NEWSLETTER JULY 2006-07-28
This is the second of our newsletters detailing upcoming events and new
resources available on our web site.
1. SYMPOSIUM ON DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT / ACE Southern Africa launch
As part of the celebration activities marking its tenth anniversary, EISA
will hold its First Annual Symposium in Johannesburg from 18 to 20 October
2006 with the theme ?Challenges for Democratic Governance and Human
Development in Africa?. Participants will deliberate on progress made in the
pursuit of democratic governance and human development and interrogate the
challenges that remain. The goal is to make concrete policy recommendations
for tackling these challenges: http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/researchscp.htm.
The official launch of the ACE Knowledge Network in Southern Africa will
take place on the eve of the Symposium. EISA is a content development
partner for ACE. The ACE Knowledge Network may be found at
http://www.aceproject.org .
2. DRC ELECTIONS 30 JULY 2006
For information on the elections and EISA?s involvement see:
* EISA launched its Regional Election Observer Mission for the forthcoming
DRC Parliamentary and Presidential Elections to be held on 30 July 2006:
Mission launch statement: http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060606.htm.
Mission arrival statement (English):
http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727.htm.
Communiqu? (French): http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060727f.htm
.
Further information: Ms Belinda Musanhu, Mission Coordinator, on +243 (0)81
201 6887.
* EISA Election Update 2006: Democratic Republic of Congo, 1, 20 July 2006,
Compiled by
Dr Gaston Kalombo, is available in French and English. It provides
information on the electoral process, the state of preparedness for the
election and the pre-election processes:
French: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eu200601rdcf.pdf
English: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eu200601rdc.pdf.
* Further information on the DRC and the elections visit our web pages on
the DRC which have recently been substantially expanded and updated:
http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/drc.htm.
3. ANGOLA: SEMINAR ON PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF ELECTORAL CONFLICT
A seminar was held in Luanda on the 3rd - 7th July 2006 to facilitate a
national Angolan process that will create capacity at all levels and will
hopefully pave the way towards the establishment of formal or informal
conflict management mechanisms that safeguard the integrity of the electoral
process. The seminar included:
* Training of trainers to familiarise Angolan electoral stakeholders with
the prevention and management of electoral conflict so that they act jointly
in identifying and resolving problems;
* Sharing experiences from other SADC countries in the prevention and
management of electoral conflict, most especially in post-conflict
countries;
* Exploring the best way to adapt the SADC experiences and lessons learned
to the Angolan environment in order to establish conditions for a
transparent and credible electoral process.
See http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/aa2006ec.htm.
4. NEW PUBLICATIONS
The following new publications have been released:
* "The Politics of Party Coalitions in Africa", Denis Kadima (ed), EISA,
2006, 278 pages; the contributors are Roukaya Kasenally, Samson Lembani,
Zefanias Matsimbe and Felix Owuer. The book documents the emergence and
growth of party coalition governments and opposition formations in Africa. A
foreword by former Mauritian President Cassam Uteem is followed by a general
introduction discusses current theoretical work on coalitions. Studies of
Kenya, Mauritius, Malawi South Africa and Mozambique comprise the body of
the text and the work concludes with a comparison of experiences and lessons
learned from them.
Book launch and presentation from the author:
http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/dkbook072006.htm.
Ordering details: http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/catbooks.htm.
* ?Investigating Intra-party Democracy in Lesotho: Focus on Basutoland
Congress Party and Basotho National Party?, Fako Johnson Likoti, 2005, EISA
Occasional Paper 39, 17 pages. The paper looks at the role of political
parties and the extent to which they have embraced and institutionalized
internal democracy. Further more, the paper probes the extent to which
parties promote the consolidation of democracy:
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/op39.pdf.
* ?Election Management and Observation in Southern Africa: A Comparative
Review of Existing Norms, Principles and Guidelines for Democratic
Elections?, Khabele Matlosa, 2006, EISA Occasional Paper 40, 17 pages. This
paper explores critical comparative insights of the value of instruments
whose main thrust is to establish a code of ethics for ensuring best
practice in election management and observation in Africa in general and
Southern Africa in particular: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/op40.pdf..
* ?Election Update South Africa: Local Government Elections 2006?:
No 1: Pre-Election Political and Constitutional Setting":
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eusa200601.pdf;
No 2: Local Government Election Day I":
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eusa200602.pdf;
No 3: Local Government Election Day II":
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eusa200603.pdf.
* ?EISA Observer Mission: The 2005 Constitutional Referendum in the DRC/Le
R?f?rendum Constitutionnel en RDC, 18-19 December 2005?; French and
English?: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/drc05omr.pdf.
5. POLITICAL PARTIES ? more countries updated
We have improved our party lists and added information on the legal
situation, as far as aspects such as party registration, funding and
campaign codes of conduct are concerned, for the following countries:
* Botswana: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/botparties.htm.
* Malawi: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/malparties.htm
.
* Namibia : http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/namparties.htm
* Mozambique: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/mozparties.htm
.
* South Africa: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/souparties.htm
* Zimbabwe: http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/zimparties.htm.
6. REGIONAL ROUNDUP
The Regional Roundup e-mail news-clipping service has been expanded to
provide the latest election and related news for all the countries of
sub-Saharan Africa. Readers can subscribe by sending an email to
rr@eisa.org.za.
Regards
Deane and Alka
EISA web team
------------------
Deane Stuart
Researcher (ICT), EISA
deane@eisa.org.za
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 5495
fax +27 8660 32669
EISA - Promoting Credible Elections and
Democratic Governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Aug 2 16:31:20 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007
Subject: [Eisa] Symposium dates - changed
Message-ID: <20060802142136.AE685AC96D@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
Please note that the dates for the EISA Symposium are 8-10 November, 2006,
and not October as stated in our recent newsletter. More information about
the Symposium is available form the EISA web site.
Regards
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Aug 2 16:30:09 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007
Subject: [Eisa] =?iso-8859-1?q?DRC_Elections=3A_EISA_Observer_Mission_int?=
=?iso-8859-1?q?erim_press_statement_and_d=E9claration_pr=E9liminai?=
=?iso-8859-1?q?re?=
Message-ID: <20060802142020.DFD9BAC9BB@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
EISA Regional Election Observer Mission to the DRC: Press Release and
D?claration Pr?liminaire
In response to an invitation extended by the Commission Electorale
Independante (CEI), EISA successfully deployed an observer mission to the
Presidential and Parliamentary Elections held in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC) on Sunday 30 July 2006. The Mission has made a preliminary
assessment of the poll and its findings and recommendations are presented in
an interim press statement (English). A more detailed interim statement is
available in French and an English version will be available shortly.
Download the D?claration Pr?liminaire:
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/rdc06dp.pdf
Read the English press release on the web:
http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20060802.htm
The full text of the English press release is displayed below:
In response to an invitation extended by the Commission Electorale
Independante (CEI), EISA successfully deployed an observer mission to the
Presidential and Parliamentary Elections held in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC) on Sunday 30 July 2006.
The Mission has made a preliminary assessment of the poll and its findings
and recommendations are presented in this interim press statement. Our
observations and views regarding the electoral process in the DRC are based
on the guidelines enshrined in the Principles for Election Management,
Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO).
The Mission was a short-term observation assignment and consisted of 30
members, including representatives from Electoral Commissions, Civil Society
Organisations and Political Parties from Angola, C?te d?Ivoire, Lesotho,
Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, the
Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. EISA deployed 13 observer
teams across all the provinces.
This is a preliminary summary of the findings of the mission:
* Major challenges of logistical and financial resources for the CEI to run
the election.
* Certain political parties as well as independent candidates feel that
access to State-owned media was unbalanced while access to private media was
restrictive and prohibitive.
* There were isolated cases of violent clashes involving security forces and
some political formations during the campaign. However this was not a
generalised trend.
* The Mission is satisfied that the polling arrangements were of such a
nature as to ensure and assure the secrecy of the ballot. Generally
speaking, polling officials conducted themselves in an efficient manner.
* Although the polling process was not perfect, on balance, the Mission is
of the view that these imperfections were not of such a nature so as to
jeopardise the outcome of the process, or to put in doubt its sincerity and
integrity. These complaints relate mostly to the availability and
shortcomings in the electoral lists and registration cards.
* Inconsistencies in levels of staff performance, in particular for the
counting process. The Legislative ballot, given its size and bulk, was
difficult to handle both by the voters and the electoral staff.
* Parties were not as effective as they should have been in regard to voter
and civic education. In addition some party witnesses did not display a
thorough knowledge of the voting and counting process.
* The Mission noted, however, that while the constitutional provision for
gender equality exists, this was not reflected in the actual practice.
The mission has made recommendations which can be found in our interim
statement and will be discussed more fully in our final report. We will not
be able to observe the compilation of the counting process and the
announcement of the final outcome.
On the basis of its observation and using the guidelines enshrined in the
PEMMO, the EISA Election Observer Mission concludes that the Presidential
and Parliamentary Elections held on 30 July 2006 in the DRC were conducted
in a manner that allowed the people of the DRC to express their democratic
choice without hindrance.
The Mission wishes to congratulate the CEI for successfully meeting the
daunting challenge of a complex election.
The Mission also encourages the people of the DRC in their desire to
strengthen their democratic institutions and to make use of the institutions
provided for in the event of any election related disputes.
Yusuf Aboobaker S.C.
Mission Leader EISA Observation Mission
DRC Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, 2 August 2006
Contacts:
Belinda Musanhu +243 81 201 6887 or +27 723064558
Robyn Smith +243 81 3691662 or +27828563205
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Thu Aug 3 11:52:21 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007
Subject: [Eisa] DRC Election Observer Mission - Interim Statement (English)
Message-ID: <20060803094233.58401ACA43@mx01.sangonet.org.za>
The English version of the Interim Statement from EISA's Regional Observer
Mission to the DRC 2006 Elections is now available for download from
http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/drc06is.pdf
Regards
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Sep 13 11:26:50 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007
Subject: [Eisa] Electoral Observer Mission: Zambia 2006
Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAE12475B@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za>
EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Zambia 2006 Tripartite Elections
EISA hereby launches its Regional Election Observer Mission for the
upcoming Tripartite Elections due to be held in Zambia on 28 September,
2006. Leading the delegation is Mr Abel Leshele Thoahlane, Chairperson
of the Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho. The mission will be
composed of 15 members drawn from civil society organisations, election
management bodies and academic institutions from various SADC countries,
namely Namibia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa and
Angola.
The mission's assessment will be based on the EISA/ECF Principles on
Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region
(PEMMO) which were launched in Zambia on 24 March 2006. It should be
recalled that these principles, which were adopted in November 2003,
were drafted in consultation with all Electoral Commissions in the SADC
region as well as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who work in the
elections field. PEMMO gives the region an objective basis in terms of
which to conduct and assess elections.
The mission is expected to arrive in Zambia on September 21, 2006 in
order to hold a series of meetings with election stakeholders, including
the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), Political Parties, CSOs and
academics, ahead of Election Day. The mission will remain in the country
until 30 September 2006, after observing the voting and counting
processes as well as post-polling activities. The mission will cover
selected rural and urban areas in Zambia.
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.
Issued by EISA
Alka Larkan-Grobler
Senior Programme Officer, ICT
EISA
http://www.eisa.org.za
tel +27 11 482 54 95
fax +27 11 482 61 63
EISA - Promoting credible elections and
democratic governance in Africa
EISA has moved to 14 Park Rd, Richmond, Johannesburg
From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Sep 26 12:18:44 2006
From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org)
Date: Wed May 23 11:00:14 2007
Subject: [Eisa] EISA Observer Mission, Zambia - Arrival Statement
Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAE15C3F3@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za>
EISA Regional Observer Mission to the Zambia 2006 Tripartite Elections -
Arrival Statement
26 September 2006
http://www.eisa.org.za
EISA is pleased to announce the official launch of its Election Observer
Mission to the 2006 Tripartite Elections in Zambia scheduled for
Thursday 28 September 2006. The Mission, which is led by Mr Abel Leshele
Thoahlane, Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission of
Lesotho and of the EISA Board of Directors, is in the country at the
invitation of the Electoral Commission of Zambia. Mr Denis Kadima,
EISA's Executive Director, is the Deputy Mission Leader.
The EISA Mission consists of 14 members, including representatives from
electoral commissions and civil society organisations (CSOs) from
different countries (namely, Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of
Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, Portugal, South Africa, Zanzibar and
Zimbabwe). The mission is based at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka.
The overall objective of the Mission is in line with EISA's vision of
promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa.
Specific objectives for this particular Mission include the following:
* To assess whether conditions exist for the conduct of elections
that allow the people of Zambia to freely express their will;
* To assess and determine whether the elections are conducted in
accordance with the electoral legislative framework for elections in
Zambia;
* To determine whether the final results of the electoral process as
a whole reflect the wishes of the people of Zambia;
* To assess whether the elections meet the benchmarks set out in the
Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the
SADC Region (PEMMO), developed under the auspices of EISA and the
Electoral Commissions Forum (ECF) of SADC countries.
PEMMO was produced after 3 years of work by the ECF and EISA, in
consultation with CSOs who work in the field of elections. Subsequently,
the election principles, which serve as benchmarks in the conduct and
assessment of elections in the SADC region, were adopted on 6 November
2003 in Johannesburg, South Africa. PEMMO has been applied for the
assessment of all elections held since April 2004 to date in the SADC
region.
On Sunday 24 September 2006, EISA will deploy teams throughout selected
provinces in Zambia where they will meet electoral stakeholders,
including electoral officials, representatives of political parties,
CSOs and the voters ahead of the elections. On Election Day, 28
September, the EISA teams will observe the voting and counting
processes.
On Friday 29 September 2006, all EISA Teams will reconvene in Lusaka
where an interim statement expressing the Mission's preliminary views
and recommendations on the 2006 Tripartite Elections in Zambia will be
issued. The principles enshrined in the PEMMO will be taken into account
to direct the Mission's observations on the polling and results
processes, as well as the electoral environment as a whole. The EISA
Mission will remain in Lusaka until Tuesday 3 October 2006 in order to
observe post-polling activities, including the announcement of results.
The Mission undertakes to cooperate closely with the Zambian electoral
stakeholders and other observers, and strives to act, at every stage of
the electoral process under scrutiny, with impartiality, objectivity and
independence.
EISA is a regional non-profit organisation established in 1996 and
headquartered in Johannesburg South Africa with field offices in Angola
(Luanda) the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa) and Mozambique
(Maputo) The vision of the organisation is to promote credible elections
and democratic governance throughout Africa. This vision is executed
through the organisational mission: to strengthen electoral processes,
good governance, human rights and democratic values through research,
capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. EISA
services electoral commissions, political parties, civil society
organisations, governments and other institutions operating in the
democracy and governance fields in Africa.
Contact the EISA Mission Secretariat
The Secretariat is based at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lusaka and can
be contacted on the following numbers:
Ms Belinda Musanhu, EISA Mission Coordinator, +260 99127593
Nosipho Mokoena, +260 99827633
Zahira Seedat, +260 99774965
Lucky Sichula, +260 97864038
Abel Leshele Thoahlane
Mission Leader