From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Oct 8 13:17:43 2008 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Thu Oct 9 09:00:21 2008 Subject: [Eisa] Election Observer Mission - Zambian Presidential Election 2008 Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAEAF2939@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za> EISA Election Observer Mission to the 2008 Zambian Presidential Election 8 October 2008 EISA hereby launches its election observer mission to the forthcoming Presidential Elections in Zambia which will be held on 30 October 2008. Leading the delegation is Mr Abel Leshele Thoahlane, Chairperson of the EISA Board of Directors and Former Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho. The mission will consist of 20 members drawn from civil society organisations in all regions of Africa. The mission's assessment will be based on the EISA/ECF Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO) which were officially adopted in South Africa on 6 November 2003 and launched in Zambia on 24 March 2006. The Principles were drafted in consultation with all electoral commissions in the SADC region, as well as civil society organisations (CSOs) working in the field of elections. PEMMO provides the region with an objective basis for the conduct and assessment of elections. The mission is expected to arrive in Lusaka on 20 October 2008 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 05 November 2008, 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 organisation 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. http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr20081008.htm -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/eisa/attachments/20081008/4362961c/attachment.htm From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Tue Oct 14 15:23:54 2008 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Tue Oct 14 15:29:18 2008 Subject: [Eisa] EISA Launch: Mapping Democracy Project Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAEAF3195@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za> EISA Mapping Democracy Project - Launch EISA is pleased to announce the launch of its Mapping Democracy Project. The project was conceived with the intention of enabling stakeholders to mine EISA data resources and gain an overview of major EISA programme activities through the use of interactive maps accessed via the internet. The use of interactive maps has the advantage of representing complex data that can be viewed and assessed in a glance. Certain maps may be manipulated by the user to display specific information. In this way the reader is able to extract what is relevant to him or her without searching through overwhelming amounts of data. To this end EISA's ICT department underwent training by Sean O'Connor, an independent consultant, to acquire the necessary skills. In the process a number of maps have been produced and are now available on the EISA web site. These include maps of the Election calendar for Africa (2008), gender representation in SADC Parliaments and a map of conflict incidents in the Sudan for the period June 2008, amongst others. Explore EISA maps at http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/maps.htm EISA programme staff have found these maps invaluable as an aid to presentations and workshops. They are ideally suited to support analysis and provide situational overviews. As new tools become available and new skills are acquired, the EISA team will expand the range of data mapped and improve the degree of interactivity of the maps. We look forward to your input. We welcome comments and suggestions. This project was made possible by the kind support of the Open Society Foundation - South Africa. Alka Larkan Senior Programme Officer, ICT http://www.eisa.org.za tel +27 11 482 54 95 fax +27 (0)86 604 18 61 EISA - Promoting credible elections and democratic governance in Africa -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/eisa/attachments/20081014/7222761a/attachment.htm From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Mon Oct 20 09:52:11 2008 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Mon Oct 20 10:55:04 2008 Subject: [Eisa] 3 Vacancies at EISA Head Office Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAEB28D8E@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za> Vacancies at EISA EISA is a not for profit section 21 company, established in 1996. Its head office is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The organisation has field offices in the C?te d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mozambique and Sudan. Its mission is to strive for excellence in the promotion of credible elections, participatory democracy, human rights culture, and the strengthening of governance institutions for the consolidation of democracy in Africa. EISA services electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations and other institutions operating in the Democracy and Governance fields throughout Africa. The organisation is recruiting professional staff for a period of three years (renewable) to fill three vacancies. All the positions are based in Johannesburg. Qualified South African and other African nationals are encouraged to apply. EISA offers a competitive remuneration package based on qualifications and experience. There are three vacancies at EISA Head Office in Johannesburg, South Africa. Click on the links below to read more: * Manager - Governance Institutions and Processes Department http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/jobsgm.htm * Programme Officer - Elections and Political Processes Department http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/jobsepo.htm * Field Office Support - Programme Officer http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/jobsfospo.htm Applications Applications, including a r?sum? with three referees and their contactable telephone numbers and email addresses, should be sent to Director of Operations Fax +27 11 482 61 63 Email applications@eisa.org.za or P.O. Box 740, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa Closing date for submission of applications is Friday, 31 October 2008. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. EISA reserves the right not to appoint. EISA - Promoting credible elections & democratic governance in Africa -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/eisa/attachments/20081020/4101b64c/attachment.html From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Oct 22 11:27:03 2008 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Wed Oct 22 12:02:29 2008 Subject: [Eisa] Book launch 22 October 2008 Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAEB28F12@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za> Skipped content of type multipart/alternative-------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 9046 bytes Desc: ab08big.jpg Url : http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/eisa/attachments/20081022/0c1ab3fe/attachment-0002.jpe -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 3699 bytes Desc: dp08big.jpg Url : http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/eisa/attachments/20081022/0c1ab3fe/attachment-0003.jpe From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Fri Nov 14 08:38:30 2008 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Fri Nov 14 08:41:55 2008 Subject: [Eisa] Press release - 2008 Zambia Presidential & Parliamentary By Elections Observer Mission Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAEB76AEA@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za> EISA Regional Observer Mission to the 2008 Zambia Presidential & Parliamentary By Elections Press release http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/pr10081103.htm Mission interim statement: http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/zamis2008.pdf In response to an invitation extended by the Government of Zambia, the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) deployed a short term Observer Mission to the Presidential and Mwansabombwe and Ndola Central Parliamentary By Elections in Zambia of 30th October 2008. Under the leadership of Mr Leshele Thoahlane, Chairperson of the EISA Board of Directors and Former Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho, the EISA Election Observer Mission consisted of 20 members from different African countries, namely Algeria, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, and Zimbabwe. After a pre deployment orientation and briefing workshop in Lusaka from the 23rd to the 25th October 2008 the Mission deployed nine teams on Sunday 26 October 2008 and covered the following areas: * Lusaka Central * Lusaka Rural * Luangwa * Kabwe * Livingstone * Ndola * Chipata * Mongu. EISA observed and assessed the electoral process based on the benchmarks set out in the Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC region (PEMMO). The Mission has issued an interim statement and this press release summarises its preliminary observations and findings. A more comprehensive report on the entire electoral process will follow within 90 days. It will provide detailed observations, in depth analysis of the Zambian electoral landscape for the 2008 by elections, and offer recommendations for the improvement of the country's electoral process. * The 2008 Presidential Election was unprecedented in the history of Zambia as it was the first time a sitting President has died in office. The transition period provided a test for the country's political stability, particularly its ability to survive potential crisis. The maturity displayed by the Zambian people, as well as the restraint shown by the main political players following the death of President Mwanawasa, contributed to fostering a sense of national unity during these difficult moments not withstanding that the short timeframe for the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to meet the constitutional requirement and prepare for a fresh poll has also put the Commission and other election stakeholders under intense pressure to deliver a successful election; * The constitutional and legal framework in place for these elections was in line with regional and international standards for the conduct of credible elections and allowed the people of Zambia to freely express their will; * A few allegations of fraud were made to the Mission. These included the issue of excess ballot papers and subsequent anxiety caused by the impounding of foreign trucks in Livingstone purportedly carrying ballot papers; * The suspicion that ECZ was subjected to ahead of Election Day could have been avoided through better and prior consultations with stakeholders and more efforts to reach consensus with all competing parties on the various challenges the Commission faced; * The Mission also noted with satisfaction that the ECZ issued several statements to reassure all stakeholders of its willingness to carry out its responsibilities with independence and this served to improve ECZ interactions with the competing parties; * However, the Mission found a certain degree of laxity in the handling of the ballot papers and other election materials by the ECZ. Transporting sensitive election materials from one site to another is potentially explosive. It is crucial that they are properly secured; * Lack of resources, as well as the time constraint, did not allow for a specific voter registration exercise to be conducted in time for the 2008 presidential election. The ECZ should be provided with sufficient resources to maintain continuous registration; * A systematic voter education and information programme to inform the electorate about the background to the elections or the requirements for voting was not conducted; * The election campaign has been carried out in a calm and orderly manner with a relative degree of tolerance from presidential candidates despite the tendency of some candidates to focus more on the alleged characters of their opponents rather than on policy issues; * Most polling stations visited opened and closed on time although a few opened late due to logistical problems such as the late arrival of election materials. Polling materials were available in adequate numbers and voting proceeded smoothly throughout the process; * The voter turnout was noticeably lower than in the previous elections. This is a matter of concern as it may point to reduced interest and trust of citizens in the electoral process; * The electronic transmission of election results was also commendable, and could serve as a good example to other African countries in the use of appropriate technology for elections; * These elections were unique and provided for unique challenges. Given the circumstances surrounding these elections, the Mission commends the smooth running of the electoral process by the Electoral Commission, the good interaction between ECZ and competing parties, and the responsible way in which the voters cast their votes. Despite the short time frame it was given for preparations, the manner is which the Commission conducted the 2008 Presidential Election has further contributed to improving the democratisation process that Zambia has started with the holding of its first competitive elections in 1991; * Based on our observations thus far it is the view of the EISA mission that the elections were conducted in a transparent manner and in a way that allowed the people of Zambia to freely express their will. It is the hope of the Mission that the management and announcement of results will be handled in the same manner; * We commend the people of Zambia for their peaceful conduct during these elections; * EISA will continue to observe the process until the elections has been finalised and will issue a fuller assessment in its final report. Abel Leshele Thoahlane Mission Leader -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/eisa/attachments/20081114/32de7a80/attachment.htm From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Dec 3 14:24:56 2008 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Wed Dec 3 14:44:52 2008 Subject: [Eisa] Continental Observer Mission to the 2008 Ghana Elections Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAEBBDE52@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za> EISA Continental Observer Mission to the 2008 Ghana Presidential & Parliamentary Elections Arrival statement 3 December 2008 Following an invitation extended by the Electoral Commission of Ghana, EISA is deploying a mission to observe the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in Ghana, scheduled for Sunday 7 December 2008. The Mission is led by Mr Denis Kadima, EISA Executive Director. It consists of 15 members drawn from civil society organisations (CSOs) from 13 African countries, namely Cameroon, Chad, C?te d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mozambique, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Zambia. The overall purpose of the mission is in line with EISA's vision of an African continent where democratic governance, human rights and citizen participation are upheld in a peaceful environment. This is the first time EISA is deploying an observer mission outside the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. These elections enable EISA to bring observers from all over the African continent, particularly from countries without a long tradition of competitive elections and those with upcoming elections. In so doing, the organisation hopes to provide an opportunity for all Mission members to assess the credibility of these elections as well as learn from the Ghanaian experience. Specific objectives of the Mission include: * Assess whether conditions exist for the conduct of elections that allow the people of Ghana to freely express their will; * Assess and determine whether the elections are conducted in accordance with the constitutional and legal framework for elections in Ghana; * Ascertain whether the electoral process in Ghana is conducted in conformity with the African Union (AU) Principles governing democratic elections in Africa and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation; * Determine whether the final results of the electoral process as a whole reflect the wishes of the people of Ghana. The Mission was preceded by a small advance team who examined the legal, political and logistical conditions prior to the December 2008 elections as well as to make the arrangements for the arrival of the rest of the team on 1 December 2008. The Mission will hold a series of meetings with election stakeholders, including the Electoral Commission of Ghana, representatives of presidential candidates, political parties, CSOs, security forces and academics, ahead of Election Day. On Thursday 4 December 2008, EISA will deploy teams to the following regions: Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern and Volta. On Election Day, 7 December 2008, EISA teams will observe the voting and counting processes. On Monday 8 December 2008, all teams will reconvene in Accra for a debriefing session followed by the presentation of an interim statement the next day. The Mission will also monitor post election developments. In undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the electoral process, the Mission will co operate closely with the Ghanaian electoral stakeholders and other observers, and strive to act with impartiality, objectivity and independence. EISA is a continental not for profit organisation established in 1996 and headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with field offices in the DRC (Kinshasa), Mozambique (Maputo), Madagascar (Antananarivo), Sudan (Khartoum) and C?te d'Ivoire (Abidjan). EISA strives for excellence in the promotion of credible elections, participatory democracy, human rights culture, and the strengthening of governance institutions for the consolidation of democracy in Africa. EISA services electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations, governments and other institutions operating in the democracy and governance fields in Africa. The EISA Mission Secretariat is based at the African Regent Hotel, Accra, and can be contacted through Ms Karen Ogle on +233 241 913 438. Denis Kadima Mission Leader http://www.eisa.org.za -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/eisa/attachments/20081203/bb7bed95/attachment-0001.html From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Dec 10 13:31:47 2008 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Wed Dec 10 13:35:36 2008 Subject: [Eisa] Interim Statement on the Ghana 2008 Elections Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAEBBE23F@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za> EISA Continental Observer Mission to the 2008 Ghana Presidential & Parliamentary Elections Interim statement 9 December 2008 http://www.eisa.org.za Introduction EISA (formerly the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa) deployed a continental election observer mission to witness Ghana's presidential and parliamentary elections which were held on 7 December 2008. This was in response to an invitation extended by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana to EISA to observe the elections. The mission was led by EISA's Programmes Director, Dr Khabele Matlosa. The mission consisted of 15 members made up of representatives of Electoral Commissions and civil society organisations (CSOs) from 12 African Countries namely Cameroon, C?te d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mozambique, South Africa, Sierra Leone, the Sudan and Zambia. The mission was preceded in Ghana by a small advance team whose principal mandate was to examine the legal, political and logistical conditions prior to the elections as well as to make arrangements for the arrival of observers. This was the first time that EISA has deployed an election observer mission outside the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The extension of EISA's election observation activities to West Africa is in line with the organisation's vision of an African continent where democratic governance, human rights and citizen participation are upheld in a peaceful environment. These elections provided an opportunity for EISA to bring observers from different parts of the African continent to Ghana, particularly those from countries without a long tradition of competitive elections and those with upcoming elections. The main purpose of this was to assess the credibility of the 2008 elections in Ghana as well as to learn lessons from the country's experience in election management and the democratisation process. Method of Work EISA carried out its work pursuant to the following objectives: * To assess whether conditions exist for the conduct of elections that allow the people of Ghana to freely express their will; * To assess and determine whether the elections are conducted in accordance with the constitutional and legal framework for elections in Ghana; * To ascertain whether the electoral process in Ghana was conducted in conformity with the 2002 African Union (AU) Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa and the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation; * To determine whether the final results of the electoral process as a whole reflect the wishes of the people of Ghana. To this end a two day pre deployment and orientation workshop was organised for EISA observers upon arrival in Accra. Observers discussed the methodology and reflected critically on the practices of election observation. They were later briefed by various stakeholders on the level of preparedness of the poll and were presented with different perspectives on the electoral process. Stakeholders included the EC, political parties, CSOs and academics. The mission also interacted with other international and local observers. EISA observed the voting and the counting processes in the following regions: * Ashanti; * Central; * Eastern; * Greater Accra; and * Northern. Preliminary Observations of the Mission The EISA Mission made the following preliminary observations, based upon the Accra briefing and observations from EISA teams deployed on the ground: The Overall Context of the Elections The 7 December 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana took place against the backdrop of growing disenchantment with the capability of African countries to hold credible and peaceful elections. Recent major setbacks in election management have been witnessed in Nigeria in West Africa (2007), Kenya in East Africa (2007/08) and Zimbabwe in Southern Africa (2008). The Ghanaian elections came after the holding of four successful competitive elections in 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004. Stakeholders expressed the hope that members of the Ghanaian electorate would demonstrate their faith in the sustainability of democracy and peace by casting their votes on Election Day. >From a continental perspective Ghana faced two distinctive challenges during these elections. First, the elections were an opportunity for Ghana to provide an example of successful and democratic elections after recent failed elections in Africa. Second, the elections provided an opportunity for the country to consolidate its democracy, peace and political stability. For the EC in particular the challenge posed by the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections was to maintain its widely acclaimed reputation for efficiency and effectiveness in election management. It can be said that Ghana was expected to show the way forward for the rest of Africa. The Constitutional and Legal Framework for the Elections The main instruments governing the conduct of elections in Ghana include: * The 1992 Constitution; * The 1992 and 1996 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections Laws; * The 2000 Political Parties Law Act 574; and * The 2004 Representation of the People (Parliamentary Constituencies) Instrument. The President's tenure is limited to two four year terms. The winner requires more than 50% of the valid votes cast to be elected President and the Constitution provides for a presidential run off election within 21 days if no winner emerges on the first ballot. The Parliament of Ghana is a 230 member unicameral chamber elected for a four year term in single member constituencies through a First Past The Post electoral system. The constitutional and legal framework in place for these elections allowed the people of Ghana to express their will in a free, peaceful and orderly manner. The mission noted that, unlike elsewhere in Africa, the incumbent, President John Kufuor, did not attempt to change the Constitution to prolong his tenure and thus he did not stand for the 2008 presidential elections. Ghana has provided a fine example of the respect for constitutional provisions limiting terms of office in Africa. Election Administration The overall management of elections in Ghana is the responsibility of the Electoral Commission, one of the main governance institutions provided for under the 1992 Constitution. The Commission is tasked to manage the conduct of all public elections and to handle all matters directly relating to the conduct of elections in Ghana. The mission noted with satisfaction that: * The Constitution clearly provides for the independence of the EC therefore allowing the Commission to carry out its duty without any interference whatsoever; * The fair conduct of previous elections has contributed to building stakeholder confidence in the electoral process. Voter Registration >From its consultative meetings with stakeholders ahead of elections, the Mission learnt that a voter registration exercise was conducted in July and August 2008. Stakeholders met by EISA raised the following concerns: * The limited duration of the voter registration process; * The shortage of registration materials; * Allegations of double registrations and registration of minors; * The lack of clarity over the cleaning and the auditing of the voters' register; * The unethical conduct of political parties during the voter registration process. The mission is of the view that the EC should improve the voter registration exercise and management of the voters' roll. The mission also recommends that political parties desist from creating confusion in the registration process. Date of Elections Elections have been held in Ghana every four years since 1992. Presidential and parliamentary elections are held alongside each other, generally on 7 December. This is unlike other cases on the African continent where the timing of elections is used for political mileage by incumbents. The holding of elections on a predictable date in Ghana should be highly commended and can serve as an example of best practice for other African countries. Voter Education and Information The mission took positive note of various voter education and information programmes undertaken throughout the country in order to enhance participation and encourage voters to make an informed choice. Some stakeholders made representations to EISA observers about the insufficiency and inadequacy of these programmes. The mission also noted various civic education campaigns aimed at promoting a peaceful election by the Inter-Party Advisory Committee and the National Peace Council. Funding of Political Parties Political parties are the backbone of representative democracy. If political parties are institutionally weak, democracy may be at serious risk. Parties therefore need to be strengthened so that they can build their own democratic structures and become effective agents of democracy. The mission encourages Ghana to provide public funding to political parties for election purposes. This will level the playing field and strength the democratisation process in the country. The Campaign Process The election campaign was generally calm and orderly. It allowed all presidential and parliamentary candidates to convey their messages to the electorate without any form of open intimidation and was conducted with tolerance and maturity. However some stakeholders met by the mission raised concerns over the misuse of the incumbency with regard to the use of public resources and access to public media. The mission would particularly like to commend Ghanaian civil society for organising presidential debates and for providing platforms for parliamentary aspirants to discuss key issues of concern to voters. This helped to diffuse some of the pre election tension that could have disturbed the electoral process. More importantly it shifted the focus of the campaign from a region, ethnicity and personality oriented process to an issue based one. Gender Equality Ghana has been commended for its leading role in promoting the principles of representative democracy in Africa. The mission noted that women were well represented among the polling staff. However the lack of representation of women among the presidential candidates and their insufficient representation among parliamentary aspirants are major sources of concern. Ghana has committed to gender equality as stipulated in the 2003 AU Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa and the 2007 African Charter of Democracy, Elections and Governance. The mission recommends that the political process should be more inclusive of all marginalised social groups including women, youth and people with disabilities. Voting and Counting Processes EISA teams observed voting operations from the beginning at 07h00 until the close at 17h00. The teams also observed the counting process. Despite some hitches including late arrival of election materials and late opening of a few polling stations, the EISA teams observed that the voting and counting processes were conducted smoothly. The presence of the security forces enhanced the orderly and peaceful process of the poll. Most polling agents appeared to be well trained and to have a fairly good understanding of their responsibilities. They interacted well with voters as well as with domestic and international observers. An area that needs to be considered by the EC is the allocation of polling stations in order to cater for population density as some polling stations seemed to be overcrowded throughout voting while at others, queues rapidly eased in the course of the day. However the mission considers the huge participation of voters at polling stations an indication of high interest in the electoral process and a potential indicator of high voter turnout. Conclusion Based on our observations at this stage of the electoral process it is the view of the EISA mission that the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections were conducted in a manner that allowed the Ghanaian voters to freely elect their leaders in a peaceful environment. These elections have contributed to the consolidation of the democratic process, peace and stability in Ghana. The mission commends the Electoral Commission of Ghana for maintaining its reputation for professionalism and impartiality in the conduct of elections and the people of Ghana for the peaceful climate that prevailed throughout the electoral process. The mission further commends various stakeholders including political parties, faith based organisations, CSOs, security forces and the Judiciary for ensuring a peaceful and transparent electoral process. It is our hope that the management and the announcement of election results as well as the settlement of potential electoral disputes will also be conducted with the same level of transparency, integrity and responsibility. A more comprehensive report with detailed findings, highlighting lessons learned and making pertinent recommendations for the improvement of election management in Ghana will be published within 90 days. EISA is a continental non profit organisation established in 1996 and headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with field offices in the DRC (Kinshasa), Mozambique (Maputo), Madagascar (Antananarivo), Sudan (Khartoum) and C?te d'Ivoire (Abidjan). EISA strives for excellence in the promotion of credible elections, participatory democracy, human rights culture, and the strengthening of governance institutions for the consolidation of democracy in Africa. EISA services electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations, governments and other institutions operating in the democracy and governance fields in Africa. Dr Khabele Matlosa* Mission Leader *Dr Matlosa took over as Mission Leader from Mr Kadima. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/eisa/attachments/20081210/2c1534d7/attachment.html From eisa at lists.sn.apc.org Wed Dec 10 13:37:33 2008 From: eisa at lists.sn.apc.org (eisa@lists.sn.apc.org) Date: Wed Dec 10 13:45:03 2008 Subject: [Eisa] Mozambique PVT exercise Message-ID: <984C0E7445FEA14886A140D1DD957EAEBBE245@xena.eisamail.eisa.org.za> EISA Mozambique Parallel Vote Tabulation Exercise, 2008 The Mozambican Electoral Observatory, a coalition of eight civil society organizations, in partnership with EISA, undertook a parallel vote tabulation (PVT) operation in 13 of the 43 Mozambican municipalities during the November 19 municipal elections this year. The PVT was based on the tally sheets posted outside the polling stations after the conclusion of vote counting. More information on the exercise as well as the preliminary report and the results are available at http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/moza2008.htm -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/eisa/attachments/20081210/78424041/attachment.htm