PORT LOUIS: The Head of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM), Justice Mohammed Chande Othman, and his delegation have arrived in Mauritius, as the Indian Ocean island nation prepares to hold its general election on November 10, 2024.
Justice Othman’s appointment as Head of Mission was made by the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, who also serves as the President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan.
His mission underscores SADC’s commitment to supporting democratic processes within the region.
Ahead of their deployment, SADC observers completed an intensive four-day Pre-deployment Training from November 1-4.
These observers will be stationed across all ten administrative districts of Mauritius, including the Island of Rodrigues.
Speaking at the opening of the Pre-deployment Training, SADC National Contact Point and Director of the Department of Regional Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ms Talha Waziri, expressed gratitude to SADC Member States for supporting the election observation mission in Mauritius.
Ms Waziri emphasized the training’s role in familiarizing observers with the country’s political landscape, security dynamics, and electoral framework.
“This preparation will enable the observers to carry out their duties in line with the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021), as well as international standards such as the United Nations Charter and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance,” she noted.
She highlighted the importance of the Pre-deployment Training, which provides observers with an opportunity to become acquainted with the political and security situation, as well as the constitutional and electoral frameworks and practices relevant to the conduct of elections in the Republic of Mauritius.
Ms Waziri urged the observers to adhere to the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021), which align with international and regional frameworks, including the United Nations Charter and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance.
The training was facilitated by the SADC Secretariat in conjunction with the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), a non-profit organization that works to promote credible elections and sustainable democracies in Africa.
Observers participating in the training have been drawn from nine SADC Member States namely Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
