ECZ Releases Guidance For Election Observers And Monitors
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) on Tuesday released guidance for observers and monitors ahead of the upcoming elections, making clear that the upcoming elections are fully open to observation and monitoring by international and local organisations respectively.
Observers are drawn from the international community. Among those expected are the African Union (AU), European Union (EU) and the Commonwealth. The EU has already made public the details of its mission, which will consist of around 70 observers from 25 countries and is to be led by Maria Arena, a Member of the European Parliament from Belgium.
Meanwhile, monitors will be drawn from local civil society. In the past groups such as FODEP, SACCORD and Caritas have all deployed monitors. Unlike observers, monitors are able to bring discrepancies and concerns to the attention of the ECZ during the process thereby playing a critical role in ensuring any concerns are quickly flagged.
Observers are tasked with gathering information to assess the credibility, legitimacy and acceptability of the electoral process and its outcome more broadly. They must offer an impartial and independent judgement on the process and communicate this to the public, media and the international community.
As the ECZ notes election observation and monitoring is fundamentally “an exercise in support of democracy… to assess whether the outcome of an election is legitimate or truly reflect the will of those who have participated in such an election as voters.”
Monitors and observers have a big task ahead of them in the upcoming August 12 elections given the rising climate of intimidation and fear and further clampdown on the opposition. COVID-19 presents another challenge but has not prevented elections and observer missions from going ahead elsewhere.
Monitors and observers must be accredited by the Commission to enter a nomination centre, polling station or totalling centre to observe the proceedings. They will also have to subscribe to the Electoral Code of Conduct.