COMESA To Deploy Election Observers To Zambia’s 10 Provinces

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has expressed happiness for being granted an opportunity to be part of the election observers for the August 12, 2021 general elections.

COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe disclosed that her organisation is already deploying an election observer mission which will be led by Members of the COMESA Committee of Elders, Ambassador Ashraf Rashed of Egypt with the assistance of Hope Kivengere of Uganda.

Ms. Kapwepwe added that others in the mission will include observers from Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Somalia, and Zimbabwe and the COMESA Secretariat staff.

This is according to a statement issued to ZANIS by an officer in the COMESA Secretariat Corporate Communications Unit, Muzinge Chibomba.

Ms. Kapwepwe said the COMESA election observer team will be deployed to the field after going through a training programme on the COMESA election observer principles and methodology.

She further noted that the observation process will be guided primarily by the Zambian constitution and legal framework, as read with the relevant international and regional instruments including, the COMESA guidelines on election observation.

“As part of its mission, the observer team will consult various electoral stakeholders including political parties, security, the Electoral Commission of Zambia, civil society, and the media, among others. They will also exchange views with other election observers,” Ms. Kapwepwe explained.

Prior to the deployment of the observers, the COMESA Secretariat, which is based in Zambia, has been monitoring the evolving pre-electoral situation in the country including campaigns, civic education, and voter registration, among others.

Ms. Kapwepwe added that the mission will cover all the 10 provinces and was looking forward to the cooperation of all Zambians.

This article originally appeared on Lusaka Times