AU deploys election expert mission to Kenya
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – The African Union Commission (AUC) is deploying a mission to observe the forthcoming general elections scheduled for 9 August 2022, the Commission announced in a press statement on Monday.
It said the mission, comprising eight core team experts, follows an invitation from the Government of Kenya and it is part of the African Union’s comprehensive and long-term engagement in the 2022 general elections in the East African country.
The experts will follow up on the electoral preparations, assess the political dynamics and genuine competitiveness and fairness of the electoral campaign. It will maintain regular contact with national and international stakeholders before, during and after the elections.
According to the AUC statement, the work of the team will be complemented by long-term observers (LTOs), who will be deployed a few days before the polls and short-term observers (STOs), who will be deployed there a week before election day.
The statement said that the AU, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC) deployed a joint high-level pre-election assessment mission to Kenya from 14 to 21 May 2022 to promote free, fair, peaceful and credible elections in the country. The joint mission recommended continued engagement in the electoral process to ensure violence-free, fair and credible elections that will strengthen Kenya’s democratic process.
The deployment of an election expert mission to Kenya conforms to the 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, the 2002 OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, and the 2002 AU Guidelines for Election Observation and Monitoring Missions.
-0- PANA AR/MA 28June2022
