The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to the Republic of South Africa held a press conference to release its preliminary assessment and conclusion on the conduct of the 8 May 2019 National and Provincial Elections. The press conference was addressed by H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, Head of the African Union Election Observation Mission to South Africa, and former President of the United Republic of Tanzania.
The press conference took place in the presence of stakeholders in South Africa, local and international media, other international observer groups and AU election observers. The purpose of the press conference was to release the Mission’s preliminary findings and observations on the management and conduct of the just ended elections.
The recommendations are meant to assist the South African electoral stakeholders to improve the management of future elections and to deepen democratic governance in the country in line with the Aspirations 3 of AU Agenda 2063 “The Africa we Want”, which aims to ensure an Africa where good governance, democracy and human rights, justice and rule of law prevail.
While presenting the Mission’s conclusions, the Head of Mission recognizes and commends the various stakeholders for their invaluable contribution to achieving this outcome, especially the Government and people of South Africa, the Independent Electoral Commission, the political parties, security agencies, civil society, the media and others.
He concluded that the statement is preliminary and is issued while the process is not yet concluded. A final report will be released approximately two months after the elections. It will contain a detailed assessment of the electoral process and recommendations.