On 10 October 2023, the Republic of Liberia is scheduled to hold its 2023 General Elections. As the country makes final preparations to hold its General Elections, Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat of the African Union (AU) Commission, will deploy a joint African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to Liberia.
The AUEOM comprising 60 short-term observers (STOs) including three (3) Core Team of electoral experts, are set to observe the Elections from 1 to 15 October 2023. The Mission will be led by H.E. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Member of the AU Panel of the Wise and Former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa.
The objectives of the AUEOM are to: (a) provide an accurate and impartial reporting or assessment of the quality of the 10 October General Elections in Liberia, including the degree to which the conduct of the Elections meets regional, continental and international standards for democratic elections; (b) offer recommendations for improvement of future elections based on the findings; and (c) demonstrate AU’s solidarity and support towards Liberia’s elections and democratization process to ensure that the conduct of democratic, credible and peaceful elections contributes to the consolidation of democratic governance, peace and stability in the country.
The Joint AUEOM draws its mandate from various AU instruments, most importantly: (a) the African Union Guidelines for Elections Observation and Monitoring Missions (2002); (b) the OUA/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa (2002); African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (1981) and (c) African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007), It is also in line with Aspiration No. 3 of the AU Agenda 2063, which aims to ensure good governance, democracy and respect for human rights, justice, and rule of law.
The joint AU-COMESA EOM will engage with several stakeholders and observe the final preparations and polling process. Based on the findings, the joint EOM will issue its preliminary statement after Election day.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).