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By Godfrey Olukya 6-11-2012
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission has approved the deployment of the African Union Election Observers Mission (AU-EOM) to observe elections taking place in Sierra Leone, on 17 November 2012; Burkina Faso, on 2 December 2012 and Ghana, on 7 December 2012.
The Commission, through its Democracy and Electoral Assistance Unit of the Department of Political Affairs, has concluded plans as mandated by the Commission for the deployment of the AU-EOM to the three countries that are soon to hold elections.
The AU-EOM draws its mandate from various African Union instruments and most importantly the, AU Guidelines on African Union Election Observation and Monitoring Missions, 2002 and the OUA/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, 2002.
The AU-EOM mission to the various countries comprises selected and fully trained observers from the African Union Observers database including, former Heads of States, Ambassadors, members of election management bodies and other selected and trained observers from civil society organisations in Africa.
AU-EOU official, Bena Naki said,’ The observers will go to those countries one week to elections so that they also study the mood and activities before polls.’
The composition of each mission draws from the different region of Africa and comprises forty 40 observers to each of the respective countries.
The mission will remain in constant interaction with the Commission and present a final report on the elections to the Chairperson.
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