ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 6, 2016/APO (African Press Organization)/ —
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma approved the deployment of an African Union (AU) expert’s election observers mission to the re-run election in the Union of the Comoros scheduled for 11 May 2016.
The deployment of the Mission to the Union of The Comoros follows the decision of the country’s Constitutional Court that fresh elections be conducted in the 13 polling stations in Anjouan Island which encountered electoral irregularities during the second round of the presidential elections and governors held on 10 April 2016 and upon receiving an official invitation from the Government of the Union of The Comoros. The decision to deploy is also in line with paragraph VI (d) of OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections and paragraph 4.6 of the AU Guidelines for Elections Observation and Monitoring Missions.
The Mission is led by Honourable Barrister Barthélemy Kéré, Chairperson of the Independent National Electoral Commission of Burkina Faso. The Mission comprises a team of twenty (20) independent election experts from fourteen (14) African countries and will be deployed to the country from 7 to 17 May 2016.
The Chairperson appeals for calm before, during and after the re-run elections. Accordingly, she wishes the people of the Union of The Comoros smooth, peaceful, and transparent conclusion of the elections and encourages the media to desist from making commentaries that may inflame emotions and incite electoral and post-electoral violence. She further encourages all political actors and stakeholders to utilise legal mechanisms for election disputes resolution.
