by Joseph Ngwawi – SANF 06 No 106
Southern Africa has launched its mission to observe Madagascar’s eighth presidential polls since the Indian Ocean island attained independence in 1965.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) launched the SADC Election Observer Mission (SEOM) to Madagascar on 26 November, headed by the Minister of State for Politics and Social Relations of the United Republic of Tanzania, Kingunge Ngombale-Mwiru.
The SEOM launch is at the invitation of the National Electoral Council (NEC) of Madagascar and is consistent with provisions of the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.
More than 6.3 million Malagasy nationals are expected to elect the country’s leader for the next five years on 3 December, out of a field of 14 candidates who include incumbent President Marc Ravalomanana.
His challengers Elia Ravelomanantsoa, the only female candidate; Pierrot Rajaonarivelo of the Association of the Rebirth of Madagascar (AREMA) party; former speaker of the National Assembly, Jean Lahiniriko; former church minister, Richard Andriamanjato; and Roland Ratsiraka, mayor of the port city of Toamasina and nephew to former president, Didier Ratsiraka. AREMA is the former party of Didier Ratsiraka.
Ngombale-Mwiru, who heads the SADC observer team, said the SADC region has so far made significant strides in strengthening the participation of citizens in decision making processes and consolidation of democracy, democratic practices and institutions.
All SADC member states constitutions, he said, enshrine principles of equal representation and full participation of all citizens in the political processes.
The SEOM has this year observed successful elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia and is expected to play an important role in the forthcoming polls in Lesotho in February 2007 and Angola.
Voter registration has commenced in the Angola polls although no firm date has been set for the long-awaited elections.
Ngombale-Mwiru noted that the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections aim to enhance transparency, credibility of elections and democratic governance as well as to ensure the acceptance of election results by all contesting parties whilst nurturing a democratic peer review process that is positively critical of any negative tendencies of governance.
SADC’s aim is to develop a culture of understanding the need to build democratic systems that are sustainable and mutually beneficial for its members, said Ngombale-Mwiru.
SADC executive secretary, Tomaz Augusto Salomão, reminded Madagascar to respect and honour the commitments it took upon itself when it appended its signature to regional agreements and instruments of SADC.
The executive secretary assured the people of Madagascar that the SEOM had a duty to observe adherence to the legal dynamics of the electoral process without favour and report its findings through the statutory structures of the organisation.
Salomão also commended the invitation by the NEC to other regional members to witness the election process in this country as proof of the commitment of the people of the Madagascar to sustainable democracy, political tolerance and unity of purpose.
Other observer teams already in Madagascar are from the African Union, European Union, Japan, China and the United States.
International donors have also invested in the country’s electoral process to ensure a credible election.
The EU has pledged US$3.75 million while Norway and Japan have contributed US$1 million and US1.1 million, respectively, to assist Madagascar’s Ministry of the Interior, which is in charge of the electoral process.
The US has contributed US$1.1 million to support civic education and observation while China has donated 20 computers, office material and 600 bicycles.
