03 October 2022, Maseru, Lesotho. Honourable Frans Kapofi, Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs of the Republic of Namibia and Head of the SADC Electoral Observer Mission (SEOM), has launched the SEOM for the Kingdom of Lesotho National Assembly Elections at Avani Lesotho Hotel in Maseru.
The SEOM has been in Lesotho since 25th September 2022 to observe the elections set for 7th October 2022, upon the invitation extended by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of the Kingdom of Lesotho and in line with the Revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021). The SEOM is deployed by the current SADC Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, His Excellency Dr Hage Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia.
The SEOM will observe the elections based on the adopted practice that supports Member States in ensuring regular and credible elections, namely the three-tier electoral observation approach that involves pre-election assessments, assessments during elections, and post-elections assessments. Hon. Kapofi stated that the SEOM comprises of 63 personnel and thus far election observers were deployed on 2nd October 2022 to the 10 districts of Lesotho.They are from 11 SADC Member States, namely the Republic of Angola, Republic of Botswana, Kingdom of Eswatini, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Mozambique, Republic of Namibia, Republic of Seychelles, Republic of South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Zambia, and Republic of Zimbabwe. The Head of Mission further commended the Government and people of the Kingdom of Lesotho for the general peace and calm observed thus far.
“SADC urges all registered voters to exercise their civic and political rights by going out to vote on 7th October 2022. We encourage all stakeholders to ensure that these elections are conducted in a peaceful, free, fair, transparent and credible manner. We look forward to an electoral process that adheres to democratic values and principles envisioned in the SADC Treaty, the Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation; and the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections,” said Hon. Kapofi.
Speaking on behalf of the SADC Executive Secretary, H.E. Elias Magosi, Mr. Jorge Cardoso, the SADC Director of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs, outlined the importance of training observers in the requisite skills to effectively observe, assess and report on the electoral process using Information and Communication Technologies which took place earlier on in the mission. He also went on to applaud the Kingdom of Lesotho for allowing SADC the opportunity to participate in the process.
“It is therefore commendable for the Kingdom of Lesotho to afford SADC the opportunity to participate in this important process to consolidate democracy in the country, and by extension, in the SADC Region as well,” said Mr Cardoso. He also underscored that the practice should be emulated by the rest of the continent to ensure the protection and preservation of democracy and its principles in the region and the world at large.
The SEOM will release a Preliminary Statement of its observations of the 2022 National Assembly Elections on 9th October 2022 at Avani Lesotho Hotel in Maseru. The launch was attended by representatives of the Independent Electoral Commission of Lesotho, other international electoral observation missions, heads and representatives of the Diplomatic Missions, members of the SADC Electoral Advisory Council, leaders and representatives of political parties, representatives of local election observers, religious leaders and members of civil society, SADC Election Observers, SADC Secretariat Officials, and members of the media.
