On 13-14 July 2015, the final SADC Electoral Advisory Council (SEAC) and SADC Member States - Inter-State Politics and Diplomacy Committee (ISPDC) Consultative Workshop on the revision of the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, was held at the Sheraton Pretoria Hotel in Pretoria, Republic of South Africa. The Regional Political Cooperation (PRC) Coordinator, Dr. Joao Ndlovu from the SADC Secretariat, welcomed the delegates to the event which was subsequently opened by Ms. Janice Strachan, representing the Chair of the SADC Organ, Republic of South Africa. Professor Gerhard Tötemeyer, Chairperson of SEAC presented an overview of the revision process while the workshop and the technical development of the revised framework, was facilitated by Dr Kondwani Chirambo, an expert on electoral processes in the SADC Region.
The workshop was part of a series of consultative workshops that begun in 2012 and involved SEAC, Member States and key electoral stakeholders in the Region. The revision process sought to enhance the first set of the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections adopted by the SADC Summit in 2004. It is expected that this process will help to strengthen electoral integrity and credibility by providing a basis for comprehensive and impartial observation of electoral processes in Member States. The final draft revised Principles and Guidelines document will be submitted for consideration and approval to the 17th Meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation taking place on 16-21 July 2015 in Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.
