Antananarivo, Madagascar: The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) released its Preliminary Statement on 18th November, 2023 outlining the mission's initial observations and assessment of the First Round of the Presidential Election of the Republic of Madagascar.
In his presentation of the statement, His Excellency Ambassador Lazarous Kapambwe of the Republic of Zambia, who is also serving as Alternate Head of the SADC Electoral Observation Mission on behalf of His Excellency Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda, former Vice President of the Republic of Zambia, and Head of the SADC Electoral Observation Mission, highlighted the elections as a vital component in solidifying the promotion and consolidation of citizens' participation in decision-making processes and democratic practices and institutions.
The Ambassador conveyed his appreciation to the citizens of Madagascar for their conduct on the day of the election. He expresses gratitude and appreciation to all stakeholders and partners who enabled the team to carryout a comprehensive mission urging the people of Madagascar to diligently protect the peace and stability of the country. Furthermore, he emphasized the significance of SADC's proactive involvement in providing essential support to address pertinent issues.
The Election was observed in accordance with the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021) and the relevant laws. The Preliminary Statement encompasses the Mission's observations during the pre-election period and voting day activities. As per the Principles and Guidelines, the mission will issue the Final Report within 30 days from the release of the Preliminary Statement.
The SEOM comprises of 62 observers, 35 of whom were deployed to all the six provinces of the country. The Observers come from eight SADC Member States, namely, the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Republics of Angola, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the United Republic of Tanzania.
Other observation missions included the joint African Union (AU) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie who also released their initial findings.
