SADC Electoral Observation Mission Deployed for Madagascar’s 2024 Legislative Elections

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has officially deployed its Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) to oversee the 2024 Legislative Elections in the Republic of Madagascar, scheduled for 29th May 2024.

This deployment aligns with Article 3 of the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021), which mandates SADC to observe all general elections within its Member States.

The Government of Madagascar extended an invitation to SADC on 17th April 2024, requesting the presence of SEOM for the forthcoming elections.

In response, His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia and Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, appointed the Head of Mission (HoM) for SEOM and instructed the SADC Secretariat to coordinate the mission, ensuring the deployment of observers across the country.

SEOM will be stationed in the majority of Madagascar’s provinces to monitor both the pre-election and post-election phases, as well as the polling day itself. The mission’s objective is to evaluate the election process based on the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.

These guidelines emphasize the critical roles of citizen participation, the prevention of political violence, intimidation, and intolerance, and ensuring equal access to state media and information for all political parties and citizens.

Moreover, the mission underscores the importance of political parties accepting and respecting the election results to maintain electoral integrity, justice, good governance, peace, and stability within the SADC region.

To reinforce these principles, the SEOM’s launch will include various stakeholder engagements aimed at educating and deepening the understanding of the mission’s work among electoral stakeholders. These activities are crucial for fostering transparency and trust in the electoral process.

The official launch of SEOM in Madagascar is scheduled for 22nd May 2024 at 11:00 AM at the Novotel Hotel in Antananarivo. The event will be open to the public and the media, providing an opportunity for comprehensive coverage and public engagement.