EAC launches election mission to observe Rwanda polls

KIGALI, Rwanda | Xinhua | The East African Community (EAC), a regional bloc, launched its election observer mission Friday to monitor Rwanda’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

Veronica Mueni Nduva, secretary general of the EAC, inaugurated the observer mission in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, where she appointed David Maraga, former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Kenya, as the head of the EAC election observation teams.

Maraga said that the mission was deploying the observation teams to all the 30 districts in the four provinces and the capital Kigali.

He added that since the mission’s arrival in Kigali on July 8, the observers have been interacting with various electoral stakeholders in the country to further understand the preparations for the electoral process, including training on principles, practices and ethos of regional and international election observation.

“Prior to the arrival of the larger team, the EAC had an advance team that carried out a detailed and technical analysis of the preparations and measures being undertaken by various institutions, agencies and stakeholders in the country. The findings from this analysis have formed the basis of further strategies for election observation, including the deployment of teams across the country to observe the polls,” Maraga explained.

He said that the observers from the EAC partner states and the East African Legislative Assembly were expected back at the mission headquarters in Kigali on July 16.

Maraga said that the mission had so far observed a generally calm electoral, political and security environment ahead of the polling day, adding that a peaceful and successful general election will not just be a victory for Rwanda but the entire EAC.

Later in the day, Chairperson of the Rwanda National Electoral Commission (NEC) Oda Gasinzigwa met with all accredited election observers for Rwanda’s presidential and parliamentary elections. She briefed them on the current status of election preparedness.

During the meeting, Gasinzigwa revealed that more than 1,100 observers have been accredited to observe the elections. The accreditation of observers will continue until July 14.

The elections are scheduled for July 14 for Rwandans living abroad, July 15 for those residing in the country, and July 16 for special category representatives. ■