Jonathan leads joint AU, COMESA, IGAD mission to observe Uganda’s general elections

By Ikechukwu Eze
Former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan arrived in Kampala,
capital of Uganda, early Sunday morning as head of the combined
African Union, AU, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa,
COMESA, as well as the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, IGAD, Election Observation Mission,  EOM, to the scheduled January 15
general elections in Uganda.
A joint arrival statement by the three organisations in Kampala, weekend, indicated that Dr. Jonathan would be assisted by Amb. Shemsudin Ahmed Roble, a member of the COMESA Committee of Elders and
Commander Abebe Muluneh Beyene from IGAD. It added that the Mission
comprises 84 short-term observers, STOs, drawn from ambassadors
accredited to the AU, officials of election management bodies, members
of civil society organisations, election experts, human rights
specialists, gender and media experts, as well as representatives of
youth organizations.
“The Mission shall interact with state authorities, including, the
Electoral Commission of Uganda, political parties, the media, civil
society organisations and representatives of the international
community based in Uganda and other election observation missions,” it
said.
According to the statement, the observers were drawn from over 25
African countries including Algeria, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon,
Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Eswatini,
Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Nigeria,
Rwanda, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and
Zimbabwe.
It said further: “The observers will be deployed across all regions of
Uganda where they will observe the election day procedures including
the opening of polls, voting, closing and the counting processes at
the polling stations.
“The AU-COMESA-IGAD EOM will base its assessment on the legal
framework governing elections in Uganda and the OAU/AU Declaration on
the Principles Governing Democratic Elections, the standards and
obligations stipulated in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections
and Governance, ACDEG, and the International Declaration of
Principles, DoP, for International Election Observation, among others.”
In a letter notifying Dr. Jonathan of his invitation to lead the
mission, AU’s commissioner for political Affairs, Peace and Security,
Ambassador Bankole Adeoye noted that the former President was selected
in recognition of his strong Pan-African credentials, unwavering
commitment to democracy, and proven leadership in advancing credible
and peaceful electoral processes in Africa.
The African Union reiterated its confidence that Dr. Jonathan’s
leadership will further strengthen the credibility of the observation
mission and contribute meaningfully to democratic consolidation and
electoral integrity in Uganda and across the African continent.