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SADC Parliamentary Forum's position regarding observation of the 2005 Zimbabwe parliamentary elections
SADC Parliamentary Forum
March 10, 2005

Windhoek, Namibia - Since the release of the names of countries and organisations that were invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe to observe the 2005 Zimbabwe Parliamentary Elections, a copy of which was availed to the SADC Parliamentary Forum (Forum) on 22nd February, 2004, there has been a lot of speculation in the media as to whether the Forum was indeed one of the organisations that had been invited to observe the elections.

The purpose of this press statement is to clarify the above and provide a background to the decision of the Executive Committee of the Forum which met in Johannesburg, South Africa on Tuesday 8th March, 2005, to call off its intention to send an election observation mission to Zimbabwe.

Since 1999, the Forum has observed 13 elections in 10 SADC Member States. These were Namibia (1999), Mozambique (1999), Mauritius (2000), Tanzania (2000), Zimbabwe Parliamentary (2000), Zambia (2001), Zimbabwe Presidential (2002) and Lesotho (2002). In 2004 alone, the Forum observed and published reports on organisation and conduct of five elections, namely South Africa, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique. The deployment of election observation missions to these countries has been based on the Forum being directly invited by either the electoral commissions or relevant government authorities in each of these countries.

At no time did the Forum deploy an election observation mission without the express invitation of the authorities of the country concerned. Such election observation missions have been led by either Presiding Officers of member Parliaments or office bearers of the Forum.

All Forum election observation missions have, and will continue to observe elections primarily in terms of the Constitutional and legal frameworks of the countries concerned, in conjunction with the Forum's Norms and Standards for Elections in the SADC Region which were unanimously adopted by representatives of twelve parliaments of SADC Member States on 21st March 2001, in Windhoek, Namibia. In addition, since the adoption of the SADC Principles and Guidelines for Democratic Elections by the Summit of Heads of State and Government in August 2004, the Forum has incorporated these principles and guidelines in its election observation assessment framework. Reference has also been made to the African Union Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections of 2002.

At its meeting held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in December 2004, the Plenary Assembly of the Forum approved the programme of work of the year 2005. This programme of work includes among other activities, the observation of elections in Zimbabwe, Mauritius and Tanzania, subject to invitations being received from the respective countries.

Pursuant to that approval and in terms of established practice, the Forum Secretariat requested each of the twelve Member Parliaments of the Forum to submit names of four parliamentarians and two parliamentary staff who would be part of the election observation mission to Zimbabwe. This was in anticipation of an invitation being received, as was the case in respect of the 2000 parliamentary and 2002 presidential elections in that country. A team of 36 Members of Parliament and 26 technical and other support staff was accordingly assembled in readiness for deployment.

On 8th March, 2005 the Forum was advised by Zimbabwe's Ministry of Foreign Affairs that all SADC institutions - of which the Forum is one, though clearly defined within SADC as 'autonomous' - were being invited under SADC, and therefore, the Forum was expected to be part of and observe the elections 'under the overall leadership of the Chairman of SADC Observation Mission.' This is the first time that the Forum has been invited to any SADC Member State under this arrangement. The Forum expected to observe the 2005 Zimbabwe Parliamentary Elections in the same way as it has observed 13 elections in 10 countries in the SADC region since 1999, including the 2000 Parliamentary and 2002 Presidential elections in Zimbabwe, respectively.

As it stands, therefore, the Forum has NOT been invited in its own right as an autonomous institution of SADC, which is a fundamental departure from the established practice by SADC countries.

The participation of the Forum in the 2005 Zimbabwe parliamentary elections under the arrangements proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe requires consideration and resolution by Member Parliaments in Plenary Assembly. The Plenary Assembly is the supreme policy making body of the Forum and is only expected to meet during the period 31st May to 8th June, 2005.

It is with deep regret, therefore, that the Forum is unable to observe the 2005 Zimbabwe Parliamentary elections under the proposed arrangements. This message has since been communicated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Likewise, parliaments that had nominated Members of Parliament and staff to participate in the observation mission have also been advised accordingly.

In taking this decision, the Forum recognises that even under the SADC Principles and Guidelines for Democratic Elections, Member States are not obliged to invite observers to their elections. As the regional organisation of parliamentarians of SADC Member States, however, the Forum seeks to make a contribution to the conduct of free and fair elections by observing elections and making recommendations that are aimed at entrenching and deepening gender equality and democracy throughout the region. As elected leaders, legislators and representatives of the peoples of the region, the role of parliamentarians in accelerating the achievement of the objectives of SADC as articulated in the SADC Treaty and in other protocols and declarations cannot be overstated.

Issued at Windhoek, Namibia
Secretary General
For and on behalf of the SADC Parliamentary Forum
SADC Forum House
Parliament Gardens
Windhoek
Namibia

Tel: (+264 61) 246 61/249 321
Fax: (+264 61) 254 642/247 569
info@sadcpf.org
www.sadcpf.org

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