COMESA and CEN-SAD observe Egypt 2018 Presidential elections. The joint observers

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1 1 10 th April 2018 COMESA and CEN-SAD observe Egypt 2018 Presidential elections COMESA in collaboration with the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) had jointly deployed 33 election observers to the March 2018 Presidential elections in the Arab Republic of Egypt. The observers jointly participated in various activities which included launching the mission, training, deployment and the issuance of the preliminary statement. The successful deployment of the joint mission ensured wide geographical coverage because the increased number of observers reached different parts of the country during the election period. This partnership also demonstrated how Regional Economic Communities (RECs) can work together in progressing good governance, The joint observers peace, security and deepening the regional integration agenda. Further, it underscored the importance of joint collaboration as the organisations shared best practices in election observation. The mission also interacted with a wider range of stakeholders. Importance of Collaboration The need for collaboration is anchored in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on governance, peace and security signed between AU and RECs in The MoU underscores the need for collaboration on the areas of governance, peace and security amongst RECs and between AU and RECs. The idea to have a joint mission during the Egypt 2018 Presidential elections was first mooted and discussed between COMESA and their CEN-SAD counterparts during a technical meeting on conflict early warning between AU and RECs held in November 2017 in Djibouti. During the same meeting, other RECs were also encouraged to have joint activities especially in countries with overlapping memberships to ensure a coordinated approach to interventions among RECs. In the past, COMESA has collaborated with the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and the East African Community (EAC) during elections observation but this was the first time it collaborated with CEN-SAD. In the 2013 Kenya general elections, COMESA, IGAD and EAC fielded a joint election observer mission. This bulletin is published by the COMESA Secretariat Corporate Communications Unit but does not necessarily represent views of the Secretariat. For Feedback: pr@comesa.int Contact Address : COMESA SECRETARIAT, COMESA Center, Ben Bella Road P.O. Box 30051, , e-comesa@comesa.int

2 2 The environment outside polling centers visited was orderly and peaceful. Voting was efficient and we commend the people of Egypt for exercising their civic duty A voter inside the polling station Egypt commended for peaceful presidential Elections COMESA and CEN-SAD have described the recently held Presidential elections in Egypt as having been conducted peacefully, transparent and in accordance with the provisions of the Egyptian Electoral code. In a joint preliminary statement read out in Cairo on 29th March 2018, the two Regional Economic Communities (RECs) noted that the elections were conducted under conditions of inclusiveness, credibility and regularity. COMESA and CEN-SAD had jointly deployed 33 observers to six governorates of Egypt namely Cairo, Giza, Monoufiya, Sharqiya, Alexandria and Ismailiya. The RECs urged both candidates to respect the outcome of the elections and use legal means to settle any possible electoral disputes. The observer teams were led by Ms Hope Kivengere, a member of the COMESA Committee of Elders and Ambassador Amadou Tourre, head of the CEN-SAD team. The environment outside polling centers visited was orderly and peaceful. Voting was efficient and we commend the people of Egypt for exercising their civic duty, the preliminary statement read in part. The RECs also commended the National Elections Authority for having organized the elections despite being constituted less than 12 months ago. Presidential elections were held from March in Egypt in which incumbent President Abdel Fattah el-sisi was being challenged by Moussa Mustapha Moussa of the Elgad party. President Sisi won the elections by 97 percent of the votes. Download the Preliminary Statement on saharan-states-cen-sad-and-the-common- market-for-eastern-and-southern-africa- comesa0-perliminary-statement/ Congratulations President Sisi Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya has congratulated the President elect of the Arab Republic of Egypt His Excellency Abdel Fattah el-sisi on his re-election as Head of State for a second four-year term. The message of congratulations reads in part, President Sisi s victory is a clear sign of the trust and confidence that the people of Egypt have in him. Mr Ngwenya added, COMESA believes that Egypt has once again led by example on the continent this time by conducting successful and peaceful elections which are vital for the deepening of regional integration. He also commended Egypt for having hosted the EAC-COMESA-SADC Summit in June 2015 during which the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) was launched. Egypt was the first country to ratify the TFTA Agreement.

3 COMESA, AU Mission Leaders confer with contesting candidate and Sisi s team Ms Hope Kivengere leading COMESA and Ambassador Abdulai Diop, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs from Mali heading the AU group. 3 President Sisi s campaign was led by Ambassador Hala Fouda who gave a detailed account of the legal background of the current election system in Egypt and highlighted key features of the campaigns. Ms Hope Kivengere with Moussa Moustafa Moussa leader of the Elgad Party African Election Observer teams from COMESA and the African Union who were in Egypt to observe the 2018 Presidential elections met the head of the campaign team for President Abdel Fattah Thirty-three election observers from COMESA and CEN-SAD participated in a training session on election observation as a way of equipping them with the necessary skill to observe the critical phases of the electoral cycle that includes voting, vote counting and declaration of results. Different experts from the National Election Authority of Egypt, civil society, the media, CEN-SAD and COMESA Secretariats made various presentations to the observers. The two-day training in Cairo was officially opened by the Heads of the Joint Observer Missions namely Ms Hope Kivengere, a member of the COMESA Committee of Elders and Ambassador Amadou Toure leading CEN- SAD. Ms Kivengere urged the observers to pay particular attention to the guidelines and legal el-sisi and his challenger Moussa Moustafa Moussa leader of the Elgad political party. The two meetings were led by the leaders of the African Observers groups namely Observers receive joint training provisions of the country for them to have an effective mission As you are aware, the observation process will be guided primarily by the constitution and legal framework of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and relevant international and regional instruments including the COMESA and CEN-SAD Guidelines on Election Observation. I urge you to adhere to the provisions of these legal frameworks in your roles as observers, She said. This first ever joint election observation mission between COMESA and CEN-SAD was anchored by the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the African Union and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and a follow up MoU signed between COMESA and CEN-SAD. Both documents underscore the need for collaboration and building synergies between and among the RECs. Am elated that the provisions of the The team also met opposition candidate Moussa Moustafa Moussa who talked about his vision and economic programme for Egypt. He expressed keen interest to work with the youths by introducing programmes that will help economically empower them. Mr Moussa expressed confidence in the electoral process adding that his participation in the election would help strengthen Egypt s democratic process. MOU have been realized today through this joint mission, Ms Kivengere added. In his remarks, Ambassador Toure Amadou, Head of the CEN-SAD Observers commended the two organizations for having implemented a key provision in the MoU on collaborating with sister RECs. He emphasized that deepening regional integration in Africa is important and organisations such as COMESA and CEN-SAD need to compliment and support each other in various areas. Observing elections on the African continent by Africans is very important and I therefore commend these two organisations for ensuring that this happens for the first time in Egypt, he added This must be the beginning of more collaboration, Amb. Amadou said. This is the first time that COMESA and CEN- SAD have jointly observed elections.

4 4 Egypt welcomes COMESA Elections Observers Election Authority is now fully functional. COMESA deployed a joint mission with the Community of the Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) to 10 governorates in Egypt. The COMESA Observers were drawn from Member States and staff from the COMESA Secretariat in Lusaka and the Cairo-based Regional Investment Agency (RIA), a COMESA institution. Mission Leaders with Minister Hamdi Sanad Loza The Government of Egypt welcomed a delegation of election Observers from COMESA who were in the country for the March 26 to 28th Presidential elections. On Thursday, 22nd March 2018, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Hamdi Sanad Loza received the Head of the COMESA Election Observer Team Ms Hope Kivengere in his office for a briefing on the electoral preparedness. Amb. Loza said his office was ready to provide any required support to make the observer s mission a success. We are happy that From the joint observation, the following were identified as best practice that can be domesticated in other COMESA Member States. 1. The automatic voter registration system: This is a computer-based application that hastened the process of voter registration and identification. This was backed by SMS voter verification. To enhance civic participation, voters were mobilised through radio and TV adverts, among others advertisement channels. 2. The logistics and coordination: There was clear coordination between the National Electoral Authority (NEA) and other government agencies. This ensured that polling staff and all materials (voting booths, pens, ballot papers, boxes, desks, indelible ink) were COMESA responded positively to our invitation of coming to observe these elections. This is an important process for Egypt and its people and we highly value COMESA s input in this process, he said. In her remarks, Ms Kivengere commended Egypt for implementing some of the recommendations from previous COMESA observer missions. One of them being the need for the government to hasten the process of establishing a substantive electoral management body to manage future elections. This has already been done and the National 2018 Egypt Elections: Best Practices in place before the commencement of polling. Further the coordination between NEA and security organs ensured that security was adequately provided in all polling centres to secure the polling materials and voters. 3. The time allocated for the election ensured that voters turned out to vote. The half-day shifts, the long opening hours from 9a.m. to 9p.m. each day for three consecutive days and the extension of voting time by one hour on the third day decongested polling stations. 4. The assistance given to the elderly, expectant mothers, and those physically challenged is worthy of noting. The elderly were accorded the opportunity to vote first. Wheelchairs were provided Later, Ms Kivengere who is a member of the COMESA Committee of Elders and the Head of the African Union Delegation Mr Abdulai Diop, former Minister of Foreign Affairs from Mali, also met the Head of the National Election Authority who briefed them on the state of preparedness of the Authority. About 60 million voters participated in the presidential election which was contested by two candidates namely incumbent President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Moussa Mostafa Moussa of the Ghad Party. Egypt uses symbols for candidates in its elections to help illiterate voters make their choices on the ballot. President Sisi s symbol on the ballot was a star while Mr Moussa was represented by a plan. in all the polling centres to assist the physically challenged voters. 5. Facilitation of Egyptians in the diaspora to vote is a commendable practice that allows every citizen to participate in the country s political process. It provides every citizen the opportunity to exercise their voting right. 6. Security provided by Egyptian authorities at the polling stations guaranteed the safety and security of the citizenry, potential voters, polling staff and observers. As such, polling occurred in an environment of peace and tranquillity. Furthermore, the issue based campaign by the candidates contributed to the peaceful environment.

5 COMESA and the Agenda of Election Observation Observing elections by local or international organizations in the COMESA region has emerged as a critical practice for improving the quality of elections and consolidating democracy in general. As part of its mandate, COMESA has since 2006 continued to observe presidential, parliamentary and civic elections upon invitation by Member States. The mandate to observe elections is broadly derived from Article 3 (d) of the COMESA treaty which gives the secretariat the responsibility to cooperate in the promotion of peace, security and stability among member states in order to enhance economic development in the region. The secretariat through the Governance Peace and Security Programme has thus prioritized elections observation as a means of promoting and consolidating democracy in the region. Indeed, COMESA has observed more than 20 elections since the inception of the programme. To enhance the quality of elections observation, COMESA developed a set of procedures to guide the conduct of COMESA elections observer missions. The guidelines are used in tandem with other regional and international legal instruments that inform elections observation. More specifically, the guidelines outline the key principles and values that largely inform COMESA elections observer missions. The principles and values include: Impartiality, Comprehensiveness, Duration, Transparency, Accuracy, Timing, Competence and Noninterference. Members of COMESA observer missions are normally drawn from different member states and have different expertise ranging from elections organization, communication, statistics, diplomacy, media among others. The missions are led by a member of the COMESA Committee of Elders (CCOE). Before deployment, COMESA observers undergo a rigorous training that is centered on the observation methodology, reporting, legal frameworks, the does and don ts of elections observations, actors perspectives among others. Since the inception of the programme, progress has been made in promoting and consolidating democracy in the COMESA region. 1. Standard and methodologies have been developed and propagated for elections observation in the region. 2. Public confidence and validity of elections has been enhanced in general. 3. Best practices accruing from different missions have been shared between EMBs in the region. This, in the long run has strengthened electoral institutions and electoral processes in member states. 4. Dialogue and consensus have been built and enhanced among different actors especially on issues relating to electoral processes. In 2018, COMESA will continue observing elections in Member States as a means of promoting good governance, peace and security and consolidating the regional integration agenda. 5 Egypt Elections in Pictures