PRESS RELEASE
AUC Chairperson deploys African Union Short-Term Election Observation Mission to the 2017 National Assembly Election in the Kingdom of Lesotho
Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho, 28 May 2017: Following an invitation from the Government of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), His Excellency Moussa Faki Mahamat, has deployed an African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to the Kingdom of Lesotho to observe the country’s National Assembly Election scheduled for 3 June 2017.
The Mission comprises twenty six (26) short-term observers (STOs) drawn from members of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) of the African Union, the Pan-African Parliament, Election Management Bodies, Civil Society Organisations working in the area of democracy, governance and elections in Africa, Think Tanks, and independent election experts.
The AUEOM draws its mandate from various African Union instruments, most importantly: (a) the African Union Guidelines for Elections Observation and Monitoring Missions (2002); (b) the OAU/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa (2002); African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (1981) and (c) African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007), among others.
The overall objectives of the AUEOM are to: (a) provide an accurate and impartial reporting or assessment of the quality of the 3 June 2017 National Assembly Election in Lesotho, including the degree to which the conduct of the elections meets regional, continental and international standards for democratic elections; (b) offer recommendations for improvement of future electoral processes in the country based on findings; and, (c) demonstrate AU’s solidarity and support for Lesotho’s election and democratisation process to ensure that the conduct of genuine election contributes to the consolidation of democratic governance, peace and stability in the country.

For more information, contact:
Mr. Robert Gerenge
Principal Advisor to EMBs, Democracy and Electoral Assistance Unit|
Department of Political Affairs| Email: GerengeR@africa-union.org

For Media interviews please contact:
Mr. Gamal Ahmed Karrar, Communication Officer, Directorate of Information and Communication| African Union Commission| E-mail: gamalk@africa-union.org