EAC ELECTION OBSERVER MISSION TO THE 16th -18th SEPTEMBER 2013 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA

The East African Community's Observer Mission has issued a preliminary statement on the Parliamentary Elections in the Republic of Rwanda which took place 16th – 18th September 2013.

The Mission was in the country at the invitation of the Government of Rwanda and the National Electoral Commission. It was led by Hon. Musa Sirma, Former Minister for EAC Affair’s, Republic of Kenya and comprised 40 members drawn from the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and National Human Rights Commissions from 4 EAC countries namely Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

The Mission’s assessment of the elections was primarily based on the Constitution and other legislation governing elections in Rwanda. The assessment was also predicated on international principles and standards governing the conduct of democratic elections including the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007) and the EAC Principles for Election Observation and Evaluation (2012).

The Mission's preliminary statement (attached) contains preliminary findings, recommendations and conclusions made by the Mission based on independent observation, interaction with electoral stakeholders including the National Electoral Commission, political parties, civil society organisations, security agencies, the media, international and domestic observers present in Rwanda, among others. As the electoral process is still ongoing, this statement limits itself to the assessment made upto the three-day polling and counting processes, as at 18th September 2013.

Having consulted with stakeholders from 9th – 13th September, on 14th September 2013, eight teams of Observers were deployed to all the five provinces of Rwanda. Each team was equipped with questionnaires as an aid for systematic collection of data on activities pertaining to pre-polling, polling and counting processes as well as announcement of provisional results.