East African Community Secretariat, Arusha, Tanzania, 24 June 2010: A 24-member EAC Election Observer Mission heads to the Republic of Burundi today to monitor the ongoing elections in the country. The Mission will be in Burundi from 24 June to 3 July.

The main objective of the EAC Election Observer Mission to Burundi is to ascertain that the elections are free and fair and that they conform to principles of good governance and democracy in the region.

It will also look out for best electoral practices that could be emulated in the region. The Mission also seeks to widen and deepen cooperation between Partner States in socio-economic and political affairs.

The EAC Election Observer Mission is comprised of Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) as well as Members of National Assemblies from Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. Hon. Otieno Karan, a Member of EALA from the Republic of Kenya will lead the Mission. The exclusion of Members of EALA from Burundi is consistent with adopted practice that Members of the Mission should not participate in election observation in their own countries.

The EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Hon. Beatrice Kiraso says “as the region moves deeper in the integration process with the ultimate goal of having a Political Federation, EAC Partner States need to standardise their governance practices and should take keen interest in each other’s political and electoral processes”.

Hon. Kiraso asserts that holding successful and peaceful elections in Burundi is of utmost importance to the Partner States and the region as a whole because lack of peace and stability in any Partner State will definitely undermine the outstanding milestones the region has so far registered.

“So as our Election Observer Team heads to Burundi, we expect a successful mission and their Report will be presented to the EAC Council of Ministers for consideration to inform future engagements and interaction during electoral processes in other Partner States,” she says.

The EAC Mission to Burundi is being undertaken pursuant to Article 3 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community (Treaty) which requires “…adherence to universally acceptable principles of good governance democracy, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice….” and Article 5(1) of the Treaty which provides for “…widening and deepening cooperation among the Partner States in political, economic, social and cultural fields, research and technology, defence, security and legal and judicial affairs, for their mutual benefit”.

Further, the government of Burundi through the Independent National Electoral Commission (Commission Électorale Nationale Indépendante-CENI), the institution charged with organising elections in Burundi, extended an invitation to the EAC to send the Observer Mission to monitor this year’s election process in the country.

Burundi conducted communal elections 24 May, the first in a series of elections scheduled this year. These will be followed by the presidential elections on 28 June, National Assembly elections on 23 July, Senate elections (conducted indirectly) on 28 July and finally the local elections on 7 September 2010.

Do you have a story or an article to publish? Please email us to submit@in2eastafrica.net.