The African Union deploys short-term observers to the 26-28 March 2018 Presidential election in Egypt

ARRIVAL STATEMENT

Following an invitation from the Government and National Election Authority in the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, approved the deployment of a team of 40 Short-Term election observers to the Presidential election in Egypt scheduled for 26-28 March 2018. This is the third time the African Union is observing elections in Egypt, which reflects its commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and processes in the country through the conduct of credible and transparent elections.

The African Union short-term election observation mission arrived in Cairo, Egypt, on 17 March, and is led by His Excellency Abdoulaye Diop, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Mali. While in Egypt, the Mission leader and the rest of observers will meet with various Egyptian stakeholders and other interlocutors to assess electoral preparations and the pre-electoral environment. The Mission will placed specific focus on the electoral legal framework, the pre-electoral dynamics, campaign environment and election days operations.

The AU will conduct its election observation activities in Egypt in conformity with the relevant African Union instruments, principally the Constitutive Act of the Union adopted in July 2000, and various AU shared values instruments including the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, which entered into force on 15 February 2012, the OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa (AHG/Decl.1 (XXXVIII) and the African Union Guidelines for Election Observation and Monitoring Missions both adopted in July 2002, as well as the national legal framework for elections in Egypt and its obligations for democratic elections contained in relevant regional and international agreements.

The Mission will issue a statement of its preliminary findings and conclusions at a press conference in Cairo on 30 March 2018. A detailed final report with recommendations will be issued within three months after the conclusion of the election. The report will be shared with relevant authorities in the Arab Republic of Egypt and released on the African Union website.

The Secretariat of the Mission is at the Marriott Cairo Hotel. For more information about the AUEOM to Egypt, please contact the Mission Coordinator: Mr. Idrissa Kamara, Political/Election Officer, Department of Political Affairs, African Union Commission. Email: kamarai@africa-union.org,

Media inquiries should be directed to:
Mr. Gamal Ahmed A. Karrar | Directorate of Information and Communication| African Union Commission | E-mail: gamalk@africa-union.org