Abidjan, March 3, 2021 - The Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) and The Carter Center announced today in a press briefing the continuation of their International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) in Côte d'Ivoire and the deployment of 24 short-term international electoral observers to observe the conduct of the March 6, 2021, legislative elections.
This joint mission, led by Denis Kadima, Executive Director of EISA, was deployed in Côte d’Ivoire from August to December 2020 to observe the presidential election of Oct. 31. The core team of experts resumed their operations in mid-January. Sixteen long-term observers have been deployed to the various regions of Côte d'Ivoire since Feb. 13.
Arriving in Côte d'Ivoire on March 1, the short-term observers attended a comprehensive day of briefings organized by the IEOM on electoral, legal, political and media aspects of the upcoming legislative elections, as well as on the mission’s methodological principles and the Code of Conduct for International Electoral Observers.
The STOs deployed this morning in pairs to their respective areas of responsibility throughout the Ivorian territory. Long-term observers will brief the observers in their regions on additional aspects of the political and electoral context of the constituencies in which they will be observing.
On election day, more than 50 EISA-Carter Center observers from 28 countries, including 20 African countries, will assess the process, observing in constituencies in which approximately 94 percent of registered voters reside.
“The successful conduct of inclusive and democratic legislative elections is crucial for the stability of Côte d’Ivoire and the region,” said Valdiodio Ndiaye, Project Director, at a press briefing held today at the Pullman Hotel in Abidjan. “It is essential that all actors commit to this process in a peaceful and democratic manner across the country,” he said. “The EISA/Carter Center election observation mission aims to enhance Ivoirian citizens’ confidence in a transparent, inclusive and credible process”.
The mission assesses all the stages of the electoral process, including the registration and validation of candidates, the electoral campaign, election day, as well as the tabulation, aggregation and proclamation of provisional and final results by the Ivorian Independent Electoral Commission (Commission Électorale Indépendente, or CEI in French) and any complaints and appeals before the Constitutional Council. All IEOM observers are equipped with digital tablets to transmit their election day observations to the IEOM headquarters in real time.
Shortly after election day, the mission will publicly share its initial findings through a preliminary statement. The mission’s final report, which will include a comprehensive assessment of the electoral process and recommendations for future electoral processes, will be presented to the citizens and authorities of Côte d'Ivoire after the conclusion of the ongoing electoral process.
The CEI officially accredited the IEOM on Feb. 8, 2021, to observe the upcoming legislative elections. The IEOM’s mandate is to observe and assess the electoral process as a whole, and to provide a thorough, impartial and objective assessment. The mission operates in a fully neutral and independent manner.
The joint EISA/Carter Center IEOM abides by the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the Code of Conduct for International Election Observers, adopted in 2005.
IEOM observers adhere to physical distancing and strict protocols, including face coverings, as required by the mission in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eisa Et Carter Center Déploient 24 Observateurs Court Terme En Côte D’ivoire
Head of Mission
Denis KADIMA
Contacts:
EISA – Centre Carter Côte d’Ivoire 2021
Abraham Kouassi – Press Officer – Mobile: +225 07 57 84 74 90
Email: Abraham.Kouassi@cartercenter.org
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