Inauguration of 5th General Assembly of the Forum for the Eectoral Commissions of the SADC
Speech presented by his excellency Joaquim Alberto Chissano, President of the Republic of Mozambique.
Maputo 27 July 2003
President of the Assembly of the Republic;
Revered and Honourable President of the Supreme Court;
Mister Prime Minister;
Honourable Attorney General of the Republic;
Members of Government;
President of the National Electoral Commission;
Esteemed participants of the Forum for the Electoral Commissions of SADC;
Esteemed guests;
Ladies and gentlemen,
It was with great satisfaction that I accepted this invitation to turn to you during this, the inaugural act, of the 5th General Assembly of the Forum for the Electoral Commissions of SADC.
The realisation of this meeting in our country is veiled in great importance, as it occurs at a moment when the people of Mozambique prepare themselves to participate in an autonomous local government electoral process, which will be under scrutiny during November of the current year and which shall be followed by both the presidential and general elections during the following year.
These are moments of particular importance the Mozambican people, who will profit from this occasion. They will be in a position to appreciate and evaluate the experiences of the other countries in the region and to collect valuable lessons which take into account, both the organisation and conduct, of an electoral process.
This meetings takes place in Maputo, where the second Summit of the African Union has only recently ended, and which reiterated the need to consolidate democratic systems of governance on the African continent, firmly committed to the respect for Human Rights and as a basis for sustainable economic development; the very ember of the guiding principals of NEPAD.
The utilisation of national resources to satisfy the needs of the citizens constitutes a central objective of the State. This fundamental objective, however, demands the adoption of systems of governance, which will facilitate fair access to resources and equal opportunities to participate, within the national effort for development.
In a democratic state the electoral process occupies a central position, as the election constitutes the very corner stone by which the legitimacy of the office bearers in principal government organs is founded. This legitimacy presupposes the establishment of an electoral system capable of both appeasing the conceptual framework to govern by accepted norms and one which is in a position to produce credible and acceptable results.
President of the Assembly of the Republic; Revered and Honourable President of the Supreme Court; Esteemed guests; Ladies and gentlemen,
The recent experiences on the consolidation of democratic processes in Africa clearly displays the advantages of the existence of conceptual norms, resulting from the broad and inclusive political compromises, which aggregates the various political and social sensibilities within the regulation of each type of election.
In our country the electoral process is administered by a system of State institutions which have at its pinnacle the Constitutional Council, and which integrates the National Electoral Commission, its support structures and its secretariat on electoral technical administration, within the process. These are institutions which are tasked with combining the administrative aspects with the actions of a political and jurisdictional nature. Therefore the emphasis is on the need to demand, from the various holders of office in relevant positions, a commited rigour in their posture in order to ensure transparency, efficiency and impartiality, as well as to gain the trust of the various political actors.
The members of the National and Provincial Electoral Commissions observe the sacred principles, enshrined in the Mozambican constitution and of the legal environment, in all their deliberations.
The Electoral Agents are responsible for the compliance; at both national and local level; with the law, regulations, directives and the various other deliberations emanating from the competence of State organs.
In the exercise of their functions, the holders of office within the electoral organs and the agents responsible for the electoral operations, cultivate a frank and open debate, they privilege this consensus as a decision making tool to ensure the equality in opportunities and treatments of the electoral agents, of all political parties and coalitions that contest the elections.
For the first time in the history of electoral organs in our Country we have as presidents, of the National Commission as well as the Provincial, Districts and Municipal Commissions, citizens elected freely be civil society.
The presence of these citizens within the electoral organs constitutes a step in the profesionalisation of these electoral organs, which to a large degree is sustained by the SADC´s Forum of Electoral Commissions, which conveys on this type of institution more independence and exemption.
This experience shows us that the natural evolution of a participatory democracy leads to the involvement of the civil society in the development of the State Organs, responsible for the legitimisation of the principal organs of power. Essencially, it is important to better the mechanisms for civil societies involvement in the articulation process, with the other public and social institutions responsible for conducting the electoral processes and in the prevention and resolution of electoral disputes.
Through their activities, civil society organisations can prevent the exacerbation of conflict.
President of the Assembly of the Republic; Revered and Honourable Presidents of the Supreme Court; Esteemed guests; Ladies and gentlemen,
SADC´s Forum of Electoral Commissions is an important regional initiative in the development of co-operation between the states of the region in their promotion of transparent, free and fair elections. We have hope that the development of this forum will facilitate an exchange of experiences and of information capable of significantly contributing to enhance the culture of peace.
The Forum constitutes and grapples with an important challenge within the framework of the mobilisation of ways and means, which can lead to the harmonisation of common interests in the domain of electoral practices, which may contribute to the consolidation of public trust in the electoral organs and the process.
It is imperative that we work in conjunction, in the reinforcement of democratic institutions and in the strengthening of an environment that will promote the respect for individual liberties and human rights.
The electoral process, by its very nature, has the potential to create disputes of various types; the Forum can study and recommend effective means and mechanisms for the management and prevention of electoral conflicts.
The Forum can provide a useful contribution to the development of best practices models which serve to clarify the role of observers within electoral processes. Of particular interest is the perfecting of the codes of conduct for the electoral commissions, political parties and organs of information.
To conclude, I would like to reiterate our trust in the experience that each and every one of the participants have. I hope that your work will develop in a harmonious manner and that it will contribute to the growth of Electoral Commissions so that it becomes a valid and pertinent voice of the structures of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Maputo 27 July 2003.