AU Commission to monitor Kenya's 2013 elections closely

AU Commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Photo| africareview.com

 

The Africa Union (AU) Commission will closely monitor the regions elections that are set to take place this year.

In her New Year message, Commission chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said that the continent needed to focus on conducting peaceful elections in order to foster growth and development.

She revealed that the commission will also send observers to cover Kenya’s first general election under the new constitution.

“For the first time, the Commission will be sending a Long Term Observer (LTO) Expert Mission to the scheduled March 4th 2013 General Elections in the Republic of Kenya,” the press statement read in part.

The country is considered an entry point into the East African region and a strong economy within the trading bloc.

Kenya’s general elections have attracted regional and global attention with a lot of focus being placed on whether the country will slip into a state of violence as was witnessed after the 2007 general elections.

Tunisia and Zimbabwe are also scheduled to hold their Presidential elections later in the year.

Dr Dlamini-Zuma expressed concern over the conflict situation currently being experienced in Mali, the Central African Republic and DR Congo, adding that they were derailing development efforts. She called for a regional approach to bring speedy resolution.

The AU Commission is expected to step up its efforts to harmonise infrastructure development in the continent under the programmes for infrastructure development in Africa as well as explore ways to raise agricultural productivity.

She also noted that the commission was committed to ensuring that women attain decision-making positions and advocate for their development across the continent in line with the 2010-2020 African Women Decade.

Dr Dlamini-Zuma congratulated Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for his efforts in trying to restore democracy in war-torn Somalia adding that “the country had entered a post-conflict reconstruction and development phase.”