Civil Society launches Election Observation Mission

The Rwandan Civil Society Platform Observation Mission was launched Monday in Kigali to observe the forthcoming parliamentary elections as an impartial and independent organ. This was at a two-day training of its observers at the La Palisse Hotel, Nyandungu. According to Eugene Rwibasira, the Chief Observer and Spokesperson of the mission, it will live up to its core values of independence and impartiality throughout the elections. “We shall achieve this by strictly observing the guidelines in the two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) recently entered between it, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and donors,” Rwibasira explained. He also revealed that the mission is accredited by the NEC and that it is committed to neutral monitoring. “We will not interfere in any process but will communicate the elements which could be improved as well as those elements which work especially well,” he said. The platform has mobilised close to 600 observers who will be deployed countrywide. Rwibasira said that a total of 50 long-term observers will be deployed to all the districts on Wednesday. Their duty is to sensitize the representatives of NEC, candidates, political parties and other groups on the election preparations. Another group of 500 observers will be deployed on a short-term basis to observe elections in polling stations. The whole observation mission on a national level will be coordinated by eight people. “We stand for the people. We will continue to sensitize Rwandans to continue voting leaders who will help them,” Rwibasira said. Like him, most observers in the mission said that they will be representing interests of Rwandans in their mission and advise the government where necessary. “We have an obligation to help both the government and the people we represent,” said Dieu Donné Kayitare, one of the observers who is also the Head of Justice Department with the genocide survivors umbrella organisation IBUKA. The observers will be assessing the legal framework for the elections and all the elements of the electoral process – from voter registration, election campaign, voting and counting procedures. The team will also report on the process of handling complaints, besides monitoring the media environment. Ends