The African Union Commission (AUC) announces the arrival of its observation mission for the primary Presidential election in the Union of The Comoros and first round governors’ election in Autonomous Islands on 21 February 2016. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma accepted the invitation of the Government of the Union of the Comoros and deployed the Mission to observe and report on the conduct of elections.

The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) is led by H.E. Dr. Mohammed Moncef Marzouki, former President of the Republic of Tunisia. The

AUEOM comprises of 35 observers from Permanent Representative Committee to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Members of the Pan African Parliament, members of Electoral Management Body and members of civil society in Africa. These observers are drawn from 21 African countries1.

The AUEOM has the mandate for independent, impartial and objective observation of elections. Its assessment will be based on relevant provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance adopted in 2007 and entered into force in 2012, the OAU/ AU Declaration of on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, other relevant international instruments on election observation as well as national legal framework governing presidential and governors elections of the  Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo Ethiopia, Gabon, Libya, Mauritius, Mauritania, Nigeria, , Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Autonomous Islands of the Union of The Comoros. The assessment will be based on the regularity, transparency, equity and fair conduct of the electoral process.

The Mission will meet political authorities of the country, leaders of institutions in charge of election management, control and security of elections, candidates, media houses, civil society actors and representatives of the international community accredited to the Union of The Comoros. The Mission will also meet other election observation missions present in the country.

The Mission will deploy observers in all the Autonomous Islands of the Union of Comoros namely: Ngazidja (Grande Comoros), Ndzuwani (Anjouan) and Mwali (Moheli);

The AUEOM will hold a press conference at the National Council of Press and Audio Visual on Tuesday 23 February 2016 at 11hr00 to present its observations and preliminary findings on the conduct of the elections. It will offer recommendations, for the attention of the electoral stakeholders of the Union of The Comoros.

The AUEOM thanks the Government of the Union of The Comoros for extending the invitation to the Mission and for all the support to facilitate the work of the Mission on the ground.

The Mission’s Secretariat is based at Itsandra Beach Hotel in Grande Comoros and its contact is + 269 3644084.

Done at Moroni, 18 February 2016

H.E. Dr. Moncef Marzouki

Head of the Mission