PEPSA Observatory Conference

about the conference | programme

DATE6 - 8 June 2005
VENUESunnyside Park Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa

Draft Programme

5 June 2005

14h00-18h00 Delegates arrive at hotel

18h00-20h00 Dinner

6 June 2005

Session 1 Official Opening

Facilitator Tawanda Mutasah, OSISA

08h30-09h00 Welcome & Introductions, PEPSA Steering Committee

09h00-09h30 Keynote Address - What Constitutes a Democratic Election?
Dr F van Zyl Slabbert

Session 2 Towards harmonisation of existing regional election monitoring tools

Facilitator Luckson Chipare, MISA

This session aims to focus discussion on the regional election monitoring tools, namely

SADC-PF Norms and Standards for elections in SADC (2001)
Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation (2003) and
SADC Principles and Guidelines governing Democratic Elections (2004)

The main question that will be posed in this session is how best these instruments can be harmonised.

Panel Presentation

09h30-09h40 Norms & Standards for Elections in SADC
Dr. Joao Ndlovu, SADC-PF
09h40-09h50 Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation
EISA
09h50-10h00 SADC Principles and Guidelines governing Democratic Elections
SADC Secretariat
10h00-10h30 General discussion

10h30-11h00 Tea

11h00-11h15 African Union Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa
Dieudonné Kombo-Yaya

Presentation of comparative analysis of the three tools

11h15-11h30 Tawanda Mutasah, OSISA

11h30-11h45 Dr Khabele Matlosa, EISA

11h45-13h00 Plenary discussion focussing on:

Areas of commonality between the tools
Strategies for harmonisation

13h00-14h00 Lunch

Session 3 Monitoring Compliance of SADC States with the SADC Principles

Facilitator Denis Kadima, EISA

This session aims to introduce the Baseline Analysis Instrument for Compliance with SADC Principles. It also aims to conduct a country review of the current state of pre-election compliance in SADC states, wwith a view to making recommendations as to how this compliance can be improved. To this end the session will also initiate discussion on advocacy strategies that have potential to enhance compliance.

14h00-14h30 Introduction of Baseline Analysis Assessment Instrument
Lomcebo Dlamini, PEPSA Coordinator

14h30-15h00 General discussion focussing on methodology of baseline assessment

15h00-15h30 Tea

Session 3 Continued

15h30-15h50 Advocacy Strategies: The 'Upstairs/ Downstairs' Approaches
Luckson Chipare, MISA

15h50-16h30 Break-Away Group Sessions

Groups will be assigned in which the following activities will take place:

Discuss the state of compliance with SADC Principles in each country in the group
Make appropriate recommendations on how best to improve compliance in each country in the group

16h30-18h00 Plenary reports and general discussion on group recommendations

Session 4 Book Launch

Facilitator Jeannete Minnie, PEPSA Consultant

19h00-20h00 PEPSA Book Launch

7 June 2005

Session 5 Countries holding elections in 2005/2006

Facilitator Rene Romoersma

The objective of this session is to discuss general advocacy strategies that may be utilised in the promotion of the SADC Principles as well as discuss the progress of the country-specific activities and advocacy plans for enhancing compliance that have been initiated in the five pilot countries in which PEPSA activities have been initiated (Angola, DRC, Mozambique, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe).

08h30-08h50 Advocacy strategies
Venitia Govender

Presentations on PEPSA activities in pilot countries

08h50-09h10 Angola process: lessons learnt
Monica Rafael

09h10-09h40 PEPSA pilot case - Angola: lessons learnt from the PEPSA project in Angola

Carlos Figueiredo

09h40-10h00 Discussion

10h00-10h20 Democratic Republic of Congo
10h20-10h40 Mozambique
10h40-11h00 Swaziland

11h00-11h20 Tea

Session 5 Continued

11h20-12h00 Discussions on Country Activities and Plans

12h00-12h20 Retrospective Analysis of Zimbabwe Elections
Dr. Reginald Matchaba-Hove

This presentation is aimed at providing a retrospective analysis of the Zimbabwe's compliance with the SADC Principles based on the outcome of the 2005 elections, and making specific recommendations on how to improve that country's' compliance with the SADC Principles.

12h20-12h40 Zimbabwe

12h40-13h00 Discussions on Zimbabwe

13h00-14h00 Lunch

Session 6 Sector Group Discussion Forum

Facilitator Corina Straatma, HIVOS
This session has three objectives:

To inspire interest in the Principles in the sectors
To develop specialization by the sectors on the Principles
To identify possible advocacy points around the Principles for the various sectors

14h00-15h30 Break-away sector group discussions

Journalists: This session should focus on the history behind the SADC Principles, the politics/ concerns behind the Principles, civil society's position regarding the Principles, the strengths and weaknesses of the Principles, and advocacy areas for the Principles. There should also be a focus on reportage on the Principles and recommendations on how to increase the depth of reporting so as to enhance the potential impact of the Principles.
Civil society organisations: This session should focus on how civil society, including specific sectors, can open space for innovative entry points to engage with elections issues and the SADC Principles from their own areas of interest as well as how to collaborate creatively to advocate collectively using their comparative advantages for conducive electoral conditions. In addition to organisations that already work with election-related issues, the discussions will include perspectives from:
- Women's organisations/ movement - the identification of issues that affect women in particular and how elections and principles that promote equitable electoral environments should include women's concerns and promote such. It should also focus on gender desegregation and differentials of the Principles and their impact on women. An understanding of these issues and the Principles themselves by the women's movement and how women could influence the Principles is crucial for advocacy.
- Youth organisations - how correct leadership identification and election could be to the benefit of youth interests. To the extent that the Principles enjoin states to involve the youth, these could only be propelled if the youth are insisting on playing a role in political processes.
Politicians: This group should focus on the importance of engaging and training political parties on the Principles, what they mean and their usefulness for political stability beyond elections, as well as the importance of training political parties on what civil society perspectives are and how these are crucial for the promotion of free and fair elections.
Electoral Management Bodies: Responsible for the technical and administrative aspects of the electoral process, EMB's can play a hugely significant role in the promotion of conducive preconditions for elections. The focus of this session should therefore be on the Principles and their application in EMBs.

15h30-16h00 Tea

Session 6 Continued

16h00-17h30 Presentation of sectoral group action plans

8 June 2005

Session 7 Way Forward

Facilitator Sammy Modiba, OSISA

The aim of this last session is to summarise the major findings of the conference, identify key areas in which further advocacy is to be undertaken, and define a clear course of action on how the PEPSA project should therefore proceed. There should be a strong emphasis in this session on how to take PEPSA forward. Prior to the session, key protagonists will be identified and tasked with giving some prior thought into potential future areas of PEPSA intervention. The summary generated at the end of this session will inform the subsequent press conference statement.

Plenary Session

08h30-11h45 Way forward for PEPSA
PEPSA Steering Committee

11h45-12h00 Tea

Session 7 Continued

Facilitator Bob van der Winden, NiZA

12h00-12h45 Summary of Major Recommendations
Tawanda Mutasah, OSISA

12h45-13h00 Closing Remarks
PEPSA Steering Committee

13h00-14h00 Press Conference
PEPSA Steering Committee

9 June 2005

06h00 Departures