ADDIS ABABA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) has already deployed its election observers in the Republic of the Congo for the legislative and local elections scheduled for July 16, 2017.
The AU election observation mission, which stays in Congo from 10 to 22 July, monitors, evaluates and reports on the conduct of the electoral process in the country, according to an AU statement.
Led by Django Sissoko, Former Prime Minister of Mali, the mission comprises of 40 observers, including AU envoys, members of the Pan-African Parliament, electoral commission officials and members of African civil society organizations.
Focusing on regularity, transparency, fairness and smooth running of the process, the mission is expected to undertake an honest, independent, professional and impartial observation of the conduct of the elections, said the statement.
The mission meets with the political authorities of the country, the leaders of the defence and security forces, election institutions, political parties, the media, leaders of civil society organizations and representatives of the Republic of the Congo.
The AU mission is expected to present its preliminary reports on 19 July in Brazzaville, according to the statement.
These observers have been drawn from 24 countries representative of the geographical diversity of the continent and the sub region such as Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Republic of Mauritius, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia.
