Verification/Monitoring Mechanism – 1994
1994
According to Secretary General’s Report to the Security Council, “Under its expanded mandate in accordance with Security Council resolution 894 (1994), UNOMSA continued its activities relating to peace promotion and the reduction of violence. Under the direction of the Mission’s Peace Promotion Division, observers continued to assist and cooperate with the National Peace Accord structures. As the electoral period progressed, the Division expanded its network of contacts to include the Monitoring Directorate of the IEC”. According to the report, “observersÕ activities expanded to include observing and reporting on voter education, issuance of temporary voter’s cards, and on IEC attempts to select sites for and establish voting and counting stations.”1
Under the extended mandate, the UMOMSA had the following mandate in relations to observation of the electoral process:
(a) Observe the actions of the Independent Electoral Commission and its organs in all aspects and stages of the electoral process, verifying their compatibility with the conduct of a free and fair election under the Independent Electoral Commission and Electoral Acts;
(b) Observe the extent of freedom of organization, movement, assembly and expression during the electoral campaign and ascertain the adequacy of the measures taken to ensure that political parties and alliances enjoy those freedoms without hindrance or intimidation;
(c) Monitor the compliance of the security forces with the requirements of the relevant laws and the decisions of the Transitional Executive Council;
(d) Verify the satisfactory implementation of the dispositions of the Independent Media Commission and the Independent Broadcasting Authority Acts;
(e) Verify that the voter education efforts of the electoral authorities and other interested parties are sufficient and will result in voters being adequately informed on both the meaning of the vote and its procedural aspects;
(f) Verify that qualified voters are not denied the identification documents or temporary voter’s cards that will allow them to exercise their right to vote;
(g) Verify that voting occurs on election days in an environment free of intimidation and in conditions which ensure free access to voting stations and the secrecy of the vote; and verify that adequate measures have been taken to ensure proper transport and custody of ballots, security of the vote count and timely announcement of results;
(h) Coordinate the activities of observers from international governmental organizations and foreign Governments so as to ensure that they are deployed in an effective and coordinated manner; establish effective cooperation with South African and foreign non-government.
In the process, “UNOMSA officials continued to interact with political parties, attend rallies and other public events, investigate instances of intimidation and related complaints and work closely with the IEC and national, regional and local peace structures.”
UNOMSA carried out its mandate of electoral observation through voter education, which was related to implementation of a voter education campaign, non-partisan voter education, the role of the independent electoral commission, media and voter education, identity documentation, the conduct of the polling, counting leading to the verification of the whole electoral process.2
The UNOMSA mission was terminated on June 27, 1994.