"The challenge to civil society organisations in contributing to the consolidation and promotion of the democratic electoral process", a SADC-ESN Workshop
3 - 4 March 2004, Johannesburg Rosebank Hotel
08h30 - 09h00 Registration
Session 1
09h00 - 09h15 Welcome
Mr Denis Kadima, EISA Executive Director
Ms Annamarie Minder Deputy Country Director, Swiss Development and Cooperation
Representative, Belgium Embassy
09h15 - 09h30 Workshop Objectives
Ilona Tip, Senior Advisor, Conflict Management, Democracy and Electoral Education, EISA
09h30 - 10h00 Opening Address
Dr Abdalla Hamdok, Regional Director for Africa, International Idea
10h00 - 10h30 Introductions
10h30 - 11h00 TEA
Session 2
Facilitators: Mr Onkometse M. Tsimanyane, Co-ordinator, Emang Basadi AND Ms Sa Ngidi, Manager, Electoral and Political Processes, EISA
11h00 - 13h00 Introduction - the Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation (PEMMO)
This session will provide an opportunity for participants to be introduced to PEMMO and how it can be used in the electoral process.
13h00 - 14h00 LUNCH
14h00 - 15h30 Application of PEMM0
Facilitator: Ms Jesca Mkuchu, Co-ordinator, Tanzania Ecumenical Dialogue Group
Five countries held elections in 2004. Civil society organisations have put in place domestic observer missions on a national scale and used the PEMMO as the yardstick with which to assess the electoral process. Representatives from the five countries will briefly outline how they used the PEMMO, and share the challenges and recommendations arising out of their experience. The session will also assist those countries who will be holding elections in 2005 and 2006 to look at how they can use PEMMO as an observation tool.
Panel
15h30 - 15h45 TEA
Session 3
Facilitator: Mr Clement Dlamini, Social Facilitator, The Co-Ordinating Assembly of NGO's, Swaziland
15h45 - 17h30 Promoting participation in the Democratic Electoral Process
Working in small groups participants will consider activities that can be undertaken to encourage citizen participation in the election process. These may include domestic observation, democracy education and capacity building for prospective candidates.
Report back
18h00 Reception
Session 4
Facilitator: Ms Rindai Chipfunde, National Director, Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network (ZESN)
08h30 - 10h30 Consolidating Democracy and Encouraging Good Governance
This session provides an opportunity for participants to consider the 'in-between' election phase. Elections on their own do not constitute a democracy. Citizen participation extends beyond casting a vote every 5 years. As civil society organisations the challenge is how we utilise this period to mobilise and encourage an active citizenry and what activities are needed and should be undertaken to encourage and promote good governance
Speaker: Mr Denis Kadima, Executive Director, EISA
Discussion
10h30 - 11h00 TEA
Session 5
Facilitator: Mr Xavier Bahaya, Project Director, Ligue des Electeurs
11h00 - 1h00 Identifying areas of participation
Leading on from the previous sessions, working in groups of 6 participants will consider and identify activities that organisations can engage in. The sessions will also provide an opportunity for countries to consider the activities, timeframes and resources needed
Report back and discussion
13h00 - 14h00 LUNCH
14h00 - 17h00 Consolidating SADC-ESN
During the 2003 SADC-ESN annual conference participants considered activities and structure for SADC-ESN. An interim committee was put in place to consider how these activities can be implemented in collaboration with the secretariat. Due to lack of resources SADC ESN has not been able to fulfil all proposed plan. This session will look at how this can be achieved.
Facilitator: Ms Sa Ngidi, Manager, Electoral and Political Processes, EISA, Secretariat, SADC-ESN
TEA WILL BE TAKEN DURING THIS SESSION
17h00 - 17h30 Summation and Closure
Saturday 5th March: Delegates depart
