Get Guardian on GoogleThe Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has deployed 80 observers for Cabo Verde’s presidential election scheduled for November 15, as the regional bloc steps up its monitoring of the electoral process.
The Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission, former Vice-President of The Gambia, Fatoumatta Jallow-Tambajang, arrived in Praia on November 10 to lead the mission ahead of Sunday’s poll.
She said the mission was in the country to support a peaceful, inclusive and transparent election, adding that observers would be deployed across the islands to ensure that voters in different parts of the country were heard.
“We are here to help them conduct the election and to live up to the expectations, which are peaceful, inclusive and transparent elections,” she told journalists on arrival.
“We want to hear every voice from every part of the country,” she added.
The mission’s deployment includes 20 long-term observers who have been in the country since November 3. They will be joined by about 60 short-term observers ahead of the election.
Jallow-Tambajang’s arrival followed coordination meetings between ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Francess Piagie Alghali, and the bloc’s Resident Representative in Cabo Verde, Ambassador João Ribeiro Butiam Co.
The election observation is part of ECOWAS’ engagement with member states to support electoral processes and democratic governance in the region.
