AU-PSC: Morocco Pushes for Free, Fair Elections in Africa

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Morocco insisted, on Friday in Addis Ababa before the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (AU-PSC), on the need to ensure free, fair, peaceful, democratic and credible elections in Africa. “In order to preserve the hard-won democratic gains of the past three decades in Africa, it is essential to ensure free, fair, peaceful, democratic and credible elections,” said Ambassador Mohamed Arrouchi, Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the AU and UNECA, during a PSC session devoted to reviewing the report on elections organization and conduct in Africa. To this end, “our delegation strongly believes that actions in favor of participatory, transparent and open elections must be carried out and promoted in order to establish political governance and electoral democracy on the continent,” he added during a PSC session devoted to reviewing reports on elections organization in Africa. These actions go “in line with the strategic objectives outlined in Agenda 2063,” the Moroccan diplomat added, stressing that one of the key actions to be carried out in this sense is the observation of elections, which is an essential tool for the success of the electoral process. In the same respect, Arrouchi further noted that it is not only a question of combating fraud and correcting detected errors, but above all of preserving the legitimacy and credibility of the electoral process. Accordingly, the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), with Morocco’s collaboration, has organized the 1st specialized training workshop for AU short-term election observers in Rabat in June 2022, in order to strengthen the the bloc’s capacity to observe elections, recalled the Moroccan diplomat. This training, organized for the first time by an AU Member State, reflects Morocco’s firm commitment to contribute effectively to strengthening AU Commission’s capacities, particularly in the field of political governance and electoral democracy, Arrouchi said. On this occasion, the Moroccan diplomat reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to continue developing the capacities of our continent in order to build a new vision of our common future towards the Africa we want and to support all measures aimed at consecrating democratic practices in Africa.