[File, Standard]African countries have been advised against using the Covid-19 crisis to postpone elections and instead told to put in place measures that will guarantee integrity during those elections. Since 2020, some of the African countries that have held elections include Chad, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Gambia, Morocco, South Africa, Zambia among others. The advisory was delivered following last year’s submission by the PALU seeking guidance from the African court and the regional institutions on how to hold elections during the Covid-19 period. The judgement also touched on the obligations of State Parties that decide to postpone elections because of a public health emergency or a pandemic, such as the Covid-19 crisis. A public health pandemic must not be an excuse for an election rigging,” he said.

Source: Standard Digital July 24, 2021 18:16 UTC