The Electoral Commission is to host a seminar and roundtable discussion with key political parties focused on ensuring conditions conducive to free and fair elections in South Africa.
Representatives of the political parties represented in National Assembly will attend the two-day event on 3 and 4 March 2015 in Cape Town.
The first day of the event will be a seminar during which a number of international experts from other election management bodies and international bodies will share experience and best practice in facilitating free and fair elections.
The second day will provide an opportunity for the parties to make submissions and allow discussion on how to best to ensure conditions conducive to free and fair elections in South Africa now and in the future.
The topic is at the heart of the Electoral Commission’s Constitutional mandate and the two day event is a key step in ongoing discussions around this topic within the National Party Liaison Committee (NPLC) and other stakeholder groups.
It is hoped the engagement will help to create consensus on existing and potential measures by various stakeholders to further facilitate free and fair elections by ensuring a level playing field for all contestants in all elections – especially the upcoming municipal elections scheduled for 2016.
A draft programme is attached. The event will be open to members of the media.
For logistic purposes please RSVP to this email at [email protected] by no later than 12h00 on 2 March 2015 and providing the name of the journalist in attendance.
Registration for the media will take place from 08h00 to 17h00 daily on 3 and 4 March 2015.
ISSUED BY THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION
26 February 2015
For media queries: Please contact Kate Bapela on 082 600 6386
For media interviews: Please email requests to [email protected]
DRAFT PROGRAMME (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF SOUTH AFRICA’S SEMINAR ON CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO FREE & FAIR ELECTIONS(
(Cape Town, South Africa)
Day 1: Tuesday 3 March 2015
08:30 – 09:00 Registration & tea
09:00 – 09:30 Welcome address by Vice-Chairperson of Electoral Commission of SA, Mr Terry Tselane
09:30 – 10:15 Republic of Korea case study on election management body in support of free & fair elections, Ms Su-Yeon Kim, Director of International Co-operation, National Election Commission of Republic of Korea
10:15 – 10:45 Discussion on Republic of Korea case study
10:45 – 11:15 TEA
11:15 – 12:00 Conflict and free & fair elections, Ms Mette Bakken, Africa Programme Officer, International IDEA
12:00 – 12:30 Discussion on conflict and free & fair elections
12:30 – 13:30 LUNCH
13:30 – 14:15 India case study on role of government & political parties in supporting free & fair elections, Mr HS Brahma, Election Commissioner of India
14:15 – 14:45 Discussion on Indian case study
14:45 – 15:15 TEA
15:15 – 16:00 Perceptions of electoral integrity, Prof Jorgen Elklit, Aarhus University, Denmark
16:00 – 16:30 Discussion on perceptions of electoral integrity
16:30 Close of day one of seminar
Day 2: Wednesday 4 March 2015
08:30 – 09:00 TEA
09:00 – 12:45 Members of National Party Liaison Committee of South Africa present frameworks for free & fair elections
09:00 – 09:15 Vryheidsfront Plus (VF Plus)
09:15 – 09:30 African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP)
09:30 – 09:45 African Independent Congress (AIC)
09:45 – 10:00 African National Congress (ANC)
10:00 – 10:15 African People’s Convention (APC)
10:15 – 10:30 AGANG South Africa
10:30 – 10:45 Congress of the People (COPE)
10:45 – 11:00 TEA
11:00 – 11:15 Democratic Alliance (DA)
11:15 – 11:30 Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)
11:30 – 11:45 Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP)
11:45 – 12:00 National Freedom Party (NFP)
12:15 – 12:30 Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC)
12:30 – 12:45 United Democratic Movement
12:45 – 13:45 LUNCH
13:45 – 14:15 Synthesis of frameworks & discussions
14:15 – 14:45 Closing remarks by Vice-Chairperson of Electoral Commission of SA, Mr Terry Tselane
14:45 Close of day two of seminar & departure