Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
South Africa has sent a team of election observers to Algeria to monitor its legislative elections, scheduled to be held on 5 June 1997.
The team is made up of two representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and one each from IDASA and the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Portfolio Committee. The group will formally be part of the OAU (Organisation of African Unity) election monitoring team, accredited to observe the elections.
The United Nations and the League of Arab States will also form part of the team of international observers during the Algerian elections.
Election monitoring by the OAU is arranged at the request of the country holding the elections. On completion of the monitoring mission, the normal practice for the OAU is to make a statement on the elections, either in the country where the election was monitored, or on return to OAU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, followed by a formal report to the Secretary General.
Consistent with its commitment to promoting the democratization process on the continent, South Africa has, since it became a member of the OAU in May 1994, already sent election observer team to Cote d'Ivoire, Niger, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe, Algeria and the Sudan.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 02 JUNE 1997