The New Commissioners Orientation Wrap Up in Lusaka, Zambia

The 12th New Commissioners’ Orientation (NCO) Programme, held from August 27 to 29, 2024, in Lusaka, Zambia, concluded with newly appointed electoral commissioners receiving an orientation on critical elements of democratic elections.  The orientation was organized by International IDEA’s Africa and West Asia (AWA) regional programme in partnership with the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC Countries (ECF-SADC). It was hosted by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), and funded by the  European Union through the Strengthening Pan-African Capacities Electoral Observation and Assistance Project. Twenty-seven Commissioners and senior management staff of Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) were drawn from Eswatini, Malawi, Tanzania, Namibia, Seychelles, Zanzibar, and Zambia. 

In her welcome remarks, Mwangala Zaloumis SC, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) noted that the orientation is crucial and sets the stage for continuous learning and further provides a platform for exchanges that will strengthen learning. Dr Elsie T. Nghikembua Elsie, the ECF-SADC Executive Committee Chairperson and the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia highlighted the importance of the orientation and expressly stated that “No university prepares you for running elections which is the reason why this training is important.” The Chief Justice of the Republic of Zambia, Hon. Dr. Mumba Malila, SC delivered the keynote address and officially opened the twelfth New Commissioners Orientation (NCO). He underscored that free and fair elections are a necessary means to legitimize political power, allowing citizens to choose their leaders and to hold them accountable.

The orientation programme was facilitated by Zefanias Matsimbe and Tomsie Dlamini. The first day of the three-day orientation programme introduced participants with to the broad concepts of Democracy, Elections and Electoral Management covering topics such as the role of elections in democracy; key principles of electoral management; international standards for democratic elections; electoral systems; and promoting inclusion in electoral processes. The second day focused on Electoral Operations and Stakeholders, covering topics such as electoral cycle and planning; financing electoral processes; election dispute adjudication; voter registration; media and stakeholder outreach.  The third day of the orientation focused on Addressing Emerging Issues, where participants focused on the use of technology and elections, the impact of digitalisation on electoral processes; electoral risk, resilience and crisis management. 

The orientation session featured resource persons drawn from Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) in the region and other Intergovernmental organisations. Hilda Modisane the Executive Secretary of ECF-SADC guided participants through a session on aligning personal values with their roles in electoral management. Mawusi Dumenu and Tomsie Dlamini continued with insights into the electoral cycle, calendars and planning, and Clementina Mwelwa Director of Finance at the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) exposed participants to the importance of financial independence for Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs), budgeting and procurement. 

The session on promoting inclusion in electoral processes explored the obstacles faced by both men and women, with a particular emphasis on the challenges encountered by women. Its goal was to identify strategies for overcoming these barriers and improving accessibility in elections. Participants engaged in discussions and shared their gender equity practices and policies from their respective commissions and countries. The session was led by Rumbidzai Kandawasvika-Nhundu, Principal Advisor for Democracy and Inclusion at International IDEA.

Additionally, discussions on ICTs led by International IDEA’s Principal Advisor – Peter Wolf and Masego Sheburi from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC SA) Deputy Chief Electoral Officer also presented on election day & results management and provided a South African case study. Sead Alihodzic, International IDEA’s Principal Advisor on Risk and Conflict presented the electoral framework for protecting elections. This framework focuses on strategies for effective electoral risk management, resilience-building, and crisis management.

The session on Democracy, Elections and Guiding Principles of Electoral Management and International Electoral Benchmark for Democratic Elections and the Role of Regional Institutions in Electoral Processes as an Integral Part of Conflict Prevention and democracy promotion were both led by Maureen Shonge from the UN Women East and Southern Africa Regional Office Regional Policy Specialist and Tawanda Chimhini, African Union Commission Democracy and Election Expert.

The Programme provided a platform to showcase International IDEA’s expertise in electoral processes and highlighted the contributions of EMBs in the region to promote learning. The training concluded with a certification ceremony, marking the participants' readiness to advance electoral excellence.