Luanda: Manuel Pereira da Silva, President of Angola's National Electoral Commission (CNE) and the Network of Electoral Management and Adjudication Bodies of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (ROJAE-CPLP), has been working in So Tom© and Prncipe since this past Wednesday, leading an observation mission.
According to Angola Press News Agency, a press release received by ANGOP, the ROJAE-CPLP mission is responding to an invitation from the local electoral body to monitor the presidential elections that the Democratic Republic of So Tom© and Prncipe will hold on July 19 of this year.
On Thursday, July 16, as part of the ROJAE-CPLP program-which aims to monitor the various stages of the electoral process, from the pre-election period to the tabulation of results-the mission held meetings with presidential candidates Carlos Manuel Villa Nova, Nito d'Abreu, and Miques Joo Bonfim.
Likewise, the mission met with the Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations (FONG) and the National Youth Council (CNJ), and visited the So Tom© and Prncipe television and radio stations.
Aiming to contribute to enhancing the transparency, integrity, impartiality, and credibility of the electoral process, the ROJAE-CPLP observation mission's program also includes monitoring the opening of polling stations and the transmission of election results, as well as a press briefing to present the mission's report.
ROJAE-CPLP's participation reflects the spirit of multilateral cooperation among the electoral bodies of the community's member states, contributing to the strengthening of democratic institutions and good governance, and fostering the sharing of experiences among electoral management bodies. The ROJAE-CPLP delegation monitoring the presidential elections in So Tom© and Prncipe also includes members of electoral management bodies from Angola, Brazil, Portugal, and Cabo Verde-with the latter serving as the spokesperson for the Election Observation Mission.
The President of the Angolan National Commission and ROJAE-CPLP is accompanied by national commissioners Lucinda da Costa and Gilberto Neto, national directors Domingos Azevedo Adler Andreza and Alfredo Paim, and department head Humberto Delgado.
