Dissolution of the National Assembly |03 August 2020

Arid recognises financial impact of running two elections in a row

Following the announcement made by President Danny Faure on Thursday July 30 on the dissolution of the National Assembly, the Association for Rights, Information and Democracy (Arid) has released the following statement.

It reads:

“Arid recognises the mandate and powers given to the President under our constitution and its legitimacy to dissolve the National Assembly, we understand the reasons expressed by the President guiding this decision and we recognise the financial impact of running two elections in a row.

“Arid is cognisant of the importance of having the three arms of the government functioning effectively and efficiently at all times. The functionality of the three branches – legislative, executive and judicial – is important as checks and balances in ensuring that no one branch would be able to control too much power remarkably before an election.

“Having the assembly dissolved unexpectedly soon before an unexpected election without the opportunity to debate and approve the budget of the said election leaves a window of opportunity for one branch to abuse and misuse of public funds. This is why we are calling on the head of the two other arms of the government to ensure that the principles and values of good governance, democracy, accountability and transparency are maintained.

“Financial procedures and regulations must be respected and all stakeholders must ensure that there is a level playing field for all parties contesting the elections. Arid wishes to express its disappointment because there are still gaps in our electoral laws. The National Assembly will possibly not have sufficient time to act upon it hence, causing some challenges for the Electoral Commission.

“Arid appeals to all political parties, leaders and political activists to respect the views and decisions of everyone and to conduct political campaigns in a peaceful manner.

“Finally, we call on all voters to respect the divergent views of fellow voters and to engage in this election process in a peaceful, harmonious and informed manner. Voters, please verify your names on the voter’s register. Election is the cornerstone of democracy; citizens are the main stakeholders in this process and voting is our civic obligation.”

Press release from Arid