Diplomatic corps ‘most impressed’ with IEC

The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in South Africa, Andrei Zaharescu and several other diplomats were most impressed with the manner in which the 2019 election is organised in the Western Cape, George Herald reports.

The Electoral Commission took 24 independent international election observers on a tour of several voting stations across the Cape Town Peninsula.

“Never in my diplomatic career have I been invited, nor have I been so impressed, with a visit to polling stations. The voters were ready and eager to vote, they were at the polling stations despite the rain.”

Zaharescu said the 2019 election was extremely well organised and that people at the various polling stations were obviously eager to make their mark.

Western Cape provincial electoral officer Courtney Sampson said foreign and local independent observers are highly valued by the IEC.

“Observers prove that the electoral commission takes the voting process seriously and that we want to keep the processes as transparent as possible.”

Observers, both domestic and international, play a crucial role in ensuring that the elections are transparent, free and fair and that the outcome is accepted by voters, political parties and candidates, the electoral commission said.

Watch a video below.