CNDH says elections were held in an environment providing essential guarantees of free & fair elections, irregularities statistically insignificant

The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) released, in a press conference held on Sunday 6 Sep 2015, a preliminary report on its impartial and independent observation of the local and regional elections, held on 4 Sep 2015.

The report notes that the elections were held in an environment that provided for the “essential guarantees of free, fair and transparent elections”. The observed irregularities, the reports says, “are statistically insignificant” and do not substantially taint the credibility and integrity of the polls. 5757 observation forms, filled out by CNDH’s 474 accredited observers, were analyzed to reach these conclusions.  

In his opening statement at the press conference, CNDH Chairman Driss El Yazami shed light on three main negative observations: (1) the use of children by political parties in the election campaigns, (2) verbal abuse in candidates’ speech and remarks, and (3) the lack of accessibilities, which prevent people with disabilities from fully participating in the elections. But I am happy to see more women and young people coming as candidates for elected offices, he said, calling on political parties to push for and recommend elected women to chair local and regional councils.

The report features a score of recommendations addressed to the government, parliament and political parties. It recommends adopting all election laws and regulations six months at least before polling day. It also recommends a strong protection for personal data, alternatives for Moroccans living abroad (Postal and e-voting), respect for freedom of speech, by applying the provisions of the public gatherings law on peaceful rallies calling for boycott or non-participation in the elections, etc.

CNDH has chaired the Special Commission for the Accreditation of Election Observers, which accredited 41 national and international organizations: 34 Moroccan associations and six international NGOs, in addition to the National Human Rights Council. More than 4000 observers, including 76 international observers, observed the election campaigns and were deployed to more than 22000 polling stations on the polling day, i.e. almost 56% of a total of more than 39000 polling stations (3% is the recommended international election observation standard percentage).

CNDH held six training sessions to build the capacities of national observers and other sessions to train trainers, who themselves helped trained the observers of accredited local NGOs.