Free SADC electoral commissions

The study found that where the balance of power between the executive and Parliament is lopsided, commissions face stiff challenges including absence of founding legislation and meddling by the executive in the appointment of staff.

Within the spectrum of challenges EMBs in the SADC region, the two most common are the dire lack of independence from the executive and poor funding. SADC citizens demand credible electoral processes and these largely stem from independent, well-funded EMBs, which are free of both executive influence and financial inadequacies. Examples are rife in the region where elections results have been bitterly contested, stalling the economy and plunging the population into despair as a result of polarised or ineffective EMBs.