An African Union (AU) Short-Term Election Observation Mission will be deployed to Liberia on Tuesday to observe the country’s forthcoming presidential and legislative elections scheduled for October 10.

The deployment was approved by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Moussa Faki Mahamat, following an invitation by the Government and National Electoral Commission of Liberia.

The Mission, which comprises 50 short-term observers (STOs), who will be deployed to complement the work of the Long-Term Observers (LTOs) who have been in Liberia since September 1.

LTOs are responsible for comprehensively assessing the electoral process for compliance with national laws and international standards for democratic elections.

STOs will specifically observe the conduct of election-day operations and immediate post-election developments, including the results management process.

The Mission’s mandate is based on the AU’s democracy and elections procedures as outlined in the 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance; and the 2002 OAU/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections.

The 2002 AU Guidelines for Election Observation and Monitoring Missions and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), as well as the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and Code of Conduct for International Election Observers are also the principles on which the AU Mission’s mandate is based.

The AU’s strategy is to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and to contribute to strengthening democratic institutions and building public confidence in electoral processes in AU member states.