Luanda - The 26th Annual General Conference of the SADC Electoral Commissions Forum, which took place in the Republic of Seychelles, ended on Wednesday with the election of its new leader, Manuel Pereira da Silva, President of the National Electoral Commission of Angola.

Manuel Pereira da Silva will chair the Forum of Electoral Commissions of the Community of Southern African Region Countries (ECF-SADC), for a period of two years (2024-2026), while the Vice-presidency was assumed by the National Electoral Commission of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Africa assumed the presidency of the Executive Committee of this regional organization.   

During the closing session, the new Chairperson of the SADC Electoral Commissions Forum, Manuel Pereira da Silva, expressed his gratitude for the confidence shown by the region's Electoral Administration bodies in his election and highlighted the challenges and opportunities that will mark his mandate.

Manuel Pereira da Silva assured that he will maintain his commitment to innovation and the consolidation of democracy and that he now assumes the presidency of the SADC Electoral Commissions Forum, with the commitment to reinforce the importance of collaboration between member countries to face the electoral challenges of the region and continue the work developed by the ECF,  underlining that the 2024-2026 period will be crucial for strengthening electoral processes at the regional level.

The new ECF-SADC President-elect pointed out several complex challenges that the region's Electoral Administration Bodies will have to face in the coming years.

Among the main obstacles, Manuel Pereira da Silva highlighted the growing disinformation, the manipulation of narratives, hate speech, as well as the need to ensure the security and integrity of electoral processes.

Another aspect that deserved the attention of the President of the EFC-SADC, Manuel Pereira da Silva, has to do with the internal and external political pressure that SADC countries face in the electoral context, in addition to the urgent need to involve young people in elections, especially in an increasingly active digital scenario.

 'The future of our electoral processes is closely linked to the way we deal with growing disinformation, new forms of manipulation and external pressures. We need to be resilient and innovative, taking advantage of the lessons of the challenges learned to strengthen democracy in our region', said the President of the Forum of Electoral Commissions of SAD, Manuel Pereira da Silva.

Despite the challenges of ECF-SADC, the new President emphasized that difficulties also bring opportunities.

Manuel Pereira da Silva believes that it is possible to innovate, learn from previous experiences and consolidate a solid and lasting democratic culture in the region.

Manuel Pereira da Silva believes that it is possible to innovate, learn from previous experiences and consolidate a solid and lasting democratic culture in the region.

'The complexity of electoral processes should not be seen as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to improve our practices, strengthen the confidence of the electorate and ensure the transparency of our electoral systems. The commitment to democracy must be unwavering,' concluiu.SC/DOJ