From 7 to 9 March 2008 in Windhoek Namibia the Democratic Union of Africa (DUA) held it’s annual Campaign Managers and Executive Meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to share best practice in local election systems and campaigning strategies among the centre-right member parties of the DUA.

The theme of the conference was ‘All politics is local.’ Starting from this first principle, the DUA member parties discussed and resolved the following:

1. Local government is essential. Delivering good quality services to people in their communities is the primary duty of all elected representatives.

2. For effective local government parties have a responsibility to offer the electorate skilled candidates of the highest quality.

3. To ensure high quality candidates parties should select candidates locally using a rigorous process and give training to all potential candidates.

4. Candidates for local government office should be aware of the needs of the communities they wish to represent.

5. Every voter should be consulted directly by their candidate for their views on how local services can be improved to better serve their community.

6. During the election campaign candidates should campaign on issues not personalities and inform the electorate what they would do if elected.

7. Candidates must institute social action projects to promote and enhance their standing with the electorate.

8. Most important of all, once elected candidates must deliver on their election promises, continuing to communicate and consult regularly with the people they represent.

9. Local government serves as a spring board for future members of parliament and presidential candidates.

10. For effective decentralisation, central governments must have limited interference in the affairs of local governments in their respective countries.

DUA member parties of both government and opposition expressed the importance of transparent election processes. Polling day is not the start or end of the election process and no election can be declared free and fair on the basis of one day in the election cycle. Parties have a responsibility to ensure the electoral law is upheld as electoral commissions can not always be relied upon to ensure fair play. Parties must be ready to scrutinise and check every step in the election process documenting any irregularities and using the courts to challenge disputed results.

The DUA is pleased to note that steady progress has been made toward democracy in many African countries. DUA is alarmed that some countries, who were once on the road to full democracy, have since slipped back towards dictatorship. The continuous postponement of elections in Cote D’Ivoire is a particular issue and we urge them to respect the timetable for election.

Furthermore the DUA expresses deep concerns over the planned elections in Zimbabwe on 29 March. The DUA is alarmed that foreign observers from democracies from all parts of the world have been banned from observing the election. The current economic and political situation in Zimbabwe together with President Robert Mugabe’s history of using government security forces to arrest, intimidate and grievously assault opposition activists means that the elections in Zimbabwe will not represent the will of people until human rights are restablished. The DUA calls upon Zimbabwe to restore her citizens’ human rights in particular the right to life and liberty, private property and freedom of speech.