Pan African Lawyers Union (Palu) has moved to the African Court on Human Rights and People's Rights in Arusha to have elections scheduled in 21 African countries postponed, citing the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Palu, whose membership is drawn from individual lawyers and national lawyers' associations on the continent, filed the request on June 2, and wants the court to issue rules and standards to govern elections during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lawyers want the court to advise the African Union, African states and citizens on the legal obligations and applicable standards, whether they decide to proceed with elections that were scheduled during this period, or should they opt to postpone them.
"Elected governments will only be considered legitimate by their citizens if elections are transparent, inclusive, and credible," said Chidi Odinkalu, a senior legal officer at the Open Society Justice Initiative.
Palu's petition is based on the premise that while many AU member states have opted to adopt their own practices in handling elections amid the pandemic, there are growing calls for a harmonised approach that will safeguard the right to effectively participate in civic duty as enshrined in the key legal instruments of the AU and of the Regional Economic Communities.
