Building on the success of last year’s first ever Electoral Integrity Summit in Africa, the event returns for its second edition—bigger, bolder, and louder! Hosted by the African Election Observers Network (AfEONet) with support from the Christian Churches Monitoring Group, the summit will be held in Lusaka, Zambia, under the theme “Defending Democracy and Reclaiming Civic Space.”
This continental gathering will identify solutions to threats to electoral integrity, share best practices and standardise approaches for citizen-led electoral observation, examine the role of emerging technologies, and underrepresented voices in Africa’s democratic future. Participants can expect a roadmap for continental cooperation on post-election follow-up, actionable recommendations on electoral issues, and stronger networks advancing electoral integrity across Africa.
Confirm your participation (in-person or virtual) by 9 November 2025, 23:59 CAT.
Programme and more
Tuesday, 11 November
Venue: InterContinental Hotel, Haile Selassie Ave, Lusaka 10101, Zambia (Room Nalikwanda 2)
8:00 – 9:00 Arrival & Registration
9:00 – 9:50 Welcome Remarks
Welcome Remarks from CCMG, ESN-SA, AfEONet, FCDO, UNDP, Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), representative of SADC, Country Head of the EU Delegation in Zambia, Zambia Minister of Justice.
Directors of Ceremony
Ellen Dingani
Programmes Director,
Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN)
Eugenia Themba
Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG)
9:50 – 10:40 Session 1: Regional Perspectives on Safeguarding Africa’s Democratic Future
This session provides an overview of the democratic and electoral landscape across West, East/Horn, and Southern Africa. It will explore emerging challenges, persistent gaps, and innovative approaches to credible, transparent, and inclusive elections, connecting regional realities to practical strategies for resilience and reform.
Rindai Chipfunde Vava
Director,
Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN)
Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante
Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement, West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON)
Mulle Musau
National Coordinator,
Elections Observation Group (ELOG) Kenya
Joseph Bolese Boongo
Commission Épiscopale Justice et Paix
(CEJP RDC)
Sarah Bireete
Chairperson,
East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network (E-HORN)
Moderator
10:40 – 11:30 Group Photo & Tea Break
11:30 – 13:00 Session 2: Rethinking Financing Democracy in an Era of Shifting Global Support
African countries have long relied on external partners to fund civic education, citizen observation, and democratic reforms. Declining global support now threatens these efforts. This session will examine the current democracy financing landscape, the risks of shrinking aid, and explore alternatives to safeguard Africa’s democratic governance.
Julia Brothers
Deputy Director,
National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Malick Fall
Programme Manager for the Democratic Futures in Africa,
Open Society Foundations (OSF)
Robert Gerenge
Regional Electoral Advisor,
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Africa
Stefanie Schiffer
Chairperson,
European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)
Miguel Orlando Mendes de Brito
Head of Mission and Programme, International IDEA
Dr. McDonald Lewanika
Regional Director, Accountability Lab
Moderator
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch Break
14:00 – 15:30 Session 3: Empowering Citizen Observers as Frontline Defenders of Democracy and Rights
Across Africa, citizen election observers face intimidation, legal barriers, and shrinking civic space while defending democracy. This session explores these challenges and shares strategies to protect observers and uphold accountability.
Dr. Sarah Bireete
Chairperson,
East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network (E-HORN) / Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM)
Andriamoraniaina Harijiona
Executive Director, Multi Sector Information Service (MSIS) Madagascar
Rev. James Lahai Coordinator,
National Election Watch (NEW) Sierra Leone
Prof. Khabele Matlosa
Professor at the Centre for African Diplomacy and Leadership, University of Johannesburg
Dr. Richard Sambaiaga
Senior Lecturer of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Dar es Salaam
Moderator
15:30 – 17:00 Session 4: Elevating Electoral Integrity Through Strong Electoral Recommendation Frameworks and Building Democratic Resilience in Africa
Election observation is key to Africa’s democracy, but many recommendations go unimplemented, leaving systemic weaknesses. This session highlights the need for stronger follow-up, accountability, and political will, featuring AfEONet’s report on AUEOM 2012–2023.
Adam Busuleanu
Team Leader,
European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)
Felix Kafuuma
Head of Programmes, Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM)
Stéphane Mondon
Director of Programmes,
Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA)
Elijah Munyuki
Electoral Support Officer,
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Hilda Modisane
Executive Secretary,
Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC countries (ECF-SADC)
Kojo Asante
Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement, West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON)
Moderator
Wednesday, 12 November
Venue: InterContinental Hotel, Haile Selassie Ave, Lusaka 10101, Zambia (Room Nalikwanda 2)
08:30 – 09:00 Arrival & Registration
09:00 – 10:30 Session 5: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies Safeguard Electoral Integrity in Africa
AI and emerging technologies offer new ways to strengthen Africa’s elections by enhancing observation, transparency, and citizen engagement. Yet they also pose risks, from disinformation to deepfakes, that can undermine democracy. This session explores how Africa can leverage innovation to defend electoral integrity while countering these threats.
Mamadou Mbaye Dione
IT engineer, Africtivistes
Dave Leichtman
Director of Corporate Civic Responsibility, Microsoft
Qristina Parjiani
European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)
Julia Brothers
Senior Advisor for Elections,
National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Taona Mwansiya
Elections Expert
Alinani Simuchimba
Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)
Mulle Musau
National Coordinator,
Elections Observation Group (ELOG) Kenya
Moderator
10:30 – 11:00 Tea Break
11:00 – 13:00 Breakout sessions
Breakout 1: Curbing the Influence of Dirty Money and the Transparency Deficit in Campaign Finance in Africa
Unregulated money in politics fuels corruption, state capture, and skewed elections across Africa. Opaque financing sidelines women and youth, distorts competition, and erodes trust in democracy. This session will examine how to curb the power of money and advance transparency, equity, and fairness in African elections.
Paul Banoba
Africa Regional Advisor,
Transparency International Berlin
Henry Muguzi
Executive Director, African Election Observers Network (AfEONet)
Chimuka Nachibinga
Manager,
Transparency International Zambia
Nicolae Panfil
Programme Coordinator, Promo-LEX
Dr. O’brien Kaaba
University of Zambia School of Law
Moderator
Breakout 2: Governance for Youth Inclusion, Equity and Empowerment
Africa’s youth make up over 60% of the population, yet they remain sidelined from politics and governance. Exclusion, inequality, and tokenism fuel disillusionment and migration—but this “youth crisis” is also a chance. With inclusive policies and real empowerment, young people can drive democratic renewal and transformation. This session will explore how civil society can push states and political actors to unlock this potential.
Vera Abena Addo
Programme Officer, Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CCD-Ghana)
Pauline Agesa
Media Monitoring Team Lead, Elections Observation Group (ELOG) Kenya
Abel Eseru
Programme Officer, Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM)
Melissa Sara Hamalambo
Executive Director,
Centre for Young Leaders in Africa
(CYLA)
Peter Mwanangombe Programme Manager, Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) Zambia
Moderator
Breakout 3: Citizens Confidence on Electoral Integrity and Principles for Democratic Reform in Africa
While Africans support democracy and elections, trust in electoral processes is declining. Afrobarometer (2024) highlights this gap between principle and practice. The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) offers Principles for Democratic Reform to rebuild trust. This session unites Afrobarometer’s data and WFD’s frameworks to bridge citizen expectations and institutional reforms, aiming to restore confidence in Africa’s elections.
Oumy Kantome Ep Goumbala Sarr
West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON)
Abera Hailemarium
East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network
(E-HORN)
Tanja Hollstein
Head of Practice (Elections), Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD)
Derrik Marco
Electoral Support Network for Southern Africa (ESN-SA)
Dr. Boniface Dulani
Director of Surveys, Afrobarometer
Babra Ontibile Bhebe Executive Director, Election Resource Center (ERC) Zimbabwe
Moderator
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch Break
14:00 – 16:00 Reporting Back Key Recommendations from the Breakout Sessions
The final session will summarise key insights from the breakout sessions, and discuss the Draft Lusaka Communique outlining a roadmap for democratic reform in Africa.
16:00 – 16:30 Closing Remarks
Adesola Adeyemo
Programme Officer,
AU ECOSOCC Secretariat
Henry Muguzi
Executive Director,
African Election Observers Network (AfEONet)
Get to know all speakers!
Vera Abena Addo
Programme Officer, Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana)
Vera Abena Addo is a Programme Officer at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), leading work on elections, the rule of law, and anti-corruption. She coordinates the Center’s Parliamentary and Youth Desks and serves as a project coordinator for the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), where she helped oversee the 2024 nationwide observation mission. A regular contributor to public discussions on governance, Vera is a strong advocate for youth participation, electoral integrity, and accountable institutions in Ghana.
Pauline Agesa
Media Monitoring Team Lead, Elections Observation Group (ELOG) Kenya
Pauline Agesa is the Media Monitoring Team Lead at the Elections Observation Group (ELOG) in Kenya, where she leads efforts to track and analyze media coverage of electoral processes. Since joining ELOG in 2022, she has strengthened media monitoring strategies and enhanced real-time data analysis to combat disinformation and hate speech. With a strong background in communications and data analytics, Pauline applies both digital and traditional monitoring tools to generate insights on media conduct during elections and has trained and supervised media monitors across multiple project phases.
Harijaona Andriamoraniaina
Executive Director, Multi Sector Information Service (MSIS) Madagascar
Harijaona Andriamoraniaina is the Executive Secretary of Madagascar’s national election observatory, SAFIDY, and Executive Director of MSIS-Tatao, a leading organization promoting democracy and good governance. He also coordinates the ROHY civil society network and serves as Madagascar’s focal point for the Least Developed Countries Watch. With over 25 years of experience in governance, anti-corruption, civil society strengthening, and election observation, he has led multiple national and international projects advancing transparency and accountability. A skilled monitoring and evaluation expert, he has applied tools such as the Local Governance Barometer and Community Score Card across sectors. He holds an engineering degree in Information Systems and a Master’s in Management and Socio-Economics.
Paul Banoba
Africa Regional Advisor,
Transparency International Berlin
Paul Banoba is a public policy professional currently working asAfrica Regional Advisor at Transparency International’s Secretariat.He leads the organisations engagement with the African Union. His experience includes strategic representation with regional partners and leading teams in designing anti-corruption initiatives to effectively inform international public policy dialogue. Through various initiatives, Paul has been engaged with Transparency International’s advocacy around the work of the high-level panel on Illicit Financial Flows and part of civil society engagement with the African Union Advisory Board against Corruption.
Dr. Sarah Bireete
Chairperson, East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network (E-HORN)
Dr. Sarah Bireete is the Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Governance (CCG), a Kampala-based constitutional watchdog. She chairs the Global Network for Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM), the East and Horn of Africa Election Observer Network (EHORN), and the East Africa Civil Society Forum (EACSOF). A lawyer by profession with a Doctorate in Humanities (Civic Engagement), she serves on several organizational and educational boards. Her expertise spans governance, constitutionalism, elections, human rights, civic space, land rights, public interest litigation, and conflict transformation.
Joseph Boongo Bolese
Democracy Programmes Officer, Programme d’Assistance Juridique pour l’Egalité en Droit (PAJED)
Joseph Boongo Bolese is the Programme Officer for Democracy and Political Participation at Justice and Peace Congo, the technical arm of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) on governance, democracy, human rights, peace, and security. He serves as the National Technical Supervisor of CENCO’s Electoral Observation Mission and previously oversaw monitoring, evaluation, training, and deployment during the 2017–2019 and 2022–2024 electoral processes..
Julia Brothers
Deputy Director,
National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Julia Brothers is the Senior Advisor for Elections at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) with experience in more than 20 countries leading electoral assessments and integrity initiatives. She is an expert in process and results verification (PRVTs), open election data, voter registration, observer rights, and the use of technology in elections. Before joining NDI, she consulted for USAID and Democracy Reporting International and worked at the Pew Charitable Trusts advancing U.S. electoral reforms through research and advocacy. Julia also previously served with EMILY’s List, promoting women’s political representation and supporting state and national campaigns.
Adam Busleanu
Coordinator,
European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)
Adam Busuleanu is the Senior Programme Officer at the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) with over 20 years of experience in election observation and democratic governance. A founding member of EPDE, he has served as an observer, researcher, and trainer supporting civil society in Eastern Europe. Adam leads initiatives to strengthen citizen election monitoring, enhance cooperation among stakeholders, and promote innovative approaches to electoral integrity, including the annual FURIC conference launched in 2023.
Oumy Cantome Sarr
West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON)
Oumy Cantome Sarr is the Program Director of Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (RADDHO) and Vice President of the West African Election Observers Network (WAEON). A trained electoral expert from the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre, she has observed elections across West and Central Africa on behalf of ECOWAS, the AU, and RADDHO since 1993. Oumy also specializes in gender, peace, and security, having trained women mediators under the AU’s FemWise network and coordinated the Women’s Voice and Leadership project in Senegal, supported by Global Affairs Canada.
Rindai Chipfunde-Vava
Director,
Zimbabwe Election
Support Network (ZESN)
Rindai Chipfunde-Vava is an Electoral, Civic society and Capacity building expert with 25 years of experience. She is the Host Executive Director, Electoral Support Network of Southern Africa and Executive Director of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN). She is a Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE) Accrediting Facilitator and worked in many countries like Nigeria, Zanzibar, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Sudan, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Nauru and Zimbabwe. She has observed over 20 elections in several countries.
Boniface Dulani
Director of Surveys,
Afrobarometer
Boniface Dulani is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Malawi and Director of Surveys for Afrobarometer, a pan-African research network on governance and development. He holds a PhD in Comparative Politics from Michigan State University. In his role, Boniface leads survey teams in over 40 African countries to generate citizen-centered data that informs policy and strengthens democratic governance across the continent.
Abel Eseru
Programme Officer,
Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM)
Abel Eseru is an electoral governance and democracy practitioner with over five years of experience in electoral reforms, civic engagement, campaign finance monitoring, and election observation. He currently works with Alliance for Finance Monitoring and AfEONet. His expertise spans electoral democracy, political financing, civic space, and youth engagement. A former Fellow of the Electoral Integrity Project (EIP) and member of the International Political Science Association’s Research Committee on Political Finance and Corruption, Abel is passionate about strengthening democratic institutions, promoting inclusive governance, and empowering young people to drive social change.
Robert Gerenge
Regional Electoral Advisor, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Africa
Robert Gerenge is the Regional Electoral Advisor for Africa at UNDP’s Regional Service Centre and a former Principal Advisor to Election Management Bodies at the African Union. With experience in over 70 political and electoral processes across Africa and beyond, he has worked extensively in post-conflict transitions and electoral reforms. Robert previously served with EISA and the UN Peacekeeping Mission in the DRC and has published widely on democracy, electoral systems, and conflict prevention. A PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of the Witwatersrand, he holds master’s degrees in Public Policy (University of York) and Conflict Analysis and Resolution (George Mason University).
Abera Hailemariam
East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network (E-HORN)
Abera Hailemariam is the Executive Director of the Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations for Elections (CECOE), leading efforts to strengthen democratic governance and credible elections in Ethiopia. A former high school teacher turned human rights advocate, he pioneered Ethiopia’s first court-based legal aid service and has led major national initiatives on justice and civic empowerment. He previously directed APAP, overseeing domestic observation for the historic 2005 elections, and held leadership roles with UERC and the Ethiopian Lawyers Association. Abera holds degrees in Philosophy, Law, Development Studies, Peace and Security, and Electoral Policy and Administration.
Melissa Sarah Hamalambo
Executive Director, Centre for Young Leaders in Africa (CYLA)
Melissa Sarah Hamalambo is a lawyer and youth leadership development expert with over ten years of experience. She is a passionate advocate for democracy, menstrual health, and children’s education rights. Melissa serves as a board member, facilitator, and mentor with youth-led organisations advancing the rights of women, youth, and children. An emerging scholar in electoral policy and administration, she also holds professional certifications in program management. Her work focuses on transforming governance, promoting inclusive leadership, leveraging technology for development, and empowering young people to drive social change.
Tanja Hollstein
Head of Elections, Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD)
Tanja Hollstein is the Head of Elections at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), bringing over 25 years of experience in electoral assistance, analysis, and observation across post-conflict and transitional settings. Her work focuses on strengthening electoral integrity and advancing reform. Before joining WFD in 2018, she served as Chief Technical Adviser for the UNDP Election Project in Moldova and headed the OSCE Governance Department in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tanja has also supported UNDP election projects in Afghanistan, Nepal, Sudan, and Liberia, and has lectured on democratic development and electoral assistance at the University of Düsseldorf.
Felix Vianney Kafuuma
Head of Programmes,
Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM)
Felix Vianney Kafuuma is a governance and anti-corruption expert with over 15 years of experience in political finance and accountability. He serves as Head of Programmes at the African Election Observers Network (AfEONet) and Programs Manager at the Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), a pan-African think tank on money in politics and electoral integrity. A policy analyst and researcher, Felix has led groundbreaking work on the influence of money in African elections and strengthening citizen oversight of democratic processes. He previously served with the Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU).
Rev. James Albert Lahai
Coordinator,
National Election Watch (NEW) Sierra Leone
Rev. James Albert Lahai is a Sierra Leonean teacher, trade unionist, ordained minister, and civil society activist with nearly three decades of experience in election observation. He began observing elections in 1996 and co-founded the National Election Watch (NEW) in 2002, now the country’s largest election observation network with over 450 member organizations. Rev. Lahai serves as NEW’s National Coordinator, Chairperson of both the West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON) and the Africa Election Observers Network (AfEONet), and is a former board member of the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM). Widely recognized as an election expert, he is deeply committed to advancing credible, citizen-led election observation across Africa.
Dave Leichtman
Senior Director of Global Elections,
Microsoft
Dave Leichtman is the Senior Director of Global Elections at Microsoft, where he leads nonpartisan civic engagement and works with election officials worldwide to strengthen democracy through technology, security, and AI solutions. With over a decade at Microsoft, he oversees both U.S. and global election strategies. Previously, Dave held leadership roles in political technology firms and served in state leadership for a major U.S. political party. He holds a B.S. in Physics and Computer Science from William & Mary and an M.S. in Particle Physics from the University of Washington. He lives in Arlington, Virginia.
Dr. Khabele Matlosa
Professor at the Centre for African Diplomacy and Leadership,
University of Johannesburg
Dr. Khabele Matlosa is the Director of the Strategic Institute for Research and Dialogue in Lesotho, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg and the Africa Institute of South Africa. He formerly served as Governance Advisor at UNDP’s Regional Service Centre for Africa and as Director of Political Affairs at the African Union Commission. Dr. Matlosa is the principal author of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance (ACDEG), adopted by the AU in 2007. A prolific scholar, he has published extensively on democracy, governance, peace, and development in Africa, contributing to key works such as Re-Imagining Governance and Peacebuilding in Africa (UNDP, 2021).
Mamadou Mbaye Dione
IT engineer,
Africtivistes
Mamadou Mbaye Dione is a Senegalese computer engineer and a key member of the IT team at AfricTivistes, an organization promoting democracy and good governance through digital innovation. He leverages civic tech tools to enhance transparency and citizen participation across Africa. In addition to his IT role, he mentors participants in the #Innov4Democracy project—a hackathon that raises awareness of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance (CADEG) and engages young activists, civil society actors, and media professionals in advancing democratic governance.
Malick Mbenge Fall
Programme Manager for the Democratic Futures in Africa, Open Society Foundations (OSF)
Malick Mbengue Fall is a seasoned development practitioner with 15 years of experience in Africa’s philanthropy sector. His work centers on democratic governance, human rights, and economic and climate justice. He is the Program Manager for the Democratic Futures in Africa Program at the Open Society Foundations, based in Dakar, Senegal. Malick previously held key roles at Open Society Africa and OSIWA, advancing electoral integrity and economic justice initiatives across the continent. He holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Gaston Berger University, Senegal.
Hilda Modisane
Executive Secretary, Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC countries (ECF-SADC)
Ms Hilda Modisane is the Executive Secretary of the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC countries (ECF-SADC) Secretariat based in Gaborone, Botswana. The ECF-SADC, established in 1998, has played an important role in ensuring that the management of elections in the SADC countries is improved and in building the capacity of election management bodies to fulfil their roles. Ms Modisane has over 20 years’ experience in elections management. She previously served as a Senior Information Officer at the Independent Electoral Commission of Botswana (IEC-Botswana). Ms Modisane joined the ECF-SADC as Programme Officer in 2005 and advanced to the position of Programmes Manager. In this period, she has introduced a number of election related projects, developed global partnerships and coordinated capacity building projects for electoral management bodies in the SADC region. She possess wide knowledge and expertise in policy interpretation, electoral training, project management, programme research and development, advocacy and electoral stakeholder management, conflict management, strategic planning and development. Ms Modisane holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and a Master’s in public administration.
Stéphane Mondon
Director of Programmes,
Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA)
Stéphane Mondon is the Director of Programmes at the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), leading initiatives that advance democratic governance and electoral integrity across the continent. With over 20 years of experience, he has provided technical assistance and participated in election observation missions across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S., working with the EU, NDI, IRI, and The Carter Center. A former UN Chief of Electoral Operations in the DRC, he also contributed to stabilization and pandemic response efforts. He holds a Master’s in Law from France, with additional studies in economics (Japan) and business (USA), and lectures on political communication in Paris.
Henry Muguzi
Executive Director,
African Election Observers Network (AfEONet)
Henry Muguzi is a distinguished expert on Democracy and Elections in Africa. He is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), a pan-African political finance watchdog that promotes political finance integrity. He doubles as the coordinator of the African Election Observers Network (AfEONet). Henry specializes in transparency and accountability in political and electoral financing. He has authored seminal research papers on topics such as the “Commercialisation of Politics” and “Unregulated Campaign Spending,” showcasing his deep understanding of these critical issues.
Mulle Musau
National Coordinator,
Elections Observation Group (ELOG) Kenya
Mulle Musau is a leadership consultant specializing in elections, ethics, and good governance, with extensive experience in election observation across Africa since 2006. He is the National Coordinator of Kenya’s Elections Observation Group (ELOG) and the Regional Coordinator of the East and Horn of Africa Election Observation Network (E-HORN). A founding member of AfEONet, he has worked with organizations like the Carter Center and NDI and trained with the International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC). His expertise spans civil society leadership, ethical governance, electoral management, technology in elections, open data, and the inclusion of women, youth, and persons with disabilities in electoral processes.
Taona E. Mwanyisa
Elections Expert
Taona E. Mwanyisa is a seasoned expert in election management, democracy, and governance with over 18 years of experience across Africa and the Middle East. His expertise spans research, policy analysis, program design, monitoring and evaluation, and institutional capacity development. He has led and consulted on numerous electoral assistance and governance programs regionally and internationally. Taona currently serves as Managing Partner of TDGHRconsult, a Southern Africa–based election think tank dedicated to advancing democratic processes and good governance.
Nicolae Panfil
Programme Coordinator,
Promo-LEX
Nicolae Panfil is the Director of the Monitoring Democratic Processes Program at Promo-LEX Association, a leading civil society organization in Moldova. With over 15 years of experience, he has championed electoral integrity, democratic reforms, and transparency in political finance. Since 2013, Nicolae has led more than 20 election observation missions and contributed to major electoral reforms. He previously served as Secretary of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections and sits on the Governing Board of ENEMO. He holds degrees in Psychology and Human Relations & Communication.
Qristina Parjiana
European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)
Qristina Parjiani is the Social Media Monitoring Project Coordinator at the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), one of Georgia’s leading election observation organizations. She leads efforts to monitor and counter misinformation, foreign interference, and information manipulation in the digital space. Qristina works closely with experts and social media platforms to develop educational content that promotes transparency, accuracy, and informed civic engagement.
Kojo Pumpuni Asante
Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement, West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON)
Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante is the Director of Policy Engagement and Partnerships at CDD-Ghana and Coordinator of West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON). He holds a PhD in governance and public policy from the Global Development Institute. His expertise covers governance, anti-corruption, social accountability, human rights, local government, and youth development. At CDD-Ghana, he leads a multidisciplinary team to translate research into impactful advocacy and policy initiatives that advance good governance and inclusive development in Ghana and beyond.
Stefanie Schiffer
Chairperson,
European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)
Stefanie Schiffer is the Chair of the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) and the Founder and Director of the European Exchange gGmbH in Berlin. A scholar of Slavonic languages and Eastern European history, she has extensive experience fostering civil society cooperation across Eastern Europe. Stefanie has co-founded and led several major international initiatives, including the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum, the Kyiv Dialogue, and the Initiative Quorum. She also serves as an advisor and board member for various human rights and philanthropic organizations, including the Marion Dönhoff Foundation, filia Frauenstiftung, and Human Rights in Belarus e.V.
Aliani Simuchimba
Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)
Alinani Simuchimba is an ICT Solutions Architect and Cybersecurity Professional with over 15 years of experience in election technology. He has led key national projects in Zambia, including Biometric Voter Registration, Electronic Results Transmission, and Integrated Election Management Systems, and serves as the Information Systems Manager at the Electoral Commission of Zambia. Passionate about innovation, he advocates for using AI to enhance electoral transparency and trust. Alinani holds degrees in Information Security Management, International Business, and ICT, and is President of ISACA Zambia and a board member of Renaisense Limited.
Venue
InterContinental Hotel, Haile Selassie Ave, Lusaka 10101, Zambia (Room Nalikwanda 2)
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