II. CIRCUMSTANCES AND SUBJECT MATTER OF THE REQUEST 3. The Author submits that the “Covid-191 crisis presents unprecedented challenges for democratic governance and rule of law in Africa” and that, “in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, AU Member States have mostly taken measures to protect the right to life by limiting such rights as freedoms of movement, assembly, association and information, and also the right of citizens to effectively participate in the governance of their respective states, especially (although not limited to) through regular, free and fair elections.” 4. The Author affirms that those measures taken “also have the practical effect of constraining democratic competition, could preclude election observation, and potentially interfere with both campaigning and the exercise of franchise.” 5. The Author avers that “across the continent, elections invariably frame stability. Their acceptability, or lack thereof, could be a useful predictor for instability or fragmentation. With the Covid-19 crisis, all African countries going through elections over [2021 confront contemporaneous crises of public health, fiscal crunch, political stability and governmental legitimacy. In countries with limited institutional buffers, the consequences could be unpredictable for citizens, countries, regions and Africa's partners.” 6. The Author submits that “at least 22 AU Member States are currently scheduled to hold presidential and/or legislative and/ or local government elections in 2020. At least 11 of these are for the position of President or Prime Minister.” 1 For the World Health Organization, Covid-19 is the disease caused by a new coronavirus called SARSCoV-2. See https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 (accessed on 11.6.2021). 2