The overarching objective of this workshop was to assess the causes and patterns of money influencing elections in Southern Africa and the impact on the quality of democracy in the region.

It sought to help identify the key electoral finance reform interventions that will require the attention of political leaders, EMBs, civil society and regional organizations such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The Regional Policy Dialogue for Southern Africa on the theme ‘Money in Electoral Processes’ was jointly organized by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). The dialogue brought together 65 experts from 11 Southern African countries. Among the participants were representatives from Election Management Bodies (EMBs), political parties, parliaments, civil society, academia, diplomatic missions, the African Union (AU) and International IDEA.