EX.CL/91 (V) Annex II Page 11 5.2.4 Communicate freely with voters except when the electoral law reasonably proscribes such communication in order to protect the secrecy of the vote; 5.2.5 Unhindered access to and communicate freely with the media; 5.2.6 Communicate with and have unimpeded access to the National Election Commission or appropriate electoral authority and all other election administrators; 5.2.7 Communicate and seek the collaboration of the Judiciary, the National Assembly or Parliament, security personnel, and all other appropriate Government departments and agencies involved in the election process; 5.2.8 Free access to all legislation and regulations governing the electoral process and environment; 5.2.9 Free access to all electoral registers or voters’ list; 5.2.10 Unimpeded access to all polling stations and counting centres including those used by the military or other specific groups; 5.3 The assessment team will need to decide the scope or mandate of the electoral mission in conformity with the Durban Declaration and cognisance of national law and regulation. These can include: 5.3.1 Observation, which involves gathering information and making an informed judgement; 5.3.2 Monitoring, which involves the authority to observe an election process and to intervene in that process if relevant laws or standard procedures are being violated or ignored; 5.3.3 Mediation, that is third-party intervention in electoral disputes, directed at assisting disputants to find a mutually acceptable outcomes and solutions to electoral disputes; 5.3.4 Technical Assistance, which generally takes the form of technical support and advice to the Electoral Commission; 5.3.5 Supervision and Audit, which involves the process of certifying the validity of all or some of the steps in election processes either prior to or after the election has taken place; and 5.4 The next issue to be considered by the team will be the duration of the mission and/or the frequency of visits envisaged. In general, this will be determined by the timing and duration of: 5.4.1 voter registration/updating of voter registers and periods set aside for the public to check their entry on the register; 5.4.2 party and candidate registration; 5.4.3 candidate and party nominations;