European Union deploys poll observer mission to Tanzania
The
European Union has deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to
Tanzania to observe the Presidential and Parliamentary elections which
are scheduled for October 25th.
Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European
Commission, appointed as Chief Observer Judith Sargentini, Member of the
European Parliament.
The High Representative stated: “For more than a decade, the EU has
been committed to accompany credible, transparent and peaceful elections
in Tanzania. I trust that the forthcoming elections will contribute to
further consolide Tanzanian’s democracy. Under the leadership of Chief
Observer Sargentini, I am confident that the EU EOM will make an
important contribution to this electoral process”.
The Chief Observer, Judith Sargentini, declared: “I am honoured to
lead the EU EOM to Tanzania. The forthcoming general elections will be a
key moment in the country’s development and hopefully an example for
the region at large.”
The upcoming elections are taking place both in Tanzania mainland and
in Zanzibar, following also from the Union structure of the country.
The EU has already closely followed the early stages of the electoral
process and deployed an EU Election Expert Mission from early May until
the end of July to assess the Biometric Voter Registration and the
wider electoral framework.
This is the fourth time that the European Union is observing
elections in Tanzania (previously in 2010, 2005 and 2000), which
reflects the EU’s long-term commitment to supporting credible,
transparent and inclusive elections in the country.
Background
The EOM Core Team of eight EU election analysts arrived in Tanzania
on 11 September and will stay in the country until the completion of the
election process. They will be joined by 34 long-term observers on 24
September and 60 short-term observers on 18 October and be deployed
across the country.
A delegation of the European Parliament and Tanzania-based diplomats
from EU Member States will reinforce the mission on election day. The EU
EOM will liaise with other international observation missions such as
those deployed by the African Union, SADC, EAC or Commonwealth. The EOM
will issue a Preliminary Statement 48 hours after election day, and a
Final Report with recommendations at a later stage.
The deployment of an EOM aims to contribute at enhancing the
transparency of the process and the respect for fundamental freedoms.
The EU has supported African efforts to reinforce the democratisation
process across the continent. Since 2007, around 40 election observation
missions have been deployed by the EU in Africa.
Courtesy: European Union External Action
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