EU to observe upcoming elections in Nigeria

EU to observe upcoming elections in Nigeria

2011-03-10 01:46:00 GMT+7 (ICT)

BRUSSELS (BNO NEWS) -- The European Union on Wednesday announced that it will observe the upcoming elections in Nigeria on April 2-16.

The European Union is deploying an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe the National Assembly, Presidential and State House/Governor elections that are scheduled to take place over a period of three weeks.

"The invitation which we received to observe elections indicates the Nigerian government's willingness to ensure that the 2011 elections meet international standards," said Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The EOM team will be led by Alojz Peterle, Member of the European Parliament (MEP), as Chief Observer. The mission will assess pre-election preparations and campaigning across the country, voting, counting and tabulation of the results for each election as well as the post-election period.

"The upcoming intense elections calendar in Nigeria is important, not only for Nigeria but also for the region. Nigeria, as a major regional and global player, has an opportunity to show leadership in the democratic transformation of the West African region, and beyond," added Ashton.

Peterle is the former Prime Minister of Slovenia and has a vast experience in politics. He has also served as Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs and OSCE High Level Representative for Central Asia.

Ashton added that the core team of EOM experts arrived to Abuja in February. Peterle will formally introduce the EOM team to Nigerian authorities on Wednesday. By mid-March, the EOM will be joined by 52 long term observers and 60 short term observers.

For the April 9 presidential election, a Delegation of the European Parliament is expected to join the mission. After the elections, the EU EOM will issue a preliminary statement followed by a final report containing its findings and recommendations for the authorities.

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