Brussels, 17/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - With the general election due to take place in Algeria on 10 May, the European observation mission is in place and has been operational since Monday 16 April, it is reported throughout the Algerian press. The widespread coverage this break with tradition is receiving underlines its significance in a country that is generally wary of outsiders and jealous of its independence, away from any foreign gaze.
MEP Jose Ignacio Salafranca, the mission leader, gave a press conference on Monday at which he was keen to remove any risk of misunderstanding of the role of his team. “We're not here to control”, he stated, “we're here to observe”. His team, he said, was not an arbiter but a friend of Algeria. “It is out of the question that we will interfere” in the election or the campaign, he assured.
This is the first time in the history of Algerian general elections that an observation mission has been deployed by the EU at the request of the Algerian government. The mission wishes only to “make sure that Algerian voters can express their views freely”, Salafranca told the press conference which was reported in detail by Algerian press agency APS. Through its recommendations, the mission might be able to help improve the electoral system in the country and further increase transparency, he said.
The mission plans to publish its initial conclusions within 24 to 48 hours of the results being announced and a final report, with detailed conclusions, will be published in Algeria no more than two months after the election.
When asked to comment on the current situation, Salafranca said that, without pre-judging matters, everything seemed to be going well for the moment. “We have been given assurances that we will have access to all the phases of the electoral process and we are fully satisfied with our discussions with the Algerian authorities”, he stated. (FB/transl.rt)