Brussels, 12/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - MEP Michèle Striffler (EPP, France), who is the deputy chair of the parliamentary committee on development and rapporteur for humanitarian aid at the European Parliament, is to head the EP delegation within the EU election observation mission during the Malian presidential elections to be held from 1 to 28 July 2013 (see EUROPE 10883). Upon her appointment on 11 July, Striffler lost no time in saying: “It is essential to swiftly organise elections to put an end to the transitional phase and to return to democracy. The end of transition will allow the real problems to be tackled. There is a real determination on the part of the Malian authorities to organise credible elections. This can be done but there are many challenges to be overcome” (our translation). She went on to speak of the security of the ballot, the production and distribution of national identity cards (the only document giving the right to vote), establishment of the electoral list, organisation of the vote for displaced people and refugees, the registration of those recently reaching the age of majority, the management of problems relating the deployment of administration in the north, and the still complex situation in Kidal.
The smooth unfolding of elections in the north of the country is essential if those elections are to be credible, even if the north only makes up 10% of the total population in Mali, said Striffler. She went on to warn that the process of unification, reconciliation and development will be long and tedious due to the very long-standing tension between the different ethnic groups. (AN/transl.jl)