Brussels, 30/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Union welcomes the peaceful conduct of the first round of presidential elections in Madagascar on 25 October and urges that the process continues to be democratic. This is the message given by High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton on 28 October.
“The high representative welcomes the holding of the first round of presidential elections in Madagascar which enabled the people of Madagascar to express themselves democratically. She congratulates the electoral authorities, Madagascar's political actors and all the citizens who largely contributed to this result”, says a press release from Ashton's spokesperson. Ashton encourages the Malagasy authorities to take the recommendations of the EU election observation mission (EOM) into consideration - recommendations which aim to strengthen certain aspects of the electoral process ahead of a possible second round in the presidential election, and the parliamentary elections on 20 December. In its preliminary report, the EOM - led by Muniz de Urquiza MEP - recommends Madagascar's national authorities to distribute the voters' cards which were not delivered before the first round of voting. The report also encourages the independent national electoral commission for transition to plan appropriate measures to improve the organisation of the voting in polling stations, and it recommends increasing the means and capacities of the special electoral court.
“The high representative urges all Malagasy stakeholders to continue their efforts so that the continuation of the electoral process is conducted within a peaceful political framework, in the respect of the electoral and legal arrangements provided for, especially in the case of disputes, and with all the guarantees of neutrality from the relevant authorities”, the press release states (our translation throughout). (AN/transl.fl)