Brussels, 10/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Sunday 9 March, the Algerian minister for foreign affairs, Ramtane Lamamra, announced that his country would agree to missions from abroad being sent out to observe the presidential elections on 17 April. He told Algerian media sources that these missions would be sent out by “several international organisations of which Algeria is a member, as well as by the European Union”.
Official sources in Brussels (spokesman's services) asserted that “we have only recently received [this] invitation. In compliance with our methodology, we are unable to deploy a full election observer mission so late in the day. Nonetheless, given the political importance of Algeria, we will be examining the different options to engage more with Algeria”. The EU is highlighting the importance of Algeria implementing the EOM recommendations of 2012 (Election Observation Mission), which was headed by José Ignacio Salafranca MEP (EPP, Spain). At the end of his mission in 2012, Salafranca made a number of recommendations and observations to help improve the organisation of elections in the country. He highlighted the need for transparency in the process, particularly with regard to the lists of candidates. (FB)