Brussels, 26/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Bureau of the EP Delegation for relations with South America, composed of the Chairman, Antonio Di Pietro (Liberal Group, Italy) and Vice-Presidents Rolf Linkohr (Social Democrat, Germany) and José Ignacio Salafranca (EPP, Spain), decided to annul the observation mission for the second round of the presidential elections on Sunday 28 May in Peru. The decision was taken at a time when there was still no certainty about holding elections at that date, it is stated in a press release, which also gives the following reasons: - the fact that Mr Toledo had renounced participating in the second round deprives the election of any "element of democratic competition"; - the late departure of the mission, due to this climate of uncertainty, would have prevented the programme planned from being followed through; - foreign delegations, and mainly those of the EU, have strongly reduced, if not cancelled, the presence of their observers. The Delegation could review its position if the date of the second round of the presidential election is postponed in order to take into account remarks made by the different observers.