Brussels, 11/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - On April 6, the Swedish Presidency issued the following declaration on behalf of the EU:
"On behalf of all the international observers, the EU welcomes the proper running of the presidential vote in Benin in which the Benin people were able to express their wishes in a spirit of responsibility and public-spiritedness. The EU considers that the acceptable manner in which the vote was held allows Benin to continue with the democratic renewal which it began ten years ago. The EU considers that, although electoral competition has been marred by disputes, they have mainly originated in imperfections in the organisation and monitoring of the elections. It stresses the importance of analysing the causes of these dysfunction's and highlights its readiness to provide help. The EU calls on all the Benin public authorities to continue deepening the democratic process started off by the effective implementation of laws of decentralisation and to relaunch with determination the other structural reforms oriented towards promoting growth and reducing poverty.
The countries of Central and Eastern Europe which are associates of the EU, Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, also associates, as well as countries of EFTA and the EEA endorse this declaration." (unofficial translation)