Brussels, 05/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - On1 1 March, the Spanish Presidency of the EU made the following declaration:
"The EU welcomes the commune elections held in Cambodia on February 3rd and takes note of the official results released by the National Electoral Committee on February 25th. The EU supports the EU Election Observation Mission's conclusions that these elections mark progress for democracy in Cambodia but that they also raise some concerns. On the one hand, the EU particularly welcomes the high number of voters that took part in the polls. The EU considers that this and the civic behaviour of the Cambodian voters are encouraging signs of the strengthening of democracy in Cambodia. The EU also welcomes the satisfactory technical and logistic preparation of the elections, which resulted in a peaceful election day, and a transparent voting process. On the other hand, the EU expresses its deep concern regarding several incidents that have tarnished the pre-electoral period. The violent deaths of several candidates and activists, the intimidation of voters and the uneven access of the contending parties to the state media, stand out significantly. The EU acknowledges the efforts being made by the Cambodian Authorities to investigate these regrettable events, and urges them to use all available means to resolve them. The EU reiterates its commitment to the strengthening of democratic values in Cambodia, and its willingness to continue to co-operate with the Cambodian Government in achieving this goal, especially in view of the 2003 general elections. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the EU, the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Liechtenstein members of the EEA, align themselves with this declaration."