Brussels, 28/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - On 27 March, the Spanish Presidency issued the following declaration on behalf of the European Union:
"The European Union has noted the results of the presidential election held in the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) on 10 March. The EU considers that the election provided an opportunity for the Congolese people to express their desire for peace and their rejection of violence. It welcomes the calm and commitment of the Congolese people. The democratic process which has just begun, and which the EU hopes will deepen, constitutes an essential prerequisite for a lasting peace and for the development of the country in a context of political stability, guaranteeing the free exercise of civil rights and fundamental freedoms. The EU carried out an election observation mission from 22 February to 15 March. On the basis of the conclusions of that mission, the EU would draw the attention of the Congolese government to certain shortcomings it noted in the organisation and conduct of the presidential election, particularly the difficulty for the public to gain access to electoral texts, lack of control over changes to the electoral rolls, the late distribution of polling cards, the insufficiently clear division of tasks between the national electoral commission and the administration, and the limited access of some candidates in the days preceding the polls. The EU also deplores the low level of participation by opposition parties throughout the electoral process and the withdrawal of several candidates in the days preceding the poll. The EU urges the Congolese government to put corrective measures in place to ensure that the forthcoming parliamentary elections are better organised. It repeats its call to both the government and the opposition parties to intensify and maintain the national dialogue, and remains ready to assist the Congolese authorities in activities aimed at strengthening the rule of law, respect for human rights and consolidation of the democratisation process in the country.
The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union, the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and the EFTA countries Norway and Liechtenstein, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this declaration".