Brussels, 31/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - On behalf of the EU on 29 May, the Spanish Presidency made the following declaration, "The EU was invited by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Lethoso to send observers to the General Elections held on. A total of 63 experts drawn from twelve Member States and the European Commission Delegation were deployed throughout the country to observe the final stages of the election process. Observers visited over 400 polling stations throughout the country (17% of the total) as well as Advanced voting stations on Thursday, May 23rd. In the vast majority of stations visited, voting commenced on time or shortly after 0700, and the stations operated efficiently. However, in some areas, voting was delayed until late morning or the afternoon, and many people were forced to wait patiently for many hours in order to cast their votes. Observers welcome the action taken by the Independent electoral Commission (IEC) to ensure that extending voting in 51 stations disenfranchised no voters to Sunday morning. Despite these problems, observers were impressed by the determination of voters, who queued patiently and turned out in significant numbers. In particular, voters accepted the new mixed electoral system of constituency and party votes and no problems were recorded in this regard. Observers noted the high level of participation by party agents with the average number at a station between 8 and 10. Observers received no complaints on the secrecy or integrity f the balloting from party agents, although a number of complaints were recorded on late opening. The parties are to be commended on this high level of participation, and the way in which their representatives exercised their responsibilities. A success of the election was the quality and integrity of the electoral roll, although parties often received their station rolls late. The innovative use of photographs worked well; and the incidence of disputed or tendered ballots, or persons presenting to vote, who were not on the list, was extremely low. Counting at stations was carried out with great care and attention to detail, and in stations observed the votes were properly tallied and certified by the party agents and the electoral officials. In conclusion, despite the administrative mistakes affecting some polling stations, there were no significant cases of irregularities or contraventions of the Electoral Act or relevant IEC regulations during polling. Citizens were able to freely vote for the candidate and the party of their choice. The 2002 elections represented an historic step to create a more inclusive representative system which bodes will for the economic and social development of the country. The EU commends all those who contributed to its success - the IEC and its staff, the authorities of Lethoso, party leaders and officials, the police and army, and above all, the Basotho people. The EU urges all political parties to accept the results of the election and trusts that any outstanding issues on the management of the election will be pursued through normal legal channels. EU Member States missions wish to thank the IEC and the public for their co-operation shown during their assignment".