Brussels, 02/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - At the invitation of the Rwandan National Electoral Commission, the European Union will be observing the constitutional referendum taking place on 26 May in the country. An initial team of five experts experienced in elections arrived in Kigali on Wednesday led by Colette Flesch, member of the EP Committee on Development and Cooperation at the European Parliament. this key group in the observation mission will be in charge of coordinating the work and will shortly be backed up by twelve long term observers, deployed throughout the whole country to monitor the referendum campaign, the administrative preparations, the actual referendum process and the post referendum period.
The referendum involves the adoption of a new constitution in Rwanda, which would replace the Transitional Fundamental Law of 1994 immediately following the genocide. It will be followed by Presidential and general elections in six months. The deployment of an European observation mission is part of the Union's support for the democratisation process in Rwanda. The European Initiative for Democracy and Human rights will provide funding of EUR 379.68) for the costs.