Brussels, 30/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - Upon invitation from the Guatemalan government, the European Commission decided on Monday 30 July to send an election observer mission to Guatemala for the country's presidential, general and municipal elections on 9 September 2007. The mission will be headed by German MEP Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler (PES). The head of the mission and an initial group of seven experts will arrive in the country very shortly to make contact with the national electoral authorities (the 'Tribunal Supremo Electoral'), the foreign ministry and key players in the electoral process. Some 48 long-term observers will arrive shortly afterwards with the task of following the campaign and election preparations throughout the country and observing how the elections are organised and the post-electoral period. Some 54 additional short-term observers and members of the European Parliament and diplomats from EU member states' embassies in Guatemala will also join the mission to observe the voting, counting and publication of the results. If there should be second round in the presidential election, the EU observers will remain in the company until the second round has been completed. An EU observer mission was sent to Guatemala for the November 2003 elections. The EU has earmarked EUR 3.5 million to fund the mission from the budget of the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights. (hb)