Brussels, 13/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - Around 100 EU observers will be in Afghanistan for the presidential election and the provincial council election on 20 August. Some of the electoral observation team (the 17 members of the “core team”) have been in place since the start of July to coordinate assessment of the entire electoral process. The others, to be deployed by the European Commission, will arrive later to monitor the campaign and pre-electoral preparations, then the vote itself, the count and publication of the results. The operation will be led by outgoing MEP and former general Philippe Morillon (ALDE, France).
“The upcoming elections are an important milestone for the very young democratic structures in Afghanistan since they will be the first led by the Afghans themselves. At the same time they are a great challenge because of the current political and security situation in the country. The Electoral Observation Mission that the Commission is deploying will operate in one of the most difficult electoral, security and logistical contexts ever,” said External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner in a press release published on 13 July.
According to certain experts, it is, nonetheless, likely that all the regions in the country (especially the South) are covered on election day. Despite concerns about security, which are real enough, the commissioner's spokesperson said that it was necessary to take part in the election observation exercise, on which the credibility of the first electoral process organised by the country itself, depends. The spokesperson also explained that the observers' security would be ensured by private companies, the Afghan policy and ISAF forces. (A.B./transl.rt/rh)