EU to deploy Elections Observation Mission to Nicaragua

Following invitations from the state and electoral authorities, the European Commission has decided to deploy an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Nicaragua for the Presidential and Parliamentary elections scheduled to take place on 5 November 2006. The EU EOM will be headed by Claudio Fava, Member of the European Parliament (Italy), who will serve as Chief Observer.

Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said: "These polls are the most important and competitive elections in Nicaragua since 1990 and they take place during a difficult period for the country at a time when public confidence in political institutions is low. In view of this, I am sure that, with the leadership of Claudio Fava, the EOM will contribute to the strengthening of public confidence in the political process."

The EOM Core team will consist of the Chief Observer and nine experts who will arrive in the country during the third week of September. They will be joined by 26 Long-term Observers (LTOs), who will observe the campaign period and pre-election preparations throughout the country as well as the election day and the post-election period. A total of 68 Short-Term Observers (STOs), together with diplomats from EU Member State embassies in Managua, will observe voting, counting and the compilation of results. If a second round of the presidential election is required, the EU EOM will remain in country until this has been completed.

EU EOMs are an important instrument for building confidence in the democratic processes of a country and are deployed in line with the EU's commitment to promote democracy, human rights and the respect for the rule of law. EU election observation missions are independent and professional, and for this reason their findings are widely seen as credible and trustworthy. The Commission is making available €3.4 million from the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), to meet the costs of deploying this mission.

Background

The EU is a major development partner of Nicaragua and provides substantial support to the social and economic development of the country, including in the area of human rights and democracy. The European Commission and its Member States provide around 33% of the total external aid flows, mainly in grants (around US$192 million in 2004). The level of co-operation between the EU and Nicaragua is the highest in Latin America.

Co-operation between the EU and Nicaragua has been shaped by the San José Dialogue, launched in 1984, which is the principle channel for political dialogue between the two regions. Originally established to support peace and democracy in the region, it was expanded to include issues of economic and social development, the fight against insecurity and organized crime, the rule of law, and social policy. In 2003 a new Political Dialogue and Co-operation Agreement was signed by the EU and Central America, which, once ratified, will further expand co-operation to include areas such as migration and counter-terrorism. This emphasises supporting regional integration and creating the conditions for negotiating an Association Agreement. It underlines the need to gear co-operation and political dialogue towards supporting social cohesion, democracy and the rule of law

For additional information, see also:

EU Election Assistance & Observation:

The EU's relations with Nicaragua: http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/nicaragua/intro/index.htm

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