Summary: 22 August 2007, Brussels - Following invitations from the Ecuadorian executive and electoral authorities, the European Commission has decided to deploy as from tomorrow a European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Ecuador to observe the Elections for a Constituent Assembly, scheduled to take place on 30 September 2007. The EU EOM will be led by José Ribeiro e Castro, Member of the European Parliament.
Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said: "These elections represent an important moment for Ecuador. The Constituent Assembly will have a major task to fulfil in reshaping the national institutions and writing a new Constitution. We hope that the process will be done with every one's consensus and that it will contribute to the stability and the strengthening of the Ecuadorian institutional system. I am convinced that, with
its presence through out the country, this election observation mission will play an important role in enhancing transparency and public confidence in this very crucial moment".
The EOM Core team will consist of the Chief Observer and nine experts who will arrive in the country on 23 August. The Chief Observer will immediately take up contact with the country's national electoral authority (the Tribunal Supremo Electoral), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all key players in the election process. They will be joined shortly thereafter by 36 long-term observers (LTOs), who will be deployed throughout the country to follow the campaign period and pre-election
preparations, as well as election day and the post-election period.
An additional 60 short-term observers (STOs), together with diplomats from EU Member State embassies in Ecuador, will join the mission over the election day period to observe voting, counting and the tabulation of results. Part of the mission will remain in the country till the conclusion of the complaints and appeals procedures and the proclamation of the official results.
An EU EOM was also deployed to Ecuador to observe the general elections held in 2002.
The EU is making available €2.3 million, from the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), to meet the costs of deploying this mission.
For additional information, see also:
EU Election Assistance & Observation:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/human_rights/eu_election_ass_observ/index.htm
European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/eidhr/index_en.htm
The EU's relations with Ecuador:
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/ecuador/intro/index.htm
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