European NGOs seek EU observer mission to Rwandan poll

By Afrique en ligne
Dar es Salaam- Pana 11/02/2010

EurAc, a network of European NGOs concerned with central Africa, Thursday expressed concern that the European Union (EU) was not planning to send an observer mission for the forthcoming presidential election in Rwanda, in spite of the fact that worrying developments have been noticed there.

Rwanda will hold presidential election in August 2010, but the EU is preparing to send an observation mission to neighbouring Burundi for the electoral cycle which consists of several polls between May and September 2010.

Reaffirming its great respect for the EU's observation missions, EurAc said it was aware that the decision to send or not to send a mission is influenced by different factors and that hard choices have to be made.

'Based on principles of impartiality, transparency, professionalism and a pres ence throughout the country these missions contribute greatly to freedom and electoral transparency. They reinforce the legitimacy of the electoral process and the confidence of citizens in it,' the network observed in a statement made available to PANA here.

Regarding its concern over the forthcoming polls in Rwanda, EurAc said: 'The democratic space is very limited and every day, opposition activists and candidates undergo and denounce different sorts of aggression.'

'EurAc strongly believes that it is essential to send an observation mission to Rwanda,' said the statement, adding: 'Establishing true democracy in Rwanda is not just a tool for building peace and social cohesion in the country but it is also a determining factor for stability in the whole region.'

In recent years, the EU has sent a number of observation missions to the region " including those for the presidential, legislative and provincial elections in DR Congo in 2006, the presidential and legislative elections in Uganda in 2006 and the legislative elections in Rwanda in 2008.

According to the network, the EU would be 'very unwise to miss the chance to monitor this year's presidential elections in Rwanda.'

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