Introduction

The European Commission has deployed an EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Mozambique for the Presidential, legislative and provincial elections scheduled to take place on 28 October 2009. A Chief Observer, Ms. Fiona Hall,  of the European Parliament, leads the Mission.

A core team of election experts arrived in Maputo on 22 September, followed by 24 long term observers, who arrived on 2 October and have been deployed throughout the country observing key aspects of the run up to election day, election day itself and the tabulation of results. A group of approximately 70 short term observers will also complement the core team and long term observers for the period immediately prior to and including polling day to observe the voting and counting process. Additionally, there will be a group of observers from the EU and associated members states (Switzerland, Norway, Canada) diplomatic missions, in Mozambique.

The work of electoral observation is an important component of the European Union’s policy of promoting human rights and democratization throughout the world. The mission’s general mandate is to assess elections against international principles on genuine elections. The EU EOM will work independently to fulfill its mandate to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the electoral process and to offer an impartial, balanced and informed analysis of the elections. EU observers will be deployed across Mozambique. The EU EOM to Mozambique will remain in country until the completion and finalisation of the electoral process.

The EU EOM will undertake its comprehensive assessment of the election process in accordance with international standards and principles for genuine democratic elections, and operated in accordance with the “Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation”, adopted by a number of international bodies involved in election observation in October 2005 at the United Nations in New York (and accepted by Mozambique).