Hello. My name is Franco Drochi. I was in Tunisia on 23rd October this year and I saw some MEPs. What were they doing there? 15 MEPs did take part in the European Union's election observation mission. They went to ensure that the first free elections of the Arab Spring took place in a democratic and fair manner. Firstly, and this is fundamental, the EU comes to observe elections only if it is formally invited by the country concerned. The Tunisians invited us because our presence gives credence, it shows our great interest, and it gives them even more pride. An exploratory mission visits the country several months before the election to determine the mission's usefulness under 3 criteria: the state of democracy, respect for human rights, and the mission's added value for the election process. In Tunisia, the MEP, Michael Gahler, led the mission. It was made up of 180 observers, 66 of whom were 'Long Term', spending several weeks in the country. A delegation of 15 MEPs took part, led by the MEP, Gabriele Albertini. The aim of the mission is to observe that the rules are respected. Observers do not play a specific role on the ground. Their task is only to observe. But their presence is crucial for the smooth running of the election. It's often the first democratically organised one in a long time, participation is huge, and infrastructures are sometimes ill-prepared. There was a high level of participation among registered voters. Out of the 55% who registered, 90% of them went to vote. After training on arrival in specific aspects of the country, they are then sent to different areas to observe campaigning and then voting. They sometimes have to go to very remote places. But the work doesn't stop once the election is over. They still have to assess the counting of the votes, electoral disputes, including spoilt votes and other irregularities. Within 48 hours of the vote, a preliminary assessment is presented by the chief observer. There are no elements to indicate that this election did not take place as it should have, in conformity with the rules. That is followed by the final report and recommendations. Since 1993, the European Union has run over 110 observation missions, sometimes with disappointing results. In Pakistan, for example, in 2008, the mission report was clearly unfavourable and highlighted irregularities in voting. In Sudan in 2010, the observers had to be evacuated for security reasons before the end of the mission because of ethnic tension in the south of the country. Sometimes the legitimacy of a mission can be problematic, as in Mexico in 2006. The mission and the Mexican Federal Electoral Institute gave a favourable report on the running of the elections, but the opposition claimed massive fraud.
EuroparlTV video ID: 982a5e8d-891f-4b62-bf76-9fab009cd14f
