Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-03-14-Speech-3-282"
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"en.20010314.12.3-282"2
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"Mr President, it is unfortunate that free and fair elections are still not a matter of course in many countries. Especially in Africa, elections are often accompanied by intimidation, violence, fraud or the elimination of rivals via constitutional reform, as was recently the case in the Côte d’Ivoire. The sending of observers is therefore very useful, but can also entail risks. Observers can be manipulated and played off against each other. They can be used as alibis to legitimise a regime which has gained power via unlawful means. We should therefore exercise the greatest caution, both at the time when we decide to send observers and locally during their checking and reporting activities. There is still too much improvisation going on at the moment. People are sent out without being properly briefed, knowing the background or talking the official language. A compulsory brief beforehand is therefore a minimum requirement. It is also necessary for the different observation teams to work together more closely. Too often, observers arrive late and leave early. There is a great deal of manipulation before the elections, by tampering with electoral registers or the banning of meetings of the opposition. Sometimes, the process disintegrates after the event, when a Head of State refuses to accept the outcome, as was the case in Togo. A small nucleus of long-term observers may be able to offer a solution here. All of this is only useful, of course, if something is actually done with the observers’ reports afterwards. In the past, economic or strategic interests have too often got in the way of the interests of democracy and human rights, unfortunately. Let us hope that the Commission communication and Mr Fava’s excellent report will be followed up and will lead to a more coherent and consistent attitude towards undemocratic regimes."@en1
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