Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-11-20-Speech-3-248"
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"en.20021120.6.3-248"2
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". – Madam President, the Commission agrees with the Presidency that the National and Provincial Assembly elections held in Pakistan on 10 October should be seen as a first step in the gradual transition from a military to a civilian administration with permanent and well-functioning democratic institutions.
The reasons why it is important for the EU and the Commission to engage Pakistan in an enhanced political dialogue are well known. They include the fight against terrorism, Pakistan’s difficult relations with India, the need for stability in neighbouring Afghanistan, Pakistan’s deep-rooted economic and social problems and, last but not least, the continuing transition to democracy.
Relevant topics to be raised in that dialogue include basic education, where our aim is to strengthen the secular education system, fostering trade and business links and human rights issues, which are an essential element of the new agreement. In this connection, Pakistan has been designated a focus country under the European Initiative for Human Rights and Democracy.
The Commission is aware that continuing uncertainty over the role and functioning of political institutions in Pakistan means that we need to monitor closely whether there is genuine progress on the transfer of power to the elected parliament in the coming weeks and months. Ratification of the new cooperation agreement would allow us to re-establish the full cooperation dialogue with the new government.
The elections resulted in a fragmented parliament which in turn delayed the inaugural session of the National Assembly. This finally took place on 16 November. The extensive negotiations among political parties demonstrate that a revitalised democratic process has been initiated following the elections. We expect that the new government will be equipped with full executive powers. The Commission will continue to stay engaged with Pakistan throughout the transition process.
The Commission would like to congratulate the EU election observation mission, led by Mr Cushnahan, on the excellent work achieved under very difficult circumstances, notably a particularly challenging security environment. His dedication went far beyond what would normally be expected of a chief election observer.
The Commission appreciates that the mission was able to carry out its task in full compliance with internationally accepted criteria used for election observation.
Let me also take this opportunity to express the Commission’s satisfaction with the cooperation with the European Parliament in the observation of the election in Pakistan. In particular I would like to thank the members of the European Parliament delegation, led by Mrs Grönfeldt Bergman, for their invaluable work.
What is more, this is not an isolated case. The Commission and Parliament have developed very good working relations in the field of election observation in general.
The Commission believes that the presence of the EU election observation mission has served to enhance the democratic process in Pakistan. Moreover, its recommendations on how to further strengthen this process and improve the election framework will be raised in the dialogue with the Pakistani authorities. The Commission is also prepared to look into possible follow-up activities on the basis of its report. The Commission agrees with the EU election observation mission that a general election does not in itself guarantee the establishment of democracy and that those who support the restoration of democracy should work together to achieve that objective.
Concerning the methodology we applied to observation of the election in Pakistan, the Commission would like to stress that we followed our standard approach. Elections are not one-day events and the whole process, including the pre-voting period, has to be assessed. The criticism made in Pakistan that the mission was exceeding its mandate because it arrived too early and interfered with the internal affairs of the country by analysing the overall election framework is therefore groundless.
As far as the new cooperation agreement between the European Community and Pakistan is concerned, the Commission would like to recall that exceptional circumstances in the region called for a response commensurate to the risk President Musharraf took in siding with the international community on Afghanistan. The aim of the agreement is to engage significantly and visibly with Pakistan, both in political and economic terms, and to encourage Pakistan to adhere to the implementation of the roadmap for the return to democracy."@en1
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