Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-12-14-Speech-2-280"
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"en.20041214.14.2-280"2
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".
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, in political terms the year 2003 in Mauritania was marked by two major events. The first was an attempted
on 8 and 9 June, and the second was the presidential election of 7 November, which saw the re-election of the incumbent President Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya, who has been in power since 1984. This latest presidential election was preceded and followed by arrests, most probably somewhat arbitrary, of leading political figures.
Given the restrictions on the exercise of civil liberties in the context of the war on terrorism, and the measures taken in the aftermath of the attempted
2003 may be regarded as a year of regression on the democracy front. The deterioration does not seem to have gathered pace in 2004.
Nevertheless, Mauritania remains a country where dialogue is possible among the various components of the power structure, even if that dialogue is invariably fraught with tension. The Commission is aware of the fragility of this situation. This is why, in the ninth European Development Fund, an amount of EUR ten million, or in other words 10% of the total appropriation, was allocated to the tasks of strengthening capacities and establishing the rule of law. The Commission considers it essential, of course, to remain vigilant. It seems to me, however, that the setback in the democratisation process does not yet warrant a vigorous initiative to secure a negotiated solution to the Mauritanian crisis.
Let me add that the Mauritanian Government was informed that its allocation under the ninth EDF was to be reduced by EUR ten million, chiefly to take account of inadequate sectoral performance in those very areas of strengthening capacities and establishing the rule of law, as identified in 2004’s mid-term review. Although the reduction in funding has more to do with absorption capacity than with the political situation, it should signal to the Mauritanian authorities how imperative it is to bolster the rule of law.
In any case, the European Union is conducting an intensified political dialogue with the Mauritanian authorities, and is keeping a very close eye on developments. Moreover, I shall be making personal contact with the President’s office and with a number of our connections in Mauritania to discuss the situation. The primary purpose of this dialogue is to promote good political and economic governance. To this end, it seeks to support the pursuit of the democratisation process that began with the elections in 2001 by highlighting the need to respect the rule of law and its instruments.
To sum up my reply to your question, I do not think there are sufficient grounds for embarking in the immediate future on a vigorous initiative designed to secure a negotiated solution to the crisis in Mauritania. This does not appear to be justified at the present time."@en1
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