EU assessing conditions for deployment of election observer mission

Addis Ababa, January 22, 2020 (FBC) -The European Union (EU) is assessing conditions for deployment an election observation mission to the next general election of Ethiopia.

During the discussion with members of the House of People’s Representatives today, EU Policy Officer for Ethiopia Loic Defaye said “before we take any decision for deployment of observers we assess the condition. So, this is what we are doing right now.”

Members of the team are spending more than two weeks in Addis and some regions to assess the situation, according to ENA.

Defaye stated that “the very basic and important criteria regarding the mission are the usefulness of our observation mission. Would it bring added value to the upcoming election? The process is key.”

The policy officer further said “We consider it advisable for us to deploy our observers in Ethiopia. We are (therefore) talking here about security issues, logistics, transportation, and so on.”

The European team held talks this afternoon with HPR Deputy Speaker Shitaye Minale and members of the parliament.

She told the team that the House is interested to allow the European Union as observer of the upcoming election.

According to the deputy speaker, the house is also committed to facilitate an historic election.

“We are very committed to support the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia so that it can conduct free and fair election,” Shitaye underscored.