IP/06/1570
Brussels, 16 November 2006
EU deploys an Election Observation Mission to the Indonesian Province of Aceh Following the invitation from the Government of Indonesia, the European Commission is deploying an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to the Indonesian Province of Aceh to observe the local elections that will take place on 11 December 2006. The EU EOM is headed by Glyn Ford, Member of the European Parliament. Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said: “These elections in Aceh mark another important step in the consolidation of the peace process to which the EU remains firmly committed. That is why, following the invitation of the Indonesian government, I have decided to deploy a mission to express our continuous and strong support to peace, development and democracy in the province of Aceh.”
The EOM Core team, consisting of the Chief Observer and seven experts, arrived in Aceh early November. From 16 November, 33 Long-term Observers will observe the campaign period and pre-election preparations throughout Aceh, as well as the Election Day and the post-election period. A total of 40 Short-Term Observers, including diplomats from EU Member States’ embassies in Jakarta, will observe voting, counting of ballots and the compilation of results. The EU EOM will be in Aceh until early January and will return in case the elections require a second round early in 2007. The Commission is making available €2.4 million from the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), to meet the costs of deploying this mission.
These local elections for the posts of governor and 19 district administrators symbolise an important step in the peace process in Aceh. The process, supported by the EU from the outset, started in early 2005 with former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari mediating between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on 15 August 2005, the EU and its ASEAN partners swiftly installed the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) to accompany and monitor the implementation of the parties’ commitments. This Mission will leave Aceh on 15 December 2006.
Since 2005 the European Commission has been supporting the Aceh province with a €260 million package. This covers €35 million for humanitarian aid after the Tsunami (December 2004) and €200 million for the reconstruction of the affected areas. It also covers, in light of sustaining the peace process, a comprehensive package of €25 million in support of economic recovery, rule of law, democratisation and human rights. This support package focuses on the organization of the local elections; reform of the police and improving access to justice and the judicial system, the reform of public administration and local government as well as the re-integration of former combatants into civil society.
EU EOMs are an important instrument for enhancing transparency and building confidence in the democratic processes of a country. They are in line with the EU’s commitment to promote democracy, human rights and the respect for the rule of law
For additional information, see also:
European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/projects/eidhr/index_en.htm
The EU's Human rights and Democratisation Policy - EU Election Assistance & Observation: http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/human_rights/eu_election_ass_observ/index.htm
EU Election Observation Mission to Aceh: www.eueomaceh.org
The EU's relations with Indonesia: http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/indonesia/intro/index.htm
