In response to an invitation by the Gambian authorities, the European Union has deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to The Gambia to observe the Parliamentary elections scheduled for 6 April 2017. This would be the first time the EU would be deploying a fully-fledged EOM in The Gambia, reflecting the EU’s commitment to supporting credible, transparent and inclusive elections in the country in a framework of broader democratic reforms. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, has appointed Mr Miroslav Poche, Member of the European Parliament, as Chief Observer.
The High Representative stated: “The Gambia caught the world’s attention in January this year, when a tense political stalemate of several weeks finally resulted in a peaceful change of leadership, thus respecting the results of presidential elections. The upcoming parliamentary elections on 6 April will be a new opportunity for the citizens of The Gambia to express their political will. Under the leadership of Chief Observer Mr Miroslav Poche, I am confident that the EU EOM will provide an important contribution to the further strengthening of democratic institutions”.
The Chief Observer, Mr Miroslav Poche, declared: “I am honoured to lead the EU EOM to The Gambia. I trust all stakeholders will contribute to ensure that the upcoming elections will be peaceful, transparent and inclusive.”
Full Article: Gambia: EU Deploys Election Observation Mission to the Gambia – allAfrica.com.
