EU High Representative Josep Borrell says Ethiopian authorities would not agree to key parameters regarding the bloc’s observation mission. The June elections come amid an ongoing crisis in the Tigray region.
Josep Borrell said in a statement that since conditions were not fulfilled, the deployment of the mission has to be cancelled,” as the integrity of an election observation mission is the cornerstone of the EU’s support for democracy.
The statement says the EU has given more than €20 million ($24.1 million) to the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) to prepare for the upcoming elections this summer.
Ethiopian elections are slated for June 5. The elections were originally supposed to be held in August 2020, but were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On the other hand, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement after the announced withdrawal saying they were disappointed, and that they had made all possible efforts to ensure the mission went ahead.
It said negotiations had fallen apart over disagreements on telecommunications technologies. It said the EU wanted to import satellite communication equipment, despite suitable infrastructure in the country.
It said the EU had also rejected its demands that observer members make no disparaging remarks about election integrity before it released its preliminary report.
They however added that while external observers could add some value to strengthen the quality of the electoral process, they are neither essential nor necessary to certify the credibility of an election.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
