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European Union to send election experts to Aceh
The European Union is scheduled to send a team of election experts to Aceh to monitor the upcoming general elections in the province, said Hertmurt Nassauer, head of the EU delegation to Aceh
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The European Union is scheduled to send a team of election experts to Aceh to monitor the upcoming general elections in the province, said Hertmurt Nassauer, head of the EU delegation to Aceh.
“Right now we are preparing to send electoral experts to be on the ground here during the campaign and election,” Nassauer said Sunday just before leaving Aceh after a three-day visit.
He added the plan to send the experts was still awaiting approval from the Indonesian government.
The EU delegation visited Aceh over the weekend to check the rehabilitation and reconstruction process in the province after it was devastated by a powerful tsunami in 2004.
Besides checking rehabilitation and reconstruction projects, the delegation also took a look at preparations made by the provincial administration for the elections.
Nassauer said the duties of the electoral experts would be different from those of foreign observers. They would have limited authority and only several legal aspects in the process of the elections, from campaign activities to their implementation, he said.
The experts will also not be allowed at polling stations or to make statements while executing their duties, he said.
With regard to sending foreign observers to Aceh, Nassauer said they would be deployed only on the invitation of the Indonesian government. The EU is ready to send them if requested, he added.
“But for sure, we are confident the observer mission will be able to contribute greatly to a
peaceful campaign and peaceful election in Aceh,” he said, adding he had received reports about a heated political situation ahead of the elections.
“I would like to express and underline our strong hope that the election campaign and the election will be peaceful, fair and free. And we hope the police can guarantee the freedom and peace during the election,” he said.
This year’s election in Aceh differs from the process elsewhere in the country. The difference lies in the participation for the first time of six local parties.
The EU delegation expressed satisfaction over the election preparations in Aceh, as well as over
the results of post-tsunami reconstruction projects by the Aceh and Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency.
During the three-day visit, the eight-member delegation visited various projects funded by EU countries grouped in the Multi Donor Fund.
“We have visited a number of reconstruction projects and are very pleased with the progress,” Nassauer said.
He added the delegation needed to check on the progress of the projects because they were financed with money from countries participating in the reconstruction process.
“It’s our responsibility to examine that EU-funded projects be implemented efficiently and reach their targets,” he said.
The projects visited included the flood mitigation project in Banda Aceh and the Tsunami Disaster Mitigation Research Center (TDMRC) at Ule Lhuee, Banda Aceh.
The EU contributed about US$700 million for post-tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in Aceh, of which US$282 million was put up by the European Commission.
