EU Election Observation Mission to Ethiopia 2010

Following an invitation from the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the European Union has established an Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to observe the House of Peoples' Representatives and State Council Elections on 23 May 2010. The EU EOM is headed by Chief Observer Thijs Berman, a Dutch member of the European Parliament. The mission consists of 10 Core Team members (analysts), 90 Long Term Observers and more than 60 Short Term Observers from 22 EU Member States, as well as Norway, Switzerland and Canada.

EU EOM observers will be deployed to every region in the country, where they will meet with local electoral officials, candidates, party representatives, civil society organizations, and voters, among others. They will follow the election preparations, political campaigns, the complaints and appeals process and the announcement of results. On Election Day they will observe all phases of the election, from the opening of polling stations, to voting, closing and counting, as well as the aggregation of results.

The EU EOM will follow an established observation methodology that has been developed and perfected by the EU over many years and in many countries. The mission's purpose is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the electoral process and to observe the extent to which these elections comply with national laws as well as international commitments and principles for elections subscribed by Ethiopia.

The mission is independent from the Delegation of the European Union to Ethiopia, the European Commission and EU Member States. The EU EOM is independent, impartial and neutral in its findings.