The European Commission has deployed an Election Assessment Team (EAT) to Iraq to assess and analyse the upcoming Council of Representatives elections to be held on 7 March 2010.
The EAT consists of 16 electoral and logistics experts, and operates out of three locations: Baghdad, Erbil and Basra. The electoral experts arrived in Iraq on the 2. February and will remain in country until the end of March.
The EAT’s objective is to provide continuous strategic analysis and reporting on the ongoing electoral processes and to strengthen the voters’ confidence to participate freely.
The EAT will provide targeted, short, medium and long-term recommendations in order to improve the electoral framework and conduct of electoral operations. The recommendations will be shared with the government of Iraq, the IHEC and other relevant stakeholders.
A final report with the EATs findings will be presented to the EU institutions and to the Iraqi authorities several weeks after the completion of the electoral process.
The EAT will work independently to assess and analyse the electoral process against international standards and principles for genuine democratic elections.
