Presidential Elections
On the 14th of April 2002, with the holding of presidential elections, East Timor took the third and final step towards the establishment of democratic institutions in the country prior to independence. The EU EOM is headed by Chief Observer Mr. John Bowis, (UK), a member of the European Parliament (MEP). European Union Observation Missions have been present in East Timor at the 1999 referendum and at the 2001 Constituent Assembly elections. Furthermore the EU has contributed significantly to voter and civic education projects, in line with the EU's policy of strengthening local capacity for election management and observation.
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 East Timor, the European Commission and EU Member States. The EU EOM is independent, impartial and neutral in its findings.
