The Head of the EU Election Assessment Team to Libya, Mr. Alexander Lambsdorff (pictured), has presented the EU Election Assessment Team’s Final report on the election of the General National Congress in Libya that took place on 7 July 2012.
The Final report includes the EU Election Assessment Team’s (EU EAT) findings along with 39 recommendations, with a view to improving the implementation of the upcoming elections in the country.
The EU EAT was present in Libya from June to early August 2012, at the invitation of the Government of Libya and of the High National Election Commission (HNEC). The EU EAT, headed by Mr. Alexander Lambsdorff, German Member of the European Parliament, consisted of 21 Election Experts, nationals of 19 Member States of the EU, who were deployed across the country to assess the electoral process and the legal framework against the laws of Libya and the international standards for democratic elections.
Mr. Lambsdorff arrived in Tripoli on Saturday, 20 October. He will present the EU EAT Final report’s findings, conclusions and recommendations to the HNEC, the Libyan authorities, civil society, media and other election stakeholders.
"The EU believes that the democratic transition in Libya must continue. I came to Tripoli to offer a set of constructive suggestions, building on the previous work done by our mission," Lambsdorff stated. He continued:
"Bearing in mind the remarkable achievements of the HNEC during the 7 July election, we firstly recommend maintaining the current structure and composition of the HNEC, in order to make further use of its expertise gained with the first democratic election.
"Secondly, the decision on the procedure for the selection of the members of the Constitutional Committee must urgently be made. The continued success of the transition depends on the Committee’s work and a new constitution that commands broad acceptance from all segments of the population. That also means that enough women should be members of the Committee.
"Thirdly, to further enhance the transparency, we recommend adopting a comprehensive calendar for the referendum and the next electoral cycle, with clear deadlines for all stages. This makes it easier for parties, candidates and all other stakeholders to prepare and participate in the democratic process."
The full text of final report including all recommendations is available in English and Arabic on the mission's website: http://www.eueom.eu/libya2012
The EU EAT commends the Libyan people for their commitment to democratic values, high participation and dignified behaviour during the whole electoral process.
