Following an invitation from the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and the signing of Memoranda of Understanding with the Government, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC), a European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) was deployed to observe the 31 October 2010 general elections.
The EU EOM is headed by Mr. David Martin, Member of European Parliament (MEP), and includes a Core Team of six analysts based in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar who arrived in the country on 29 September. A group of 22 Long Term Observers (LTOs) joined the Mission on 7 October and were deployed to cover all the 26 regions of the country. They were reinforced by a group of 42 Short Term Observers (STOs) who arrived in Tanzania on 25 October. A group of 26 Local Short Term Observers (LSTOs) joined the Mission on election day. The Mission's mandate was to observe the electoral process, including the legal framework, the administration of the elections, the political environment, election campaigning, electoral preparations, complaints and appeals, together with the voting, counting and aggregation procedures.
The Mission assessed the electoral process against the Tanzanian and Zanzibari Constitutions and laws, as well as international and regional principles for democratic elections. The EU EOM is independent in its findings and conclusions and adheres to the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, commemorated at the United Nations in October 2005, including its Code of Conduct for International Election Observers. The EU EOM was also joined by a six-member delegation from the European Parliament, led by Mariya Nedelcheva, Member of the European Parliament, who endorses the views expressed in this statement. On election day, the Mission deployed 102 observers from all 27 EU member states, as well as Canada, Norway and Switzerland, who visited 549 polling stations throughout the country to observe voting and counting.
The EU EOM will remain in the country to observe the aggregation process, announcement of results and post-election developments. This statement is preliminary; the EU EOM will not draw final conclusions until the completion of the process including the announcement of results and the swearing-in of elected candidates. A final report will be published between two and three months after the completion of the electoral process.
Source: European Union (EU)
