CONTACTS: Atlanta, Deborah Hakes +1 404 420 5124; Cairo, Sanne van den Bergh +20 1013511710
Following approval from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and accreditation by the Supreme Judicial Commission for Elections, The Carter Center announced today the deployment of an international delegation to 'witness' Egyptian Parliamentary Elections scheduled to start on Nov. 28, 2011. Successful and transparent elections would mark a critical milestone in the transition to democratic governance in Egypt, and the Center supports the right of all Egyptians to freely elect their representatives in a peaceful and tolerant environment.
The delegation of more than 20 international witnesses, experts, and core staff - a diverse group representing 14 countries* - participated in three days of briefings in Cairo before deploying to governorates throughout Egypt. While deployed, delegates will evaluate election administration, campaigning, voting and counting procedures, and other issues related to the overall electoral process in Egypt. They also will meet with election officials, political party and civil society representatives, members of the international community, and other stakeholders. Additional witnesses will be deployed prior to the Nov. 28 election day, remaining through all three phases of voting. Field Office Director Sanne van den Bergh is leading the mission from Cairo.
"We have been assured by the Supreme Judicial Commission for Elections that, despite being identified as 'witnesses' or 'followers,' our delegation will be provided the access we deem necessary to provide a credible and impartial assessment of the conduct of the election, as we have on previous missions around the world," said van den Bergh.
The Carter Center's election mission is conducted in accordance with the Guidelines and Code of Conduct for Observers issued by the Supreme Judicial Commission for Elections, as well as the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and Code of Conduct that was adopted at the United Nations in 2005 and has been endorsed by 37 election observation groups. The Center assesses the electoral process based on the Egypt's national legal framework and its obligations for democratic elections contained in regional and international agreements.
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*Countries represented on the delegation include: Austria, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Palestine, Slovakia, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
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