14/10/2011 Election observation
Strasbourg, 14.10.2011 – A 20-member delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), headed by Andreas Gross (Switzerland, SOC) will go to Tunisia from 20 to 24 October to observe the election of a constituent National Assembly, alongside observers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the European Union.
The members of the delegation are due to meet the Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohamed Mouldi Kefi, the Minister of Education Taieb Baccouche, and the Minister of Equality Lilia Laabid as well as the representatives of various political parties. They will also meet the Chair of the High Commission for the Fulfilment of Revolutionary Goals Yadh Ben Achour, the Chair of the Independent High Authority for the Elections (ISIE) Kamel Jendoubi, and representatives of NGOs and the media, before being deployed throughout the country to observe the conduct of the ballot on 23 October.
A PACE pre-electoral delegation visited Tunis on 15 and 16 September. Despite the delay in drawing up voter lists, concerns over the organisation of voting for citizens living abroad and the possible risk of tensions during the electoral campaign, the delegation noted with satisfaction that the Tunisian authorities had swiftly devised a legal framework for organising pluralist elections. In addition, it welcomed the agreement signed on 15 September by the leaders of 11 political parties with a view to guaranteeing a democratic transition of power after the elections of 23 October.
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A press conference is scheduled for Monday 24 October in the afternoon (place and time to be confirmed).
Contact:
Nathalie Bargellini, PACE Communication Division, mobile: +33 (0)6 65 40 32 82, local mobile from 21 October: + 216 (0)523 188 97 ; e-mail: [email protected]
List of delegation members (PDF)
Statement by PACE pre-electoral mission