The EU's participation in the form of an Election Observation Mission (EOM) in the forthcoming presidential elections in Egypt, for the first time in the country's history, reflects genuine support for Egypt and the democratic transition. It is also an indication that the EU is convinced that Egypt is pursuing its road map and is on the right track to establishing a democratic state, beliefs reflected in the statements of officials from both sides after signing two memoranda of understanding this week. “The EOM is a step towards boosting Egypt's relations with the EU. It also emphasises that Egypt is taking firm steps in the road map and heading towards an important stage in the transitional period,” Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs Hamdi Loza said at a press conference held after the signing ceremony. “The launching of this EOM is part of a much broader picture of continuous engagement with Egypt,” said James Moran, head of the EU delegation to Egypt. Loza and Moran signed the memorandum of understanding to facilitate the EOM's work in a ceremony held at the ministry of foreign affairs in Cairo on Monday. The EOM will comprise 150 to 152 members of the European Parliament representing nations of the European Union as well as observers from Canada, Switzerland and Norway and diplomats from the embassies of EU countries in Egypt, Loza said. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued after the signing that the agreement reflected the significant support of the EU for the democratic transition process. Loza said that according to Egypt's constitution, the Presidential Elections Commission (PEC) is the body responsible for presidential elections. But it had delegated some organisational matters to the foreign ministry, which was why the latter had signed the memorandum of understanding with the EU. He added that the PEC had extended invitations to observe the elections to the African Union, the Arab League, the Community of Sahel-Saharan States, nations belonging to the Common Market for East and South Africa, and the Organisation of the Francophonie. The Arab League is expected to field 100 persons to follow up the elections process. A further signing ceremony was held on Sunday evening, in which Moran and the head of the PEC, Anwar Al-Rashad Al-Assi, signed the second agreement. The head of the European Commission is charged with appointing a chief observer for the EOM, whose core experts are chosen on the basis of their experience from a pool of experts according to EU regulations. The observers are picked by the Commission from a selection of candidates proposed by EU Member States. The European Parliament also has the opportunity to send a separate delegation to observe the elections. “Our engagement is profound, as shown most recently here by [EU foreign policy chief] Catherine Ashton's visit last Thursday. Election observation is an expression of the EU's concern to support inclusive, transparent and credible elections as part of its policy to strengthen democracy, the rule of law and human rights,” Moran said. The two memoranda came one week after Ashton visited Cairo to finalise details of the EOM, which the Egyptian government had invited the EU to establish. During her visit, foreign minister Nabil Fahmi and Ashton welcomed the conclusion of the two memoranda of understanding, saying that these would allow for the unhindered movement of observers throughout the country and access to all legal political interlocutors. The EU mission would conduct its work and make its assessments impartially, Ashton said. Both officials concluded by looking forward to a transparent and credible elections process. A memorandum of understanding is an international instrument of a less formal kind than a treaty and is not legally binding. While the EU did not formally observe the January referendum on the constitution, instead dispatching a smaller Expert Electoral Mission, it did subsequently issue a report. Egypt's presidential elections are scheduled to be held on May 26-27. Egyptians living abroad will vote on 15-18 May. In a separate development, Foreign Ministry Assistant for European Affairs Hatem Seif Al-Nasr met a delegation from the German parliament in Cairo on Monday to discuss developments in Egypt and the preparations for the presidential and parliamentary elections. The German parliamentary speaker, who headed the delegation, pointed to the importance of restoring security and stability in Egypt, saying that Germany would do what it could to support Egypt in facing the challenges of the transitional period.
