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Observation Mission for 2006 presidential elections in Yemen

7 September 2006

Liberal Democrat MEP, Emma Nicholson leads EU Election Observation Mission for 2006 presidential elections in Yemen

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, Member of the European Parliament and Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee is currently in Yemen, where she is heading the EU’s Observation Mission to the Presidential elections taking place throughout the country on 20 September.

She commented: “The stability of Yemen is of great importance to the EU. This is a country that has a democratic process and it is in all our interests to play our part in strengthening democracy as well as forging the stronger partnerships at all levels of Yemeni society for the future.”
 
“This is the first time the European Union has deployed an EOM to Yemen.  This is a large deployment which will strengthen subsequent relationships between the European Union and Yemen”.

After an agreement between the EU and the Government of the Republic of Yemen, a European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) was deployed to Yemen, with the Core Team arriving in Sana’a in mid August.
The total numbers of EU observers during polling and counting will be 92 made up 40 Long-Term Observers (LTOs) and 40 Short-Term Observers (STOs) as well as 12 Core Team Members.