Labour MEP Prof Edward Scicluna has been appointed by the EU’s High Representative and Commissioner on Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, as the EU’s Chief Election Observer for the forthcoming general elections in Uganda.
Led by Prof Scicluna, the 110 EU observers will assess pre-election preparations and campaigning across the country, voting, counting and tabulation of the results on Election Day, as well as the post-election period. The EU election observation mission (EOM) will be the largest international observer group at these elections.
High Representative Ashton stated that:
“The forthcoming elections are important, not only for Uganda but also for the region. They are only the second multi-party elections to have place in Uganda since the National Resistance Movement came to power in 1986”
On making her nomination of Prof Scicluna, High Representative Ashton said she was:
“Delighted that Edward Scicluna has agreed to take on the role of Chief Observer for an EU EOM for the first time. Mr Scicluna will bring to the role his excellent technical experience in election administration, having been an Electoral Commissioner in Malta for many years, as well as his more recent experience as a member of European Parliament election observation delegations in Tanzania and Sudan “.
The EU’s initial team of experts arrived in Uganda in mid-January and are now being joined by long-term observers. Prof Scicluna will make his first visit to the Ugandan capital Kampala to launch the mission at the beginning of next week.
He will present the EU EOM’s initial conclusions in Kampala a few days after the close of the polls. The mission will remain in Uganda to prepare a comprehensive report, including recommendations on future improvement to the electoral process, based on a detailed assessment of the entire election process.
1 – The link to the press release issued by Catherine Ashton, High Representative for the EU on Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the Commission, can be found here – http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/107&format=HTML&aged=0&language=en&guiLanguage=en
2 – For more information or an interview with Edward please contact 99476776.
Prof Edward Scicluna waqt hidmietu ta’ osservatur mill-Parlament Ewropew fir-referendum tas-SudanEdward Scicluna appuntat OsservaturEwlieni ghall-Elezzjonijiet fl-Uganda
Il-Kummissarju ghall-Affarijiet Barranin tal-Unjoni Ewropea, Catherine Ashton, appuntat lill-Ewroparlamentari Laburista Malti l-Professur Edward Scicluna bhala l-Osservatur Ewlieni tal-Unjoni Ewropea fl-elezzjnonijiet li se jsiru aktar tard dan ix-xahar fl-Uganda.
Il-kontingent ta’ osservaturi mill-Unjoni Ewropea huwa ffurmat minn 110 osservatur. Huma se jkunu qeghdin jezaminaw il-preparazzjonijiet ghal qabel l-elezzjoni, il-kampanja elettorali mal-pajjiz kollu, il-votazzjoni, l-ghadd tal-voti u l-prezentazzjoni tar-rizultati f’Jum l-Elezzjoni. Jibqghu hemm ukoll sa wara l-elezzjoni biex jaraw u jezaminaw dak li jsir wara. It-tim ta’ osservaturi mill-Unjoni Ewropea se jkun l-akbar grupp ta’ osservaturi internazzjonali f’dawn l-elezzjonijiet.
Meta nnominat lill-Professur Scicluna ghal dan l-inkarigu, il-Kummissarju Ashton qalet li “ninsab ferhana li Edwrad Scicluna accetta li jiehu dan l-inkarigu ghall-ewwel darba. Prof Scicluna se jaghmel uzu mill-esperjenza teknika u eccellenti tieghu f’amministrazzjoni ta’ elezzjoni, wara li serva bhala Kummissarju Elettorali f’Malta ghal diversi snin, kif ukoll wara l-esperjenza ricenti tieghu bhala osservatur tal-Parlament Ewropew f’delegazzjonijiet specifici ta’ osservaturi f’elezzjonijiet fit-Tanzania u s-Sudan.”
Ashton ddeskriviet dawn l-elezzjonijiet bhala importanti mhux biss ghall-Uganda nnifisha imma ghar-regjun. Din se tkun it-tieni darba minn meta ha l-poter fil-pajjiz il-Moviment tar-Rezistenza Nazzjonali fl-1986 li jsiru elezzjonijiet kontestati minn ghadd ta’ partiti politici.
Prof Scicluna se jmur Kampala kmieni l-gimgha d-diehla. Wara l-elezzjonoijiet ihejji rapport komprensiv li jkun jinkludi rakkomandazzjonijiet dwar fejn u kif jista’ jkun hemm titjib fil-process elettorali ghal quddiem.