Introduction

The European Commission has deployed an EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Bhutan for the elections scheduled to take place on 24 March 2008. A Chief Observer, Mr. Javier Pomés Ruiz, who is a Member of the European Parliament, leads the Mission.

A core team of 5 election experts arrived in Thimphu on 22 February and will be shortly followed by 9 long term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country observing key aspects of the run up to election day, election day itself (to observe the voting and counting process) and the tabulation of results.

The mission’s general mandate is to assess elections against international principles on genuine elections. The EU EOM will work independently to fulfil its mandate to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the electoral process and to offer an impartial, balanced and informed analysis of the elections. EU observers will be deployed across Bhutan. This observation work is an important component of the European Union’s policy of promoting human rights and democratization throughout the world. The EU EOM to Bhutan will remain in country until the completion and finalisation of the electoral process.

The EU EOM will undertake its comprehensive assessment of the election process in accordance with international standards and principles for genuine democratic elections, and operated in accordance with the “Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation”, adopted by a number of international bodies involved in election observation in October 2005 at the United Nations in New York.