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2010/04/13 02:35

Election Observation – Fostering Democracy? The Case of Sudan

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Organized & contributed by the “Research Platform Human Rights in the European Context”

University of Vienna, March 31st, 2010
Panelists:

  • Christina Binder (Member of the Research Platform “Human Rights in the European Context”, Department of International Law and International Relations, University of Vienna) – Bio
  • Mahmoud Hassan Elamin (Sudanese Ambassador in Austria) – Bio
  • Armin Rabitsch (EU and OSCE election observation and assistance expert)- Bio
  • Adelheid Wölfl (Foreign Editor, Der Standard)- Bio

Moderator:

  • Christine Sommer (Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights)- Bio
BackgroundThe EU election observation mission in Sudan is consisting of 130 short-term and long-term observers deployed throughout the country, excluding Darfur. It is a complex mission in a country with 16,000 polling stations and severals elections taking place simultaniously. Since nearly half the population is illiterate and these are the first elections for most voters, the challenges for both voters and observers are enormous.

At the end of the first day of polling, EP delegation head Ana Gomes said

We feel we are being welcomed by the Sudanese people, judging from reactions at the polling stations and in all our contacts, including those with the main opposition parties that decided to withdraw from some elections. This is encouraging as it runs counter to the hostile statements made earlier against international observers.

(www.europarl.europa.eu)

The Panel Participants  discuss the challenges of election observation missions in general and especially related to the current election taking place in Sudan.

 

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