ID :
43931
Tue, 02/03/2009 - 17:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/43931
The shortlink copeid
EU TEAM READY TO MONITOR LEGISLATIVE ELECTION IN ACEH
Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Feb 3 (ANTARA) - A team from the European Union (EU) is ready to monitor the implementation of the national legislative election in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) next April, an EU spokesman here said.
"A team from the European Union is ready to monitor the legislative election in Aceh if it is invited to do so," John Penny, the head of the House of Europe (Rumah Eropa) in Banda Aceh said on Tuesday.
But he added the involvement of EU and other independent foreign monitoring teams in the election was still being discussed by the Indonesian government.
"There is no decision yet about the need for foreign observers. It is possible the government will not invite foreign observers on the ground democratic processes in Indonesia are already being executed properly," Penny said.
He said if eventually the government decided not to involve foreign observers in the legislative election, the EU would remain in Aceh until 2012 to help local people who were traumatized by the December 26, 2004 devastating tsunami.
Aceh Vice Governor Muhammad Nazar had earlier said the provincial administration had repeatedly asked the central government to invite foreign observers to the legislative election in NAD.
He said the involvement of foreign observers in the election in NAD was necessary because a number of local political parties would take part in it.
The local political parties were formed based on the peace agreement the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) had signed on August 15, 2005 in Helsinki, Finland, he said.
The presence of foreign observers, according to Nazar, was expected to better ensure the holding of a democratic election toward a lasting peace in Aceh.
He noted that in 2006, foreign observers, including from the European Union, had monitored regional elections in Aceh, and the EU had likewise participated in the implementation of the Helsinki peace agreement.
"A team from the European Union is ready to monitor the legislative election in Aceh if it is invited to do so," John Penny, the head of the House of Europe (Rumah Eropa) in Banda Aceh said on Tuesday.
But he added the involvement of EU and other independent foreign monitoring teams in the election was still being discussed by the Indonesian government.
"There is no decision yet about the need for foreign observers. It is possible the government will not invite foreign observers on the ground democratic processes in Indonesia are already being executed properly," Penny said.
He said if eventually the government decided not to involve foreign observers in the legislative election, the EU would remain in Aceh until 2012 to help local people who were traumatized by the December 26, 2004 devastating tsunami.
Aceh Vice Governor Muhammad Nazar had earlier said the provincial administration had repeatedly asked the central government to invite foreign observers to the legislative election in NAD.
He said the involvement of foreign observers in the election in NAD was necessary because a number of local political parties would take part in it.
The local political parties were formed based on the peace agreement the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) had signed on August 15, 2005 in Helsinki, Finland, he said.
The presence of foreign observers, according to Nazar, was expected to better ensure the holding of a democratic election toward a lasting peace in Aceh.
He noted that in 2006, foreign observers, including from the European Union, had monitored regional elections in Aceh, and the EU had likewise participated in the implementation of the Helsinki peace agreement.
