Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the preparations for the presidential election in Madagascar

Press release 443/2006
3 November, 2006

At the request of the Malagasy authorities, and concerned to consolidate democracy in Madagascar, the European Union is actively supporting the preparations for the presidential election on 3 December 2006.  The European Union is alert to the need for the electoral process to be properly conducted and produce a satisfactory outcome, and calls for a consensual approach to be adopted in the preparations for the ballot.  It also calls on all the presidential candidates and the Malagasy authorities to adhere to the fundamental principles of a free, fair and transparent election.  To that end, the European Union encourages all candidates to adopt a code of good conduct.  It reiterates the need for equal access to the state media for all candidates and hopes that the electoral campaign will be conducted in an open and democratic manner.

The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.

* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.