Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the elections in Mauritania

Press release 495/2006
November 28, 2006

The European Union welcomes the smooth and peaceful conduct of the municipal elections and of the first round of the parliamentary elections held in Mauritania on 19 November 2006.  This has been confirmed by the European Union Election Observation Mission.

The European Union congratulates the government on giving Mauritanian voters the opportunity to express their political will for the first time in completely free and transparent elections.  The high turnout attests to the Mauritanian people's profound desire to begin a new chapter in the history of their country and to create the conditions for the establishment of a new democracy.  The active participation of women as voters and electoral candidates is a further reason for satisfaction.

The European Union is pleased to note that the government honoured its commitment to remain neutral during the electoral campaign and while voting was taking place.  Given the difficult conditions in Mauritania and the lack of experience and training, the technical organisation of the elections proved to be satisfactory.

The transparency of the elections was ensured by the presence for the first time of the long term  European Union Election Observation Mission.

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.