The European Union announced on Wednesday plans to deploy an EU Election Observation Mission to observe the Lebanese parliamentary elections scheduled on 15 May 2022.
This came in response to an invitation from the Lebanese Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, the EU Mission in Lebanon said in a statement Thursday.
In this regard, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell appointed György Hölvényi, Member of the European Parliament, as Chief Observer of the Mission.
“The EU has been committed to assisting Lebanon’s electoral process by providing significant financial, technical and political support for their preparation,” Borell stressed.
He said the holding of elections is first and foremost a right and an expectation of the people of Lebanon, as well as a sovereign responsibility that the Lebanese government must follow through.
“A constructive participation of all political forces in the upcoming elections will be of key importance for the country and all the Lebanese people,” the EU High-representative said.
He also noted that the EU is a long-standing partner of Lebanon in supporting peace and democracy, and the presence of an Election Observation Mission is another example of this commitment.
“I believe the work of the EU mission will contribute to an inclusive and transparent election process and to further reinforce the democratic path and reforms in Lebanon,” he added.
For his part, Hölvényi said the EU has supported Lebanese Parliamentary elections by sending election observation missions in 2005, 2009 and 2018.
“This will be the fourth time that the EU deploys an Election Observation Mission in Lebanon and I am truly honored to have been entrusted with the responsibility of leading this important mission,” he said.
He voiced hopes that “the mission’s work can help to foster confidence and further reinforce the democratic process in the country with a view to a genuine and Lebanese-led reform process, and that these elections will contribute to the security and stability of the country.”
The 2022 EU Election Observation Mission to Lebanon will be made of different groups of observers, according to the EU statement.
It said the Core Team of election analysts, based in Beirut, will arrive at the end of March and consist of 10 election experts covering the different aspects of the electoral process. Mid-April 30 long-term observers will join the mission and will be deployed in the regions to follow the political campaign. Thereafter, 40 short-term observers will join the mission around Election Day to observe the polling, voting, and counting.
Some of these will also cover the Out of Country voting in several countries where there is a significant presence of the Lebanese diaspora.
Other short-term observers recruited within the EU diplomatic community in Lebanon would also reinforce the mission on Election Day.
The EU Election Observation Mission will remain in the country until the completion of the electoral process.
In line with the EU methodology on election observation, the mission will hold a press conference in Beirut 48 hours after Election Day to issue its preliminary statement of findings. Once the entire electoral process is concluded, the mission will publish a final report, which will include a final assessment of the electoral process and a set of recommendations for reforms to improve future elections.
