The European Union (EU) announced Thursday that it will deploy an election observation mission (EOM) to observe the general elections in Sierra Leone scheduled for June 24 at the invitation of the West African country’s Electoral Commission.
According to a statement by the EU office in Sierra Leone, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has appointed Evin Incir, a member of the European Parliament, as the chief observer of the EOM in Sierra Leone.
“The EU, with the deployment of an electoral observation mission for the fifth time, confirms its long-term commitment to supporting competitive, transparent, and peaceful elections in Sierra Leone. Under the leadership of Chief Observer Incir, the EU EOM will provide an independent, evidence-based assessment of the electoral process, and its final report will be an important contribution to Sierra Leone’s efforts and aspirations to strengthen its democracy,” said Borrell.
The EU EOM is composed of different groups of observers, and they will remain in the country until the completion of the electoral process. The mission will issue a preliminary statement and hold a press conference in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, after election day. A final report, including recommendations for future electoral processes, will be presented after the finalization of the entire electoral process.
The EU has deployed EOMs to Sierra Leone since 2002.