Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 69: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if it proposed to send observers to the forthcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25244/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The EU will be deploying a 250-strong Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) to the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled to take place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on 30 July 2006. These will be the first multi-party elections in the DRC in over forty years and their successful conduct is absolutely critical to the consolidation of peace and security in the DRC and in the Great Lakes region as a whole.

The EU, including Ireland, is providing the bulk of the financial support towards the cost of the elections with total EU financial support amounting to some €235 million. Ireland has contributed €1.3 million in financial support towards the cost of the elections, including a recent contribution of €800,000 to the South African Independent Electoral Commission which is assisting in the logistical organisation and oversight of the elections.

The observer mission being deployed by the EU to the DRC will constitute the largest EU EOM ever deployed. It will also be by far the largest international election observation mission deployed to the DRC to cover the July 30 elections. Deployment of the mission's core team has already begun and ninety long term observers (LTOs) are due to begin deployment on June 27. The EU EOM will be headed by General Morillon, a Member of the European Parliament. Two observers from Ireland will serve with the mission as long term observers and they are due to deploy to the DRC by mid-July.