The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) on Thursday deployed 40 short-term observers to all regions of Lebanon. They are reinforcing the mission for the E-day, joining the long-term observers who have been regularly reporting from all electoral districts in Lebanon since mid-April.

This is the speech of the Chief Observer György Hölvényi during the event.

“Welcome to this press event, I am György Hölvényi, the Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission.

Today, we are deploying our 40 short-term observers after they received a training of two days here in Beirut.

The mission is here in response to the invitation of the Lebanese Ministry of Interior and Municipalities. The objective of this Mission is to accompany the Lebanese people, as friends and neighbours, to go through the electoral process.

The EU EOM is present in Lebanon since the end of March, with the arrival of the core team, composed by 10 election experts covering the different aspects of the electoral process.

Let me highlight that our 30 long-term observers are observing in the field since mid-April in teams of two people. Our long-term observes are present in all the districts of the country.

They meet a wide range of interlocutors, they had hundreds of meetings. Thanks to these meetings they are able to assess different elements such as the preparations of elections, the logistics, the electoral campaign and the campaign finance, as well as media and social media.

In the last days, I have been visiting many of them. They are very knowledgeable and professional, well prepared to observe this final week and the elections day.

The credibility of EU missions is built on our methodology: we conduct a comprehensive analysis of the electoral process, based on long-term observation.

The European Union Election Observation Mission is impartial and is independent of any other European institution. We also act in full independence from the Lebanese authorities, politicians and institutions.

Our mission, as all EU Election Observation Missions, is financed exclusively from the European Union’s budgets.

The EU EOM does not judge the electoral outcome and does not in any way validate results.

I would like to underline the extreme professionalism of all our colleagues, from the core team members, the long-term observers, and the observers that you have here in front of you.

The 40 short-term observers who are deployed today are reinforcing the mission, together with 66 short-term observers recruited within the European Union diplomatic community in Lebanon and a delegation from the European Parliament to observe the polling, voting and counting on Election Day. So, from today our mission is bigger, stronger and continue to be present in all the regions of Lebanon!

On Sunday 15 May, the EU Election Observation Mission will comprise 170 observers.

Let me remark again that the EU mission does not interfere in the electoral process. This is the reason why our mission will not give any statement about what we have observed during the campaign or on Election Day until next Tuesday, 17 May, when we will present our preliminary statement in a press conference here. You’re kindly invited to this event.

The EU EOM will remain in the country until the conclusion of the electoral process.”