One of Romanian Liberal MEP Renate Weber's most notable and prestigious activities of the beginning of the 2009 term was the second time appointment as Head of the EU Election Observation Mission in Bolivia.
Mrs. Weber has led the EU EOM that observed - following an invitation of the Bolivian Government - the presidential and legislative elections which took place on December 6, 2009, as well as referendums on an autonomy status, which took place in five departments (details here)
Note to journalists and survey institutes: Due to the EU EOM in Bolivia, Renate Weber was objectively not able to attend the following EP Plenary Sittings: November 11-12, 2009; November 23-26, 2009
The Romanian MEP had also led the EOM that the European Commission had deployed for the referendum which took place in Bolivia in January 2009. It was the first time when the European Commission appointed a Romanian representative as Chief of an EU Mission.
The EU EOM Bolivia For the Referendum on January 25 2009 - Details
Following invitations from the Bolivian electoral authoritis, the European Commission has decided to deploy an EU ElectionObservation Mission (EOM) to Bolivia, to observe the Referendum on the Ratification of new Constitution, scheduled on January 25, 2009.
Renate Weber, member of the LIBE Committee of the European Parliament - was appointed as Chief of the EU-EOM to Bolvia by Mrs. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy.
“The EU has followed closely the reform process in Bolivia. An EU EOM was deployed in 2006 to observe the elections to the Constitutional Assembly and the Referendum on Regional Autonomy", Mrs. Ferrero-Waldner stated on December 18. 2008, in a press release .
"During 2007 and 2008, the process has not always been smooth and I am happy that finally a consensus was achieved, allowing the organisation of this referendum. I hope the presence of the EU EOM will contribute to the transparency of the process and the enhancement of public confidence. I also hope the campaign for this referendum will allow a real discussion on the contents of the new Constitution and help Bolivia's citizens to make a reasoned choice”, added the EU Commissioner.
Mission's Team
The team Renate Weber has led consisted of six experts who accompanied the whole process, until the official proclamation of results of the Referendum. The EU EOM was completed by 22 long-term observers (LTOs) who were deployed throughout all the departments of the country to follow the campaign period and pre-referendum preparations, as well as voting day and the post-referendum period. Some members of the European Parliament have joined the EU EOM around the day of the referendum.
EU Election Observation Missions are an important instrument for building confidence in the democratic processes of a country and are deployed in line with the EU’s commitment to promote democracy, human rights and respect for the rule of law. EU Election Observation Missions are independent and professional, and for this reason their findings are widely seen as credible and trustworthy.
The EU made available €1.4 million, from the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), to meet the cost of deploying this mission.
Final Report
The final report of the EU Mission led by MEP Renate Weber was presented on February 26, 2009 in La Paz, concentrating on recommendations for future elections and re-emphasising the need for dialogue. The full text of the report is available for download from the official site of the mission:
Mass-media Coverage
The EU Mission in Bolivia and its report were in the center of attention for the Bolivian and international press. Here are some of the articles refering to this topic:
La Republica - February 26, 2009
El Universal - January 28, 2009
Los Tiempos - January 27, 2009
European Parliament - January 26, 2009
La Republica - December 23, 2008
EU Monitor - December 18, 2008
Los Tiempos - December 18, 2008
El Universo - December 10, 2008
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