Press Release

Democracy International

January 09, 2014

DI to Field International EOM to Egypt's Constitutional Referendum

CAIRO, EGYPT – Democracy International announced today it would field an international election observation mission to Egypt’s upcoming constitutional referendum. DI will deploy more than 80 international observers to 23 governorates to witness the conduct of voting and counting for the constitutional referendum scheduled for January 14 and 15. This will be the largest international observation mission for this referendum. DI is conducting the mission at the invitation of the High Electoral Commission of Egypt (HEC).

DI is a signatory to the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the Code of Conduct for International Election Observers, and will conduct its mission in accordance with these principles. DI’s observers include election experts, regional experts, and development and political professionals from 10 countries.

DI established a referendum observation mission in early December, before the announcement of the referendum calendar, to observe the electoral process and assess the political environment leading up to the constitutional referendum. Throughout this time, DI’s representatives have held numerous meetings with relevant stakeholders in Cairo including the HEC and other judicial entities responsible for the administration of the referendum process, political parties, civil society organizations, government officials, diplomats, international election observation organizations and other representatives from the international community.

In accordance with the Declaration of Principles, DI observers will witness all phases of the two referendum days, including opening procedures, voting, the closing of polling stations, the count, and throughout the tabulation and announcement of results. The mission expects to issue a preliminary statement shortly after the balloting is completed and will issue a final report in the weeks after the referendum. The mission’s reports will assess the entire process, including the constitutional development process and the political environment.

DI Principal Eric Bjornlund will serve as Head of Delegation. Director of Programs Jed Ober and Program Manager Dan Murphy lead the DI core team.

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U.S.-based Democracy International provides analytical services, technical assistance, and project implementation for democracy and governance programs worldwide. Since its founding in 2003, DI has worked in 70 countries. DI conducted comprehensive election observation programs in Afghanistan for presidential elections in 2009 and parliamentary elections in 2010 and has maintained a presence and conducted programs in the country continuously since 2009. DI has also conducted election observation missions and election-assistance programs in Albania, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ghana, Indonesia, Liberia, Pakistan, Sudan and South Sudan.

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