EU and Carter Center will not monitor Egyptian presidential elections

The European Union announced Saturday it will not dispatch observers to the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for May 26-27 due to the lack of guarantees that would protect their mission.

According to an EU spokesperson, conditions for sending a delegation have not been met, therefore it is no longer possible to send the observing mission in the appropriate time.

“Unfortunately, for administrative reasons, despite our best efforts and repeated requests, it proved impossible to have the telecommunication equipment and medical kits essential to ensure the security and safety of observers released on time,” the EU official said, as quoted by Reuters.

The EU, however, will have an “elections assessment team” in Cairo, which will have a limited role and will not be able to monitor elections except in the capital.

Similarly, the Carter Center announced it will not send observers, but rather “a team of experts” to assess the overall process. In a statement Friday, the CC warned that “Egypt’s political transition has stalled and stands on the precipice of total reversal.”

The CC expressed its concern “about the restrictive political and legal context surrounding Egypt’s electoral process, the lack of a genuinely competitive campaign environment, and the deep political polarization that threatens the country’s transition as May 26-27 presidential elections quickly approach.”

It recommended an end to the interim government’s crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and other opposition forces.