Mr Norbert Neuser was speaking at a presser on Thursday as he presented the findings of the follow-up mission in the 2021 presidential election.
The EU official thanked the people of The Gambia for their continued commitment to the democratic process and also for welcoming them again in the country.
He revealed that since arrival in the country they have held constructive discussions with key stakeholders from government, representatives of political parties, civil society organisations and both sides of the National Assembly on electoral reforms.
Further, these recommendations addressed diverse aspects of presidential election, including the legal framework, election administration and voter registration, the campaigns and campaign finance and the political participation of women. Implementation of fifteen of these recommendations would require legal change, among which three require constitutional change.
He also spoke about their resolve to continue the engagement with relevant ministries like the Ministry of Justice, recalling that there was an election in December 2021, in which European Union deployed Election Observation Mission in the country.
The final report, he added, was published by the commission and recommendations made towards contributing constructively to improving future elections in the country.
The EU Election Observer reminded that they made recommendations as they recognised the fact that there is always room for improvement in the electoral process in both technical and political aspects.
The implementation of those recommendations, he added, remains the political rights of the Gambian people.
"While none of the recommendations has yet been implemented in full, it is positive to note there are several legal instruments on the legislative agenda which if enacted and enforced, could represent progress in the advancement of the rights of political participation. In addition to the draft constitutional and electoral reforms bills, these include Personal Data Protection and Privacy Bill, 2024."
Neuser maintained that it is important that progress on these measures be undertaken in a transparent and consultative manner.
"Two years still remain in which electoral reforms can be undertaken in advance ahead of the next presidential election,” he stated, saying implementation of the recommendations offered by the EU Election Observer Mission, particularly the seven priority ones, would greatly enhance the integrity, legitimacy and credibility of electoral process.
Neuser noted that EU supports continued democracy and good governance in The Gambia including by actively supporting stakeholders in their efforts to promote all related reforms.
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