No election experts mission for Thai poll: EU Delegation
European Union (EU) will not deploy an Election Expert Mission (EEM) to assess the electoral process for the May 14 election, the EU Delegation to Thailand told Thansettakij on Thursday.
The statement came in response to Thansettakij articles that cited a Foreign Ministry source as saying that the EU is sending an EEM of 2-4 experts to assess the electoral process in the coming general election.
“The EU Delegation to Thailand would like to clarify that the EU had offered to the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) to send an EEM to Thailand for the 2023 general election," the statement said.
"The articles make it clear that an EEM is sent to a country for a two-month period."
"However, before an EEM can be sent to a country (it is usually deployed four to six weeks ahead of an election), the host country needs to provide a welcome letter to the EU indicating that its authorities will help facilitate the EEM in its scope."
"The EU did not receive this welcome letter in the required timeframe or format and as a consequence will not be deploying an EEM on this occasion."
According to the EC, the EU has deployed an EEM to assess the electoral process on two occasions, namely for the 2011 and 2014 general elections.
