Carter Center Launches Limited Election Observation Mission
to Indonesia


March 25, 2009 

The Carter Center deployed three teams of long-term observers to locations in Indonesia this week to formally launch its limited election observation mission of the country's April 9 legislative elections.  These will be the third elections in Indonesia that the Center has observed. 
 
Carter Center delegates will focus their assessment on the administration of the election, the availability and efficacy of electoral dispute mechanisms, and issues related to campaign finance.  Their evaluation will be made against the Indonesian electoral law, constitution, and Indonesia's international commitments.  Observers will meet with election officials, political party and civil society representatives, members of the international community, and other stakeholders to form an assessment.  The Carter Center's long-term observers will be joined by a small number of short-term observers around election day. 
 
Because of the small size and limited scope of its presence, The Carter Center team does not constitute a comprehensive observation mission and does not intend to draw conclusions or issue public judgments about the overall election process.  Instead, the mission will focus on an assessment of a limited number of issues and key areas in the country.  The Carter Center's public statements regarding the findings of the observation mission will be available at www.cartercenter.org. 
 
The Carter Center conducts its election observation missions in accordance with applicable national laws and with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, endorsed at the United Nations in 2005.