OSLO – On the eve of this year's Nobel award, former American President Jimmy Carter said that he received permission from Egypt's ruling military council to witness upcoming parliamentary elections in that country.
Carter, who plans to observe Tunisia's election later this month, said he spoke last week to Egypt's interim leader Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi: "We have offered our services to monitor the election there … and he's invited me to 'witness' the election. That's a distance from 'observing'."
He said he was keen that his teams should play a role, as Egyptian democracy campaigners want, in observing eventual elections in Egypt – something the generals have been hesitant about permitting. The military, which was left in control of Egypt following the fall of Mubarak in February, has cited concerns about national sovereignty.
But 'witnessing' the elections that could promote the democratic process, Carter said: "They're very careful about their sovereignty so we'll play whatever role they permit us to… Any outside presence, even far short of official observer status, will help to deter improper election procedures. It helps to stabilize the situation. It gives some confidence to the opposition parties."
