Five-member EU team to monitor social media during election period

The EU’s Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) has set-up a five member team to monitor social media, for the first time in its six previous assignments.

“It’s one of the innovations of this observation mission because it is quite new,” EU Parliamentarian Marisa Matias, the Chief Observer of the EU EOM told Times Online.

All activities promoting any of the 35 candidates contesting Saturday's poll will cease from midnight, but questions have been raised on how it could be prevented on social media platforms.

The EU today deployed 30 short-term observers for election monitoring, bringing their strength upto 80, including five parliamentarians and 30 long-term observers and election analysts.

“Together, they aim to observe at around 300 polling stations and 30 counting centres at the very least in all electoral districts,” the Chief Observer noted.

Matias explained that the observers will monitor activities on election day, and also during the counting process, before reporting their findings to the EU election analysts.

The preliminary report of the Mission will be release two days after the election, while the final report will be presented next year.

(Pics by Indika Handuwala)