By
By Godfrey Olukya 15-7-2013
Canada has pledged to support elections-assessment mission in Mali for the forthcoming presidential elections.
John Baird, the foreign affairs minister for Canada has issued a statement to that effect.
He said “Canada is pleased to provide support to an election-assessment mission for Mali’s upcoming presidential elections, scheduled for later this month.
“Canada’s support for elections in Mali is an expression of our global commitment to promoting Canadian values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. A vote that is both free and fair will be a step forward in Mali’s post-coup recovery.”
Canada is committing up to $250,000 to assist in establishing an international election-assessment team that will include Canadian and international experts and will be on the ground when the first round of voting in the presidential elections begins July 28, 2013.
This latest commitment is in addition to the $75 million in new investments announced by Parliamentary Secretary Lois Brown at the Together for a New Mali conference in Brussels in May 2013 and to the $10 million announced on May 13.
END