Africa: Legislative Elections in Equatorial Guinea

The United States regrets that the May 26, 2013 elections in Equatorial Guinea were a missed opportunity for further democratization. Although voting occurred in an orderly and peaceful manner, the United States has serious concerns related to the election including arbitrary detentions, limits on the freedom of assembly and speech, and severely restricted access to the media and the internet/social networks for opposition parties.

We are aware that members of the opposition have questioned the accuracy of the results released by the government. We urge the government to maintain an open dialogue with opposition parties, and to address the legitimate concerns that they have about this and other electoral issues.

Elections and democracy are about more than just election day. Establishment of an independent electoral commission to oversee the preparation and conduct of elections and agreement by all parties on election processes, funding, and oversight would increase the credibility of future elections in Equatorial Guinea.