Former US President Carter highlights the need for election observation efforts to promote democracy

Jimmy Carter, the former President of the United States, stressed the importance of international election observers during a discussion for the High Level Panel on Election Observation Principles, hosted by EP President Jerzy Buzek, Tuesday.

The talk comes as countries involved in the so-called Arab Spring prepare to hold democratic elections in their respective nation states.

"We have come a long way and I am very proud of what the various observer organisations have done," said Carter, who campaigns around the world for fair and transparent elections.

"However, we still need to become more coordinated, continue these annual meetings, set our standards high, understand the circumstances in the host countries and make sure that the election results are accepted by the world and also accepted peacefully by the people involved," he continued.

The European Parliament's election observations aim at strengthening the legitimacy of national electoral processes in third countries by increasing public confidence in elections, avoiding electoral fraud, protecting human rights and contributing to conflict solution.