Japanese observation mission to Palestinian election – Japanese Govt. press release (Non-UN document)

Dispatch of a Japanese Delegation to the International Observation Mission for the Election of the Ra'ees of the Palestinian Interim Self-Government Authority

December 28, 2004

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will dispatch a delegation to the international observation mission for the election of the President (Ra'ees) of the Palestinian Interim Self-Government Authority on January 9 (Sun) next year. The delegation, headed by Mr. Katsuyuki Kawai, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, comprises 23 staff members, and will be dispatched from January 7 to 11 (some members will have a different itinerary). The upcoming election will be conducted to elect a new Ra'ees, following the demise of Mr. Yasser Arafat, the late Ra'ees of the Palestinian Authority.

2. Besides the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japanese Embassies in Israel and other countries, the delegation includes personnel from the Cabinet Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and a specialist from a university to provide experts' knowledge on international election observation. The local branch office of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will also cooperate with the delegation.

3. Japan already has announced 1.06 million dollar assistance in funding for the election.