For the European Union it is undisputable: "the presidential election (held in Venezuela last December 3rd) was celebrated in general terms in compliance with domestic laws and international standards."

The EU Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) Wednesday delivered its final report on the vote to the directors of the National Electoral Council (CNE), political parties and the Executive Branch. According to the document, the Electoral Register used in the election "was a legal and valid instrument."

According to the European experts, fingerprint-reading machines "do not violate the secrecy of vote and do not involve a way for fraud." While they reminded that such biometric identification devices are not a part of the electoral process itself, the EU observers would not discourage their use. Rather, in the event that the authorities decide to continue including fingerprint-capture machines in subsequent votes, and "in the event that people's and political parties' lack of confidence in these machines is overcome, efficiency of balloting stations could be improved by using these devices nationwide rather than rolls of voters printed in paper."

Head of the EU EOM Monica Frassoni Wednesday delivered the 67-page report to CNE directors. The document shows that EU experts positively rated the presidential election in 85 percent of balloting stations nationwide.

In the remaining cases, during installation of balloting centers, casting of the ballots and closure of electoral centers, "negligence" by officials, troops monitoring the election and party members was the major factor disrupting the process, the EU observers explained.

EU strongly advised to "suspend institutional advertisement, either national, regional or local." They advocate clear restraints on all public servants and popularly elected officials as to appearances in public events during electioneering, to avoid privileges and use of public funds to benefit a given candidacy." They also asked for an investigation -and the adequate legal punishments- into the participation of officials in electioneering, either voluntarily or under inducement."