Dutch MPs acting as observers at US presidential elections
On Tuesday 8 November 2016 Dutch MPs Harry van Bommel (Socialist Party) and Fred Teeven (liberal VVD) were active as observers at the US presidential elections. They took part in an election observation mission carried out by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), monitoring a fair course of the electoral contest between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
Both MPs arrived in Washington DC on Friday 4 November, where they attended briefings on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 November. On Monday 7 November Fred Teeven travelled to the state of New Mexico, where he acted as an observer, together with Dutch Senator Ms Petra Stienen (D66). Harry van Bommel stayed in the nation's capital, where he acted as an observer on election day. After a debriefing on Wednesday 9 November in Washington DC the observers left.
Election observation missions
The OCSE sends election observation missions to countries on a regular basis, in order to monitor a fair and free course of the elections. The election observation mission to the US presidential elections was made up of members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and representatives of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).