site.btaOSCE Election Observers to Focus on Campaign Funding, Vote Buying, Participation of Minorities

ESD 16:25:30 09-09-2014
DS1625ES.126
126 POLITICS - ELECTIONS - OSCE - OBSERVERS

OSCE Election Observers to
Focus on Campaign Funding, Vote Buying,
Participation of Minorities


Sofia, September 9 (BTA) - The mission of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for the October 5
early general elections in Bulgaria will pay special attention
to several issues, said Ambassador Audrey Glover of the OSCE
Office for Democratic Institute and Human Rights. These include
the application of the new Election Code, the operation of the
election administration and the relevant government
institutions, machine and preferential voting, the environment,
in which the campaign is carried out, the financing of the
campaign, the media coverage, the tackling of complaints and
appeals, the participation of the minorities in the election
process, reports about irregularities and vote buying, as well
as alerts for manipulation of voters.

Ambassador Glover underscored that the organization is not
interested in the election result but in guaranteeing correct
and transparent calculation and counting of votes, as well as
making sure that the whole election process is conducted in a
fair and unbiased manner.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(ODIHR) has observed seven elections in Bulgaria since 1997.

Tuesday, the OSCE/ODIHR formally opened a limited election
observation mission (LEOM) for the elections in Bulgaria. The
mission' deployment follows an invitation from the Minister of
Foreign Affairs.

The mission is led by Ambassador Glover and consists of a core
team of 12 experts based in Sofia. In addition, 14 long-term
observers were requested from OSCE participating States to be
deployed throughout the country in teams of two, from September
14, 2014. In the course of its observation, the mission will
meet with representatives from state authorities, political
parties and candidates, and with representatives from civil
society, the media and the international community. While the
mission will visit a limited number of polling stations on
election day, systematic observation of voting, counting or
tabulation of results on election day is not envisaged. ODIHR
will co-operate with an observer delegation from the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Glover said
that the election process will be assessed based on the OSCE
commitments outlined in the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document,
international standards and the national legislation.

The day after the elections a statement of preliminary findings
and conclusions will be issued at a press conference. ODIHR will
issue a final report on the observation of the entire electoral
process approximately eight weeks after the end of the
observation mission.

Taking a question, Ambassador Glover said that some of the OSCE
recommendations made at previous elections have not been taken
into consideration: for example, the appeal procedures,
depravation of inmates of the right to vote and offering
minorities the possibility to use their mother tongue during the
election campaign. Glover said they are clear with the
constitutional norms regarding the holding of the campaign on
one's mother tongue. OSCE has made a recommendation but the
Bulgarian authorities are the ones to decide whether to comply
with it and whether to change the Constitution, she said.
/VI/TK/