OSCE/ODIHR today started its observation mission for the local elections scheduled for October 17, in specific conditions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Head of Mission Tana de Zulueta at a press conference informed that the Mission consists of a core team of 13 experts based in Skopje, and 20 long-term observers who will be deployed in the country from September 15. ODIHR plans to also request OSCE participating states to send 250 short-term observers, who would arrive several days before election day.
De Zulueta at a press conference informed that they already had a meeting today in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as in the State Election Commission.
– We will be here at the invitation of your authorities, to monitor the elections, to see if you are complying to the OSCE standards, but also to your laws and Electoral Code, said Zulueta.
Terminals and a system for reading fingerprints will be used for the first time in the country in these elections. As to the question from MIA of whether the Mission has experience in observing such elections, they pointed out that the OSCE/ODIHR mission has a voter registration analyst and that their representatives in the SEC have already examined several of these machines, but also that they will review how they are implemented in other OSCE participating states.
-The Mission has a voter registration analyst. The Mission has already met with the State Election Commission and has examined several of the machines. There are other OSCE participating states as well that use similar machines and our mission will observe how they are implemented in these elections in this specific context, is said in the response of the OSCE/ODIHR Mission for MIA.
The Mission will assess whether the elections are being held according to the OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as the national legislation. The observers will closely examine key elements of the elections, such as registration of voters, registration of candidates, activities in the campaign and their financing, the work of the election administration and relevant government bodies, the legislation related to the elections and its implementation, as well as resolving disputes in connection to the elections. The mission will follow the manner in which the media are covering the campaign.
Meetings with representatives of the government, political parties, civil society, the media and international community are anticipated.
Head of the Mission Zulueta outlined that having in consideration the big problem the country is facing, and that being the Covid-19 pandemic, they will comply to all measures for protection against the spread of the disease that are being carried out in the country.
-This will be a very important component for the monitoring, both in terms of the short-term and long-term observation, she said.
During the observation, a periodic report will be published in order to update the public and the media. ODIHR will present the preliminary findings and conclusions at a press conference on election day, and will publish the final observation report, along with the potential recommendations, approximately two months after the elections process is completed.
A periodic report will be published during the monitoring in order to update the public and media. ODIHR will present its preliminary findings and conclusion at a press conference, the day after the elections, and it will also publish the final monitoring report, along with the potential recommendations, approximately two months after the end of the election process.
