The OSCE/ODIHR Mission has started the process for monitoring the local elections scheduled for October 17, two more days remain for citizens to check the Voters Register and four more days for filing to run for mayors and council member lists for the elections. Training on the use of the fingerprint reader terminals has started.
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.
Head of Mission of the OSCE/ODIHR is again Tana de Zulueta, who 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.
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.
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 total of 12.865 people have checked the Voters register until yesterday, a total of 62 requests for registration in the Voters Registration have been made, 28 requests for deleting of data from the Voters Register and 25 requests for changes in the data of the Voters Register, announced the State Election Commission (SEC).
Furthermore, a total of 60 requests have been made to the State Election Commission, at the email upisis@sec.mk .
The procedure for public inspection of the Voters Register is ongoing and will last until Thursday, September 9.
Two days later, on midnight September 11, the deadline for filing candidacies for the local elections ends.
The parties have almost all announced their candidacies for mayors, as well as some of the holders of lists of council members.
The official campaign for the local elections starts on September 27, though many of the candidates for mayors are already meeting with their supporters and citizens.
