OSCE/ODIHR opens observation mission for early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria

SOFIA, 22 February 2017 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened a limited election observation mission (LEOM) for the 26 March 2017 early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria.

The mission is led by Roman Jakic and consists of a core team of 11 experts based in Sofia and eight long-term observers to be deployed in teams of two across the country.  

The mission will assess these elections for their compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation. Observers will follow candidate registration, campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant state bodies, implementation of the legislative framework, and the resolution of election disputes. As part of the observation, the LEOM will conduct a comprehensive monitoring of the media.

In the course of its observation, the mission will meet with representatives of relevant authorities and of political parties, as well as with representatives of 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. For election day, the mission will join efforts with a delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

A statement of preliminary findings and conclusions will be issued on the day after the election. A final report on the observation of the entire electoral process will be issued approximately two months after the end of the observation mission.

For further information, please contact Egor Tilpunov, Media Analyst with the limited election observation mission, at +359 876 331 266 or egor.tilpunov@odihr.bg.

or

Thomas Rymer, ODIHR Spokesperson, at + 48 609 522 266 or thomas.rymer@odihr.pl.