OSCE/ODIHR report finds May elections in Greece administered efficiently and impartially, recommends improvements to campaign finance regulations

Greece’s early parliamentary elections on 6 May were administered efficiently and impartially in a competitive and open manner, despite tight deadlines and an adverse economic background, concludes the final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) released on 27 July 2012.   

Campaigning is assessed as having taken place in an open atmosphere, characterized by respect for fundamental freedoms of expression, movement and assembly. However, the report notes that inconsistencies in the data related to voter registration should be remedied if public confidence in the process is to be maintained.

According to the report, while the legal framework provides a generally sound basis for the conduct of democratic elections, the lack of explicit legal provisions for domestic and international election observation needs to be addressed. Electoral bodies did however ensure that the OSCE/ODIHR election assessment mission had full access to all stages of the electoral process.

Among the report’s other recommendations is that the oversight of campaign finance could be enhanced to further increase public trust in the electoral process.

It is also recommended that the legal deadlines for lodging and considering appeals in electoral disputes could be reviewed to ensure timely and efficient legal redress.