Presidential election, 28 January 2018

Following an invitation from the Permanent Delegation of Finland to the OSCE to observe the 28 January 2018 presidential election and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) undertook a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) from 24 to 27 October 2017. The NAM included Ms. Ana Rusu, OSCE/ODIHR Senior Election Adviser, and Mr. Vladimir Misev, OSCE/ODIHR Election Adviser.

The purpose of the mission was to assess the pre-election environment and preparations for the presidential election. Based on this assessment, the NAM should recommend whether to deploy an OSCE/ODIHR election-related activity for the forthcoming election, and if so, what type of activity best meets the identified needs. Meetings were held with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Administrative Court, the National Audit Office, the Population Register Centre, and the Council for Mass Media, as well as with potential candidates, representatives of political parties, media, and civil society. A full list of meetings is annexed to this report.