PRESS RELEASE

ODIHR opens special election assessment mission in Romania

BUCHAREST, 14 November 2020 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has formally opened a special election assessment mission (SEAM) for the 6 December parliamentary elections in Romania. The deployment follows an official invitation from the Romanian authorities.

The mission is led by Marianne Mikko (Estonia), and consists of a core team of eight international experts based in Bucharest.

The ODIHR SEAM will focus on observing priority areas of the election process identified by a needs assessment mission carried out on 14 to 18 September 2020. The mission will assess the 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 fundamental aspects of the election such as voter registration, candidate registration, campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant state bodies, implementation of the legal framework and the resolution of election disputes. In addition, the ODIHR SEAM will monitor the media coverage of the election campaign.

In the course of its observation, the mission members will meet representatives form state authorities and political parties, civil society, the media, and the international community. The mission will co-operate closely with the Romanian health authorities and follow any health protocols they have established.

The ODIHR SEAM will not carry out systematic or comprehensive observation of the voting, counting and tabulation proceedings on election day, in line with ODIHR’s methodology for election assessment missions. Mission members will, however, visit a limited number of polling stations on election day.

The day after the elections, ODIHR will publish its preliminary conclusions about the electoral process and present its findings at a press conference. An invitation to participate will follow separately.

A final report summing up the entire election process and including recommendations will be published approximately two months after the end of the election process.

For further information, please visit www.osce.org/odihr/elections/romania or contact Pietro Tesfamariam, Media Analyst, at  + 40757172139, or at [email protected]

or

Katya Andrusz, ODIHR Spokesperson, at +48609522266 (Warsaw mobile), or at [email protected].

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