Electoral Reform 1. Democratized election processes Since the end of a violent conflict, political allegiance in the country has largely been associated with ethnic identity. Due to the lack of trust between the conflict parties, they agreed that the OSCE should directly administer a number of elections. Following the passing of a new election law and the establishment of a national election administration, the responsibility for election administration was transferred to the newly-established national authorities. After the handover, the OSCE adopted a limited guidance and advisory role to ensure proper understanding of the law and compliance with the regulations. The OSCE’s initial focus was on conducting elections, which was done by administering preparations and establishing numerous institutions that dealt with elections, such as the provisional election commission, the media expert commission, and the municipal election commissions. What made the OSCE’s efforts successful was a synchronized, country-wide approach to the management of the election process that brought together international expertise and local staff. The OSCE carried out various activities linked to election-related legislation, and supported the drafting of the election law until its final adoption. Furthermore, the OSCE organized several public hearings on the election law and closely co-operated with parliament and political parties in the organization of public debates across ethnic and political party lines. Best practices from several OSCE participating States and the recommendation of ODIHR served as a basis for this work. 62