process when results are official and those elected installed into office. All reports are available for all participating States as well as to the public. 138. Election observation missions have a duty to be transparent and respectful of the host country’s right to information. The ODIHR has the explicit mandate (Helsinki Summit 1992) to report publicly on its activities. By the time an EOM issues its Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions (henceforth referred to as the “preliminary statement”), it has on average been deployed for some 6-8 weeks in the respective country and is ready to report on key findings and conclusions. In order to be transparent, respond to public demand, and provide visibility for this important endeavour, observers issue a preliminary statement, usually on the day following Election Day. 139. The ODIHR never announces or comments on election results. Instead, it focuses on the electoral process. The ODIHR only comments on whether results have been reported honestly, accurately, and in a timely manner. The preliminary statement is issued on the day after the polling, never before, in order to include information on all aspects of the vote and the count. It is called “preliminary” because it may be issued prior to the final tabulation of results and before the official announcement of results and expiry of the complaints and appeals process. The statement is a summary of key findings and conclusions on the legal framework, the election administration, the campaign and the media, as well as the Election Day voting and counting processes.87 It assesses the degree to which OSCE commitments and other universal principles were upheld, how well the domestic law was implemented, and whether any reported irregularities or violations of the law could pose a threat to the integrity of the process. This is a fact-driven exercise; a politically or diplomatically negotiated text would not serve the purpose of identifying pertinent problems in the electoral process. 140. The preliminary statement in- The Declaration of Principles for International Election Obcludes both the long-term obser- servation states that “international election observation misvation analysis, and the analysis sions are expected to issue timely, accurate and impartial stateof Election Day reports provided ments to the public…, presenting their findings, conclusions and by short-term observers, including any appropriate recommendations... Missions should announce those from the various parliamenta- publicly their presence in a country, including the Mission’s manry assemblies joining in the observa- date, composition and duration, make periodic reports as warranted and issue a preliminary…statement of findings and a final tion. Its findings are not based upon report”. mere impressions but on the analysis conducted by the observation mission in the pre-election period, and on the basis of shortterm observer (STO) reports, with filled-in checklists completed during their visits to polling and counting centres on Election Day. STO reports enable a statistical profile of findings at the polling-station level, which are collectively represented in the preliminary statement. STOs are further debriefed by the responsible long-term observers in their area of deployment, which takes place prior to the release of the preliminary statement. In addition and in accordance with the Code of Conduct, observers have to attend a debriefing prior to their repatriation. 141. The ODIHR’s Final Report then draws on the findings of the entire EOM, including the 87  In addition, the statement concentrates on candidate/party registration, voter registration, election disputes, participation of women and national minorities in the electoral process, and often also on the tabulation of votes. Common Responsibility: Commitments and Implementation 45