Elections
“[The Ministerial Council] recognizes ODIHR’s expertise in assisting the
participating States through its election-related activities, including reviewing
election legislation and carrying out election observations.”
— “Strengthening the Effectiveness of the OSCE”, Brussels, 2006
table media access and biased coverage in favour
of one candidate or party, hindered access of
domestic and international observers, as well as
premeditated fraud during the vote count and
tabulation process.
tions that address areas where the electoral
practices of a particular state should, or could,
be improved. Recommendations, however,
are not always or everywhere acted upon. In
order to enhance the impact of election observation and to ensure that OSCE states implement recommendations, the ODIHR continues to emphasize the need for post-election dialogue and follow-up activities. There are ongoing discussions among OSCE states on possible
modalities for periodic follow-up reports examining the state of implementation of ODIHR
recommendations.
k Formulating supplementary commitments: Follow-
ing a review of existing commitments and best
practices, the ODIHR circulated an “Explanatory Note on Possible Additional Commitments
for Democratic Elections” ahead of the OSCE
Ministerial Council in Ljubljana in December
2005. The ODIHR concluded that three basic
principles not included in the 1990 Copenhagen
Document — transparency, accountability, and
public confidence — could serve as the basis for
new commitments. However, OSCE states have
yet to decide on the adoption of supplementary
commitments.
A man finds his name on
the voters list at a polling
station in Dushanbe during
Tajikistan’s presidential
SARAH CROZIER
election, 6 November.
k Implementing recommendations: Election observation is not an end in itself. At the conclusion
of any observation or assessment mission, the
ODIHR provides constructive recommenda-
Annual Report
lenges include the need to ensure transparency, accountability, and confidence in electoral processes, as well as universal suffrage
rights for both voters and candidates. In this
context, the participation of women, the inclusion of national minorities, and access for disabled voters remain issues to be followed and
addressed. The right to vote, free from interference and intimidation, is also an issue for certain
groups that may be considered more vulnerable, such as the sick and elderly, who may vote
at home or in hospital; military conscripts, who
may vote in their barracks; internally displaced
persons; and persons in pre-trial detention. Low
voter turnout, particularly among young voters,
is another concern in a number of participating
The following are among the principal areas where the conduct of
democratic elections requires further attention and improvement:
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k Ongoing and emerging challenges: Ongoing chal-
Respect for the civil and political rights
of candidates and voters;
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Access for disabled voters;
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Honest counting and tabulation of the
votes;
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Compilation of accurate voter lists;
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Equal opportunities to campaign, free
from interference;
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Effective complaints and appeals
process with an independent judiciary;
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Equitable access to the media;
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Unbiased coverage by the media;
Overall transparency and accountability
that instils public confidence;
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Access for international and domestic
election observers;
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Participation of women;
Development and implementation
of new voting technologies in a
manner that is both transparent and
accountable.
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Inclusion of national minorities;