ODIHR observers cycling to a polling station in Bucharest during the Romanian presidential election, 22 November. (OSCE/Jens Eschenbaecher) 11 participation of 28 long-term observers and 61 shortterm observers to 13 election missions over the course of 2009. The support from participating States for this programme is particularly appreciated, as it allows ODIHR to draw upon broader expertise. Also in line with Ministerial Council Decision No. 19/06, ODIHR co-operates regularly and maintains strong partnerships with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (on the basis of a 1997 co-operation agreement), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. It also works actively with other international organizations. Most legal reviews are drafted jointly with the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission. In 2009, ODIHR also organized the fourth meeting on the implementation of the “Declaration of Principles on International Election Observation”, which was developed under the auspices of the United Nations and adopted in 2005. This document has become a common reference point offering fundamental guiding principles for international election observation. It has been endorsed by numerous inter-governmental organizations and NGOs involved in election monitoring. Key Findings In 2009, a number of positive developments were noted in the context of election observation missions. Shortcomings, however, continue to persist in a number of participating States. Problems encountered include: ODIHR Annual Report 2009 55 Limitations on candidacy: International norms require that all citizens have equal rights to stand for office and to be elected, yet many states employ undue administrative measures that effectively bar individuals from standing. Others employ such measures to de-register candidates on spurious administrative grounds. Thus, the right to seek political or public office is limited. 55 Obstacles to free campaigning: Parties and candidates cannot campaign openly and freely in some states. In some cases, certain candidates and parties face harassment, pressure, de-registration or other problems. In other cases, some candidates gain undue advantage through the abuse of official positions and state administrative resources. This leads to an uneven playing field. The responsibility to ensure equal protection for all parties and candidates lies squarely with state authorities. 55 Media access: Electronic broadcast media are the main source of information in all OSCE states. It is generally recognized that state-funded and public electronic broadcast media have particular obligations and responsibilities during election periods vis-à-vis candidates and voters. These obligations derive from the fact that they use public commodities (i.e., frequencies) and that their funding comes from taxpayers. The outcome of an election is often influenced by the amount and quality of information that voters receive through the media. In many cases, however, certain parties or candidates are denied Elections