A voter marks her ballot in plain view at a polling
station in Moscow during Russia's presidential
election, 14 March 2004. Observers noted that
open voting was a problem in some 20 per cent of
polling stations visited.
Election observation has thus become an effective and
provements in the framework for elections are alone
invaluable resource for enhancing the integrity of elec-
not a guarantee for elections that are in line with
toral processes in OSCE participating States, as fore-
OSCE commitments, as a commensurate level of politi-
seen in the 1990 Copenhagen Document. The record
cal will is also needed.
number of election missions that were deployed in
2004 is a direct reflection of the ODIHR’s ongoing com-
Translating principles into best electoral practice:
mitment to supporting the integrity of electoral
The Copenhagen Document provides the fundamen-
processes. Among these were 12 election observation
tal principles and politically agreed criteria for hold-
missions and three election assessment missions. The
ing genuine democratic elections. A decade and a
ODIHR also deployed an election support mission, in
half of practical implementation of the commitments
conjunction with the OSCE Secretariat, to the 9 Octo-
has also provided a sound basis for examples of best
ber presidential election in Afghanistan. Collectively,
electoral practice, as outlined in the 2003 ODIHR pub-
these activities involved the deployment of more than
lication Existing Commitments for Democratic Elec-
5,300 short-term observers and some 400 long-term
tions in OSCE Participating States. The ODIHR contin-
observers.
ues
to
disseminate
a
wealth
of
accumulated
experience from more than 150 observation missions
and to share it with participating States in order to
bring their electoral processes more closely into line
Main issues
with OSCE commitments.
Democratic elections: Through long-term election
Electoral legislation: A legal framework that does
observation, the ODIHR has witnessed and reported
not sufficiently reflect OSCE commitments for demo-
significant improvements in the respective legal and
cratic elections is, of course, not conducive to conduct-
administrative framework for democratic elections in a
ing genuine and meaningful democratic elections. The
number of OSCE participating States, resulting in the
ODIHR continues to respond to a growing number of
improved conduct of elections, particularly in Central
requests to review electoral legislation, which permits
and South-Eastern Europe. However, structural im-
10