[ Elections ] ODIHR Director Ambassador Janez Lenarcˇicˇ (r) meets the Chairman of the Russian Election Commission, Vladimir Churov, in Moscow, 13 September 2011. (OSCE/Jens Eschenbaecher) '' Lack of transparency and accountability during the counting and tabulation of votes: Non-transparent or, sometimes, fraudulent procedures were observed during the counting of votes and tabulation of results in some instances. OSCE commitments require that votes be counted and reported honestly, and that the official results be made public. '' Lack of confidence in bodies administering elections: The work of individuals and institutions responsible for administering elections was not always transparent and free from government interference. To ensure genuinely democratic elections, those administering elections must provide for the effective organization of the vote and perform their duties in an impartial manner, so as to gain and maintain the confidence of parties and individual candidates. '' Inadequate complaints and appeals procedures: Relevant bodies and available procedures for the handling of election-related complaints did not always ensure effective and timely mechanisms for the protection of electoral rights at the various stages in the election process. It is important that disputes can be channelled through appropriately designated and independent courts of law that can provide effective 14 ODIHR Annual Report 2011 and timely remedies. This right to redress should be available to all stakeholders in an election process, including voters and contestants. Support to OSCE field operations ODIHR continues to actively support the activities of OSCE field operations. This includes following electoral events (referenda, local elections and by-elections) and advising on different election-related issues, from amendments to legal frameworks to electoral procedures and administration. ODIHR staff regularly participate in official working groups and roundtables on issues such as electoral-law reform, voter registration and women’s participation. ODIHR recognizes that OSCE field operations can play a longer-term role in the area of election-related technical assistance. ODIHR works closely with field missions to support them in their delivery of targeted technical assistance programmes and to ensure that these are designed in a manner that effectively addresses previous ODIHR recommendations and, thus, complements the Office’s work.