Chisinau, October 1, 2020 - Following an official invitation from the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Moldova to observe the Presidential Elections of November 1, the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) has accredited 5 Core Team members and 8 Long Term Observers, as part of its International Election Observation Mission (IEOM). Given the specific circumstances under which these elections are being held, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic; part of the work of the IEOM will be conducted remotely. Two of the five Core Team members will be deployed in Chisinau, while the rest of the analysts and long-term observers will be operating mainly remotely, aiming to deploy them in Moldova close to Election Day, and potential run-off Election day.

Through monitoring and reporting on the crucial aspects of the elections, the Mission of ENEMO aims to improve the transparency of the election process and assess its integrity and compatibility with international obligations of Moldova and standards for democratic elections, as well as the domestic legislative framework. The IEOM will also pay attention to the fulfillment of previous recommendations of ENEMO and other international and domestic stakeholders. ENEMO will monitor, assess and report on the main findings related to observing the overall political and electoral environment, respect for the rights to elect and stand for election, conduct of election management bodies, campaigning, gender equity, voting and counting processes, electoral dispute resolutions and other crucial aspects of the process.

ENEMO works in cooperation with both domestic and international stakeholders whose core values and priorities match those of the network, respect for human rights and strengthening of democracy. The mission members will meet with relevant stakeholders, representatives of state authorities, political parties and candidates, civil society, media representatives, as well as with the international community, in order to receive a more comprehensive picture about the electoral process. Findings will be made available to the public through interim reports; a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions to be issued immediately after election day, as well as potential run-off election day, and a final report, complete with recommendations for eventual improvements in the area of elections and related policies, which will be issued and presented soon after the elections.

The IEOM of ENEMO for the 2020 Presidential Elections in Moldova is financially supported by the European Union Delegation to the Republic of Moldova; Government Offices of Sweden; the Kingdom of the Netherlands; and the National Democratic Institute NDI. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of ENEMO and do not necessarily reflect the views of the donors.

For further information contact: Bosko Nenezic, Deputy Head of Mission, E-mail: bosko.nenezic @enemo.eu