The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on Wednesday opened an election observation mission (EOM) for the 1 November presidential election in Moldova. The mission’s deployment follows an invitation from the national authorities.

EOM head Corein Jonker told a press conference that the mission consists of a core team of 11 experts based in Chisinau and 24 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 30 September. In addition, ODIHR will request that the participating states provide 200 short-term observers, who will arrive several days before election day.

Observers will closely monitor all aspects of the election, including potential post-election developments. Specific areas of focus include the implementation of the amended legal framework, candidate registration, campaign activities, as well as election dispute resolution and election media coverage. They will also assess the implementation of previous ODIHR election recommendations.

Corein Jonker said that the mission already had meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the Central Election Commission, and the Extraordinary Commission on Public Health. The mission will also meet with other state authorities, as well as with political parties, candidates, representatives from civil society, the media and the international community.

On election day, the ODIHR mission will join efforts with the delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to observe the opening of polling stations, voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results.

The mission will publish an interim report in the course of its work, and will issue a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions at a press conference the day after the election. ODIHR will issue a final report on the observation approximately eight weeks after the end of the electoral process.