The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) began its October 30 presidential election observation mission in Moldova. The mission’s preliminary findings will be presented the next day after the election day, while the report with the final conclusions and recommendations will be published within eight weeks of the elections, the observation mission’s head Douglas Wake stated in a news conference held to start the mission, IPN reports.
Douglas Wake said this year’s mission is the 13th of the kind since the launch in 1996. Even if the observation team arrived in Moldova only two days ago, it already had meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the Central Election Commission. They will also meet with officials, representatives of political parties, civil society and of the mass media.
According to Douglas Wake, the mission’s role is to oversee, not yet to intervene in the election process. A report based on the observations will be presented in about two months of the elections. The mission will monitor the observance of the international obligations and national legislation, the conduct of the campaign and how it is covered by the media.
The main observation team consists of 11 experts from 11 OSCE member states. Another 20 long-term observers will join the mission later. 200 more observers will come to Moldova closer to the election day.
Douglas Wake said that if a second round of voting is held, the mission will monitor this too.
