Challenges to OSCE election commitments

A number of worrying trends continue to be apparent in some OSCE participating States that directly challenge the principles enshrined in the 1990 Copenhagen Document. These include:

• Attempts to limit competition of parties and candidates, and ultimately their ideas, which may result in diminished possibilities for voters' choices;
• Refusal of registration and/or deregistration of candidates in unclear proceedings with the potential to impose disproportionate sanctions for minor violations;
• Misuse of state administrative resources by incumbents;
• Pressure on the electorate to vote in a specific manner;
• Media bias, particularly with regard to state-controlled media, in favour of incumbents;
• Election administrations whose composition is not sufficiently inclusive to ensure confidence;
• Lack of sufficient voter-registration guidelines and safeguards to prevent abuse;
• Lack of transparency and accountability during the vote count, the tabulation of the vote, and the announcement of results;
• Complaints and appeals procedures that do not always permit a timely and effective redress of complaints;
• Perpetuation of a culture of impunity by failing to hold individuals accountable for election-law violations; and
• Lack of sufficient will to rectify identified shortcomings.

While recognizing that substantive and organizational challenges to the implementation of OSCE election-related commitments can occur, as time progresses, lack of experience or an inadequate legal and administrative framework are becoming increasingly invalid arguments to explain election irregularities in OSCE participating States.

In some cases, observers have witnessed very serious challenges to those commitments, including premeditated actions.