ODIHR final report on Moldova’s parliamentary elections recommends review of legislation, enhancing professionalism of mid-level election administration
Priority recommendations of the final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the 24 February 2019 parliamentary elections in Moldova call to eliminate gaps and ambiguities in the legal framework for elections and enhance professionalism of mid-level election administration.
The report, published on 22 May 2019, notes that the elections were competitive and fundamental rights were generally respected. However, the campaign took place against the backdrop of disaffection with public institutions and was tainted by allegations of pressure on public employees, strong indications of vote buying and the misuse of state resources.
The report states that the legal framework generally provides an adequate basis for conducting democratic elections. However, a number of provisions, including those related to the jurisdiction for complaints and appeals and the requirements for collecting and reviewing supporting signatures, lacked clarity, leading to their inconsistent application.
The report notes that most technical aspects of the elections were managed professionally and transparently at all levels. To improve professionalism and effectiveness of district election commissions and to allow for more extensive training, consideration could be given to revising the timeframe for their appointment, the report says.
The report also states that the campaign was competitive and visible throughout the country. However, political parties and civil society representatives reported widespread misuse of state resources. Reports also highlighted pressure on public employees to attend campaign events during work hours and government officials campaigning for political parties. The ODIHR report therefore recommends clarifying provisions related to the misuse of administrative resources and vote buying and introducing an effective enforcement mechanism to prevent these violations.
The report further notes that the electoral dispute resolution process was negatively affected by confusion over which body had jurisdiction to resolve complaints against candidates, jeopardizing the right to an effective remedy. The report recommends clarifying jurisdiction for each type of complaint.
Additional recommendations include providing sufficient authority and resources to the campaign finance oversight body, ensuring that voters are able to cast their votes free of pressure and undue influence, increasing confidence in the law enforcement, promoting a level playing field among contestants, ensuring the separation of state and party and making the tabulation of results more transparent.
For election day, the ODIHR Election Observation Mission was joined by delegations from the Parliamentary Assemblies of the OSCE and the Council of Europe and a European Parliament delegation.