Parliamentary Elections, 14 March 2004

ODIHR received an invitation from the Spanish delegation to the OSCE to observe the elections in Spain scheduled for 14 March. A six-person election assessment mission headed by Peter Eicher of the United States visited Spain from 7 to 17 March.

According to the mission's final report: "The Spanish parliamentary elections of 14 March 2004 were the ninth general elections since the first democratic elections held in 1977. The election system is characterized by public trust in its honesty and integrity, as well as by the public’s confidence in the election administration. The election demonstrated a vibrant pluralism and provided a real choice for the voters, who ultimately exercised their rights on the election day.

"Sadly, the elections were overshadowed by the devastating terrorist bombings of 11 March. The bombings plunged the country into mourning just as the electoral campaign was reaching its climax. The heavy voter turnout (over 77.2%) showed that terrorism was unable to derail the democratic processes in Spain, although it may have influenced the democratic choice of some voters."