OSCE parliamentarians to observe upcoming elections in Moldova

COPENHAGEN, 14 November 2014 – OSCE parliamentarians will observe the upcoming parliamentary elections in Moldova and provide leadership for the OSCE's short-term observer mission.

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter has designated Emin Onen (MP, Turkey) as Special Co-ordinator to lead the short-term OSCE observer mission for the 30 November vote. Arta Dade (MP, Albania) will serve as Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Delegation, which will include parliamentarians from 23 OSCE participating States.

“An election that adheres to OSCE standards will be important for political stability in Moldova. In a clear demonstration of the importance that the international community attaches to this vote, more than 50 of my fellow parliamentarians from throughout the OSCE are coming to observe. We look forward to our work,” Special Co-ordinator Onen said. 

OSCE parliamentary observers will deploy to polling stations across Moldova, working closely with long-term observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) and in co-ordination with colleagues from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the European Parliament (EP).

The mission will assess the elections against democratic commitments contained in the OSCE’s 1990 Copenhagen Document.

Special Co-ordinator Onen is a Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and also serves as the Head of the Turkish Delegation to the Assembly. He has participated in numerous election observation missions throughout the OSCE area, including to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United States of America this year.

Dade, who will head the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Delegation of observers, is Head of the Albanian Delegation to the Assembly. A long-time Assembly member, she also formerly served as her country’s foreign minister.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has observed parliamentary elections in Moldova in 1994, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2010.

Since 1993, more than 5,000 OSCE parliamentarians and staff have observed more than 130 different elections in more than 30 countries.

For more information about the OSCE PA’s election monitoring work, click here.