Early Parliamentary Elections, 12 May 2013
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Mission at a glance
- Head of Mission: Miklos Haraszti (Hungary)
- 10 core team experts from 10 participating States, based in Sofia
- 12 long-term observers, deployed throughout the regions
Mission schedule
- 16 April: Opening press conference
- 21 April: Deployment of long-term observers
- 8 May: Arrival of short-term observers
- 9 May: Briefing of short-term observers
- 10 May: Deployment of short-term observers
- 12 May: Election day
- 13 May: Press conference on preliminary findings and conclusions
- 15 May: Departure of short-term observers
- 19 May: Departure of long-term observers
- 25 May: Departure of the core team
Following an official invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and based on the findings and conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission, the OSCE/ODIHR has deployed an election observation mission (EOM) to observe the 12 May 2013 early parliamentary elections.
Long-term Observation
The OSCE/ODIHR EOM, headed by Miklos Haraszti, began work on 15 April. The EOM has a core team of 10 international staff at the head office in Sofia, drawn from 10 OSCE participating States. Twelve long-term observers are expected to arrive in the country by 19 April and will be deployed in teams of two throughout the regions.
The mission will assess these elections for compliance with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections, as well as national legislation. Observers will follow campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant state bodies, implementation of the legislative framework, and the resolution of election disputes. As part of the observation, the EOM will conduct comprehensive monitoring of the media.
Election Day
The OSCE/ODIHR will request 220 short-term observers to be deployed immediately prior to the 12 May elections. The short-term observers will be deployed throughout the country in multinational teams of two to monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots, and the tabulation of results.
The day after the election, the OSCE/ODIHR will issue a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions at a press conference. A final report on the observation of the entire electoral process will be issued approximately eight weeks after the end of the observation mission.
Previous Elections
ODIHR has observed six elections in Bulgaria since 1997, most recently the 2011 presidential and municipal elections, when ODIHR concluded that “The presidential and municipal elections provided voters with a wide choice of political options, and were generally characterized by a respect for fundamental rights and freedoms. Nevertheless, pervasive allegations of vote-buying and the fact that virtually all campaign coverage in the media had to be purchased underscored the need for continued reform. Certain challenges remained, exemplified in the processing and tabulation of results after the first round of voting.”
