28/10/2024 Election observation
The early parliamentary elections held on 27 October in Bulgaria were competitive and professionally managed by the election administration, however the persistently low voter turnout underscored a deep-seated lack of trust among the electorate in the country’s political leadership, a delegation of PACE observers has said.
“We once again commend the good organisation of the elections and the continuing efforts of an electorate exhausted by endless cycles of repeated elections”, said Alfred Heer (Switzerland, ALDE), head of the PACE delegation, at the conclusion of a four-day election observation mission. “After this seventh round of elections held in three years, political leaders from all parties and coalitions should consider the reality of the disengagement of the Bulgarian people and tackle it. The country is going through a recurrent political crisis – not an institutional one – but that leads to the institutionalising of the political crisis. There is no functioning democracy without active voter participation.”
While some Venice Commission recommendations remain outstanding, the Election Code and related legislation provide for an overall adequate framework for the conduct of fair elections.
The frequent reliance on short-term and caretaker governments has de facto replaced the ordinary relationship between elections and the formation of stable governments. This reliance is itself an admission of failure to establish lasting political solutions. Political leaders and lawmakers should consider introducing changes to the electoral system that might be more conducive to stable governments.
The delegation reiterates its concerns over persistent allegations of vote-buying and controlled voting. While the hotline and other measures implemented by the Ministry of the Interior to report such violations are welcome developments, the significant increase in alerts and notably higher turnout in certain sensitive areas demonstrate the urgent need to further address these issues, which by law are a crime.
The lacklustre election campaign was conducted primarily on social media and, to some extent, through traditional means in rural areas. An increasing number of candidates are managing their own political communication, partially bypassing professional journalism, which raises concerns about the quality of information reaching voters.
On election day, despite the benefits to be obtained from increased technology, the current combination of voting machines used as printers, along with paper ballots, has resulted in more bureaucratic and procedural steps, increasing the possibility of errors within polling stations.
“These elections have not produced a breakthrough in the political impasse,” Mr Heer concluded. “The responsibility now rests with Bulgaria's political forces. They must move beyond partisan divisions to break this cycle of deadlock. The Bulgarian people deserve leaders committed to providing functioning democratic government.”
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A 14-member delegation, led by Alfred Heer (Switzerland, ALDE), observed the early parliamentary elections on 27 October. On election day, its seven teams were deployed in Sofia, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Pernik, Breznik, Blagoevgrad, Dupnitsa, Rila, Montana, Lovech, Vraca, Etropole, Komarevo, Barzia and Sredets. A report on the observation will be presented at the PACE Standing Committee meeting on 29 November 2024 in Luxembourg.