05/12/2005 | Election observation
Despite some improvements in the election administration prior to election day, the 4 December presidential election in Kazakhstan did not meet a number of international standards for democratic elections, according to a joint statement issued today. Tadeusz Iwinski, heading the five-member delegation of Assembly observers, said: "The active participation clearly shows the interest and hopes of the Kazakh people in the development of a democratic society. However, the high attendance caused in some cases overcrowding in polling stations, which hindered the voting process and the secrecy of the vote."
30/11/2005 | Election observation
A five-member, cross-party delegation of parliamentarians from PACE, headed by Tadeusz Iwinski (Poland, SOC), will observe the 4 December Presidential election in Kazakhstan alongside observers from the OSCE and the European Parliament.
28/11/2005 | Election observation
The Council of Europe observers to the Constitutional Referendum held on 27 November 2005 in Armenia regret the decision taken by the authorities which precluded the attendance of any other international observers. The transparency of the referendum was further hampered by the decision of the parliamentary opposition to call on their members to withdraw from the electoral commissions. It is also regrettable that political pluralism inside polling stations was not better assisted by a greater number of domestic observers.
07/11/2005 | Election observation
The 6 November parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan did not meet a number of OSCE commitments and Council of Europe standards for democratic elections. While there were improvements in some respects during the pre-election period, uncertainty was evident with regard to key aspects of the process such as voter registration, and continued restrictions on the freedom of assembly, a fundamental right, marred the campaign period. The Head of the delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Leo Platvoet, said: “The Council of Europe is the guardian par excellence of democratic principles. These were not fully respected in this election.”
03/11/2005 | Election observation
Lord Russell-Johnston (United Kingdom, LDR) and Andreas Gross (Switzerland, SOC) participated on 24 October in New York in a meeting organised by UNEAD (UN Electoral Assistance Division), the Carter Center and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to commemorate the endorsement of the declaration of Principles for International Election observation and the Code of Conduct for International election observers. The two documents were endorsed by PACE Bureau during its last meeting (28 October 2005). The meeting was co-chaired by UN SG Kofi Annan, former US President Jimmy Carter and former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in her capacity as Chair of the NDI. The Co-Chairs in their key-note statements characterised election observation as 'the second most important area of activities after security', while Ms Albright expressed confidence that as we were moving to an ever safer world election observation 'key to assisting human rights and democracy' would move further to center stage and take precedence over security.
28/10/2005 | Election observation
A 47-member delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, headed by Leo Platvoet (Netherlands, UEL), will observe the 6 November parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan alongside observers from the OSCE and European Parliament. The delegation – the largest observation team ever deployed by the Assembly – will be in the country from 4 to 7 November.
04/10/2005 | Election observation
In the first round of the election for Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, held this morning, Thomas Hammarberg (Sweden) received 78 votes, Marek Antoni Nowicki (Poland) received 89 votes and Marc Verwilghen (Belgium) received 65 votes. No candidate having obtained an absolute majority of the votes cast, a second round ballot will be held tomorrow between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
05/07/2005 | Election observation
The parliamentary elections in Albania on 3 July complied only partially with international commitments and standards for democratic elections. The elections were competitive and voters were provided with a diversity of information. While the Central Election Commission has so far administered the elections professionally, state and local authorities and major political parties have yet to demonstrate political will that corresponds with their responsibilities for the electoral process. These are the preliminary conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) for the parliamentary elections in Albania on 3 July. Senator Jerzy Smoravinski, Head of Delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, added: “The delay in launching the electoral reforms to address the shortcomings from previous elections affected negatively the preparation and conduct of these elections. The authorites and political parties should continue the reforms without delay, in order to redress the remaining shortcomings noted by the IEOM.”
30/06/2005 | Election observation
A 15-member PACE delegation, headed by Jerzy Smorawinski (Poland/EPP), will observe the parliamentary elections to be held in Albania on 3 July 2005. The parliamentarians will arrive in Tirana on 30 June to meet with party leaders, the Chair of the Central Electoral Commission, journalists and NGOs. On election day, they will be deployed in the capital and in towns around the country. A pre-election delegation from PACE which visited the country from 30 May to 1 June 2005 said in a statement that the main conditions are in place for democratic elections in Albania. However the truly democratic conduct of elections – in line with commitments Albania subscribed to when it joined the Council of Europe – depends now on the political will of the authorities and parties participating in these elections.
02/06/2005 | Election observation
"The main conditions are in place for democratic elections in Albania. However the truly democratic conduct of elections – in line with commitments Albania subscribed to when it joined the Council of Europe – depends now on the political will of the authorities and parties participating in these elections," said a four-member PACE delegation at the end of a visit to Albania to assess preparations for the 3 July parliamentary elections (30 May to 1 June). "The election commissions and party leadership bear a special responsibility to ensure that their members act not only according to the letter, but also according to the sprit of the law," said the delegation in a statement.
07/03/2005 | Election observation
The 6 March parliamentary elections in Moldova were generally in compliance with most OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and other international election standards. They did however, fall short of some key commitments, particularly regarding campaign conditions and media access, concluded the International Election Observation Mission, in a statement today. “We regret that Moldova has not lowered its threshold as the Council of Europe recommended already in 2001. This has influenced the result and the balance of the new Molovan parliament,” said André Kvakkestad, who headed the PACE delegation.
01/03/2005 | Election observation
A 30-member PACE delegation, headed by André Kvakkestad (Norway, EDG), will observe the parliamentary elections to be held in Moldova on 6 March 2005 as part of an International Election Observation Mission (IEOM). The parliamentarians will arrive in Chişinaŭ on 3 March to meet with party representatives, the Chair of the Central Electoral Commission, journalists and NGOs. On election day, they will be deployed in the capital and in towns around the country. A PACE “pre-election” delegation said it was concerned by the lack of a clearly visible election campaign and called for broad and impartial coverage in the mass media as well as measures to facilitate the voting of all Moldovans, including those in Transnistria.