Ruling party to cease discrediting campaign against ISFED
The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) is concerned about the verbal attacks from members of the ruling party towards the organization’s long-term monitors, and assesses it as a continuation of their deliberate discrediting campaign against ISFED. On August 1, in Khobi, MP Irakli (Dachi) Beraia verbally assaulted a long-term monitor of the […]
Appeal concerning appointment of new CEC members
Considering that the mandate of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) expired on 16 June 2021, being extended for a maximum of 90 days until the new CEC membership is appointed according to Article 17(6) of the Electoral Code; Reiterating suspicions of political influence over CEC, as underlined in the statement issued by the Civic Coalition […]
Interim report unofficial election period
On August 6 the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) presented the presented Monitoring Report for the Unofficial Election Period of the 2021 Local Self-Government Elections. The report covers the period from June 1 through August 2 as well as individual events that started to occur prior to June 1 and continued or became known […]
CEC restricts journalists’ access to the electoral process
Photo: Roger H. Goun, 2008. CC BY 3.0 On 28 July 2021, the Central Election Commission adopted a new media accreditation procedure (without cancelling the old one) that restricts media access to observe and report on the electoral process and violates the freedom of media editorial policy. Independent Russian election experts fear a significant reduction […]
We will not stop our human rights activities.’ – Viasna
Photo: Viasna human rights defender Elena Laptenka who has been taken away by authorities to an Investigative Committee. Her whereabouts are currently unknown. Statement by the Human Rights Center “Viasna” 14 July 2021 On 14 July 2021, the Belarusian authorities again attacked human rights organizations and other NGOs, human rights defenders, and activists: the […]
EPDE strongly condemns attacks against human rights defenders
Photo: Viasna lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich and Board member Valiantsin Stefanovich who were searched by authorities. On 14 July law enforcement officers searched homes and offices of several human rights activists and journalists, including EPDE’s member organizations the Human Rights Center “Viasna” and Belarusian Helsinki Committee. The raids on Belarusian human rights defenders must be seen […]
Elections took place in an environment marked by hate speech, biased coverage, suspicions of political influence on electoral bodies
Photo: Conference of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, 13 July 2021 Chisinau. Starting from the principles[1] that underpin free and fair elections, set out in international treaties and conventions on civil and political rights and in the Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters of the European Commission for Democracy through Law […]
Preliminary findings – early parliamentary elections
Sunday’s early parliamentary elections were generally organized efficiently, stated the domestic citizen observer mission from Promo-LEX in its preliminary report. By 10.30 p.m. on election day, Promo-LEX received 538 reports from STOs, 459 of which were qualified as incidents by the analytical team. The number of incidents on the day of the parliamentary elections decreased […]
Final interim report ahead of early parliamentary elections
Promo-LEX Observation Mission presented its fifth monitoring report for the early Parliamentary Elections of 11 July 2021. Legal uncertainties related to the funding of elections and lack of a decision that would regulate the organized transportation of voters, various campaigning activities and instruments, unreported expenses for the election campaign and perpetuation of hate speech and […]
Reflections on the elections and future steps for reforms
During a public discussion hosted by the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE), Armenian election observers and experts reflected on the most important lessons learned from the early parliamentary election, what these could mean for upcoming local elections in the autumn, and what the future steps are for the electoral reform process and how the […]
