The Ramp Alone Is Not A Solution For Accessibility: Inclusion Options in the Post-War Electoral Process Discussed in Kyiv
(Original article published by Civil Network OPORA) The Electoral Code adopted in 2019 guarantees the accessibility of the election process for people with disabilities and low-mobility citizens. However, polling stations in Ukraine still remain non-inclusive, while the number of people with disabilities is growing due to Russian aggression against Ukraine, with infrastructure being destroyed. These […]
Welcoming EPDE’s New Members from Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia
The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) is excited to announce the expansion of our election observer network with the addition of three esteemed organizations: Expert Forum EFOR (Romania), Institute of Public Environment Development IPED (Bulgaria), and MEMO 98 (Slovakia). These organizations were unanimously elected during the 2024 General Assembly, further reinforcing EPDE’s representation among […]
WHDC Side Event: Implementing Electoral Recommendations: How to Improve the Follow-up Framework for OSCE Participating States
Panel Recap: Electoral Reform – Turning Recommendations into Action On October 1, EPDE hosted a side event at the Warsaw 2024 Human Dimension Conference on improving the framework of the implementation of electoral reform recommendations in the OSCE region. The conversation centered on the pivotal role that election observation missions play in strengthening electoral integrity […]
Promo-LEX released the second report of the Observation Mission for the election on 20 October
The Promo-LEX Observation Mission for the Presidential Elections and the Republican Constitutional Referendum released today its second monitoring report covering the period 20 August – 17 September. The report mainly reflects the process of nominating and registering electoral competitors, the legal framework relevant to this process, the performance of electoral competitors, as well as the […]
Level Up: How Politicians And Parties Can (Not) Campaign Among Ukrainians Abroad
By Olha Snopok, Civil Network OPORA On August 19, 2024, Volodymyr Zelenskyi suggested establishing the Ministry of Unity. According to the President’s plan, this institution should “bring back 7.5 million Ukrainians” who left abroad due to Russia’s full-scale invasion and still stay there. If the ministry comes to life its team will face a difficult […]
GYLA and ISFED consider the decision of the Anti-Corruption Bureau to be unlawful
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) and the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) express their views on the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s decision made on September 24 to declare Transparency International Georgia and its Executive Director, Eka Gigauri, as well as the organization Choose Europe, its director Khatuna Lagazidze and co-founders, as entities with […]
Statement: Azerbaijan 2024 parliamentary “elections”: No domestic observation possible
On September 1, 2024, Azerbaijan held snap parliamentary elections under heavily restricted conditions, with fundamental freedoms such as expression, assembly, association, and information severely curtailed. The Aliyev regime escalated repression, preventing independent media coverage and citizen election monitoring. Anar Mammadli, leader of a prominent election observation NGO and a Václav Havel Human Rights Prize laureate, […]
Webinar: Political and Legal Framework Guiding Presidential Elections and Constitutional Referendum on EU Integration in Moldova
Pre-election briefing hosted in partnership with Promo-LEX Association on political and legal framework guiding presidential elections and constitutional referendum on EU integration in Moldova. This online event presents the political and legal framework for these elections, including an in-depth overview of the acts of law governing them and the referendum provided by the representatives of […]
Webinar: Joint Lessons from the 2024 European Parliament Elections
Now that the European Elections 2024 are behind us, it is time to explore the lessons learned! Join the SEEEDS webinar on 24 September 2024, 04:00 PM CET, where we discuss the findings of the Election-Watch.EU Election Assessment Mission (EAM) to the 2024 European Parliament Elections. AGENDA 16:00 Welcome and Opening Remarks by Roy Virah-Sawmy, […]
European Civil Society Call Upon New Secretary General of Council of Europe to Prioritise Human Rights in Azerbaijan
A wide group of European civil society organisations wrote to Alain Berset, new Secretary General of the Council of Europe, on his first day in office, calling upon him to prioritise the human rights crisis in Azerbaijan, marked by the detention of Vaclav Havel Award winner Anar Mammadli alongside over 300 other political prisoners. Alain […]