Бывший руководитель Минздрава Словакии был «наблюдателем» на выборах президента РФ
Signature collection for electoral candidates during the pandemic: solutions and alternative mechanisms
The collection of signatures is a democratic exercise whereby voters support voluntarily a certain candidate for an elective position or the initiation of a referendum. For a candidate to join an electoral race – the condition to collect signatures represents a filter based on voters’ support. For the initiation of the referendum – it represents […]
Human Rights Situation in Belarus: February 2021
Belsat journalists Katerina Andreyeva and Daria Chultsova sentenced to two years in jail. Source: bbc.com © EPA Summary: in February, the authorities continued to apply criminal prosecution for political reasons. Viasna is aware of at least 102 sentences handed down during the month, with 49 convicts sentenced to terms of imprisonment; there are 258 […]
New law on political parties introduces stricter regulation on party financing
On January 18, 2021, amendments to Armenia’s Law on Political Parties were finally signed by President Armen Sarkissian. The bill makes changes to the way political parties will be regulated and incorporates recommendations by OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. This report follows up on EPDE’s A Long Process Though part […]
Policy Alert #6 – New law on political parties introduces stricter regulation on party financing
On 29 December 2020, amendments to Armenia’s Law on Political Parties were passed with widespread consensus following a period of extreme polarization which provide for a substantial increase in public financing of political parties, while increasing the transparency of party donations, prohibiting corporate donations, and decreasing the upper limit for individual donations. The amendments include […]
Russia election alert #8 – Duma elections 2021
Russia’s next State Duma elections are scheduled to be held in September. A number of recent developments offer a glimpse of how they may be conducted. Early indications are that the authorities will take unprecedented efforts to keep the non-systemic opposition out of the State Duma and to undermine independent election observation. Alert available in […]
Call for experts on elections in Russia
The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) seeks international experts to contribute to its publication series concerning elections and election related topics in the Russian Federation. The task of the expert includes to conduct research and provide expertise on election related topics in the Russian Federation with special focus on findings and conclusions of domestic […]
Russia election alert #8 – Duma elections 2021
Voter during Russia’s Single Voting Day 2020. Source: ft.com / © AP Russia’s next State Duma elections are scheduled to be held in September. A number of recent developments offer a glimpse of how they may be conducted. The prosecution of Alexei Navalny upon his return to Russia in January as well as the […]
Viasna statement on the unprecedented attack on Belarusian human rights defenders
On February 16, a wave of searches of human rights defenders took place throughout Belarus. The searches were carried out at the office of the Public Association “Belarusian Association of Journalists”, at the apartments of chairman of the organization Andrei Bastunets, vice-chairmen – Barys Haretski and Aleh Aheyeu, as well as a lawyer – Kristina […]
EPDE condemns repressions against independent election observers in Belarus and Russia
Citizen election observers in Belarus and Russia are currently facing increasing repressions by the governments in Minsk and Moscow. In the aftermath of the presidential elections in Belarus, on 16 February 2021 numerous human rights defenders, journalists and citizen election observers have been detained, their properties have been searched, and technical equipment was seized. In […]