Municipal elections efficiently administered and highly competitive, but playing field not always level, observers say

SKOPJE, 25 March 2013 – The municipal elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia were highly competitive and efficiently administered, but partisan media coverage and a blurring of state and party activities did not always provide a level playing field, international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities concluded in a statement issued today.

“The elections provided candidates with the opportunity to campaign freely and the campaign itself was active,” said Ambassador Geert-Hinrich Ahrens (Germany), the Head of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission. “At the same time, our mission received credible allegations of voter intimidation and misuse of state resources throughout the campaign.”

“With a few exceptions, in the polling stations visited by Congress observers, the elections took place in a calm and orderly manner, without major incidents,” said Jüri Landberg (Estonia), the Head of the Congress delegation. “There are concerns related to the media situation, not just with respect to these elections, but also in the broader context. Pluralistic media and journalists who can fulfill their function in society are vital for democracy.”

The electoral legal framework is comprehensive, although further reform is necessary to address gaps in the Electoral Code, the statement said. The State Election Commission worked efficiently and transparently and met electoral deadlines, but sometimes voted along party or ethnic lines, negatively impacting on its impartiality and collegiality.

The removal of some 119,000 citizens from the voter lists prior to the elections for lack of a biometric identification card or passport was supported by all major parties. Although there was enhanced confidence in the accuracy of the lists, complaints persisted, including on election day. Further improvement to procedures for compiling and maintaining the lists would be of benefit.

Many stakeholders told observers that they lacked confidence in the complaints procedures and the courts, and there were a minimal number of complaints filed with the courts. The absence of clear procedures for handling pre-election complaints by the State Election Commission does not guarantee effective redress for complainants.

Election day was calm, although some procedural irregularities were observed, including cases of group voting. Most instances of vote counting and tabulation observed were assessed positively.

For further information contact:

Thomas Rymer, OSCE/ODIHR, +389 72 209 788 or +48 609 522 266, thomas.rymer@odihr.pl
Renate Zikmund, Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities,
+33 659 786 455, renate.zikmund@coe.int