OSCE/ODIHR to send an election observation mission for the 25 May early presidential election in Ukraine

WARSAW, 3 March 2014 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) announced today that it would send an election observation mission to Ukraine for the 25 May early presidential election.

The announcement came after the Office received an invitation to observe from the Ukrainian authorities, in line with ODIHR’s role as the OSCE institution mandated to observe and assess elections for their conformity with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation.

The mission will comprise a core team of experts, based in Kyiv. ODIHR will request 100 long-term observers to follow preparations and the campaign in the regions of the country in the weeks leading up to the vote, and 900 short-term observers to monitor election day proceedings, counting and tabulation of election results.

The mission will follow the entire election process, including the work of the election administration and relevant state bodies, implementation of the legislative framework, campaign activities, and the resolution of election disputes. As part of the observation, the mission will also carry out comprehensive monitoring of the media coverage of the campaign.

The size and format of this election observation mission are similar to those for previous ODIHR observation missions in Ukraine.

The ODIHR mission expects to be joined by a mission from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, as well as delegations from other parliamentary institutions, in observing procedures on election day.

ODIHR is the specialized institution of the OSCE dealing with elections, human rights and democratization.