Newsroom
Elections in Romania in line with international standards
BUCHAREST 27 November 2000
BUCHAREST, 27 November 2000 - The 26 November 2000 presidential and parliamentary elections in Romania were conducted in accordance with OSCE commitments for democratic elections, concluded the Election Observation Mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR).
In a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions issued today (attached), the OSCE/ODIHR found these fourth general elections since the overthrow of Ceausescu's regime as further evidence that democratic elections are firmly entrenched in Romania. Political participants and voters have accepted the outcome of these elections, even when a transfer of government power has occurred.
Important features promote an electoral process in Romania that is accountable, transparent, free, fair, and equal. Noteworthy are the politically inclusive election bureaus, the broadly pluralist contests, the transparency of the election results tabulation, media that gave voters access to a broad range of information, and public-service broadcasters that provided contestants with fair and balanced treatment.
While noting the overall strengths of the electoral framework in Romania, shortcomings remain to be addressed, in particular the absence of a standing electoral body. The system of amending laws through emergency ordinances and decisions of the Government, the overly restrictive rules for domestic election observer organizations, the extensive use of supplemental voter lists, and the inadequate treatment of signatures on petitions in support of presidential candidates were also noted in the statement.
The Election Observation Mission for the first time also examined the participation of national minorities and women in these elections, finding that the country has institutionalized a commitment to the effective participation of national minorities in its public life, though particularly in the case of Roma, there is room for improvement. The 6-15% representation of women on party candidate lists and the 7% in the Chamber of Deputies as well as 1.5% in the Senate in the outgoing Parliament are lower than the OSCE and European averages.
Based on a limited observation on election day, the Election Observation Mission considered the voting process and counting to be in accordance with the legal and procedural requirements.
This Press Release is also available in Romanian. However, the English text remains the only official version.
Mission Information
The OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, headed by Ms. Linda Edgeworth (USA), deployed eleven election experts and long-term observers in Bucharest and Cluj for four weeks, and 42 short-term observers monitoring the process on election day in over 181 polling stations in 21 out of 42 constituencies. With a smaller number of observers on election day, the statistical samples collected by the Election Observation Mission on polling and counting procedures are limited and cannot be generalized to draw broader conclusions.
For further information, please contact:Ms. Linda Edgeworth, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, in Bucharest (Tel./Fax: +40-1-212-25-91) Mr. Vadim Zhdanovich, OSCE/ODIHR Election Advisor, or Mr. Jens-Hagen Eschenbächer, OSCE/ODIHR Public Affairs Officer, in Warsaw (Tel.: +48-22-520-0600; Fax: +48-22-628-6967)
OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Missione-mail: odihrro@aol.com32-34 Magheru BoulevardBucharest
In a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions issued today (attached), the OSCE/ODIHR found these fourth general elections since the overthrow of Ceausescu's regime as further evidence that democratic elections are firmly entrenched in Romania. Political participants and voters have accepted the outcome of these elections, even when a transfer of government power has occurred.
Important features promote an electoral process in Romania that is accountable, transparent, free, fair, and equal. Noteworthy are the politically inclusive election bureaus, the broadly pluralist contests, the transparency of the election results tabulation, media that gave voters access to a broad range of information, and public-service broadcasters that provided contestants with fair and balanced treatment.
While noting the overall strengths of the electoral framework in Romania, shortcomings remain to be addressed, in particular the absence of a standing electoral body. The system of amending laws through emergency ordinances and decisions of the Government, the overly restrictive rules for domestic election observer organizations, the extensive use of supplemental voter lists, and the inadequate treatment of signatures on petitions in support of presidential candidates were also noted in the statement.
The Election Observation Mission for the first time also examined the participation of national minorities and women in these elections, finding that the country has institutionalized a commitment to the effective participation of national minorities in its public life, though particularly in the case of Roma, there is room for improvement. The 6-15% representation of women on party candidate lists and the 7% in the Chamber of Deputies as well as 1.5% in the Senate in the outgoing Parliament are lower than the OSCE and European averages.
Based on a limited observation on election day, the Election Observation Mission considered the voting process and counting to be in accordance with the legal and procedural requirements.
This Press Release is also available in Romanian. However, the English text remains the only official version.
Mission Information
The OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, headed by Ms. Linda Edgeworth (USA), deployed eleven election experts and long-term observers in Bucharest and Cluj for four weeks, and 42 short-term observers monitoring the process on election day in over 181 polling stations in 21 out of 42 constituencies. With a smaller number of observers on election day, the statistical samples collected by the Election Observation Mission on polling and counting procedures are limited and cannot be generalized to draw broader conclusions.
For further information, please contact:
OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Missione-mail: odihrro@aol.com32-34 Magheru BoulevardBucharest