OSCE/ODIHR final report on Bulgaria’s early parliamentary elections recommends restoring public confidence in electoral process

While finding that Bulgaria’s 5 October 2014 early parliamentary elections were efficiently administered and held in a competitive environment, the final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) recommends restoring public confidence in the electoral process by addressing the persistent issue of vote-buying and “controlled” voting.

The report, published on 7 January 2015, notes that, while the candidates were able to campaign freely and fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly were respected, certain limitations on the rights of individuals to vote and to run as candidates remain and the number of registered voters varies significantly from constituency to constituency. It recommends a review of the suffrage limitations and constituency boundaries to uphold the principle of equality of electoral rights.

While the mission found that the updated legal framework generally provides a sound basis for the conduct of democratic elections and includes some positive changes, certain provisions contradict OSCE commitments and international standards, including regarding the use of national minority languages to campaign. Introducing amendments to provide candidates with an effective mechanism to appeal election results are also among the final report’s main recommendations.

Before a decision is made on whether to implement binding usage of new voting technologies in the electoral process, the report recommends that pilot programmes be conducted in order to evaluate the effectiveness and integrity of these technologies on the basis of clear and comprehensive criteria.

Commending the election administration for its professional and transparent work, the final report recommends strengthening the role of the Central Election Commission as the lead institution responsible for the whole electoral process.

In noting limited coverage of the campaign in the media, the report encourages public broadcasters to provide more editorial coverage of the campaign activities of candidates. It also notes that measures should be taken to ensure full transparency of media ownership.

Additional recommendations relate to making efforts to promote the participation of women in the elections, improving voter education and enhancing the transparency of campaign finance, as well as of the tabulation and announcement of election results.

For election day observation, ODIHR joined efforts with a delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.