Presidential Election, 27 December 2009 and 10 January 2010

Following an official invitation from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the OSCE, the OSCE/ODIHR has deployed a Limited Election Observation Mission (LEOM) to observe the forthcoming presidential election.

To determine an appropriate format of observation activity, the OSCE/ODIHR sent a needs assessment mission (NAM) to Croatia from 2 to 4 November 2009. The NAM assessed the pre-electoral situation and the preparations for the presidential election and recommended the deployment of an LEOM.

The President of the Republic of Croatia is elected by popular vote in a two-round system. In the event that no candidate receives a majority of votes in the first round of the election, a second round will be held on 10 January 2010 between the two candidates who have received the most votes. In the event of a second round, the OSCE/ODIHR LEOM will remain in Croatia to continue its observation of the election process.

The OSCE/ODIHR LEOM and the OSCE Office in Zagreb will operate independently in accordance with distinct mandates.

Long-term observation

The LEOM, headed by Ambassador Daan Everts, consists of ten core staff based in Zagreb, drawn from eight OSCE participating States. In addition, 12 long-term observers will be deployed in teams of two throughout the country on 10 December.

The LEOM will assess the presidential election for its compliance with OSCE commitments and other international standards, as well as with national legislation. The mission will follow the entire election process, including campaign activities, the media coverage and environment, and the resolution of election-related disputes. It will pay particular attention to the process of voter registration, the work of the election administration and relevant governmental bodies, and election-related legislation and its implementation, including campaign finance regulations.

In line with standard OSCE/ODIHR practice for limited election observation missions, the LEOM will not carry out systematic or comprehensive observation of the voting, counting and tabulation on election day, but mission members will visit a small number of polling stations across the country to follow election procedures.

The day after the election, the LEOM will issue a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions. A final report on the observation of the entire electoral process will be issued approximately eight weeks after the end of the LEOM.

Previous Elections

The OSCE/ODIHR observed elections in Croatia in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2007.