Referendum, 30 September 2018
Type:
Country:
Mission at a glance
- Head of Mission: Ambassador Jan Petersen
- 13 core team experts from 10 participating States
- 20 long-term observers deployed throughout the country
- 250 short-term observers requested from participating States
Mission schedule
27 August: Opening press conference
3 September: Arrival of long-term observers
4 September: Briefing of long-term observers
5 September: Deployment of long-term observers
26 September: Arrival of short-term observers
27-28 September: Briefing of short-term observers
28 September: Deployment of short-term observers
30 September: Referendum day
1 October: Press conference on preliminary findings and conclusions
3 October: Departure of short-term observers
9 October: Departure of long-term observers
13 October: Departure of the core team
Following an invitation from the authorities and based on the findings and conclusions of the ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission, undertaken from 6 to 10 August 2018, ODIHR has deployed a Referendum Observation Mission (ROM) for the 30 September 2018 referendum.
The ODIHR ROM and the OSCE Mission to Skopje operate separately under their specific mandates.
Long-term Observation
The ODIHR ROM, headed by Ambassador Jan Petersen, consists of 13 international experts based in Skopje. In addition, 20 long-term observers will be deployed throughout the country from 5 September.
The mission will assess the referendum for its compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards, as well as with national legislation. Observers will follow voter registration, campaign activities, the work of the referendum administration and relevant state bodies, implementation of the legislative framework, and the resolution of referendum-related disputes. As part of the observation, the ROM will conduct a comprehensive monitoring of the media.
Referendum Day
ODIHR has requested participating States to second 250 short-term observers immediately prior to the 30 September referendum. The short-term observers will be deployed throughout the country in multinational teams of two to monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots, and the tabulation of results.
The day after the referendum, ODIHR, together with its parliamentary partners, will issue a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions at a press conference. A final report on the observation of the entire referendum process will be issued approximately two months after the end of the observation mission.
Previous Elections
ODIHR has previously observed 17 elections and one previous referendum in the country, most recently the 2017 municipal elections.