Parliamentary Elections, 4 October 2015

Following an invitation from the authorities of Portugal to observe the 4 October parliamentary elections, and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) undertook a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) to Portugal from 3 to 4 September. The NAM included Beata Martin-Rozumiłowicz, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Department, and Alexander Shlyk, Deputy Head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Department.

The purpose of the mission was to assess the pre-election environment and the preparations for the elections. Based on this assessment, the NAM recommends whether to deploy an OSCE/ODIHR election-related activity for the forthcoming elections, and if so, what type of activity best meets the identified needs. Meetings were held with officials from state institutions and the election administration, as well as with representatives of political parties, media, and civil society. A list of meetings is annexed to this report.