ODIHR opens election assessment mission in Tajikistan

AKIPRESS.COM - Following an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan to observe the presidential election scheduled for 11 October 2020, and in accordance with its mandate, ODIHR has deployed an Election Assessment Mission (EAM) for this election. The ODIHR EAM, headed by Ivilina Aleksieva-Robinson, began its work in Tajikistan on 28 September. The EAM includes seven international staff, drawn from six OSCE participating states.
The mission will assess the electoral process in terms of its compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as national legislation. Observers will, in particular, look into the legal framework for the elections, the administration of elections, conduct of the campaign, the resolution of election-related disputes, campaign finance rules, as well as media environment and media coverage of the election.
In line with ODIHR methodology, the ODIHR EAM will not carry out systematic or comprehensive observation of the voting, counting and tabulation on election day. Mission members will, however, visit a small number of polling stations on election day.
A final report will be issued approximately eight weeks after the end of the electoral process.
The ODIHR EAM and the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe operate separately under their specific mandates.