Lucie Potůčková and Johan Büser COPENHAGEN, 14 October 2024 – Nearly 40 OSCE parliamentarians from 15 countries are deploying to Moldova to observe the 20 October presidential election. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly observers will work closely with colleagues from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the European Parliament, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Lucie Potůčková (Czechia), Chair of the OSCE PA’s General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, will serve as Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission, following an appointment by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg.
“This presidential election, being held in conjunction with a referendum on Moldova’s accession to the European Union, could prove pivotal for Moldova’s European future,” noted Special Co-ordinator Potůčková. “As observers, we have no stake in the outcome of the election, but will focus solely on offering our full and impartial assessment of the electoral process to help ensure that the outcome accurately reflects the will of the Moldovan people.”
“We appreciate the opportunity to observe this important election, which comes at a crucial time for Moldova’s geopolitical orientation and European aspirations,” said OSCE PA Treasurer Johan Büser (Sweden), who will lead the OSCE PA observer delegation. “Together with our partners from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the European Parliament, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, we look forward to assessing the election for its compliance with OSCE commitments, as well as with national legislation.”
It is expected that the international election observation mission encompassing observers from the OSCE PA/ODIHR, the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, will have more than 300 observers in the country. If needed, a second round of the presidential election will be held on 3 November 2024.
The mission is assessing the elections against democratic commitments contained in the OSCE’s 1990 Copenhagen Document, with a focus on fundamental components of the electoral process such as voter and candidate registration, campaign activities and financing, and election administration. The findings of the election observation mission will be presented at a press conference in Chisinau on 21 October.
Observers are comprehensively briefed before deploying for election day observation.
The OSCE PA has observed elections in Moldova since 1994, most recently the 2021 early parliamentary elections. For previous OSCE PA assessments of Moldovan elections, please click here.
