COPENHAGEN, 02 May 2024 – Some 80 observers from the OSCE PA are deploying to North Macedonia for the 8 May parliamentary elections and second round of the presidential election, marking the tenth time the PA is observing elections in the country since 1994.

Carina Ödebrink, Head of the OSCE PA Delegation, and Nikoloz Samkharadze, Special Co-ordinatorNikoloz Samkharadze (Georgia) has been appointed Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission, and Carina Ödebrink (Sweden) will serve as Head of the OSCE PA Delegation.

The OSCE PA team will work closely with the ODIHR Election Observation Mission, as well as with partner delegations from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and from the European Parliament. Observers will be thoroughly briefed by representatives of the election administration, civil society, candidates, party representatives and experts on the situation ahead of elections, before fanning out to several regions of  North Macedonia for election day observation.

"These parliamentary elections hold particular interest, as the departing parliament is the first to fulfill its entire term since 2006. Although the atmosphere leading up to the elections has been relatively calm, it's important to acknowledge the present political fragmentation," said Special Co-ordinator Samkharadze. "I feel honored to lead our team, and alongside our partners, our main goal is to provide a fair and detailed assessment, all in the spirit of upholding democratic values and ensuring that the electoral process in North Macedonia is transparent and fair for everyone involved."

Head of the OSCE PA delegation Ödebrink said, "The Electoral Code was amended very recently through a process that lacked transparency and public consultation, leaving several previous recommendations from the ODIHR unaddressed. Therefore, it's important for us to pay close attention during these elections to ensure they adhere to democratic principles, including maintaining free voting procedures, promoting a fair campaign environment, ensuring media accessibility, and accurately reporting results."

The elections will be assessed against democratic commitments contained in the OSCE’s 1990 Copenhagen Document.

The preliminary findings and conclusions for the elections will be presented at a press conference in Skopje on 9 May.

The OSCE PA most recently observed the 2019 presidential elections in North Macedonia. For more information on previous election observations please click here.