EMBs in OSCE/ODIHR election observations

Achievements and challenges from the perspective of international standards

and good practice

Tatyana Bogussevich, OSCE/ODIHR Acting Deputy Head of Election Department, Senior Election Adviser

o Focuses exclusively on the administration by EMBs of an electoral process

o Leaves out any other observations and aspects, including legal and political context

o Not an attempt to capture with full correctness and comprehensiveness the special circumstances in each of the States

o Generalizations and tendencies

Overview

Basis of analysis

EMBs in recommendations

EMBs in international standards and good practice

Efficiency: self-organization, service provider

Achievements Elections technically well

administered, within legal deadlines

Greater focus on training, using innovative approaches

Greater use of technology facilitating aspects of electoral process;

Work between elections, including on the basis of comprehensive action plans and lessons learnt

Greater focus on voter education, with use of interactive formats

Focus on enfranchisement and efforts to accommodate special needs groups

Challenges Resources (human, financial)

incompatible with duties Insufficient co-ordination with

lower level EMBs and other institutions

Adoption of last-minute decisions

Need of greater training in particular on counting, tabulation and completion of protocols

Last minute replacement of staff challenges stability, undermines training

Integrity

ChallengesNeed for greater balance in composition Lack of collegiality Formalistic approach to complaints, poorly arguemented decisions;Failures to provide timely and effective legal redressCounting and tabulation assessed considerably more negatively

AchievementsOpening and voting assessed overwhelmingly positivelyMoving towards or established centralized voter registrationDevelopment of guidelines to supplement, clarify legal provisions

Transparency

AchievementsEfforts to publish results by polling stations, post and distribute to observers protocols; Greater trend of sessions open to observers, media, parties;Greater engagement with civil society;

ChallengesGreater efforts needed to publish EMB decisions, meeting agendas and minutes in a timely manner;Reduced transparency of count and tabulation processes; Lack of provisions for observation

Certain common trends, both with regard to achievements and challenges

Benefits of EMB exchange Follow up Technical targeted advice and assistance by

the OSCE/ODIHR

Conclusions and ways ahead