OSCE issues 32 recommendations for better future elections in Bulgaria

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) published its final report on the presidential elections held in our country in October, which contains a list of 32 recommendations to the Bulgarian authorities for the key reforms to be introduced to the Constitution and Electoral Code.
The presidential and local elections were held in Bulgaria in compliance with the fundamental principles of human rights and freedoms, but the charges of vote buying and fully paid media coverage of the candidates' campaign emphasise the need for further reforms, read the OSCE report.

The document criticised strongly the decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) to classify the minutes of its sessions. According to European observers, the Election Commissions should operate at all levels with full publicity, while CEC must have a permanently acting administration and its own independent budget. According to the report's authors this "will aid the setting-up of the required capacity and allow the CEC to provide amendments to the electoral legislation." OSCE also recommended that nominees of the opposition parties should be appointed at key posts in the election administration in order to eliminate the impression of a politically motivated decision-making process.

The report also recalls the OSCE recommendation of 2009 for clearing the electoral lists of non-existing candidates. The report also insist on the repeal of the prohibitory lists and on ensuring public support for independent nominees, as well as free media coverage.

OSCE also demanded that the the ban imposed on Bulgarians with dual citizenship to run for election should be revoked, as well as the restrictions applied to permanent residents of non-EU countries to vote at Bulgarian local authorities elections.
The report of international observers also recommended the setting up of a legal option whereby voters can contest the final election results. OSCE also reckoned that the proposal of the General Prosecutor for the application of Special Investigative Means (SIMs) in the investigation of electoral crimes is appropriate.

"The legal framework for the media must ensure complete freedom of journalists to report the election campaign, especially in terms of public operators," read the recommendation. Among those relating to the media is the proposal for the Bulgarian Council for Electronic Media to establish a public registry for owners of electronic media in order to detect the potential influence of political and business interests and the concentration of ownership over some media.

Besides, OSCE insisted that the laws should explicitly stipulate that the entire electoral process at all levels is subject to unlimited supervision of local and international observers. The International Organisation proposed the consideration of an option for the admission of real-time counting of the actual ballot-papers under the suspicion of major violations committed.

Прочети цялата новина

Свързани новини: