ELECTION OBSERVATION OSCE PA Election Observation 1993-2015 4,854 OSCE parliamentarians observe 145 elections Preface ince 1993, the OSCE PA has played a leading role in election observation across the OSCE area. As politicians who have fought Selections themselves, parliamentarians have particular expertise in political campaigns and electoral processes, bringing added credibil- ity to the conclusions of OSCE observation missions. As Members of Parliament, they are also in an excellent position to relate their experi- ences directly into policy circles in their national parliaments. By taking part in these missions, and taking time out of their busy schedules, parliamentarians make a bold statement about the importance of legitimate and genuine elections. Their participation in observation efforts also brings international visibility, as parliamentarians are often sought out by journalists from their home countries to express their expert opinions. The Assembly’s election observation programme is an important con- tribution to consolidating democracy in the OSCE region, and parlia- mentarians can be proud of their leading role in these efforts. The International Secretariat of the Assembly has supported the active election observation programme since its inception, organizing all of the 145 missions that have deployed 4,854 parliamentarians to observe elec- tions in more than 30 countries. We look forward to continuing this work in the years to come and to supporting this important work by Assembly Members. Parliamentary observers of elections in the OSCE area Since 1993, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has deployed 4,854 parliamentarians to monitor 145 elections across the OSCE area. t the Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE in Helsinki (1993) the then Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Foreign Minister Baroness Margaretha af Ugglas, urged parliamentarians to actively participate in election observation and monitoring. In response Ato this call, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has developed a particularly active programme for observing elections in the OSCE area. The presence of parliamentary observers at elections emphasizes the importance of legislatures as institutions that must provide a balance to executive authority. The First Decade of OSCE PA Election Observation RUSSIAN FEDERATION Parliamentary Elections 12 December 1993 delegation of 36 CSCE parliamentarians from 21 participating States observed the fi rst multi-party A elections and the referendum on the constitution in the Russian Federation on 12 December 1993. The Delegation concluded unanimously that based on their limited investigation, the elections and the referendum, on the whole, were conducted in a free and fair manner. The President of the CSCE Parliamentary Assembly appointed the following delegation: CSCE PA Delegation Ján CARNOGURSKÝ, Vice-President Slovakia Ilkka SUOMINEN, Finland Kristina SVENSSON Sweden President of the CSCE PA, Munif ISLAMOGLU Turkey Head of Delegation Cemal ÖZTAYLAN Turkey Daim RAPAJ Albania Mehmet KECECILER Turkey Shagin VUKAJ Albania Sir Peter EMERY, Treasurer United Kingdom Josef HÖCHTL Austria Frank COOK United Kingdom Jiri PAYNE Czech Republic Vaclav CUNDRLE Czech Republic Accompanied by Eva Kjer HANSEN Denmark Gertraud HÖCHTL Austria, interpreter Helge Adam MØLLER Denmark Jaakko HISSA Finland, senior staff Vello AATPALU Estonia Bernadette GAYET France, journalist Aarno von BELL Finland Anne-Laure MEYER France, staff Hannu KEMPPAINEN Finland Haukur HAUKSSON Iceland, interpreter Kyösti TOIVONEN Finland Dgenia BERNARDINI Italy, interpreter Sirkka-Liisa ANTTILA Finland Maris STEINS Latvia, staff Henrik LAX Finland Guillaume WAGENER Luxembourg, staff Eeva-Liisa MOILANEN Finland Mario COSTA Malta, advisor Pekka HAAVISTO Finland Carmel CHIRCOP Malta, advisor Jean de LIPKOWSKI France Huseyin KERIMOGLU Turkey, staff Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON Iceland Antonio GRAZIANI Italy International Secretariat of the CSCE PA Janis AGZDINS Latvia R. Spencer OLIVER Director Erna HENNICOT Luxembourg Pentti VÄÄNÄNEN Deputy Director Giovanna DEBONO Malta Vitaly EVSEYEV Deputy Director Reno CALLEJA Malta Kurt ANDERSEN Gen. Services Offi cer Alexander OHOTNICOV Moldova Gina DARK Secretary Vasile IOVY Moldova Jan JOOREN Press Offi cer Jan van HOUWELINGEN Netherlands Margarita AVDONINA Secretary Tadeusz SAMBORSKI Poland Guy NETSCHER Assistant Elena PREDA Romania Rebecca MAGUIRE Assistant Dumitru MOCANU Romania Annabel HAMILTON Assistant The First Decade of OSCE PA Election Observation MOLDOVA Parliamentary Elections 27 February 1994 delegation of 18 CSCE Parliamentarians from 9 participating States observed the parliamentary elections A in Moldova on 27 February 1994. The overall conclusion of the Delegation was that the elections were carried out in a free and fair manner. The President of the CSCE Parliamentary Assembly appointed the following delegation: CSCE PA Delegation Iohail VIZIRU Romania Javier RUPÉREZ Spain Peeter LUKSEP Sweden Head of Delegation Ahmet INCEÖZ Turkey Josef KRUPIK Czech Republic Yury ELCHENKO Ukraine Pavel SEIFER Czech Republic Andrus VILLEM Estonia Accompanied by Antonio GRAZIANI Italy John FINERTY USA Angelo CRESCO Italy Senior Staff Congressional CSCE Antanas RACAS Lithuania Commission Corneliu BALAN Romania Vinca SHOWALTER USA Emil COJOCARU Romania Senior Staff Congressional CSCE Cornel PROTOPOPESCU Romania Commission Marcel MOLDOVEANU Romania Nicolae BATEANU Romania International Secretariat of the CSCE PA Ludovic RAKOCZI Romania Pentti VÄÄNÄNEN Deputy Director Ion DOBRESCU Romania Gina DARK Secretary KAZAKHSTAN Parliamentary Elections 7 March 1994 n 7 March 1994 a delegation of nine CSCE Parliamentarians from eight participating States observed the Oparliamentary elections in Kazakhstan. The conclusion of the CSCE Observer Team was that the election process did not meet the standards which CSCE participated States have pledged to uphold. The provision which allowed nearly one-quarter of the new Parliament to be virtually appointed by the President, combined with the widespread violation of Article 46 of the Electoral Code and apparent abuse of authority by local electoral commissions, made a positive conclusion by the CSCE PA Team impossible. The President of the CSCE Parliamentary Assembly appointed the following delegation: CSCE Delegation: Accompanied by: Jan van HOUWELINGEN, Netherlands Anne FRAGO, Administrator France Head of Delegation Hüseyin KERIMOGLU, Interpreter Turkey Vedat SAKALLA Bulgaria Tomas SVOBODA Czech Republic International Secretariat of the CSCE PA Milan LOUKOTA Czech Republic R. Spencer OLIVER Director Michel VOISIN France Gina DARK Assistant Hans-Dirk BIERLING Germany Ricardas ZURINSKAS Lithuania Kristina SVENSSON Sweden Münif ISLAMOGLU Turkey The First Decade of OSCE PA Election Observation UKRAINE Parliamentary Elections 27 March 1994 delegation of 23 CSCE Parliamentarians from 16 participating States observed the parliamentary Elec- A tions in Ukraine on 27 March 1994. The delegation concluded that the fi rst round of these elections was carried out in a free and fair manner. The President of the CSCE Parliamentary Assembly appointed the fol- lowing delegation: CSCE Delegation: Velta PURINA Latvia Sir Peter EMERY, United Kingdom Laima L. ANDRIKIENE Lithuania Treasurer of the CSCE PA, Rimantas MARKAUSKAS Lithuania Head of Delegation Ion BORSEVICI Moldova Peter MARIZZI Austria Maarten van TRAA Netherlands Alexander SHIPKO Belarus Ingval GODAL Norway Michail ZHEBRAK Belarus Björg Hope GALTUNG Norway Gueorgui T. BOZHINOV Bulgaria Erik SOLHEIM Norway Mikhail D. NEDELCHEV Bulgaria Tadeusz SAMBORSKI Poland Andreas KOUKOUMAS Cyprus Vladimir AVERCHEV Russia Josef KUBIS Czech Republic Miroslav RAZKA Czech Republic International Secretariat of the CSCE PA Anette JUST Denmark Vitaly EVSEYEV Deputy Director Mart NUTT Estonia Pentti VÄÄNÄNEN Deputy Director Willy WIMMER Germany Kurt ANDERSEN General Services Offi cer Karlis LEISKALNS Latvia Camilla BENINCASA Secretary The First Decade of OSCE PA Election Observation FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA Presidential and Parliamentary Elections 16 and 30 October 1994 n 16 and 30 October 1994 a CSCE PA delegation of 16 parliamentarians from 10 participating states Oobserved the fi rst presidential and parliamentary elections in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia since it declared its independence. Based on its fi ndings the delegation concluded that the elections were carried out in a suffi ciently free and fair manner. The President of the CSCE Parliamentary Assembly appointed the following delegation: CSCE PA Delegation: Roberto BATTELLI Slovenia Javier RUPEREZ, Spain Vladimir SEMAGO Russia Head of Delegation Munif ISLAMOGLU Turkey Emil KOSTADINOV Bulgaria Camal OZTAYLAN Turkey Vaclav CUNDLER Czech Republic Cestmir HOFHANZL Czech Republic Accompanied by: Zlatko KRAMARIC Croatia Buket GITAY, Advisor Turkey Ivan MILAS Croatia Anatoly SHOSTAK, Advisor Ukraine Bozidar PETRAC Croatia Bob HAND, Advisor USA Rino SERRI Italy Janice HELWIG, Advisor USA Giuseppe DOPPIO Italy Guikje ROETHOF Netherlands International Secretariat of the CSCE PA: Bjørg Hope GALTUNG Norway Pentti VÄÄNÄNEN Deputy Secretary General Grethe FOSSLI Norway ESTONIA Parliamentary Elections 5 March 1995 n 5 March 1995 a OSCE PA delegation of 17 parliamentarians from 8 participating states observed the Osecond parliamentary elections held in Estonia since the country’s independence in September 1991. Based on its fi ndings, the delegation concluded that the elections were carried