The OSCE in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) launched an election observance mission on 1 June to monitor the Slovak parliamentary elections set for 12 June. The mission was initiated at the invitation of the Foreign Ministry in Slovakia, because as a member of the OSCE Slovakia undertook to welcome the ODIHR to oversee the elections.
The mission is being led by Ambassador Jolanda Brunetti and consists of 10 international election experts from nine OSCE countries. Although the mission will be based in Bratislava, it will deploy experts throughout Slovakia, and will assess and report on the overall framework of how the elections are held. Among other things, the experts will focus on political party and campaign financing, the participation of national minorities in the elections and on how the campaign is covered by the media. They will also meet with relevant governmental authorities, election administration, candidates, political parties, the judiciary, civil society and the media.
The ODIHR will not deal with systematic or comprehensive observation of the voting, counting, or tabulation on election day, but experts do plan to make visits to a certain number of polling stations across the country to monitor the procedures that are employed on election day. The final report from the elections will not be published until about two months after the election process is over.