The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on January 22 opened an election observation mission for the March 2 parliamentary elections in Tajikistan, following an official invitation from the national authorities.

Press release issued by ODIHR says the mission is headed by Ditmir Bushati and consists of a core team of 11 international experts based in Dushanbe and 22 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 29 January.  ODIHR will request 150 short-term observers to arrive several days before election day. 

The mission will assess the conduct of the elections for their compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation.

Observers will closely monitor all aspects of the elections, including pre- and post-election developments. Specific areas of focus include the implementation of the legal framework, the conduct of the campaign, including on social networks, the work of the election administration at all levels, election dispute resolution and media coverage. The observers will also assess the implementation of previous ODIHR election recommendations.

Meetings with representatives of state authorities, political parties, civil society, the media and the international community form an integral part of the observation.

An interim report will be published some two weeks prior to election day to update the public and the media on the observation mission’s activities. The day after the elections, the mission’s preliminary findings and conclusions will be presented at a press conference. A final report with an assessment of the entire election process and containing recommendations will be published some months after the elections.