The campaign has been deeply political, undermining citizens’ elections and complicating the process. This was said by Audrey Glover, Head of the OSCE-ODIHR, at the first media briefing for the May 14th municipal elections. Concerns have been raised about the election laws, media independence, and employment in the administration, according to her.
“Our concern is that there have been violations of the electoral code.” The elections were boycotted by 50% of voters. The elections were overseen by the CEC, which has since been divided into three administrative organizations as a result of the amendments. Members have filled vacant positions in several situations. Party leaders have leveled charges at one another. The major focus has not been on discussions among themselves, but there are topics that we have paid special attention to through social media. Some media outlets have intervened in the media’s work to impact their editorial independence, election campaign coverage, and news reporting, resulting in misinformation. During elections, the media cannot be controlled. We are concerned about electronic voting, which has yet to be fully established. Another worry of ours has been employment in public administration, which may have affected our support for the ruling party.
Voters should select the best candidate for their neighborhood. Concerns about this community should be expressed. The campaign centered on parties rather than problems essential to their community. The campaign has been extremely political, undermining and complicating citizens’ elections. We will have a complete report in three months, and we will include further recommendations.”