site.btaInternational Observers Evaluate Election Process at July 11 Snap Vote in Bulgaria

Sofia, July 12 (BTA) - The July 11 early parliamentary elections
 in Bulgaria were competitive, and fundamental freedoms were
generally respected, Artur Gerasimov, Cpecial Co-ordinator and
head of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe's (OSCE) short-term observation missionto Sofia, told a
press conference Monday.

Gerasimov noted that the middle part of the election campaign
was dominated by mutual accusations of corruption by the former
ruling party and the caretaker government, and there was action
taken by law enforcement to prevent vote buying.

The elections were held in an adequate legal framework that was
established shortly prior, which led to tensions during the
preparations, the observers noted. According to them, the
technical aspects have been managed efficiently, despite the
short deadlines, the pandemic, and the late adoption of some
procedural actions.

Transparency and accountability of campaign financing have been
reduced due to a supervisory deficit, Gerasimov added. The media
 offered limited coverage, which affected voters' ability to
make their choices, he said.

In general, the process was transparent, the relevant procedures
 were followed, machine voting was applied in a generally
efficient way with a few issues, Gerasimov summed up.

Regarding the media landscape, Gerasimov commented that the high
 concentration of media ownership had had a negative effect on
policies and media pluralism, and the lack of detailed
journalistic coverage of the campaign prevented voters from
making adequate choices.

According to Alfred Heer of the PACE observation delegation, the
 voting in the polling stations was technically well organized
and the voting process was transparent. ''The machines worked
very well in the locations we visited,'' he noted.

Elona Hoxha, head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation
of observers, said it was unfortunate that previous
recommendations from the Office for Democratic Institutions and
Human Rights and the Venice Commission on national minorities
remained unaddressed. Campaigns have been limited to the
official language, reducing the level of political participation
 of minorities in the election process, she said.

According to her, women remain underrepresented in elected
positions, while being well represented at all levels in the
election administration. She recommended that this strong
representation of women in the election administration be
reflected in the future in all areas of public and political
life.

Tana de Zulueta, head of the observation mission of the Office
for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, commented that
although there had been major changes in the legislation and
organization of these elections, such as the transition to
machine voting, the media environment remained unchanged. The
problems related to the pluralism and independence of
journalists remain, she said.

Vote buying has received unprecedented attention from the
government, she added. In the future, the goal will be to
eradicate the problem, but this requires political effort,
cooperation between the police and the judiciary, and there will
 have to be a change in the mindset of all citizens, said Tana
de Zulueta. NV/DT