Some 326 foreign experts will observe the Parliamentary elections of May 11. ODIHR made public the preliminary report informing that the elections will be observe by 300 observer, and 26 others who will be in a long term mission, even after the elections.

So far, ODIHR evaluated the work done by the Central Elections Commission (CEC).

In the preliminary report was mentioned that: No significant issues were raised regarding the ability of political parties and candidates to campaign freely, with most interlocutors expecting widespread cases of misuse of administrative resources by the ruling party, including pressure on public officials. Furthermore, the influence of criminal groups in politics, persistent allegations of vote-buying, particularly among socially vulnerable communities, and so-called ‘patronage’ voting remain a major concern.

The ODIHR’s preliminary report notes that campaign finance rules could be further improved, including by introducing more effective and dissuasive sanctions and regulating third-party campaigning.