What does your mission as election observer mean?

– Election observation aims to follow the election process in order for the mission to obtain a clear picture of it and its compliance with the legal framework, both national laws and international obligations. As a long-term observer I cover a certain region of the country together with a colleague from another member state. I try to meet as many as possible of the involved actors such as political parties, election authorities and voters. All the findings are analysed and reported to the mission's core team. They express their findings in a preliminary declaration and later a final report in which they also include recommendations for possible improvements in the process.

What do you do if you observe election fraud or other wrongdoings?

– Our role is never to intervene—only to observe. If we hear rumours or allegations of improper behaviour we try to see if it can be substantiated, and if we see something that is not in line with the regulations we take note and report it to the mission core team. They can then evaluate if it is an isolated incident or part of a systematic pattern.