I love elections and I’m not alone. Every now and then I meet other people who share this fixation with the drama of this core expression of democracy. When I was asked to join 200 others to observe the voting in Moldova’s recent elections and constitutional referendum I was delighted and excited – Christmas had come early.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) organised the observation mission through its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). ODIHR monitors elections, when invited in the OSCE's 57 member states in support of fair and transparent democratic processes. It’s got a tried and tested approach to observation. The methodology is rigorous and draws on a wide range of micro-observations from the field. This results in accurate, objective, and credible reporting.
It was a privilege to work in this setting and witness the people of Moldova's determination to vote and chart a future course for their country. The challenges they face are summarised in the ODIHR preliminary reports on the first round of voting in presidential elections and the constitutional referendum and the second round of voting. These reports resound. I have a new appreciation of the need for election observation practice to look at social media activity (by political parties and their proxies).
In addition to working alongside deeply committed Moldovans, I was deployed with some amazing OSCE observers, who brought such a range of experience and perspective. Their dedication to bearing witness to the practice of democracy was inspirational. You could see how the diversity of the observers added value to the observation process. Differing cultural traditions, political perspectives and life stories joined together to bear witness to the practice of democracy.
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