Election observer arrives in Turkey to watch democracy in action
A delegation from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) arrived in Ankara on March 17 at the invitation of Turkish officials, and started their limited referendum observation mission to observe the April 16 constitutional referendum.
Speaking on the occasion of the formal opening of their mission, the delegation head Tana de Zulueta said their delegation consists of 11 observers from seven different OSCE countries, and they will meet with representatives of political parties and members of the press, as well as visit polling stations across Turkey, as part of their pre-referendum observation mission. The OSCE/ODIHR referendum observation mission will partner with a delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and will observe the voting process across Turkey. On the day after the referendum the delegation will release a preliminary statement of findings and conclusions.
Turkey has been an electoral democracy since 1950, and the fairness and freedom of Turkish elections have been praised by international observers. Most recently general elections in 2015 were observed by the OSCE and Council of Europe, with the organization saying, "Turkey's well-managed, democratic elections demonstrated pluralism." Following the Nov. 1 elections the OSCE/ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission's (LEOM) preliminary findings noted that the freedom to campaign in any language, which was guaranteed by law in 2014 by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, was as a positive step. Previously, in August 2014 the OSCE observed the presidential election in Turkey, in which people directly voted for the president for the first time, and praised the elections for being free and fair.
In addition to international organizations, citizen organizations also monitor elections in Turkey. The most common type of domestic election monitoring comes by way of poll-watchers who are party members that are looking out for the interests of their party.
Speaking on the occasion of the formal opening of their mission, the delegation head Tana de Zulueta said their delegation consists of 11 observers from seven different OSCE countries, and they will meet with representatives of political parties and members of the press, as well as visit polling stations across Turkey, as part of their pre-referendum observation mission. The OSCE/ODIHR referendum observation mission will partner with a delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and will observe the voting process across Turkey. On the day after the referendum the delegation will release a preliminary statement of findings and conclusions.
Turkey has been an electoral democracy since 1950, and the fairness and freedom of Turkish elections have been praised by international observers. Most recently general elections in 2015 were observed by the OSCE and Council of Europe, with the organization saying, "Turkey's well-managed, democratic elections demonstrated pluralism." Following the Nov. 1 elections the OSCE/ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission's (LEOM) preliminary findings noted that the freedom to campaign in any language, which was guaranteed by law in 2014 by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, was as a positive step. Previously, in August 2014 the OSCE observed the presidential election in Turkey, in which people directly voted for the president for the first time, and praised the elections for being free and fair.
In addition to international organizations, citizen organizations also monitor elections in Turkey. The most common type of domestic election monitoring comes by way of poll-watchers who are party members that are looking out for the interests of their party.