The Election Administration [EA] issues a statement on recent attempts to undermine the institution.

“The ongoing campaign to discredit the Election Administration and affiliate it with the ruling political union continues. Discrediting statements about the institution were disseminated by the President’s Administration in the context of changes to the election code. According to the Parliamentary Secretary of the President, given amendments “only supports the ruling party to gain more votes in the CEC”, and with these changes, “the commission (i.e., the CEC) becomes one-party”.

It is worth noting that the CEC is composed of 17 members, including 8 elected on professional grounds and 9 appointed by political parties. Decisions are made by the Commission, where the ruling party has one member, while the remaining 8 parties represent various political unions. This composition indicates a high level of representation and inclusion. Therefore, there is no reason to say that the Commission is under the influence of any party, or is biased, neither from the existing composition nor from the decisions made. Accordingly, such baseless assessments from the President’s Institution may serve the general narrative that we have been hearing against the EA lately. Despite the cooperation between the EA and the President’s Institution in various formats, the President’s Institution has chosen to discredit the administration.

This can be seen as a departure from its neutral role in the process. It is unacceptable for a representative from the President’s Administration to discuss and even indirectly cast a doubt at the impartiality of professional members and the chair without addressing the real issues identified by numerous international organizations. These issues, as documented, pertain specifically to the political bias of the CEC members appointed by political parties.

Furthermore, it is essential to highlight that the practice of decisions by the EA being made by a simple majority is a well-known norm in several countries. The President’s Institute’s attempt to create misleading perceptions in this regard, especially before the elections, is unacceptable and difficult to comprehend. Elections are a common cause, and each institution and electoral stakeholder bears a specific responsibility within their jurisdiction to conduct elections following international standards and uphold election integrity”, - reads the statement.