Latvia’s 2022 parliamentary elections: ODIHR election assessment mission final report

The October 2022 parliamentary elections in Latvia were competitive and pluralistic, according to the ODIHR election assessment mission, with stakeholders expressing confidence in the administration of the electoral process. The legal framework is suitable for organizing democratic elections, and certain recent changes, including on the introduction of a centralized electronic voter register, were in line with previous ODIHR recommendations. Despite these recent reforms, some recommendations remain unaddressed, including on candidacy rights, decriminalization of defamation and guaranteeing the rights of international and citizen observers.

These are some of the main conclusions detailed in the final report published today by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The report offers recommendations to bring elections in Latvia closer in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections.

Key recommendations include:

• Ensuring the operational independence and efficiency of the Central Election Commission, by providing adequate financial and human resources in a timely manner, and by increasing its capacity to manage and ensure the security of the electronic infrastructure and to organize procurement procedures;

• Providing the Central Election Commission with sufficient resources to prepare and implement comprehensive and timely voter education programs, including in minority languages and for young and first-time voters and voters with different disabilities;

• Providing the possibility for independent candidates to participate in elections, and removing restrictions on the submission of candidates by newly registered political parties;

• Decriminalizing defamation in favor of civil remedies;

• Explicitly providing for the access of citizen and international observers to all stages of the election process;

• Removing or establishing a time limit on restrictions on the right to stand based on previous political activities;

• Implementing safeguards to protect the freedom of expression in election campaigns, including the right to campaign in minority languages.

The ODIHR Election Assessment Mission to the 1 October 2022 parliamentary elections started its work on 15 September and remained in the country until 6 October. All 57 countries across the OSCE region have formally committed to follow up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.