After President János Áder called in January the parliamentary election for April 6, the Hungarian foreign ministry invited the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to observe the election. The ODIHR undertook a Needs Assessment Mission to Budapest from January 20 to 23 to assess the pre-election environment and the preparations for the elections, it said.

After the visit, the majority of the OSCE mission expressed confidence in the ability of the election administration to organise the ballot professionally.

Many, however, expressed doubts as to the intention of the legal changes that lacked opposition support and could make the election process and the election campaign more complicated, OSCE said, LEOD will visit a limited number of polling stations on the day of the election but systematic observation of election day proceedings is not envisaged, OSCE said.

Source www.hungarymatters.hu

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