Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, the head of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) called upon to the Polish authorities to reflect on the consequences of the recently adopted laws. She warned that the introduction of correspondence voting on such a scale just before the presidential election may jeopardize its secrecy and equality.

“A real campaign and real public debate are as important for democratic elections as the possibility of voting,” Gísladóttir added

Gísladóttir emphasized that voters must be able to familiarize themselves with the programs and listen to the opinions of all candidates in order to make their choice, and the current restrictions due to the COVID-19 epidemic make campaigning virtually impossible.

"I'm worried that if presidential elections are held under current conditions, they may not meet international standards," warned Gísladóttir.

Gísladóttir also reminded about OSCE standards in lawmaking: laws should be formulated and adopted as a result of a transparent process that reflects the will of citizens, directly or through representatives.

She also pointed out that another important international organization, to which Poland belongs, the Council of Europe, issued a Code of Good Practice in Election Related Matters. It says that fundamental elements of electoral law should not be amended less than a year before the election.

(OKO.press)