IRI Report on October 2 Polls, Pre-Election Period

The International Republican Institute (IRI), a U.S.-founded nonprofit, has released today the final report on the observation of the pre-election period and the first round of local polls on October 2.

IRI said its observers found during the campaign period “increasingly worrisome trends of violence, intimidation, pressure against voters and candidates, and abuse of administrative resources, further blurring the lines between the government and ruling party.”

Election Day was largely peaceful with a number of procedural shortcomings, none of which appeared “to be systematically orchestrated,” according to IRI.

The nonprofit said the recount process following the polls was controversial, uncovering a 33% imbalance in summary protocols. “While votes were redistributed based on the recounts, these errors would not significantly alter the overall results of the first round,” IRI noted.

More to follow

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