According to a draft decision put up for public consultation by the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), representatives of foreign media institutions, international observers, interested associations and foundations will be able to request accreditation from AEP to observe the May 4, 2025 presidential ballot.
Representatives of Romanian media institutions will be able to witness the operations of the electoral bureaus of the polling stations and/or of the electoral bureaus for vote by mail and will have access to the buildings and rooms where the said entities carry out their activity based only on their identity document and journalist card.
The AEP announced on Tuesday having launched for public debate the draft decision on the approval of the accreditation procedure, the templates of accreditation documents and the badge templates for the staff accredited at Romania's 2025 presidential election, noting that observations and proposals regarding the draft regulatory act can be sent to the e-mail address [email protected] until February 28, 2025.
The draft regulatory act provides that associations or foundations interested in getting accredited for the presidential election must apply for it no later than April 19, 2025 accompanying the application by a copy of their statute and a copy of the court ruling for their establishment, proving that the respective association or foundation carries out activities to defend democracy and human rights and was legally established at least 6 months before the date of election.
The documents may be sent by post or e-mail or may be submitted to the AEP Registry, and within 5 days from the date of the application's registration the Authority will issue accreditation documents to the associations and foundations that meet the requirements.
Based on the accreditation document, the association or foundation may designate as internal observers only politically non-affiliated persons. Associations and foundations accredited by the AEP are entitled to issuing badges for their observers, the draft also provides.
The AEP will also accredit, upon request, representatives of foreign media institutions, with the applications being sent by post or e-mail, or submitted to the Authority's Registry. The applications shall be accompanied by copies of the travel documents, as well as copies of documents issued by the respective foreign media institutions written in Romanian, English or French, attesting the mission of the journalist.
Representatives of foreign media institutions who hold a valid correspondent's card issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry shall send to the Permanent Electoral Authority only the accreditation application accompanied by a copy of the respective correspondent's card.
The AEP shall also accredit, upon request, international observers; applications submitted in the same manner shall be accompanied by copies of travel documents and of the documents issued by foreign or international organizations carrying out activities in the electoral field, written in Romanian, English or French, proving that the applicants are designated, mandated or recommended to observe Romania's presidential ballot.
International observers and representatives of foreign media institutions may assist in the operations of the electoral bureaus of the polling stations and/or of the electoral bureaus for voting by mail exclusively on the basis of the accreditation document issued by the Permanent Electoral Authority, which is also valid in copy, accompanied by the identity document.
The accreditation documents issued by the AEP are valid for both rounds of voting.
Any act of electoral propaganda, as well as any violation of the legal provisions entails the immediate removal of the respective person from the polling station or the premises of the electoral office for voting by mail, as the case may be.
Filming and photographing public places within the precincts of the electoral office for voting by correspondence, in the voting area or in the premises of the polling station, as the case may be, may be carried out without prejudice to the secrecy of the vote and in compliance with the provisions of Art. 90 para. (3) of Law No. 208/2015, the draft act also provides.
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