Following the official invitation from Bulgaria to observe the July 5 2009 Parliament elections, as well as based on the findings and conclusions of the Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) deployed from June 1-4 in Sofia, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has decided to deploy a Limited Election Observation Mission (LEOM) in Bulgaria, OSCE said on June 10.

The OSCE will deploy a core team in Sofia and 12 long-term observers seconded by OSCE participating states. Particular attention would be paid to assessing the election campaign, new legal provisions and the electoral environment in the regions populated by national minorities. The OSCE/LEOM will visit a limited number of polling stations on election day, the organisation said in a statement

In its June report, published on OSCE website, NAM said that all Bulgarian political parties it talked to expressed concerns about the possibility of intimidation and vote buying, especially in vulnerable communities such as Roma, mixed areas and small villages.

Representatives of minority groups also raised concerns regarding statements that they felt could be considered as bordering on hate speech by the ultra-nationalist Ataka party during the campaign for the European Parliament elections. They also expressed the opinion that such statements could become part of the platform of more mainstream political parties for the July 5 elections.

The report's findings also said that "at the initiative of the ruling coalition, the Election Law was amended two months before the parliamentary elections introducing major changes to the electoral system, which is in contradiction with international good practices".

The report noted the legal problems that the right-wing Blue Coalitions had in registering for the June 7 European Parliament elections, which has raised concerns regarding the impartiality of the Central Election Committee.

The report also notes that a number of independent candidates have been reported to run in the single mandate constituencies, including four persons accused of crimes and currently in pre-trial detention, who could gain immunity should they be elected into Parliament. On June 10, Plamen Galev, who is under arrest on charges of organising a criminal group, was registered as a candidate and could be set free for the duration of the campaign.

NAM said that "while there appeared to be general public confidence in the administrative process, concerns relating to vote-buying and the importance of having the pre-electoral period observed throughout the country was cited as being of particular importance".