1. Election Observation Guidelines as Vehicles for Change and Enhancement of Women and National Minorities’ Participation in Romanian Politics
Octavian Mircea CHESARU
Parliamentary Expert, The Permanent Electoral Authority of Romania

2. Research premises
Inclusiveness is a fundamental aspect of democratic elections
Special attention granted to the participation of women and national minorities in electoral processes and public life
Handbooks on election observation provide the guidelines regarding political equality of women and persons belonging to national minorities
These guidelines generate positive changes of electoral systems

3. Study objectives
Assess the compliance of the Romanian electoral system with the main values supported by election observation guidelines that inspire change
Assess the participation of women and national minorities in public life

4. Universal suffrage Primary instruments:
Art. 21 par. (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Par. 35 of the Copenhagen Document
Art. 5 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
Art. 14 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms

5. Universal suffrage Guidelines:
Constitutional protection of universal suffrage without unreasonable restrictions
No special conditions or administrative restrictions on voting rights that raise concerns
Electoral law equality

6. Universal suffrage Case of Romania:
The Constitution of Romania guarantees universal suffrage without unreasonable restrictions
Legal restrictions are impartial and non-discriminatory
The absence of ethnic criteria in formal documents and procedures
No gender-related barriers

7. Universal suffrage Right to form a political party:
Almost all the documents that must be filed are issued by the founding members
Rapid decision-making process
No unreasonable obstacles
Exceptions that provide incentives for organizations that represent national minorities
165 legally established political organisations

8. Universal suffrage Electoral campaign fairness:
No restrictions on campaigning in minority languages
Fair access to media for women and national minority candidates
Measures incriminating hate speech.

9. Legal Incentives to Promote Participation
Guidelines and recommendations:
Electoral systems reforms for low thresholds, preferential voting, or the establishment of electoral districts
Special measures such as special threshold requirements for national minorities, dual voting, or reserved seats
Instruments for fair representation of national minorities
Incentive measures that stimulate participation of women or national minorities representatives
Fairness of state funding

10. Legal Incentives to Promote Participation
boundaries of Romanian electoral districts drawn following administrative divisions
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11. Legal Incentives to Promote Participation
Reserved seats policy
The Constitution of Romania guarantees equal opportunities for women and men
Electoral law reforms to stimulate women in running for office
obligation to represent both genders in the lists of candidates
state funding increased for promoting women on the electoral lists, on eligible places
state funding - no provisions that generate disparities between political organizations representing national minorities and other political organizations

12. The Level of Representation
Human resources involved in electoral processes (women representation)
≈ 65% of PEA staff
≈ 71% of electoral experts
≈ 63% of computer operators
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13. The Level of Representation
The Romanian Parliament
18 national minorities represented
30 MPs representing the Hungarian minority
≈ 20% of MPs are women
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14. The quantitative evolution of women MP in Romania
Legislative period
Number of MPs
Number of women
Percentage
486 23
4,73
484 18
3,72
485
4,74
481 52
10,81
469 46
9,81
471 44
9,34
588 67
11,39
2016-
465 90
19,35

15. The Level of Representation
Local elected authorities
(women representation)
147/3187 mayors (4,61%)
4990/40220 local councillors (12,40%)
213/1436 county councillors (14,83%)
13/55 councillors of the General Council of the Municipality of Bucharest (23,63%)

16. The Level of Representation
Local elected authorities
(national minorities representation)
218/3187 mayors (6,84%)
3010/40220 local councillors (7,48%)
117/1436 county councillors (8,14%)

17. Political organization
Elected positions achieved by political organizations representing national minorities
Political organization
Elected mayors
Elected local councillors
Elected county councillors
The Alliance for Roma Unity 3
The Alliance between The Popular Hungarian Party of Transylvania and the Civic Hungarian Party 2 33
The Association of Italians in Romania – RO.AS.IT.
The "Pro-Europa" Roma Party Association 1
143
The Community of Lipovan-Russians in Romania 15
The Popular Hungarian Party of Transylvania
207 6
The Federation of Hebrew Communities in Romania
The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania 5 81 10
The Roma Democratic Alliance Party 4
The Civic Hungarian Party 13
158
The Party of the Democratic Roma
The Bulgarian Union of Banat - Romania
The Croatian Union of Romania
The Cultural Union of Ruthenians in Romania
The Democratic Union of Turkish-Moslem Tatars in Romania 11
The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
195
2284 95
The Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs in Romania 23
The Hellenic Union of Romania
The Polish Union of Romania
The Serbian Union of Romania
The Ukrainian Union of Romania 14
218
3010
117

18. The Level of Representation
Presidential and MEPs elections
2014 Presidential elections - 2 women & 2 representative of the Hungarian minority stood for office
Romanian MEPs – 9/32 are women; 2/32 represent the Hungarian minority

19. Conclusions
The Romanian electoral system features the necessary measures to stimulate female candidatures and to provide fair campaigning and representation for national minorities
The number of women in elected positions is the highest after 1989 and national minorities are politically represented at local level where the minority is consistent, as well as at the level of the Parliament
Further improvements depend on 2 core infrastructures:
the electoral system – reforms have been accomplished
the infrastructure of symbols - opinions and projects, achievements and examples of best practices while in office, as well as holding public positions of great visibility