The State Election Commission decided at its Thursday session to adopt the changes to the election observation guidelines.

The manual refers to domestic and international NGOs that observe the election and regulates rules that apply to them, SEC member Boris Kondarko said.

He added that certain paragraphs have been removed to ensure greater transparency and freedom of election observers.

This was done to make sure there aren’t different interpretations of provisions related to election observation or their incorrect application throughout the process. SEC aimed to increase the scope and accessibility of election observation missions from international and domestic organizations that have been accredited by the Commission and improve their working conditions, Kondarko said.

SEC is expected to publish updated guidelines on their website later today.