20. Welcomes the conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR Electoral Observation Mission to the effect that the spring municipal elections were efficiently administered; shares the concern expressed regarding balance of media coverage, blurring of state and party activities in relation to the use of administrative resources and reported irregularities concerning registration of voters from Pustec, Albania; endorses the Government’s commitment to comply with the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations for electoral reform in full; emphasises the need for further efforts to increase transparent financing and accountability of political parties; urges action to ...[+++] avoid the blurring of state and party activities during election campaigns and secure cross-party agreement for an audit of the voters’ register;

19. Welcomes the conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR Electoral Observation Mission to the effect that the spring municipal elections were efficiently administered; shares the concern expressed regarding balance of media coverage, blurring of state and party activities in relation to the use of administrative resources and reported irregularities concerning registration of voters from Pustec, Albania; endorses the Government’s commitment to comply with the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations for electoral reform in full; emphasises the need for further efforts to increase transparent financing and accountability of political parties; urges action to ...[+++] avoid the blurring of state and party activities during election campaigns and secure cross-party agreement for an audit of the voters’ register;

Louis Michel was "pleased to announce this fresh contribution from Community funds, further aid which underpins the evident success of the voter registration campaign currently under way, which to date has already registered 20,5 million potential voters".

Signals must be sent out that voter registration can take place in Jerusalem and that restrictions in the Occupied Territories will be lifted, so that mobility can be guaranteed during the campaign and, most importantly, that Marwan Barghouti can be freed.

On the issue of voter registration, with the election campaign being shortened, with no enumeration taking place in areas where elections have been held in the last year, and the fact that the accuracy of the voters' list dropped from 95 per cent to 80 per cent at best, I do not believe we will have a very accurate voters list.

The Council is especially concerned about freedom of movement for all candidates, election workers and voters, including in occupied East Jerusalem where it calls on Israel urgently to improve voting arrangements, including to facilitate effectively voter registration, access to polling stations and campaigning.