At the outset of local election campaign, the embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States called on all political parties and their candidates to commit to free, respectful, and peaceful campaigning.

“Citizens deserve an open and transparent election process where all candidates have the right to be heard by the voters, members of the media have the right to share information about the election free from threats or violence, and all voters have the right to make their own decisions free from any pressure,” Quint countries said in a joint statement.