The Integrity Pact for Free, Fair and Democratic Elections is elaborated by Transparency International – Bulgaria and supported by 7 non-governmental organizations with knowledge and professional experience in conducting research and civil initiative in a range of sector of the public life in Bulgaria (Bulgarian School of Politics “Dimitry Panitza”, European Institute, European Information Centre, Institute for Social Integration, Centre for Liberal Strategies, Centre for Policy Modernisation, Center for Independent Living).

On April 4, 2013 the non-governmental organizations united their efforts in the Civil Coalition for Monitoring of the Electoral Process, which aims to implement independent civil monitoring of the activities of the institutions and participants in the forthcoming parliamentary elections. The prime goal of the initiative is to implement civil control and contribute to the conduct of free, fair and democratic elections in accordance with the requirements of the Bulgarian legislation and international standards.

The Integrity Pact for Free, Fair and Democratic Elections aims to commit the political parties in the conduct of election campaigns in accordance with the standards for transparency and accountability, and the implementation of measures for prevention against violations of the citizens’ voting rights combined with more efficient organization of the electoral process.

The Integrity Pact is an instrument for:

• Commitment of the political parties, coalitions, and independent candidates to a civil initiative aimed at promoting the principles for transparency and integrity of the electoral process
• Monitoring and evaluation of the efforts of the political entities, aimed at fulfillment of publicly taken obligations.

 By participating the political parties commit to:

• Nominate for members of the PEC candidates with professional expertise, moral integrity, experience in the electoral process and personal authority;
• Increase the competence of their representatives in the electoral commissions by conducting additional trainings regarding the rules of the electoral process;
• Carry out information campaigns against vote buying and the controlled vote, explaining the negative impact of these violations on voters’ rights, the functioning of institutions and on the democratic process in this country in general;
• Ensure publicity of the information regarding the number of the proxy representatives through publication of the said information on their websites;
• Ensure transparency of the election campaign financing by providing information to the Bulgarian National Audit Office regarding the contributions received in the course of the election campaign;
• Cooperate with the independent observers representing the Civil Coalition for Monitoring of the Electoral Process, upon conduct of the observation of the financing of the election campaign and on Election Day.

The non-governmental organizations, united in the Civil Coalition for Monitoring of the Electoral Process commit to:

• Conduct an independent civil monitoring of the electoral process in accordance with the internationally established standards;
• Abide by the principles of political impartiality, transparency and integrity in the monitoring process;
• Carry out information campaign among the Bulgarian public regarding participation in the electoral process, obligations of the institutions and the negative effects of vote-buying and controlled vote.
• Inform the Bulgarian public and European institutions about the results of the conducted monitoring
• Formulate proposal for amendments in the legislation and the practice of the Bulgarian institutions, aiming to enhance transparency and integrity in the Elections to the European Parliament, as well as to offer its expertise to the responsible institutions.