The June 26 June presidential election was competitive and well-organized, featuring a short yet fierce campaign; the election administration largely enjoyed public confidence and the freedoms of complaints, as well as pending court cases, led to uncertainty regarding candidacies. Representatives of the International Election Observation Mission of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) / Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and European Parliament released the joint statement today at a press conference. The General Election Commission enjoyed stakeholders’ trust, met key deadlines and operated in a transparent manner, the statement says. It also suggests that current candidacy requirements are overly restrictive and limit voters’ choice. The election campaign was dynamic, however, the political discourse wasn’t exempt from xenophobic rhetoric, the observers stated, citing several leaked recordings alleging candidates’ involvement in corruption and other illegal activities which shaped the campaign narrative. The OSCE/ODIHR mission comprises 12 core team experts from 12 participating stated based in Ulaanbaatar and 20 long-term observers deployed throughout the country.