Harry Busz
Harry's PhD project title is 'Election Observation: A comparative study of the impacts of domestic and international observation in delivering free and fair elections in the OSCE countries.' Read more about Harry's research.
About Harry
I am a highly motivated PhD researcher with a goal of scrutinising and analysing the impacts of international, and particularly, domestic election observation missions across the OSCE region.
Over the past five years I have helped lead a domestic observation organisation in the UK, organising and participating in a number of observation missions both here in the UK and abroad.
My work has given me valuable insights into the practices of domestic observation groups, and from several international organisations whose missions I have participated in abroad.
This work has led me to scrutinise electoral processes, administration, and electoral fraud in the UK, USA, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, The Netherlands, Denmark, Gibraltar, Slovakia, Finland, and Ireland.
Project description
My research employs a mixed-methods comparative approach and seeks to map and describe the activities and morphologies of domestic and international observation groups across the region, before analysing the nature of the recommendations they provide, and the impact their work has on improving electoral integrity across the electoral cycle.
I hope my thesis will contribute to the emerging literature on election observation missions as a form of democracy promotion, the impact they can have on improving election quality, and their operation in a more democratically developed region than is often studied.
It seeks to provide insight from both an academic perspective, whilst also providing guidance for domestic observation groups operating on the ground.