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Canadians won’t be the only ones watching October’s election. An international body that specializes in monitoring elections plans to send a team to watch the federal campaign for the first time since 2006.

The Organization for Security and Economic Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is drawing up the plan in direct response to concerns about recent changes to Canada’s election law under the Conservative government. Canada is a member of the OSCE.

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With an election call expected as early as this weekend, the OSCE election observer mission’s findings could validate – or dismiss – criticisms from opposition parties, some citizens’ groups and other analysts of the legislation the government has dubbed the Fair Elections Act. Critics believe its provisions could affect Canada’s standing as a champion of free and fair elections.

Thomas Rymer, a spokesman for the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, said details of the mission are being ironed out. Several other OSCE member states, including Ukraine and Belarus, also have elections in October.