The Associated Press

3 November 2010

WASHINGTON – A delegation of foreign observers is praising the U.S. congressional elections as fair but finding problems with campaign financing. In a news conference Wednesday, members of the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe's parliamentary assembly said Tuesday's vote effectively represented the will of the people.

But the delegation's president, Joao Soares, called the election "at times, intense and dirty." He said that most of the observers found that money "played a too much significant role creating an uneven playing field between candidates."

He also criticized U.S. campaign finance regulations for not requiring more disclosure of the money behind political ads. He said that "undermined transparency and accountability in these elections."