WARSAW, 30 January 2004 - The OSCE's elections body, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), has issued the final reports on last year's parliamentary elections in Georgia and the Russian Federation. Each report contains a set of recommendations for improving the country's election process.

The final observation reports follow preliminary statements made after the 2 November 2003 parliamentary elections in Georgia and 7 December 2003 elections to the State Duma in Russia. Both elections failed to meet a number of OSCE commitments for democratic elections.

The observation mission to Georgia, which was led by Ambassador Julian Peel Yates of the United Kingdom, deployed nearly 400 observers from 43 OSCE participating States. The mission to the Russian Federation was led by the former president of the German Bundestag, Professor Rita Suessmuth, and deployed some 480 observers from 42 OSCE countries.

The OSCE/ODIHR will observe Russia's upcoming presidential election on 14 March and the repeat parliamentary elections in Georgia on 28 March.