Statement by OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on the Serbian parliamentary elections

VIENNA, 24 December 2000 - The Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner welcomed the peaceful and orderly conduct of the Serbian parliamentary elections of 23 December.

"These elections are the logical continuation of the outcome of the federal elections which took place on 24 September. After the victory of the democratic opposition at federal level in September it was necessary that the will of the people could be expressed in free and fair conditions in the Republic of Serbia. Without bringing about democratic changes in Serbia, the whole process would have remained piecemeal," Ferrero-Waldner declared.

"Though final results are not available yet, everything points to an overwhelming victory of the democratic forces. The election campaign and the electoral framework were genuinely free and fair and all political parties could participate on an equal basis. These elections are another proof of the democratic maturity of the people of Serbia," Ferrero-Waldner added.

"Furthermore, I welcome that the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) was invited to observe these elections. The attitude of the new authorities in this respect is in fortunate contrast to the attitude of the former government and is acknowledged by the international community", Ferrero-Waldner said.

"The OSCE will deploy all efforts to assist the new government in its task to overcome the many difficult problems caused by the policies of the previous regime and will establish a Mission in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for this purpose. I repeat my call on the international community to vigorously support the democratic changes in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia," Ferrero-Waldner declared.

For further information, contact the Press and Public Information Section of the OSCE Secretariat, tel.: + 43 1- 514 36 180, e-mail: info@osce.org